John 4
Elder Annie Wong
23 April 2017
I. Her attention was caught (vv1-15)
- Jesus because of divine impulse "had to pass through Samaria" (v4) despite Jewish aversion to Samaritans
- woman surprised by Jesus' request for water (factors of culture, gender, personal background)
- while Jesus began with a simple request for water, ironically His concern was for the woman's spiritual needs rather than water (Jn 4:32-34), because his top priority was her salvation
- from her physical need for water, Jesus introduced to her Living water (Jn 7:37-38) leading her to ask how she can have access to this water He was talking about
II. Her heart was challenged (vv16-26)
concerning her past
- Jesus commented on her honesty twice (vv17-18) yet lovingly called out her shameful past rather than not mentioning it
- we need to realise that ppl must be brought to a place they can recognise their sinfulness in order to truly be convicted and converted
concerning worship
- often-asked question: traditional or contemporary style of worship?
- external location (temple) does not determine true worship (spiritual act); worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart that leads us to Truth (Jn 17:17)
III. Her life was changed and caused results (vv25-42)
- her gentle yet clear invitation to the people to "come and see" led ppl to Christ
- interestingly Jesus' conversation with this woman is the longest dialogue recorded in the bible
- story of the woman on Japan trip with her daughter
- we must share about our experiences with Christ, for you never know the change it can bring to others.
An encounter with Christ is a glorious experience. It is not an experience you can keep to yourself. If you keep it to yourself, the fire it ignited within you will die.
- Ps Renny: in our own lives, what are the signs of Christ which leads us to revelation? How do we respond to those signs/revelations? How do we share these encounters with others to multiply the blessing of Life that God has given to us?
Questions:
(1) What can we learn from Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman that can help us in our witnessing?
(2) Where do we find true worship? What does Jesus mean when He says we will worship God "in spirit and in truth"? Share how to worship God in spirit and in truth.
(3) Share an encounter you had with Christ. What was the result?
I was absent and away from town on 23 April. I was attending Kg Narawang SIB church servive that morning. But Jovie helped to take photos during sermon and one of the leaders gave a summary of sermon for leaders to prepare for the Connect Group sharing.
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