The Samaritan Woman's Story - Pastor Robert Morris

turn to John chapter four we're going to continue I've done John 1 to John two and I actually preached about Nicodemus back in August and our evangelism series in John chapter four there's an encounter with Jesus and this is the Samaritan woman's story so we talked about John's story we talked about Mary's story and now we're talking about the Samaritan woman's story John chapter four we will read much of the chapter and much of the encounter throughout the message but let me just read a few verses to get the picture here John 4 verse 3 this is peaking of Jesus he left Judea and departed again to Galilee but he needed to go through Samaria now you could say geographically did and that's true because of the location where he was but he could have gone around it many Jews did walk around this city I think he needed to go through because this woman need encounter with God I think Jesus knew that he needed to go through Samaria verse 5 so he came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to a son Joseph now Jacob's Well was there Jesus therefore being wearied from his journey set thus by the whale it was about the sixth hour which would be about noon beginning the day beginning at 6 a.m. a woman of Samaria came to draw water jesus said to her give me a drink now here's what I want to show you every person needs a face-to-face encounter with Jesus here we have the master himself teaching us how to guide someone into an encounter with himself here it is so this is one of the best chapters on helping us to help someone else have an encounter with Jesus I said in one of our early morning prayer meetings and I hope you get to come every Monday 6:30 but I said in one of our prayer meetings I'm praying that every person in Gateway church when someone to Jesus Christ this year lead someone to Christ in other words lead someone in an encounter with the Lord all right so I want to show you very simply how the master did it so I actually have two points and then I have some sub points under those points all right so here's point number one if you're going to try to help someone come into an encounter jeez here's point number one don't argue don't argue with them this is exactly what the enemy wants to do it's not the person trying to argue as much as you think it is there is a spiritual realm out there there are demonic spirits that are doing everything they can to get people to not come into an encounter with Jesus Christ so the spirits are the one that are trying to get you to argue and so just once you notice that Jesus was never drawn into an argument with this woman although the enemy not the woman the enemy tried several arguments and I'll actually show you three arguments that the enemy tries with every person and he did it with this person as well but I just want you to remember Jesus never argued was Satan remember when Jesus was tempted Satan said to him if you are the son of God okay listen Jesus never said I am net never bother him he just said it is written it is written it is written he never argued with it so don't get drawn into arguments let me show you the three most common arguments in this passage all right and these are the most common in any situation all right here's the first sub point under don't argue right race look notice verse 9 then the woman of Samaria said to him how is it that you being a Jew ask a drink from me a Samaritan woman for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans okay here's exactly what she says you don't understand there is a history between Samaritans and Jews there's a history with our races that would cause there to be friction that's what she's trying to say and she actually brings that also gender she says you being a Jew and me and was a Samaritan woman there was also friction between gender and so here she brings it up and says listen you don't understand you can't talk to me because there's a barrier okay Jesus never even addresses it the only line because race is a man-made barrier it is not a God made barrier don't let race culture ethnicity social status gender don't let anything stop you you are talking to a soul who needs Jesus Christ a person who needs some Lord Jesus Christ and so don't let there be a boundary now I'm going to tell you something that might kind of shock you well hopefully this doesn't shock you but I don't believe in evolution I believe in creationism obviously so hopefully that doesn't shock you but I know that there are people who are now mixing you know creationism evolution and I don't believe that okay let me just say that I believe we were created in God's image but do you realize that every bigot uses evolution as part of his argument I don't know have you ever thought about this but here's what racist people say one race is more evolved than another race okay here's the reason that's wrong because we were all created in the image of God as a matter of fact I thought it's almost shocking I thought about leaving this out because it's controversial and I'll get emails but I'm gonna do it anyway evolution is unconstitutional not only anti scriptural but it's unconstitutional because our Constitution says that we were created equal doesn't say we evolved equally it says we were created equal they're by the way we did not evolve equally because women are much smarter than men but we're we were created equal and we have rights given to us by our Creator that's what our forefathers told us they knew they knew that we didn't involve we were created so race though is a man-made barrier don't don't get into arguments about race or any differences alright here's number two reasoning now what I mean by reason is obviously we're to think and to be logical but look at what she says we'll come back to verse 10 look what she says in verse 11 the woman said to him sir you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep where then do you get that living water okay that's that's a reasonable question to hear here's what I want you know he's talking on a spiritual level she's talking on a natural level when I'm sharing Christ with someone I'm talking on a spiritual level I'm talking about a spiritual need that that person has here's what the enemy does though yeah but what about the dinosaurs he'll just throw things in people's mind well what about this well what about what scientists say well what about this well what about this listen to me listen it's okay to say I don't know about all that but what I do know is I