Title: Going through Samaria, Summary: We need to place ourselves in the paths of people who need to hear the Gospel, especially social outcasts. It needs to be our passion as it was the passion of Christ. Function: To motivate the hearers to step outside of their comfort zone, and reach out to people who are hurting, struggling, and have problems. This sermon is to motivate them to true ministry to people outside of their comfort zone. Text: John 4:1-42 Scripture Reading: 2 Cor 8:9 Intro 1. How do you pack when you go on a trip? a. We try to leave room b. Always seems we come back with more than left with 2. Jesus traveled very light a. Going an a journey through Samaria b. He was going to take them an a journey to God c. Text: John 4:1-42 3. In order to do this, he needed to pack his bag with some necessary tools 4. Let’s look at his tools I. He had to pack blinders (Didn’t care about social or religious barriers) A. He was blind to the long history of animosity between Samaritans and Jews B. Source of animosity 1. Ethnic a. Race resulting from Assyrian captivity b. Committed the unpardonable sin -intermarriage c. Would not let Samaritans help rebuild 2. Religious a. They modified the Bible to fit their theology b. Worshipped at Gerizim rather than Jerusalem 3. Social a. John Hyrcanus (a Jew) Destroyed Gerizim 129 B.C. b. Samaritan hindered Jews from passing through c. Proverb: Eating w/Samaritan like eating swines flesh 4. Gender a. Women viewed as property b. Not proper for men and women to converse c. Proverb: I thank God I not a gentle or a woman 5. Moral a. She came out at midday to draw water - Most women came at cool of morning, and in evening - Well a place to visit - But this woman by herself at midday b. Why did she come at midday? - She is living an immoral life - She has been around the block c. Imagine the looks, comments, and avoidance of people - This may have been the town tramp - Not sure who father of her children are - Don’t get to close, might catch something d. She didn’t want to put up with that, so came at midday C. Our challenge - Change 1. New people in congregation means change - People with drastically different background = change 2. People by nature do not like change a. That was a struggle in early church b. Especially in Jew/Gentile problem c. Gentiles threated Jewish homogeneity 3. ILL: Donny's ministry to reach out at a church we used to worship with a. Leaders wanted to reach out b. Members & a couple of elders complaining c. Attracting the wrong kind of people d. Single parents, needy people, former alcoholics, etc 4. They needed to put blinders in their bags D. May not have struggle with racial prejudice, but may have other struggles 1. There are people around us very, very different than us 2. They are made in image of God, and Jesus died for them 3. If serious about filling a need, and sharing Gospel, they will respond 4. That means change - So our challenge in this way - Accepting change a. Different kind of ministry with hurting people b. More demand on emotional and other resources c. But isn’t that what ministry is all about? II. He had to pack Road Signs (sensitivity to where people were) A. Jesus always started where people were at 1. When fed hungry people, spoke of the Bread of Life 2. Called fishermen to be Fishers of Men 3. With this woman, he spoke of her need for Living Water a. Took a familiar situation and turned it to God b. She likely had a longing, and Jesus draws it out c. Jesus identified her longing and showed her the answer B. Paul's example (Acts 17:16-34) 1. Paul did the unthinkable - Quoted a pagan poet 2. Put Paul started where they were 3. He was simply following the example of Christ C. Talked to a lady from Arkansas during a campaign 1. They did a campaign a few years ago 2. People not care how much you know, unless know how much you care 3. They decided to take benevolent work seriously - This is part of starting where they are, as Jesus did 4. Benevolent work gave opportunity to deal with greatest need A. Use user freindly Bibles - We Care Bibles - page numbers B. Church has exploded in conversion growth D. Our challege: User Freindly 1. What does it take to be user freindly? 2. Have to try and see self through eyes of others 3. Put theological concepts into simple, understandable terms 4. That’s how you pack road signs III. He had to pack a towel (which represents humility) A. He did not intimidate her 1. Might have expected a man to act superior to a women 2. He was a rabbi, son of God 3. Did not begin with an appeal to his greatness B. He did not shame her 1. He could have condemed her for an immoral life 2. He simply asked a favor, and had casual conversation with her C. ILL: A man I used to know that was an elder in a church - 1. Truck driver, propositioned by a prostitute 2. He bragged about how he shamed her 3. Sent her sulking away 4. Is that what Jesus would have done? D. His purpose was to lead her, not to shame her 1. Even though Jesus was morally superior, he didn’t flaunt it 2. He is morally superior to all of us, yet was humble 3. We have no room for pride 4. Pride is one of the biggest barriers to ministry and evangelism - We are all just humble servants of Christ IV. He had to pack anesthetic (which represents indifference) A. He did not care about image - what people “thought” of him 1. Would it make him look bad to talk with this woman? 2. Would he look bad to associate with bad people? 3. If Jesus were here today, where would you find him? a. At table of some of the most vile people in town b. He would be walking with drug users, prostitutes, etc. 4. Many would consider him a blemish on stain glassed window faith B. His indifference was displaced by passion 1. He was indifferent to public opinion 2. He was passionate about people 3. The disciples had not caught on yet a. All they could do was be stunned that he spoke to her b. They concerned with food, Jesus with the harvest c. His passion was people 4. Disciples wanted to just pass through, Jesus wanted to minister here C. ILL: Want to tell you about a ministry for people struggling 1. Originally for men coming out of homosexual lifestyle - Eventually it encompassed anyone with addictions 2. At first a struggle - People not accept the ministry a. Make church look bad to have those kind of people b. In class, a new Christian accidentally cursed in prayer c. Immediately asked God for forgiveness 3. People said - Can’t have “those kind of people” - Yet Jesus loves those kind of people - Died to set them free 4. 1 Cor 6 - Church was full of “those kind of people” a. Jesus died for “those kind of people” b. Jesus washed and sactified those kind of people c. Not matter what you have done, you not beyond Lords salvation d. (Invitation) D. Our challenge - Don’t worry about what people think, but what God thinks Concl: 1. Jesus packed - Blinders, Road Signs, Towel, and Anesthetic a. What is in your tool bag? b. Hammers, Megaphones, Vice Grips, Jackhammers don’t work well c. Use the tools that Jesus did 2 What does this mean for this Church? a. What if our marquee said - sinners welcomed here? - That means homosexuals, ex-cons, theives, murderers, divorced - Would you go elsewhere? b. We all probably agree sinners are welcome in the Lord’s church c. Do we really mean it? 3 Didn’t happen by accident a Text says he “had” to go through Samaria - Doesn’t mean there was no other way to go - Most went around - His ministry there was intentional b Jesus went outside the comfort zone to reach the untouchables 4 Where is your Samaria? a. For some of you, it has been the prisons in the area b. But there are a lot of other Samarias in this community Questions for Small Group Discussion