Some Sow, Others Reap, All Share

Transcript

GR 346
1/27/1980
Some Sow, Others Reap, All Share
JOHN 4:27-42
Gil Rugh


John’s gospel and the fourth chapter in your Bibles. John chapter 4.
We've been considering the discussion that Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well, and last week we looked at the section where He gave attention to the subject of worship. For the Samaritans and the Jews were making basically the same error. They were equating worship with external activities. Going to a certain place at a certain time and going through certain prescribed routines they thought was equivalent to worshipping God. What Jesus makes clear to this woman is that worship does not deal with external activity. It does not deal with what you do in the realm of the physical. But true worship is something that takes place within the person.

In verse 24 He told her "God is spirit; and they that would worship God must worship Him in spirit." In other words, God is a non-material being.
God the Father does not have material substance. So He is to be worshipped in the realm of the spiritual. And I do that in the inner person. What we would call the inner man, a spirit being. The word worship here means to adore or praise. It means to bow down and kiss the ground in front of someone, or kiss the hem of the garment. To ascribe honor and glory to the person. And when we worship God, what we are doing is bowing down before Him in spirit, in the inner person and honoring Him, ascribing to Him honor, and glory and praise. We can do that as we come together as a group as we are this morning, we can do that individually wherever we are through the week. It has to do with the attitude of our heart and mind in relationship to God.
It is not directly related to external circumstances at all.

Now in this context as well, Jesus said worship must also take place in the realm of truth. In spirit and in truth. We noted these two concepts are linked closely together. You cannot do one without the other. Anyone who worships must worship in spirit and truth. No one worships in spirit but not in truth. God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Truth has to do with Jesus Christ who is the truth. "I am the way, the truth, the life,” He said in John chapter 14. "No man comes to the Father but by Me." So it is not possible to come to God and offer Him our worship unless we come through Jesus Christ on the basis of a personal relationship with Him. We believe in Him in His death on the cross on our behalf. That enables me to worship God in the realm of the One who is truth. Jesus also said in John 17, "Your Word (in addressing His Father) is truth." So our worship must take place in the realm of the inner person, consistent with or conformed to what God has said in His Word which is truth. And that is how we really worship God. So we can do that this morning. We can do it wherever we are.

Now this has caused this woman to have certain questions. Jesus has already told her about her life. Having 5 husbands, now living with a man she is not married to. Now He tells her about God and what true worship of God really consists of. She begins to get the picture. The Samaritans believed in a coming Messiah just as the Jews believed in the coming Messiah.
So in verse 25 she eluded to the fact, "I know that Messiah is coming, and when He comes He will tell us all things." Tell us about ourselves and tell us about God. And you've just done this. And in verse 26 Jesus gives the clearest statement that He has given up to this point on the subject of His being Messiah. "I who speak to you am He." 'I am the Messiah, you are right.'

I think the context would indicate that this woman becomes a believer on this occasion, and is converted. She believes that this is the Messiah, the One that was promised. Now at this point we have an interruption.

The interruption is that the disciples return from the town. Remember that they had gone into town to buy food and provisions and left Jesus at the well. Now they return with the provisions they have purchased.

In verse 27 we are told, MAt this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He had been speaking with a woman.” Not just that she was a Samaritan, but she was a Samaritan woman. Women were not held in highest esteem in biblical days. After some teachings of the Rabbis of the time that have come down to our days, they spoke very directly that a man ought not to even talk with a woman in public. Some of them held that you ought to not even talk with your own wife in public. Some men don’t even talk to their wives in private, but their emphasis here is not talking in public. That it was foolishness. They even have records of one Rabbi's wife who was asked the question regarding directions to a certain place, rebuked the man who asked her as a foolish man for conversing with her a woman.