was blind and now I see that's okay you are qualified to be a witness if you've had a face-to-face encounter you don't need to think well I've got to learn all this all these things and and before I can ever tell anyone about my encounter because what they need is an encounter and if you've had an encounter you can help them with an account okay so don't let all the that you don't understand everything how it works out don't let that stop you from sharing people all right here's number three the third reason we don't want to argue religion here's the third argument that she threw at verse 20 our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship okay here's the point again we'll look at his answer a moment he still never argument he never said yeah boy we Jews know about this mountain and we know that and dadada and all that he wasn't arguing even though he gives an answer he brings her back to God religion is also a man-made barrier religion is man's attempt to get to God Christ is God's attempt to get to man it is not about religion is about relationship I have even said to people before well religion says and I said well I understand that but I'm not talking about religion right now I'm talking about a relationship with Jesus Christ and what's amazing is if we'll spend some time with some folks and let them see our genuine relationship that we have had a genuine encounter they will begin to won't what we have so there's no reason to argue about religion either okay here's number two number one is don't argue and then I gave you three points you could argue about race reason and religion here's number two it's very simple if you want to help someone have an encounter just talk just talk look at verse seven a woman of Samaria came to draw water jesus said to her give me a drink now I understand he was thirsty but I know he knew where he was going with this conversation I know he was concerned about this woman and he could have gotten his own drink don't you think he could have gotten it sure he and he's not a person who believes everyone should serve Him he actually said the opposite I came to serve so the only reason he started talking this woman was to help her he knew exactly where he was going I do this constantly I initiate conversations with people simply so that I can eventually share Christ with them and I can have a conversation with anyone anywhere anytime and there's a reason I know the secret I know how to talk to every person and here's the here's how I know every person has a favorite subject and I know what it is I know without if I've never even met you I know what your favorite subject is it's you if I just ask you about you you'll get to talking your your children your grandchildren your family your job where you grew up your hobbies your interest I mean sometimes you get to talking to someone about his or her hobbies and interest you can't get them to stop you actually sometimes think I don't know I should have started this conversation or not but it's very very easy so I just want you to know you you can talk to any person any time don't be afraid we will never lead people into a face-to-face encounter with Jesus if we never talk to them and Jesus delivery went he engaged people so just talk so let me tell you some things to talk about all right here are some sub points now on your point two one is abundant life abundant life look at verse 10 jesus answered and said to her if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you give me a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you living water okay every person wants abundant life every person wants peace and joy you can talk about the peace and the joy that you have now as a believer that you didn't have before and you're not trying to impose your religion on someone you need to understand that it's like if you were talking to a complete stranger and you said you know I am I'm really grateful to be here well how come well I had cancer and I was given a death sentence and I was told to go to search such such clinic and I had to go through eight months of treatment and and I am now cancer-free okay listen if you tell someone that that person does not think in any way hey hey hey you're trying to impose your religion on me they hid anything okay so when a person does say that you might not be sharing about Jesus in the right way you might be sharing in a religious way for instance I have said to people many many times um you know um I I was raised in a good home I got so far off track I got extremely involved in drugs and an immoral lifestyle and then something happened to me in a motel room and it totally changed my life well of course I've got their interest right there you know wonder what happened in a motel room and then stale and I'll say well this guy told me and this may not be you know the way everyone believes but this guy told me that if I would give my life to God everything would change and I mean I was delivered from drugs instantly okay again what he's doing is he's hearing my story by the way no one can argue with my story they can argue about the dinosaurs they argue about the flood they can argue about all stuff you can't argue with my story there's proof about my story you can go to the police department it's a record it's it's it's just my story so just talk about abundant life here's another thing say well I wasn't in drugs okay let me tell you what what you can talk about I was miserable I was lonely I was insecure I was afraid I was angry I was bitter I had unforgiveness I was in bondage I had insecurities I had rejection I was a person that was totally tormented until I finally gave control of my life Lord okay one of those you can relate to so you don't have to go with the outward things you can go with inner things so just talk about abundant life remember I talked about the three analogies the three I mean the three arguments let me just show you this scripture that I found on this because when we talk about abundant life you don't have to go into all these things but this this shocked me I remember I talked about race reason and religion Titus 3:9 says but avoid foolish disputes now watch this genealogies that's race contentions that's arguments reasons and strivings about the law that's religion for they are unprofitable and useless avoid those so we're going to avoid that what are we gonna talk about talk about abundant life here's the second thing eternal life Jesus talked about eternal life look at verses 13 and 14 jesus answered