Witness to Ordinary People - Week 9

John 4:1-10
 1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
 7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 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.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (ESV)

The following paragraphs are excerpted from Jesus the Evangelist – Chapter 9

What approach characterized Jesus’ witness to ordinary people? What was His attitude to sinful people in need of the gospel? What logic did Jesus employ in seeking a hearing for His message of God’s grace? Jesus’ witness to the Samaritan woman is a gold mine in our search for an evangelistic method, for here our Lord Himself sets us an example of speaking the truth in love …

Many of us are ineffective evangelists simply because we are too lazy and self-centered. We are not willing to cross the street to meet people. We do not care enough for the eternal destiny of friends, family members, and co-workers to risk the social hazard of talking about the Lord. Our lives are focused on our own needs and those of our children, so we have no time to participate in outreach ministries. For many of us, the first step in doing evangelism is simply to care enough for the lost to become weary in the gospel. Those who do tire themselves in gospel outreach have sweet fellowship with the Savior who rested at the well…

Evangelism requires a caring motivation. But as Jesus’ example shows, the next step in sharing the gospel is crossing the boundaries that separate people from God. This Samaritan woman never would have come to Jerusalem, where Jesus had been preaching and working miracles; she knew she would not fit in among the Jews. So Jesus crossed the boundaries and went to her …

Jesus crossed three barriers. The first was that which separated Samaritans from Jews … [the second was that] this Samaritan was also a woman. It may not seem scandalous to us for a man to sit at a well with a woman, but it certainly was in Jesus’ day … Third, Jesus overcame a social and religious taboo by asking for a drink. Jews did not share utensils with Samaritans; doing so risked separation from the fellowship and worship of God’s people under the temple rules …

Why did Jesus cross these barriers? Because He cared for the woman’s soul. We, too, have to cross barriers to reach people for Christ … Many people are kept from God simply because they think they don’t belong at church. They assume that believers will look down on them. Moreover, they feel uncomfortable in religious surroundings, the way a Samaritan would have felt in Jerusalem. For all these reasons, they are not likely to come to us, so we have to take the gospel to them. (Phillips, 109-114)

In this chapter Rick Phillips reminds of the evangelistic opportunities that occur in ordinary life with ordinary people. Pursuing ordinary people may not seem particularly motivating. But that is exactly with Jesus did with the woman at the well. You see, ordinary people who are spiritually lost are headed for an eternity of excruciating pain and agony—just like famous lost people. Finding ways to have conversations about Jesus Christ and how he runs his world will take forethought and planning. It may even mean crossing uncomfortable barriers. But it will also mean giving the most important message on earth to ordinary people. These people are your friends, your neighbors, and your coworkers. These are the people in the checkout lane at where you shop. These are guys that you hunt, fish, and watch football with. These are ordinary people who do not know Christ. They may be exasperating at times, but like you, they need to know Christ.

Why not make a list of the ordinary people in your life? Then, after each person on the list, jot down a way to begin a conversation that will lead to talking about Christ. For example, if the person at the checkout seems down, you could say something to encourage him or her. Always make it a point to show appreciation for their help, especially when it seems like they are having a tough day. Then, as the relationship begins to grow, you can find opportunities to mention how Christ is an encouragement to you. Do this same exercise which each of the ordinary people on your list. Ordinary people need to know your extraordinary God!