So the disciples are amazed when they come and here is Jesus talking with a woman, and not only a woman but a Samaritan. But you note in verse 27, "Yet no one said 'What do You seek?' (asking the woman) or, 'Why do You speak with her?' asking Christ" They were afraid to ask. Even though they were amazed, it makes you wonder whether Peter was here, doesn't it? Because he always asks whether it's appropriate or proper or not! But no one does. But the woman realizes it's time to leave. She has a certain excitement that has been built. This is a man who claims to be the Messiah. He's told me all about myself. He's told me all about God. And now with the coming of the disciples, she sees that it's time for her depart. So in verse 28 we are told, "So the woman left her water pot, and went into the city." Now I think here you have one of those touches of an eye witness which John would have been. That in her enthusiasm and desire to get into the city, she has come out for water but now to carry that water pot back to the city, that's not important! She leaves the water pot, the very reason she had come to the well in the first place, to hurry back to the city to convey to them the message that she has found the man who claims to be the Messiah. And you note in verse 28 she went "and said to the men..." This could be men used generically, meaning the people of the city. But more probably it means men. This woman of her character would have much contact with the men. And it would be the natural place for her to go and tell them.

And note how she approaches them. She basically gives a personal testimony and then uses some women's wiles to lure them back. "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" All she can do is share her experience. Christ told her all about herself. That's amazing. How would He know about her? Come, see this man who told me all about myself. This is not the Messiah, is it? Now note, she doesn't say 'This has got to be the Messiah' or 'I'm convinced it's the Messiah' or 'Let me give you a lecture on Messiahship and show you that He is probably the One.' Obviously, these men would be hesitant to accept instruction from a woman of her character—from a woman period, but a woman of her character for sure. But all she does is give a testimony—He told me all about myself. And then put it in the form of a question. "You don't think this could be the Messiah, do you?" Well, now what are these men going to do? Well, I guess we'll have to go and check it out, won't we? He told her all about herself and she said this couldn't possibly be the Messiah, do you think; so we'd better go and find out.

So verse 30 says "They went out of the city, and were coming to Him." Amazing. This woman has had only brief contact with Christ, and already she is going to be instrumental in the salvation of a large number of people out of the town of which she is a resident. It reads like a story here. You know, meanwhile, back at the ranch! Well in verse 31, 'Meanwhile, back at the well!' Verse 31, "In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying 'Rabbi, eat.'" You see the contrast here. Here is a woman, immoral woman of the world who came to the well looking for physical water and has left the water at the well to run back into the city to tell them about the Messiah. Now here are the disciples who have been following Christ, living with Him day by day and note the contrast. ’Rabbi, eat.' They are absorbed at this time with the physical needs. Their whole attention is given over to physical matters. Now their request is put very respectfully as they request Him to eat. And it is a fitting thing. When they left Him at the well, He was exhausted. He was wearied from His labors. They know that He needs to sustain His physical body and to get His strength from food. Jesus does something here He has done repeatedly through John so far-"He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.”' Now this causes the disciples some confusion. "The disciples therefore were saying to one another, 'No one brought Him anything to eat, did they? Did you see anybody give Him anything? Anybody, did you give Him a ham sandwich?' Come on....they couldn't give Him a ham sandwich, He's a Jew! Jews don't eat ham! (They didn't get it last hour either. And I didn't even try the first hour, I figured nobody is with it at 8:30!)

But they are asking among themselves, has anybody given Him any food?
Now you note what happens. When Jesus picks the woman up at the well, the point of contact? Water. But not physical water, I'm talking about spiritual water. Nicodemus in chapter 3, the new birth. But I'm not talking about a physical birth, I'm talking about a spiritual birth. Chapter 2, Destroy this temple and I'll raise it up in three days. But not Herod's temple of stone, my physical body and the reality of the resurrection.

