We have been looking at what means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.Today we will talk about sharing our faith with others.
This passage tell the story of Jesus’ encounter with a woman from Samaria. This one encounter led to many Samaritans in the town believing in Jesus.
Samaritans had the reputation of being unscrupulous half-breeds. Although they had a mixed ancestry prejudice fueled much of the hatred. Many Jews would not even go through the region. But as the Scripture says, Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.”
Jesus’ actions can help us know how to be ready to share our faith
Jesus was ready to respond
Jesus had traveled about 30 miles by foot from Jerusalem to Sychar. He was tired from travel, teaching stopped to rest. As he rested he didn’t forget his mission
Who would have ever thought a well on the outskirts of town would become the starting place for a great revival?
He had been living his message, so now was no exception.
If we are going to be ready we must imitate Jesus.
• We must be aware of the true spiritual state of people far from God. Without Christ they are lost. We can not simply say, “Well they believe in God” or “he’s a good person.” Thoughts like that will discourage us from sharing our faith with others.
• We must know what God has done for us and be able to tell others.
• We must realize that opportunities to share may come at any time.
• Sharing our faith is the natural outgrowth of living our faith
Jesus noticed a person in need
We don’t know exactly what prompted Jesus to talk to the woman. It may have been the situation, a woman at the well at mid-day, or something in her face.
but whatever it was he noticed her and engaged her in conversation in a non-threatening way.
We must learn to be aware of the people around us. It is so easy to be preoccupied and not notice people. Engage them in non-threatening ways that demonstrate true human compassion. Cultivate genuine friendships with unchurched people. Don’t push, just give a gentle witness, offer them Christ
Jesus reached across boundaries
[Jn 4:9 ESV] The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
Jews normally did not have anything to do with Samaritans. It was considered inappropriate for a man to speak with a woman who was not his wife, let alone a Samaritan woman
We will also have to reach across boundaries, racial, economic, political, occupational, social and ethnic boundaries. Crossing those boundaries demonstrates that the love of Christ is real. We reach across not as superiors but as brothers and sisters, fellow pilgrims.
“Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” – D.T. NILES, New York Times, May 11, 1986
Jesus related to her as a person
He respected her and did not judge her. He listened to her and responded appropriately. He was not following a rehearsed program or speech. He only went as far as she would allow and adapted the message to fit her needs.
We must not treat people as souls with ears. They are not a project or a target, they are a person. You may have memorized a program or strategy, but relate to them as a person. In the Conversation, discover their needs and apply the gospel to them.
[John 4:35] …Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Here is a very touching story that illustrates the power of simple faith sharingIn the fall of 2005, my 9-year-old son, Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, an anesthesiologist came in to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that “frog hat.” When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, “Hey, wait.”
The doctor turned. “Yeah, buddy, what do you need?”
“Do you go to church?”
“No,” the doctor admitted. “I know I probably should, but I don’t.”
Austin then asked, “Well, are you saved?”
Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: “Nope. But after talking to you, maybe it’s something I should consider.”
Pleased with his response, Austin answered, “Well you should, ’cause Jesus is great!”
“I’m sure he is, little guy,” the doctor said, and quickly made his exit.
When Austin’s surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to me. He told me the surgery went well, then said, “Mrs. Blessit, I don’t usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did.”
Oh boy, I thought. What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he’d just put the mask on Austin when my son signaled that he needed to say something. When the doctor removed the mask, Austin blurted, “Wait a minute, we have to pray!” The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed: “Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen.”
The doctor admitted that this had touched him. “I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well,” he explained. “He didn’t even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! Mrs. Blessit, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have.”
A few minutes later, a nurse came to take me to post-op. She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. “There’s something you should know,” she said. “Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time. After your son’s surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin’s prayer. He said, ‘Well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, too.'”
Tina Blessit, “A Prayer Before Surgery,” Today’s Christian Woman (July/August 2006), p. 27