Faith from personal experience

Faith from personal experience

John 4: 27-42 (NIV)

27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[b]?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
Many Samaritans Believe

39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They 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."


I. Message:

Content:
1>（v27） The disciples were surprised to find Him talking with the woman.

2>（v28-30）The woman left her water jar and went back to town to invite people to see Jesus. 

3>（v31-34）As they urged him to eat, Jesus taught his disciples the importance of doing God’s work.

4>（v35-38）Jesus emphasized that the ministries of “sowing” and “harvesting” were of the same value.

5>（v39）Many believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony.

6>（v40）Those who believed urged Jesus to stay, and he stayed with them for two days.

7>（v41）During those two days, many became believers because of His words.

8>（v42）Those believers professed that they had heard the Lord Jesus for themselves, and knew that He was the Savior of the world. 
 


Theme:

1>Witnessing for Christ. 

2>Faith from personal experience

II. Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Holy Spirit?

1>（v27）Jesus Christ gets close with the sinners.

2>（v29）Jesus Christ is omniscient. 

3>（v34）Jesus Christ does God’s will. 

4>（v38）Jesus Christ commissions people to spread the Gospel. 

5>（v39）Jesus Christ is worthy of trust.

6>（v42）Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. 




III. What is God teaching me (command, promise, model, rebuke, warning)?


1>（v28-29）Life after meeting with Jesus 
This woman’s life had obviously changed after the encounter with Jesus, especially after Jesus telling her everything she ever did. In the past, she isolated herself from the public because of her own feeling of shame. Going to the well at noon time while there was no one around was her way of avoiding contact with people. Now, she changed her regular routine, leaving her water jar and hurried back into town. Not only was she hiding no more, but also relaxed, introducing Jesus to the public. It is clear to us that her life had greatly changed because of the encounter with Jesus. 


Reflection: Do I have the experience of encountering the Lord Jesus? Somewhere or somehow, was there any change in my life after I met and knew the Lord Jesus? 




2>（v28-30、v39）Become the witness of the Gospel 
The Samaritan woman put down her water jar and hurried back to town to publicly introduce Jesus whom she had just met. She said to the people, “Come; see a man who told me everything I ever did.” Many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her words. The Samaritan woman eventually became a witness of the Gospel.

Reflection: How long have I believed in Jesus? Have I ever witnessed for Jesus? How many people have I brought to know Jesus? Can I call myself a witness of the Gospel?



 
3>（v31-34）Satisfaction beyond food 
The disciples invited Jesus to eat when they came back to Him. Without eating at all, He replied, 32"I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 

Through Jesus’ words we understand that food can satisfy the flesh, but to do God’s work and accomplish the work commissioned by Him can also satisfy our soul; even to the point that we will forget about being hungry and weary. This brings to our mind the Taiwanese saying, “There is satisfaction when you are enjoying your work.”

Reflection: Have I ever experienced the joy of serving God and accomplishing His mission, even to the extent of forgetting about being hungry and weary? 
 



4>（v31-38）The vision for the ministry of Gospel 
In Jesus’ words we also discover that the vision for the ministry of the Gospel is:

a. To accomplish the mission of the Gospel commissioned by God is more important than eating (to satisfy the physical body’s needs). 


b. In our vision and mission, we should have the mindset of “Many are waiting for the Gospel”
Ministry work includes sowing and harvesting; they are of the same value. 


Reflection: What is the status of the Great Commission in my heart? Have I ever enjoyed doing it so much even to the point of ignoring meals and sleep? 



5> According to the passage, there were three steps for the Samaritans to know Jesus.

Listen: Listening to the woman’s testimony was only the initial step to faith. They did not fully know Jesus.

Pursuit: They came close to Jesus and urged Him to stay. This was a critical step, indicating their thirst to pursue Him.

Meeting together with Jesus: Because they came close to Jesus and urged Him to stay, they had the opportunity to meet Him in person and to listen to Him more closely.

Reflection: At which stage is my faith, my life and my relationship with the Lord Jesus? Do I just listen to others, pursue more or listen for myself? Especially, to those who are the 2nd and 3rd generation Christians, do they stay in the stage of faith of listening to their grandparents and/or parents? Do they experience faith for themselves by pursuing more in faith?

IV. Prayer/ Life Application 
 






Translated by 曾秀娟