Now here, the disciples—"I have food that you don't know about." They too missed the point. They are thinking in physical, material concepts. "Has anybody given Him anything to eat?" How could He have eaten? Now Jesus applies to them verse 34, what He is saying. "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.'" What sustains me? What meets my needs? What gives Me my strength—is doing God’s will. Just as physical food sustains you. Well, the real sustenance for me in my life is doing the will of God, accomplishing His work. The word ’accomplish’ means to bring to completion or perfection. Jesus used it on the cross at His death. He said ’It is finished'—it is accomplished. It has been brought to completion. Jesus said this is what sustains me. This is what really keeps me going, doing His will. Ever had that kind of experience where you’ve been serving the Lord. You've been weary perhaps or getting ready for dinner and you get drawn into a situation where you minister to someone else (perhaps an unbeliever or a believer with a need) and you get so absorbed in that ministry that you go on and on, and you forget about how hungry you were. You forget about how tired you were. There is a certain vitality that comes in as you serve the Lord. When you're done, you don't sit there and think 'Oh boy, I’m starved.' You think how refreshing it was to have a ministry with that person.

Well, you see that the disciples are on two different wave lengths. Here Jesus has just been revitalized, so to speak. Just been strengthened through His ministering with this woman in accomplishing the will of God, and has been involved with that spiritual ministry. The disciples can’t understand why He's not all excited about eating food. They are just functioning in two different worlds. All they can think about is 'Boy, am I hungry! You've really got to eat.' All He can think about is how needy this woman has been and the people of this city are. This ought not to be just the experience of Christ. No one did the will of God as Christ did; the completeness and absolute obedience that He did. But that principle of service ought to characterize us. What really makes you go? What really keeps you moving? What really is the strength and vitality of your life? It ought to be doing the will of God. Accomplishing His purposes for you.

Go back to the book of Job, chapter 23. Interesting to see Job say this same thing, especially in light of the fact that Job is probably the oldest book in the Old Testament. So here you have a man and his record and his attitude manifests that same obedience and desire.

Job chapter 23 and verse 12. "I have not departed from the command of His lips." You note Job says 'I have been consistently obedient to Him, in serving Him.’ "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." I count the words of God more important, more necessary than physical food. My goal is to be obedient to Him. That’s the same concept. It's more important than food—to obey and serve Him.

David said the same thing over in Psalm 119—that great chapter on the Word of God. The 103rd verse of the 119th Psalm. "How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Honey, that which was used to restore vitality, strength and vigor. David says 'That's nothing like the Word of God. The Word of God is my real strength, my vitality. More important to my than physical food like honey.'

While you're in Psalm 119, look at the 127th verse. "Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold." Lot of talk today about gold and its value. It was valuable to David back a thousand years before Christ, but you what he says? God's Word is more valuable even to me than that. His instructions to me are more valuable to me than gold.

So you come back to John chapter 4. The message has been the same for those who serve God. It is more important for me to serve God than to have food, than to have physical sustenance. And thus He is instructing the disciples. This is my food, to do God's will. I can eat physical food any time, but I must be about doing God's work while the opportunity is here, to accomplish His purposes in my life and ministry.

Now He wants the disciples to see what He is talking about because to this point they are somewhat in the dark. They haven't been here through the
discussion with the Samaritan woman. They haven’t perceived the opportunities that abound around them, so Jesus says in verse 35: "Do you not say, ’There
are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?’" I take it He picks them up here—physical to take them to the spiritual again. "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, they are white for harvest." Open your eyes! The fields are ready! "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." The harvest He is talking about here is not a physical harvest. It’s a spiritual harvest of souls. That’s clear in verse 36. He says 'He who reaps is first receiving pay, wages; and second, he is gathering fruit for eternal life.’ You know what happened? These disciples had gone into this town. They had had contact with the people of this town. They had purchased provisions from the people of this town. But you know what? They did not come back with one Samaritan! The Disciples, the followers of the Messiah! They had gone through a field that was white with harvest and not brought back one piece of fruit! The Samaritan woman, who had been with Christ just a brief time and had become convinced of who He was and so excited about it, she goes back and brings practically the whole town! You see the difference? The woman had forgotten about her water pot, forgotten about the physical things. She was so excited about the Messiah, she went in and got the whole town. The disciples were so concerned about their belly that they walked through the same town and didn't see any opportunities. They come back with a few loaves of bread. She comes back with souls, with people. Jesus said, 'Open your eyes, men! Look! The fields are white.' It was only about a 10 minute walk and in verse 30 tells us, "They went out of the city and were coming to Him." It could have been that they were already in view and Jesus said ’Lift up your eyes and look, the fields are white.' You could see the people of this city coming in their white robes,garments that they would have worn which would have drawn attention to the kind of harvest Jesus was talking about. They were white with harvest and the disciples didn't see it! They were thinking the harvest was in the future. You know what they would have been talking about? Boy, think of the great ministry we're going to have when we get to Galilee! Think how exciting it's going to be in Galilee when we tell people about the Messiah. When they realize Messiah is here. The harvest is yet future. You know, think about how it's going to be when. Jesus said 'Lift up your eyes. Here's the harvest. It's white; it's ready; it's time, it's ripe. And you haven't seen it. You've been so concerned about your physical food that you were insensitive to the harvest of souls that are all around you. The reaping is already going on.' And I take it this Samaritan woman is involved in it. "Already he who reaps is receiving wages, is gathering fruit for life eternal."

