|
Listen
|
School is starting bright and early on the day after Labor Day. It is a new school year. The bus stop is full of kids. It puts me in mind of my mother when she traveled to Kenya for an outreach trip. She visited a one room village classroom. Frankly, the school room she encountered in Kenya wasn’t very different from the one room classroom she attended in her early years in the rural south. Despite the one room conditions, the students were diligent and deliberate. Her trip and the impact of that outreach are still felt even today.
In the Bible, we can see many people who made far reaching impacts. One of these was the famous “Woman at the Well”. This lady was probably the first evangelist of the Gospel. John 4:39 (NIV)‘Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
In his article for Bible Review 7.5 (1991), entitled “The Samaritans”, author Reinhard Pummer lets us know “In short, the Samaritans are not semipagans but rather an offshoot of ancient Judaism, probably from the second or first century B.C.E.”. The author goes further to point out that the Samaritans worshiped in the Jewish tradition. But, even though the woman at the well worshipped in the Jewish tradition, she did not know who Jesus was. This may have motivated Jesus to ask her for a drink of water. John 4:10 (NIV)‘Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
With His question, Jesus broke all of the cultural norms of the day. The woman at the well knew about God, she knew about religion, but up to that point, she did not have a personal experience with the Savior.
Let me share my personal testimony. Growing up, my father was a pastor, and my mother was a Christian and very active in the church. But it wasn’t until I got to college that I gave my heart to the Lord. I was walking back to my dorm room from the cafeteria on Sunday afternoon, and while I was walking in front of the chemistry building, I gave my heart to the Lord. I felt like 1,000 pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. At that moment I dropped my preconceived notions of Christianity and became a Christian. Likewise, when the woman at the well realized who Jesus was, she left behind her preconceived notions of her religion and accepted Jesus as her Savior.
You have a problem. You think you know all there is to know about this life, and about God. Just like the woman at the well, you are comfortable in your box. But Jesus did not let the woman at the well stay in her box of preconceived notions, and Jesus is not going to let us stay in our boxes of preconceived ideas.
You need to accept Jesus today on His own terms and not yours. Be like the woman at the well, accept Jesus, and then get to work spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There is work to do. As Jesus told His disciples in this story, there are people who need to hear the Gospel. John 4:35 (NIV) ‘Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ‘
The Bible also tells us that the harvest is plenty but the workers are few. Now more than ever, we need to focus on laboring for the Gospel. Men and women around the world need to hear the simple truth of God‘s word.
Aretha Franklin is one of our heroes of the Gospel. In 1972, she recorded the album “Amazing Grace” along with Rev James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir.
According to Wikipedia, this album “…stands as the best-selling disc of Franklin’s entire fifty-plus year recording career, as well as the highest-selling live Gospel music album of all time.”
This video link below is of Aretha Franklin singing Carole King’s song “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”. At the end Aretha substitutes the word “He” to turn the song into a praise to God.
Watch the reaction from the audience!
https://youtu.be/efIAM5dzuDs?si=AnIkceC82RnmlUOB&t=192
We Love You,
Pastors Willie and Rochelle McIntosh
On Mission Every Day. Join us
- Learn the Word by reading our weekly blog.
- Write a comment, join us on social media or zoom meeting every Sunday at 2:30pm ET except the 2nd Sunday at 6:00PM (day subject to change).
- Do you need Prayer? Have questions? We can be reached at [email protected]
Was this message a blessing to you? Would you consider sharing it?
