Archbishop Kanishka lifted our eyes last Sunday to ‘see the harvest’. Christ invites us to pray for workers to join His mission to all; a mission with authority in weakness; a mission of privilege and peril. In our moments of not knowing what to say, Kanishka reminded us to ask for the Spirit’s help, confident that words have the power to connect people to Christ. If Jesus is true – he’s worth sharing.
This coming Sunday’s service (One Question for God) gives us the chance to invite others to have the community’s big question answered and discover Christ. As you pray for the person you are inviting, re-read the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4 and consider three things:
- Remember the joy Christ brought you.
This woman was longing for fulfilment. She was collecting water in the middle of the day. She was a pariah, not welcome to get water when the rest of the women did at daybreak. She was looking for satisfaction. Neither her religion nor relationships could satisfy. But she met Jesus. Christ offers her living water – and her deepest needs were met once and for all. In 4:28, there is an incredible moment that is easily missed: ‘leaving her water jar, the woman went back to town’. She’d come to fill her jug. But meeting Jesus, her life was so full, she left the jug behind. She had a greater joy, delight and purpose now she’d met him.
As you share the words of eternal life – remember the joy you found (and keep finding) in Jesus. Consider what grief serving him has saved you from. Remember his love and satisfaction. Too often we believe a lie that our friends and family don’t want, or don’t need, Jesus. It’s at that moment, we’ve forgotten our joy in Christ. Why wouldn’t they want to share in Him? - Share what you know of Jesus.
After engaging Jesus, the Samaritan woman runs home to tell others about Jesus. In v29, it’s not a particularly detailed account of Christian doctrine she gives. There’s not mention of big words like ‘justification’ or ‘sanctification’. She doesn’t need to. She simply tells others the little she knows. She tells them how Jesus knew her; satisfied her; and might well be ‘the Christ’, so they should check him out.
We don’t have to be experts to share Jesus with others. We just share what we know of him. You don’t have to know much at all to tell your friends to check him out. Just let them know what he’s done for you. What you like about him. Why you think they’d do well to see for themselves. It’s no more complex than telling someone about what happened to your friend or family last week. - Notice those God has given you.
The woman returns to her town. The same townsfolk who would’ve known exactly the kind of woman she was. The kind of woman who has to collect water at midday. But her joy in Christ spilled over to all she knew, so that many believed (v41).
We don’t have to travel great distances to share Christ with others. He’s surrounded us with people. Wollongong is a well-connected city. We have relationships with those who don’t yet believe. We are at work with them, in social clubs with them, in the same street, and members of the same family. We simply have to notice those God has given us connection with – and start talking.
In Him,
Mark Smith
Senior Minister | 8am, 9:45am, 7pm