You know, isn't it something? The fruit that these disciples brought back, these physical provisions—it really doesn't matter does it, now 2,000 years later? But you know, the fruit of the Samaritan woman still has significance today in light of eternity. It is eternal fruit.

'You men are missing the point’, He’s telling the disciples. Reaping is already going on. Some are getting wages.' That has to do with rewards that God is going to give us. You're missing it. People are reaping fruit and storing up wages from God and eternal life for those who believe, and you want me to be all excited about a few pieces of bread and a glass of water. "He who sows", the end of verse 36, is an important principle established here. "He who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case, the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.'" Principle He is establishing—some sow, some reap but all share together in the blessing. In verse 38, you ought to underline the word labored. It appears three times. Copi-ao, or copos—means to toil to exhaustion. It is used earlier in the chapter with Christ with the exhaustion He had at the well from His labor. And what Jesus says is ’I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored.’ They had expended no toil on the Samaritans. They had not invested their lives in the Samaritans. But Jesus says you have the privilege of reaping them. You have the privilege of harvesting them.
Others have labored, toiled, given of their lives. And you have entered into their labor. You’re going to harvest the crop that someone else put all the work into. Now that’s a blessing. It's always exciting to be part of a harvest.

You know there is a reminder here in a subtle way, that to prepare for the harvest, there has to be good, hard, costly work. Roots out most of us, doesn't it? That’s the problem. That's the difficulty in serving the Lord— it's work. It's hard, exhaustive work. To prepare a people for harvest takes attention. It costs you something. Here the disciples had the opportunity to reap and they were insensitive to it. They were going to just walk on through that field, buy a few loaves of bread, and journey on their way to Galilee and let the harvest rot when the fruit was ripe.

This principle of sharing together in the rewards is developed by Paul and the importance of the harvest as well. A couple of passages—1 Cor. 3.
If you don't have an appreciation for the way God uses variety in the preparation of a crop and the harvesting of that crop of souls, you'll not have an appreciation for various ministries. You know the problem with Corinthians?
They were attached to people. They had their teachers that they just love and nobody could teach like them. They had Apollos, and they had Paul, and they had Cephas or Peter. But they failed to realize God was using each of these men in His own way to accomplish His purposes. And it wasn't a competing thing, it was part of the harvest. Someone sowed the seed, someone watered the seed, someone harvested the crop. No competition. Note what He says in verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 3, "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed." That's all. Who exalts the slave? We're just slaves. "Through whom you believed even as the Lord gave to each one."
Note that. They believed because of the work of God in their life, through Paul and through Apollos. So Paul and Apollos are just servants, just slaves through whom God worked to bring about salvation among the Corinthians. "I planted; Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything. But God who causes the growth." You know if it wasn't for the work of God, it would be just like going and planting stones. Nothing grows. But because of the work of God, life is brought about. Salvation occurs. That says nothing about the greatness of the instrument. Says nothing about the greatness of you or of me.
That simply says something of the greatness of God who did it all.

