Jesus and the Woman at the Well - A Look at the Evangelistic Style of the Lord
By Pastor Norman S. Lao
Text: John 4:1-42
Introduction
This month our theme is Standing Firm in Christian Witness. I want to talk to you today about Evangelism. Starting this Sunday until the Last Sunday of this Month we are going to talk about the Evangelistic style of some of the greatest soul-winners in the New Testament.
Today, we will start with the Master Soul-Winner - Jesus Christ himself. In our text, John chapter 4, we see Jesus resting by a well when a Samaritan woman came to draw (get) water.
Evangelism is the MAIN work of the church. The spreading of the Gospel by every method, every strategy, every means possible. Whether you like it or not, all Christians are witnesses of Christ. Of course there are lazy witnesses. There are bad witnesses. There are good witnesses. But all are witnesses. Everybody is an Evangelist (bringer of good news).
Let us study and learn the principles, used by Jesus in this passage (verses, story) as he helps the Samaritan Woman trust in Him for salvation.
First Principle: Individuals are important.
Every individual is important to Jesus. That’s why every individual must also be important to us. God loves the world, but he loves us individually.
According to Jesus the value of just one person is more than the whole world (Matthew 16:26). “What good will it be for a man if he gains (owns) the whole world, yet forfeits (loses) his soul?”
Jesus said that the angels in heaven rejoice when one person repents and turns to God (Luke 15:7).
We find in the Gospels several occasions where Jesus helped individuals (one person) enter the kingdom of God: the Samaritan woman (John 4), Nicodemus (John 3), Zacchaeus (Luke 19), a Rich Man (Luke 18:18-25), the bleeding woman (Luke 8:43) etc.
The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9) point to the importance of individuals (one person).
Do not underestimate the power of one.
Noah obeyed God and saved the world. Abraham obeyed God and created the Nation Israel. Moses stood against Pharaoh. David stood against Goliath and the Philistine army. Jesus Christ. Paul. Martin Luther. Abraham Lincoln. Billy Graham. Mother Theresa. Ninoy Aquino.
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - Helen Keller (blind and deaf)
Second Principle: Go to where people are
This is a very important principle in evangelism that we should follow. Jesus went to the Samaritan woman. It was not the Samaritan woman who went to Jesus. Jesus came to the world to seek the lost (Luke 19:10)
Many churches today wait for sinners to go to their church. They make beautiful church programs, they build nice church buildings, they have wonderful activities, beautiful music, etc. then they wait for sinners to come. They wait, but sinners do not come. Sinners are afraid of the church. They don’t feel they belong. They don’t want to go to church.
Jesus said that Evangelism is like Fishing (Matthew 4:19). When you fish you do not wait for fish to come up on the shore (beach), but you go to where the fish are!
Jesus went to Samaria to meet the Samaritan Woman. We must follow Jesus’ example. We must go out of our churches and go to where the people are, people who do not have Christ, and share the Gospel with them.
- We must go to their houses where they are (house to house evangelism)
- We must go to the marketplace where they are
- We must go to the plaza where they are
- We must go to the streets where they are
It is going to be uncomfortable, it is going to be difficult, it is going to be inconvenient, but it’s the only way it could be done.
Illustration: Ask: WHY DID THE HORSE GO TO THE RIVER? (Answer: Because the river cannot go to the horse!) Likewise, we too must go to sinners and not wait for them to come to us!
Jesus said to his disciples just before he went back to heaven (Matthew 28:16-20): Go into all the world and make disciples…. The Gospel is a GO. The Gospel is not a stay or wait.
Third Principle: Start with the interest (or need) of the Person (v.9)
Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman about water. Water was important to the woman. She was there at the well to get water. In fact, she was there every day. Jesus started with water. Jesus started with the woman’s interest.
Jesus did not immediately talk about heaven.
Jesus did not immediately talk about hell.
Jesus did not immediately talk about sin.
Jesus did not immediately talk about death.
Jesus did not immediately talk about “born again.”
This is very different from our evangelism style today. Many Christians like to start with the sin of the people they are talking to. Some Christians like to start with the Antichrist, 666, Armageddon, etc. Others like to start with Mama Mary, Purgatory, Death, etc. Others would start with tithing. No wonder (that is why) many Christians are not effective in their evangelism. We must start with the interest of the people and not with our own interests.
When we go fishing we do not use the bait we like, but the bait the fish likes. If we use the bait we like, the fish won’t bite! If we use the bait we like, we won’t catch any fish. Good fishermen know what bait to use for different kinds fish.
Talking about the interest of people makes them feel that we are interested in them. Different people have different needs and interests. We must study people.
For Nicodemus it was “going to heaven.”
For Zacchaeus it was acceptance.
For the Rich Man it was greed.
For the Samaritan woman it was water.
For some people it is money.
For others it is relationships.
For some it is their children.
For wives it is their husbands.
For husbands it is their jobs.
For children it is computers, love, etc.
For older people it is health, death, legacy, etc.
A good evangelist KNOWS the interest of different kinds of people. If we are going to be good evangelists, we must be good observers of people.
One saying is very good: “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” People are not impressed with intelligence until they know you care for them.
Fourth Principle: Do not be in a hurry
Only when the woman became interested in salvation did Jesus introduce Himself as the Christ. (John 4:25,26)
Evangelism should not be done in a hurry. Evangelism is a process - it takes time. It must run its course. Time must be given to develop trust. Different people takes different amounts of time. Look at the example of the Lord:
First, Jesus asked for water.
Second, He talked about “living water.”
Third, He talked about the woman’s husband.
Fourth, He talked about the problem of the woman (she was married five times already and the man she is with is not her husband).
Fifth, He talked about the right place to worship
Sixth, Then He talked about the Messiah
YOU CANNOT CLEAN THE FISH BEFORE YOU CATCH IT.
Evangelism must be permitted to develop. When we are in a hurry, people tend to shy away. We need to be patient.
In fishing, we do not make loud noises and we do not make sudden moves. If we do, the fish will swim away. The good fisherman will give time to develop trust in the fish he is trying to catch.
Likewise, a good evangelist (sharer of good news) must also develop trust in the people he or she is trying to reach out. Some people may accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and go to church at the first occasion of evangelism. However, many do not. Most people need more than one visit, more than one occasion of sharing.
Fifth Principle: Introduce Jesus
Only when the woman became interested in salvation did Jesus introduce Himself as the Christ, the Messiah. (John 4:25,26)
An evangelism that does not include Jesus is not evangelism at all. Evangelism is GOOD NEWS about JESUS - not about church, not about programs, not about pastors. It’s all about Jesus!
It’s not about how good our church is. It’s not about how good our pastor is. It’s not about how good our programs are. It is not about how many members we have. It is not about how many good singers we have. Evangelism is about Jesus!
Conclusion
If you say to me, “Pastor, I do not know how to share the Gospel.” My answer would be, “What were you doing in church the whole time you were here?” Evangelism, Witnessing, is not an event. It is not a program. It is not a special occasion. It is a lifestyle. It is taking every opportunity that presents itself. It is being sensitive to people’s needs. May each of us in the Living Rock Church follow the example of the greatest soul-winner of all time.