and said to her whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life listen every person every person has a god-shaped void in him every person and when you talk about eternal life even if they say they don't believe it there's something God put in them that wants to know about life after death is this it so you can talk about eternal life that's okay um now when I was a new Christian I had what the Bible refers to as zeal without knowledge I can remember witnessing to several people and I so wanted them to pray the prayer because I knew when I asked Jesus my heart everything changed I didn't understand about letting the Holy Spirit work on them and things like that so I would just try to get him to pray the prayer and I know now to let God do it but I used to say I could remember saying to people okay so you don't want to accept Jesus is that what you're telling me and they said and I just wanna I just I don't want to right now I'd say okay before I leave then I want you to say I choose to go to hell say I choose to they say no I don't want to say I choose to go to hell I'd say well then you do want to get Satan they said well I don't want your ass then say I choose to go to hell okay I've learned that you do your best and trust God with the rest okay you don't have to force it on people all right all right but you can talk about eternal life here's the third thing talk about sin now this is going to shock you because people say there's a whole movement search today don't talk about sin well the only problem with that is Jesus did and that that is what separates us from God it's the way you talk about sin that's it verses 16 through 19 jesus said to her go call your husband and come here the woman answered and said I have no husband jesus said to her you have well said I have no husband for you've had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband in that you spoke truly I love her response a woman said sir I perceive you're a prophet if I would have perceived that - okay here's the point CN was her need it's okay to talk about sin it's how you talk about it now let me tell you something that I say that obviously Jesus couldn't say but I'm not Jesus so I can say this I will say to people all the time I am no better than you we have all made mistakes we've all messed up one of the barriers are Satan's rose up is people think that we think that we're better than I'm not better than because I've received the grace of God I might even be worse than but I received His grace and I'm simply saying you you can receive His grace - when I was first learning about this spiritual realm I came from a church background where we didn't talk much about demons you know and in the early 80s I was traveling with James Robinson many of you know that and the James Robinson introduced me to a guy named Milton Greene Milton Graham is a carpet cleaner he started showing us that there were demonic spirits and scriptures and they were attacking believers as well we we just didn't think they could bother us once we got saved it was kind of our theology and it wasn't working out real well for us either but but I remember Dudley Hall who was a Bible teacher real good Norton Bible teacher Dudley and I were witnessing this guy we were at a hunting camp and we'd been talking this guy for like an hour and for about the past 30 minutes he was saying to us well I want to accept Jesus but something's stopping me I just don't know what it is something stopping me I just don't know what this and we just kept saying what what you know we kept trying to talk and then Milton Greene this carpet cleaner walks up in the conversation about this time this guy says again I won't accept Jesus but something stopping me and I don't know whether and Milton said it's demons and I remember Dudley and I thought oh you don't tell a lost person about demons you know and Milton says its demons said they talk to us all the time said they hate us and that he kind of had that Tennessee twin you know and he said they talked to us all the time and they tell us that we're no good and they tell us that God doesn't love us and he said you know what they'll do he said they'll tell us when we're driving down the road just driving a bridge and end it all said you ever heard that this guy said yeah he said that's a demon and he hates you and he doesn't want you to accept Jesus you won't accept Jesus guy said yeah and the guy got saved in like 30 seconds doesn't I'd be talking to him an hour you don't have to avoid these subjects jesus never avoided these subjects it's how you talk about it if you talking about a sin in a condemning way which jesus never did by the way you remember this remember what he said and I'll probably Cheryl this one because it's in John and I'm getting excited about all these encounters in John John 8 the woman caught in adultery there's no one condemned you neither do i that's that's G Jesus loves sinners sinners love Jesus because he didn't condemn it okay here's number four a relationship with God verse 21 jesus said to her woman believe me the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the father you worship what you do not know we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews but the hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth for the father is seeking such to worship Him God is spirit those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth okay he focused on a relationship with God just keep that in your mind when you're talking to someone that's what you want to focus on is listen you can have a relationship with God and let me show you the last one to talk about Jesus now this this might shock you learn much say but Jesus talked about himself as a matter of fact that's one of the reasons I love John so much because we have Jesus reveals more about himself in John than any other gospel look at verses 25 and 26 the woman said to him I know that Messiah is coming I want you to put yourself in this world which encounter what you think about what what happens here I know Messiah is coming who is called Christ when he comes he will tell us all things verse 26 one of my favorite verses the Bible jesus said to her I who speak to you and he what are you going to read the story her whole life has changed and she wins the whole city - gee she goes back come meet a man who told me all I ever did now she doesn't say it this way but I think that's what she was saying and still love me come meet someone who knows all about me but still loves me