"Now he who plants and he who waters are one." This is how God sees them. It's all part of the process. He's looking at it as one thing. Produce a crop. Now I'll have some of my slaves sow the seed, have some of my slaves water the seed, have some of my slaves reap the crop. It's all one. Each one, though. "Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor for we are God's fellow workers." Strong statement. God is going to reward. That is what Christ was talking about in John 4. They are receiving wages. They are involved in the field and there are wages for that. There are rewards for that. We are God's fellow workers. That's an exciting concept. What we're saying is that we are workers together with God. God in His plan, in His sovereign plan to produce a crop of souls has chosen to use men and women. So as I go out and sow the seed, I am a worker together with God. As I water the seed, as I harvest the crop, I'm a worker together with God because God has ordained to use human beings in producing a crop for heaven. As I'm involved in that process, I am a fellow worker with God.
Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. A passage I've shared with some of you on other occasions. A Passage that the Lord has really impressed upon my mind over the past few weeks and months. As Paul talks about the importance of harvest and of souls, and he starts out in verse 19 showing you how to really use grace. "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more." You want to know how you can know if someone understands the doctrine of grace. Not because they have 4 lectures and 2 sermons on them. Every bumble headed idiot has a couple of sermons on grace, that's the in thing. Very simply. If you listen to a person and they're trying to tell you and emphasize all freedom—and this is what I do, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, free, free, free.... that's fine. You know what Paul says? 'I am free' and you know what I do with my freedom? I become your slave. Now that tells you I understand grace. Here's the man through whom the concept of grace was fully revealed. And you know what He says? I have freedom, I understand God's grace. But you know what applying God's grace really is? I have voluntarily made myself a slave. For what purpose? "That I might win the more." Know what he says? 'I am willing to become a slave. The important thing is not what I am free to do. The important thing is that I am willing to do whatever is necessary to win people to Jesus Christ.' When he talks about 'winning the more' that's what he's talking about. Note how he repeats this in these verses. Verse 20, "To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews..." The end of verse 20, "that I might win those who are under the Law..." verse 21, "that I might win those who are without Law..." verse 22, "that I might win the weak." "I have become all things to all men, that I may be all means save some." Paul says that whatever is necessary for the salvation of souls, I'm willing to do it. That's what I want to do with my life. To invest it in the salvation of other people. Some people think the goal of their life now is to parade around with a sign ’I'm free.' Praise the Lord for the freedom we have.
But what God calls us to do is use that freedom in serving Him. We are free to serve Him. I am free from the Law. I am now a slave to righteousness, the concept developed in Romans 6 and following. That's what Paul develops here in verse 23, "I do all things for the sake of the gospel." Everything I do is in light of the gospel. "That I might become a fellow partaker of it." I’m a fellow worker with God, I want to be a fellow partaker of the gospel. You know what Paul meant? He knew that as the gospel is presented, the Spirit of God uses it to change lives. You know what Paul is saying? I want to share in the ministry of the gospel. I want to be part of what God is doing through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to be a fellow partaker of it. He knew it wasn't his power—it was the power of the gospel, the message of Christ that changed lives. It's the power of God unto salvation. Paul says 'I want to share in that. I want to be part of what God is doing through the gospel.'

