In John 4, Jesus was going to Galilee from Judea, and He had to go through Samaria. Because of the Jews hatred for Samaria, we know that Jesus had to do this because He knew of the divine appointment that awaited ...
In John 4, Jesus was going to Galilee from Judea, and He had to go through Samaria. Because of the Jews hatred for Samaria, we know that Jesus had to do this because He knew of the divine appointment that awaited Him.
Going against so many religious and social norms of the day, Jesus began a conversation with an immoral, Samaritan woman in public and in broad daylight. Why? Because she was lost and in need of personal and saving relationship with the Savior of the world.
On this day, this immoral Samaritan woman believed in Jesus and share her experience with the men in her city of Sychar. Consequently, I want to share a message with you this morning entitled, “A Picture of Biblical Evangelism.”
The word “evangelism” means sharing or communicating or verbally telling the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Certainly, the integrity of the messenger is very important. However, don’t misunderstand this point. Evangelism is verbally sharing the gospel.
What is the gospel? The gospel starts with the fact that we, humanity, are sinners, and our sin separates us from a Holy God.
Romans 3:23, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
However, the good news is that Jesus loved us so much that He died on the cross in our place and for our sins.
Romans 5:8, 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21, 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Finally, from cover to cover, the Bible offers sinners an invitation to call on the risen Savior, Jesus Christ, to save us, and when we do, He does.
Romans 10:13, 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This is true for male and female, young and old, black and white, Jew and Gentile, religious and immoral, and every other person on the planet.
In today’s brief text, I want you to see this picture of biblical evangelism. It is a picture that I pray is true EBC.
- Biblical Evangelism can be practiced with words from the Saved, 4:39.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”
Verse 39 says that many of the Samaritans of Sychar believed in Jesus because of the words or the testimony of the Samaritan woman. Go back to 4:28-30.
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
Keep in mind that this woman hadn’t been to seminary. She hadn’t taken any evangelism classes. She hadn’t had time to clean up her life. She simply went to the people she knew and told them of her personal encounter with Jesus. In other words, she verbally shared her story or her testimony.
Do you remember our sermon series called, “Every Believer a Witness?” What did we work on for several Sundays in this room and at this time? We worked on our salvation testimony.
Do you remember it had three parts? It began with my life before Christ. The second part was how I met Christ including the gospel. The third part was my life after meeting Christ.
Was that some cute trick that I brought to you from a pastor in North Carolina named Dennis Nunn? No, that is what Paul did in Acts 26:1-23.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”
1 So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: 2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. 4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? 9 “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Consider that model for your own salvation testimony: my life before Christ, how I met Christ, and my life since or after I met Christ. Here is mine.
Who in your circle, where God put you, needs to hear your story, your salvation testimony? This woman cared enough about the salvation of her neighbors that she left her water pot behind and went to tell them of her encounter with Jesus.
Biblical evangelism can be practice with words from the saved!
- Biblical Evangelism can be practiced with words from the Savior, 4:40-41.
40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.
These men that she shared her testimony with came to meet Jesus personally. They then invited Jesus to spend some time with them over the course of two days.
Consequently, they were even more Samaritans who were saved after hearing the words of the Savior. I want to commend to you this morning not only the resource of your personal testimony but also the resource of gospel tracts because these gospel tracts contain God’s words or the Savior’s words.
These tracts that we provide for you all carry the same title, “Steps to Peace with God.” They were all written by Billy Graham. We have them English and Spanish and for adults and for children.
Carry them in your purse and car. Leave them at the restaurant and the doctor’s office. Share them with friends and strangers.
- Biblical Evangelism CANNOT be practice with Jesus the Savior, 4:42.
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
The word “Savior” is only used one time in all of John’s gospel, and it used by the Samaritans. That is interesting because we would think it would be the disciples who say this.
However, it was the Samaritans who remind us that Jesus is the Savior and the only Savior of the entire world. There is no other Savior and no other way to be saved apart from believing in Jesus and Lord and Savior.
Conclusion
I conclude this morning with words of Jesus from John 4:35.
35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
Now is the time to put aside man’s prejudice and misplaced priorities and consistent procrastination. Now is the time to share your personal testimony and gospel tracts with God’s word with lost family and friends who need to know that God loves them.
Now is the time for Emory Baptist Church to make sure that we are a picture of biblical evangelism.
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2024-11-04
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