um I was um a few years ago looking to buy a car and looked in the paper and looked on the internet and all the different things you do you know found this car and it was at a car dealership called this guy got him on the phone tire somebody he drove and I went down it test drove it and end up buying the car but while I was there I got a real burden for this guy and I'd been praying that I would be able to lead someone to Christ that year now I've prayed before that I could lead one person to the Lord a month I felt led to do that and by God's grace I let 12 people to the Lord that year it was something I prayed about I felt led to pray about it I'm simply asking this year I actually felt led to just pray that I let one person of Christ now maybe I led more but I I felt like when I was praying that it was going to take a little while was I was going to find someone that I needed to build a relationship with and take some time with well when I got there I thought this is the guy this is you know so I called him about a week later after bought the car and said hey just wanted you to know the cars running great thanks so much and I had a really good experience you know a lot of people don't have good experience by car I had a great experience in you made it a good experience he said man thank you God I just didn't have any idea you know that that you would call me back and tell me something like that you know that's just very unusual I so I just wanted you to know that and that it uh so and then we talked some about hobbies and we had some similar hobbies and a week or two later I called him and said hey I'm in the area you want to grab some lunch he said yeah so while we're at lunch he said to me hey what do you do and I said well uh I'm a pastor and I remember he kind of you know like kind of leaned back then he said you don't act like a preacher I was taking that as a compliment and so but I saw I said to him well you don't like like her car salesman and he kind of laughed he said what that's that's compliment you know and so we kept developed this relationship I kept talking to him about three months into it we're having lunch one day and he said can I tell you something I said yeah he said I didn't grow up going to church when I was about 12 years old I've made friends with this guy at school and I found out he was the pastor's son and I started going to church with him he said I loved it I loved it and I felt like I was beginning to learn about God and he said then for some stupid reason you know how kids are he said we broke into one of the classrooms one night we trashed it we just vandalized it this is just stupid he said the next Sunday the pastor called me up in front of the whole church he told the church what I had done and he said that I had gotten his son involved in it that I was a bad influence on his son and he said to me you're a bad person and you need to leave Church and don't you ever come back and he said I've never been back and I said to him you know how I told you that you're a good car salesman that you didn't manipulate me and you really wanted me to find the right car for me and you really took care of me you know how I told you you're a good car salesman he said yeah I said in did you you know that there are some bad car salesmen he said yeah I said there are some bad preachers and that man is a bad preacher I said but don't blame God because God didn't do that as a matter of fact God put you on my heart because he won't have relationship and I've been praying for you for months now and then he said to me tears in his eyes can I come to your church said yeah and the first time he came he gave his life to Christ he had a face-to-face encounter because someone else who'd had an encounter didn't argue with it just talk to it I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes I want you to do like we do every weekend I just want you to ask the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit what are you saying to me through this message just ask him Holy Spirit what he's saying to me you know I love you guys so much and I I asked you would you pray and obey would you make a commitment to give over and above your tithe and so many of you did can't just ask you to do something else would you pray and ask the Lord to let you lead someone to Christ this year we just pray that they said Lord use me just use me to lead someone else to have an encounter with you you know someone helped every one of us now we need to help someone we want to pray for you no matter which campus you're attending or if you're in an overflow room we're going to have leaders at the front of every campus at the front of every room in just a moment I'm going to pray after I pray then we'll stand every campus will have one worship song during that worship song if you need prayer for any reason at all maybe you've had a bad experience with Church and you say you know I'm not gonna blame God anymore and maybe you need to give your life to God maybe there's an area of your life that you're going through a difficulty every person needs prayer if you need prayer for any reason at all as soon as we stand I want you just to stand up and step out and come Holy Spirit I pray that you will draw every person that has any need for prayer in Jesus name Amen I was 19 years old when I gave my life to the Lord and everything changed I didn't have any desire to go back to that old life I wanted to walk with the Lord and learn more about him and some people helped me to learn the Bible and to learn how to pray and to learn about my new life in Christ and that's what we want to do for you I am so excited that you've given your life to the Lord he's forgiven all of your sins and you're on your way to heaven but we need to learn some things now about the Bible about prayer about some basics of the Christian life so that you can be victorious and live for the Lord like I know you want to so we've designed a class called fresh start and I want to encourage you to sign up for this class because we want to help you grow in your walk with the Lord now I love you and I'm so proud of you

Channel: gatewaychurchtv

Views: 178,263

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Keywords: Robert, Morris, Gateway, Church, miracle, Christianity (Religion), Religion (Literary Genre), Church (building), samaritan, woman, Face to Face, Jesus, sermon, Southlake, DFW, Texas

Id: _8WIp9dEvxQ

Length: 30min 43sec (1843 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 13 2013