He closes out that chapter, while we're here, by giving you a depressing note. It's hard work. Remember we eluded to that in John 4? It takes self-discipline. You note down in verse 27, "I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others I myself should be disqualified." Strong term—I buffet my body and make it my slave. That 'buffet' means to beat black and blue. Originally meant when you were hit under the eye, you know how your eye discolors and turns black and blue. The idea of beating our bodies into subjection. You know what Paul is saying? Often my body doesn't want to do what is necessary to win people. It wants to sit back and take its ease. 1; wants to relax. It wants to be entertained. Know what Paul says? I haul off and give myself a good smack under the eye! And I say 'Body, GO!' I thought Paul just couldn't wait, it was just fun, fun, fun! Just going from place to place witnessing. Goody, goody! You think John Mark left Paul on the missionary journey because it was all fun and games? You know he left. It was a little harder than I thought. I'm thought going with Paul on a missionary journey would be exciting, but this is hard work! Paul says his body doesn't often want to do it but I tell my body what to do. My body says 'Look, I don't want to go out and win those Jews' but I tell my body what to do. You know what a lot of the problem with a lot of us as American Christians? We pamper ourselves. I'm for taking care of the body, but you know we're so careful taking care of the body that we wouldn't want to expend our deal little fragile selves. And anything that is too taxing, we think must be out of the will of God for us. If you are exhausted and tired and weary in your service for the Lord, it's probably a good healthy sign. You're in good company! In 2 Cor. chapter 11 Paul says 'I labored' using the word 'copiao'—I toiled to exhaustion more than anyone. Most of us couldn't have kept up. We'd have said 'Look, it's time for vacation, Paul.' Who? 'Vacation, you know.' Or, 'Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night I watch TV to give myself a break.' 'Oh, you do, I see.' And Wednesday and Friday I go work out to keep in shape, and on and on. I must disciple my body. Bring it into subjection. Determine that the harvest is crucial and to be part of it is going to be a costly thing. But the most important thing I can do is serve God, accomplish His will, His purposes, and bring it to completion for me.

Do we see the city we're in as Christ sees it? As Paul would have seen it here? I wonder if we aren't often like the disciples who went into this Samaritan city, gone all about their activities, getting their provisions, and never saw the harvest. How many of us are spread throughout this city, go about our tasks day after day, go about the mundane jobs we have to do whatever it is, exciting or bland, and never see the harvest. Totally insensitive that I am living in the midst of a harvest. You note what Jesus said in verse 38 of John 4, "That I sent you to reap where you have not labored' And we are in that kind of position. The fruit falls off. Almost like it tumbles in. One of the men was sharing with me after the last service last week someone walks into his class and wants to trust Christ. He just walks in and asks. The fruit just falls in it’s so ripe. We need to apply ourselves to the harvest that is around us. That’s why we’ve talking about of late and will be talking about it more that I have a burden that we as a body of believers do whatever is necessary to reach every single person in this city with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're all going to say Amen to that, but some of you are going to get sifted out because it's going to be hard work.
It’s going to cost you in time and effort, in money. Oh!—yes, in money. In other things. It's costly. It's going to cost me. But we're going to have to determine the most important thing is that the souls of this city be harvested for Jesus Christ. That every person here—now I can't say every person is going to be saved. Paul knew every Jew wasn't going to be saved, that every Gentile was going to be saved. I know every person in this city is not going to be saved, but I want to do whatever is necessary to win every single person. And through the message that is proclaimed of Jesus Christ the Spirit will use that to draw those whom He has chosen to draw. I want to be part, a fellow partaker of that. How many people in this city know about Jesus Christ, or wherever you come from—some of you come from without the city, and I don't want to leave you off the hook! How many more people know about Jesus Christ this week than they did last week because of your testimony? Stop and think. Have you been any place where there have been unbelievers? Maybe you work with them week after week. Have they heard about Jesus Christ from you? You know, it boggles my mind—often my experience and I'm sure yours as well—is like John chapter 4. Here are the disciples, they have gone through this city. They are the experienced ones, even in their young walk with Christ at this point. But you know they come out of the town and no one knows about the Messiah. Here is a new convert, a Samaritan woman. She goes in and in the excitement of her testimony brings a whole town to Christ. How many of us have walked with Christ so long, have had contacts with so many people and someone trusts Christ and this new Christian comes in and wins them in droves. I believe in the Sovereignty of God and God appoints His instruments, but I also believe that the longer we are Christians the more we settle down. And you know, I come up with all kinds of reasons why they wouldn’t want to hear just like the disciples. The Samaritans aren’t interested in hearing the message from Jews. The Samaritans aren't interesting in hearing about a Jewish Messiah. The Samaritans aren't interested in hearing that they are sinners. The Samaritans aren't hearing that their way of worship won't get them to heaven, so it's just best we buy our bread and get on to Galilee. We who are believers, we've got all these reasons why these people aren't interested in hearing, but you know they are. They need it. They need to have their interest stirred. That the Messiah has come, the one who is the Savior.

