Jesus Principles of Evangelism

Jesus Principles of Evangelism Text: John 4:4-30 Intro: I. Be driven by a burden -- 4:4 (John 4:4 NIV) Now he had to go through Samaria. had to go The necessity was not the geography it was the mission. II. Establish contact -- 4:5-7 (John 4:5-7 NIV) So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. {6} Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. {7} When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" The setting: Jacob s well is at the fork in the road near Nablus. Jesus broke down barriers: A. Ethnic Prejudice In 720 BC the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom and exiled most of the inhabitants and brought in foreigners from Cutha and Ava. The remnant intermarried and were regarded as half breeds by the Jews in Judea and Galilee. B. Sexual Prejudice Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not with his own wife. Better that the words of the law should be burned than delivered to women. Each time that a man prolongs conversation with a woman he causes evil to himself, and desists from the law, and in the end inherits Gehinnom. For a rabbi to speak to a woman in public was the end of his career. Application: Establish contact with: 1. Neighbors = help on projects, 2. Kids = games 3. Strangers = travelers 4. Fishing hole = III. Look for a Common Interest -- 4:7 (John 4:7-8 NIV) When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" {8} (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The sixth hour = 12:00 noon Matt says crucifixion was from sixth hour until the ninth hour = Matt 27:45 John says Jesus was tried before Pilate at the sixth hour = John 19:14 A. Primary interests = life related Will you give me a drink? B. Secondary interests = sports, hobbies, C. Momentary interests = Look for common interests in your friends. 1

IV. Create a Thirst -- 4:9-10 (John 4:9-10 NIV) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) {10} Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." Illustration: You can lead a horse to water, but you can t make him drink. Not true. Jesus created a thirst in the woman by talking about Living water. Living water = running water and not a cistern. Water was very important in that land. The living water analogy 1. The Holy Spirit -- Jn 7:38-39 (John 7:38-39 NIV) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." {39} By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. 2. Eternal life -- 4:10 The Old Testament speaks of the thirst of the soul -- Ps 42:1; Isa 44:3; Jer 2:13 (Psa 42:1 NIV) As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Isa 44:3 NIV) For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. (Jer 2:13 NIV) "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Application: Create a thirst by giving your own testimony. Review: Principles of evangelism 1. Be driven by a Burden -- 4:4 2. Establish Contact -- 4:5-7 3. Look for a Common Interest -- 4:7 4. Create a Thirst -- 4:9-10 V. Don t Pressure -- 4:11-19 (John 4:11-19 NIV) "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? {12} Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" {13} Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, {14} but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." {15} The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." {16} He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." {17} "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. {18} The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." {19} "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Jesus did not force the gospel upon the woman. 2

Many well-meaning soul-winners today often force the person into a decision. Many of these decisions are not genuine. VI. Don t Condemn -- 4:11-19 Telling a lost sinner not to smoke or drink or take drugs, etc. never brings them to repentance. Illustration of hitch-hiker -- If God wanted you to smoke he would have put a chimney on your hear. If God wanted you to ride, He would have put wheels on your feet. VII. Stay on Track -- 4:20-24 (John 4:20-24 NIV) Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." {21} Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. {22} You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. {23} Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. {24} God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Common objections: A. I believe everyone will one day go to heaven. Answer: Jesus said everyone must make a choice. By rejecting God s love and His only provision for one s sin, there is no hope of heaven. Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 5:28-29 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. B. I believer that all religions are different roads to heaven. Answer: What do you believe about Jesus Christ? Who was (is) He? Was He a good man? Was He a great teacher? Would a truly good man and great teacher lie? The answer is no! Jesus said He was the only way to heaven. God does not have many ways to heaven but only one. All of man s roads to heaven are wrong roads. They cannot get anyone to heaven. Only God s road will make it and that only road is Christ. John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. C. What about the heathen in Africa or Asia? Answer: That s a good question. And it would be a good discussion. I m sure you have some interesting thoughts on the subject. The Bible also has some very specific things to say on the subject. However, I 3

am more concerned about you right now. I want you to know for certain how you could go to heaven. Perhaps after we see how you could know for certain how you can have eternal life, we could discuss the subject. Let s look at what the Bible says here in Romans 3:23. If he persists in getting an answer about those who have never heard the message of salvation, then go into the following brief discussion. The Bible teaches that all people are responsible before God. Even those who may not have had an opportunity to hear the gospel preached have not lived up to the light God has given them. The Bible shows that God has revealed Himself in nature and conscience, but people don t even live up to this general revelation of God (Romans 1:18-32). The Bible also teaches that when a person truly seeks the one-and-only living God, God will bring His message of salvation to him. Jeremiah 29:13 states: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. The wise men were outside the commonwealth of Israel, yet they were seeking the living God and God brought them to the Messiah (Matthew 2:1-12). The Ethiopian was seeking the true way of salvation and God brought the evangelist Philip to him to give him the message of salvation (Acts 8:26-40). The Scriptures also teach that just as there are degrees of rewards so too there are degrees of punishment. Those who have had greater light face greater punishment. Those also who have a greater position face greater judgment. Luke 10:13 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Luke 12:47-48 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. James 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. II Peter 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Rev 20:11-12 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. D. There are too many hypocrites in the Church. Answer: There are hypocrites in every walk of life. The reason the objection of hypocrisy is leveled to the Church is because the standard of Jesus is so much higher than the world s standard. You expect Christians to live at a higher level than the world. There are hypocrites at Foodlion, Krogers, and other supermarkets, but that doesn t stop you from buying groceries. Every gas station has hypocrites in it, but you don t stop buying gas. Every community has hypocrites in it, but you don t more to the North Pole. Therefore, the criticism of hypocrites in the church is simply an excuse not to face the demands of a holy, righteous God. B. You will be judged alone before God -- Romans 14:12 (Rom 14:12 NIV) So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. God says you will give an account for your own sins not the sins of hypocritical Christians. Are you ready to give an account of yourself before a holy, righteous God? 4

Listen to what Romans 2:1-5 says: (Rom 2:1-5 NIV) You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. {2} Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. {3} So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? {4} Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? {5} But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Are you not judging others for what you are doing yourself? God says He will pass judgment on everyone who makes an excuse for failing to repent because of the hypocrisy of someone else. God says in verse three, Do you think you will escape God s judgment? The answer is no! Verse four says when you use the excuse of hypocrisy, you are showing contempt for the kindness, tolerance and patience of God. My friend you will stand before God one day and give account for that contempt. According to verse five, the reason you use the excuse of hypocrites in the Church is because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart. As a result you are storing up wrath against yourself which will be brought against you on the judgment day. Does that make sense to you? VIII. Draw the Net -- 4:25-26, 39-42 (John 4:25-26 NIV) The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." {26} Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." (John 4:39-42 NIV) Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." {40} So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. {41} And because of his words many more became believers. {42} They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." 5