November 10th, 2002, Sunday Morning "Reaching Out to the Left Out" Believers must take the initiative to reach the lost--not wait on God to send them Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Fred Meeks, Chair, Dept. of Religion and Philosophy, Waylan Baptist U. OPENING: John 4:4-15

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OPENING PARABLE:

• There was a man who went into church and sat in a pew, wearing his hat
• The usher came down and told him to remove his hat but he did not
• The head usher came down and told him to remove his hat but he did not
• The head of the ladies group came down to tell him to remove his hat but he did not
• As soon as the service got underway he removed his hat for the duration
• As he was leaving he was confronted and reminded that he's not allowed to wear his hat within the sanctuary
• The man replied, "I've been coming here for two years without a single person talking to me and today I talked to the head usher, the head of the ladies group and the pastor!"
  
  
• PARABLE MEANING: If we're to do our part as saved believers to help others, we--not the lost--must take the initiative

John 4:4: Jesus was in Jerusalem and on his way to Galilee. There were many routes He could've chosen but he chose the route that goes through Samaria for a reason

• Jesus went this way because He just began his ministry. He had picked his 12 disciples. Now it was time to reach out to "the lost." He began his outreach at Samaria
  
  
  • SAMARIA BACKGROUND:
    
    
    • Samaritans were the most hated people by the rest of the world--especially the Jewish people because Samaritans were only half Jewish
    • If a Jew set foot in Samaria, he was "ceremonially disqualified" back at his home
    • Jewish people didn't like non-Jewish people and called them Gentiles
      Definition of Galilee: "circle of Gentiles"

      Pharisees didn't even look upon other women in public!

John 4:7: Jesus immediately approaches the Samaritan woman and the first words He says: give me a drink.

• This shows Jesus taking the initiative--the first step ... which we can learn from and do, as well.
  
  
• John 4:9: The woman is in shock because a non-Samaritan is talking to her--a Jewish person!
  
  
  • What makes her shock even greater that a Jew is talking to her--a Samaritan prostitute who had five husbands and is currently sleeping with someone not married to her (John 4:18)
  
  
• John 4:10-13: Jesus immediately takes charge of the conversation by quickly introducing the gift of salvation to her (in the context of living water)
  
  
• The Samaritan woman misunderstands the living water for common well water
  
  
  • IMPORTANT: It is typical and natural of lost people to misunderstand what God has to offer them. Since they don't know God (they're not saved), they cannot understand the Bible (scriptures) even if they claim to.
    
    
    • There exist three levels of communication: common, technical and ultimate
      • COMMON: Both people are speaking "on the same plane"--they fully understand each other
      • TECHNICAL: Compare to a computer engineer explaining computers to someone from Biblical times
      • ULTIMATE: Both persons speaking/understanding the Biblical language (i.e., talking about the "Water of Life")
        
        
      • Jesus and the Samaritan woman were definitely not speaking on the same plane.
    
    
  • Sometimes, in order to get a lost person on the same plane of communication as you, you have to hurt them mentally (never physically). Jesus did this by asking to see the woman's husband (John 4:16)
    
    
    • Jesus knew beforehand she had five prior husbands and sleeping with another, unmarried. However, He asked to indirectly make her confess her sinful situation
      
      
    • ANOTHER EXAMPLE: HENRY FORD, THE INVENTOR OF THE FORD AUTOMOBILE
      
      
      • Henry Ford ordered the current fender of his cars to be replaced with a new model of fender
      • Factory workers kept saying, "yeah, we'll get around to it" for days
      • Ford goes to the plant, stops the assembly line, orders his physically agile workers to pull the old fender mold out and break it
      • Factory workers had a new mold a couple days later
        
        
      • LESSON: Taking the initiative and sometimes unconventional measures is the answer
      
      
    • Sometimes hearts need to be broken to be healed
      
      
    • Many Americans repented and turned to God in the face of the September 11th tragedy. A year later, studies and statistics report many of those who turned to God have now turned back to their old, sinful ways
  
  
• Sometimes, in order to reach the lost, we (the saved) may have to catch heat in the form of accusations and criticisms by others
  
  
  • John 4:27: Jesus' disciples returned to find him speaking to the Samaritan and they "marveled" (meaning they were shocked, stunned and perhaps offended)
  
  
• Mark 16:15: Jesus said (speaking to all people in the world--not just those physically with Him after His resurrection) in effect, "reach out to the left out"

And sometimes the final result of "taking heat" is the lost person "taking heart"

• John 4:29,39-40: It would take a lot for a town of people to heed the word of a known prostitute woman--especially one who said the Messiah was nearby. But they did--and many were turned believers (saved)
  
  
• John 4:35: Jesus says here that we're not farmers who wait for lost people to blossom to us. We are to take the initiative to find what is already ripe (the non-believers). And as Jesus said, "behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest" the Samaritans approached.

Why did the whole town come to Jesus? Because He first went out to reach out to the left out

WORLD WAR I PARABLE:

• In the days of trench warfare, Americans and British soldiers fought and charged against German soldiers who did the same
• In one instance, as Germans were retreating, one German became injured and entangled in barbed wire. His screams of pain were so loud they surpassed the storm of weapons firing
• An American soldier climbed out of the trench and crawled under the barbed wire to reach the German soldier--for safety, the Americans stopped firing
• When the Germans saw that American's intentions, the German commander ordered his troops to cease fire
• The American carried the wounded German to the German side
• As he returned, a German officer swung him around and pinned his Iron Cross (a Prussian order of military merit) on the American soldier
  
  
• PARABLE MEANING: Jesus says love your enemy (Matthew 5:44). And in the process of TAKING THE INITIATIVE to help others (including enemies) you may get your ego "shot and wounded" but it's worth it to wear Jesus' cross.

CLOSER

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TESTIMONY OF A LOST PERSON SAVED

• As Dr. Meeks was dropping off his dry cleaning, he noticed a discouraged Japanese employee.
• He never met her before but took the initiative to offer a conversation if she ever wanted to talk him
• The next day she called and met in his office--she married a G.I. in Japan and moved to the U.S. and now the G.I. wants a divorce because "he doesn't love her anymore" and she knows no one in this country
• Dr. Meeks introduced her to two people--divorce consultants and a man named Jesus she'd never heard of before
• She was so excited about Christianity she was saved and asks to be baptized before going home to Japan
• At the next Sunday service, she brought 30 of her Japanese female friends to witness the event and consider Christ, themselves

If you're lost, your future begins in the front-center pew of a Bible and baptism-believing church

If you're saved, take the initiative to reach out to the lost