Back in John chapter 4. verse 39. "From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things that I had done.'" Isn't that amazing? A simple, brief testimony. She couldn't give theological discourses at this point. She could tell them what Christ had done for her. And the Spirit of God uses that to draw. Because of her testimony, simple as it is. The disciples didn't see this town ready. You talk about ready! All she said was 'Come see a man who told me all that I've done' and they're coming out in droves. They were ripe. They were ready. "So when the Samaritans came to Him, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His word." Isn't that amazing! Praise God for His grace. Even the way He dealt with the disciples here. He didn't say 'Oh, you guys are hopeless. Nope, can't use you obviously. You're so blind. Stuff your face and go on to Galilee, I'll catch up.' You know, we give up on one another pretty easily. We get discouraged with one another. Someone doesn't do the right thing the right way at the right time and we discard them and go on. Christ isn't that way. He gives the disciples the privilege of being part of the harvest here. They stayed two days and many believe in Him. The disciples were in such a hurry that they would have gone on to Galilee and missed the harvest. Many more believed in Him and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." That's where a person has to come to incidentally. The Samaritans could be impressed by the testimony of the woman but they had to come to the point where they were personally convinced that the One she had talked about was indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world. And that's when they experience His salvation. I can tell you about Jesus Christ. Share with you my experience of how I came to know Him, but you personally have to come to the point where you are convinced in your life that Jesus Christ the Son of God died on a cross, was raised from the dead, that He might be your Savior. The Savior of the world, the Savior who died for you. The moment you believe, that transformation occurs.

Have you ever come to that point in your life? You know we talk about the Samaritans and their experience. But 2,000 years later it's the same thing. I'm here to tell you that the Messiah has come. He is the Savior who was crucified, who was raised from the dead. Have you ever recognized that He died for you personally? That He was crucified for you? He was raised because He had secured your salvation, to forgive you your sins? Have you ever believed in Him? That's the beginning point.

And if you have believed, what kind of impact has it made on your life?
Does it give you a vitality, enthusiasm, a dynamic in doing the will of God?
Is the goal of your life doing the will of God and bring to completion the work that He has for you to do? So you can be like Paul at the end of his life in 2 Timothy 4? ’I have finished the course, I have run the race. It’s done. I’ve completed God's purpose for me. Now I look forward to the reward that He has laid up for me.'

We have a tremendous opportunity, individually as believers and as a body of believers. It excites me the potential. God has put us in a field that is so ripe. Much of what we do will be a sowing because the seed I sow may be reaped in 10 years. But in glory, I am going to receive wages for the sowing of that seed. I’ll water some other, but in glory I'll receive wages. I'll reap some other, but in glory I'll receive wages. We want to be a people who are about the work of God. Inconvenient? Fine. I want to be inconvenienced. Weary in His service? Fine. I don't want to be weary of serving Him, but I don't mind being wearied in serving Him. That we might be a people that are involved in the work that God wants us to be doing. Fellow workers with God. Fellow partakers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's pray together.

Father, how easy it is for us to follow the pattern of the disciples. To become consumed and taken up with the matters of life. Father, good things but not the best things; necessary things, but not the most important things. Father, lift our eyes as a congregation, as a body of believers, to see the fields around us, the opportunities. Father, burden us that we might pray the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust us forward into that field to be those who are reaping souls for eternity.

Father, I commit any who are here this morning who have been exposed to the fact that Christ is the Savior of the world but have not yet become personally convinced and believe. Pray that the Spirit might even now open the eyes of their understanding, cause them to believe in the One who loved them and died for them.

And may we, Father, as your people serve you with an enthusiasm, an openness, with a vigor that will enable the Spirit to use our lives, our testimonies, our proclamation to draw many others from this city and other places around the world to salvation in Jesus Christ, for in His name we pray