Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Some of the best witnesses and the best evangelists I have known are those who are new in their faith, but they have had a transforming encounter with Jesus and they must share it with others. And this is what this woman does. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Jesus said that he came to seek and to save the lost. Winning souls was his priority.
But many of us today put our family, our work, and our personal interests above winning souls for Christ. Today, we're rediscovering the joy, privilege, and responsibility of telling others about Jesus.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his message. Winning others. Do you believe that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved? That's what Paul is teaching in Romans 10 verses 13 through 17. Samuel Rutherford said that his heaven would be two heavens if he met one soul from the little town of Anworth, Scotland, where he had served God.
What an amazing thought to think. That in eternity we will meet those to whom we have communicated the good news of Jesus Christ. Of course, We can't save people. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. But we can sow the seed.
We can live lives displaying Jesus Christ. And as God opens doors, we have the privilege of explaining to people the power of God in the gospel. I think you'll be encouraged and challenged as we listen today. Read with me in John chapter 4. Let's break into the passage in verse 7, John 4, verse 7.
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, How is it that you are Jew? Ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria.
For Jews have no dealings. with Samaritans. The Jews looked down on Samaritans as lacking racial and religious purity. But Jesus sees through that, he sees a woman with deep, deep needs, and he bridges all of the normal barriers. Barriers of religion and racial barriers and social barriers and gender barriers.
He demolishes them all. Because he wants to tell this woman. The good news of the gospel. He wants to present to her the gift of God. This is a woman who had many troubling relationships.
As we read the story, we find out that she had five husbands, been married five times. Imagine that. And she's alone at the well. Here is a woman, undoubtedly, who had experienced the pain, the disappointment. Resulting insecurity of many broken relationships, divorced by five different men.
Discarded by them likely. And she's searching for security and meaning in her personal relationships.
Now she's living with another man, but she's not even married to him.
Sounds like life in America, doesn't it? Many are like that. trying to look for hope. For security, for love. in a multiplicity of relationships.
and feeling used, feeling cheapened. Feeling discarded. Isolated by her community, this woman comes to the well. John says in verse 6, about the sixth hour, that is in the heat of the sun. Notice what Jesus says to this woman.
Verse ten. Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God, And who it is that is saying to you, give me a drink? You would have asked him. And he would have given you living water. The woman said to him, Sir, you've nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.
Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. Jesus said to her, Now listen to this. Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, Sir, Give me this water So that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw. water.
Now, this woman had drunk of the seeming joys and pleasures of the waters of the world. Leaving her dissatisfied, empty, disappointed, cheapened, and. Lonely.
Some of you know that, don't you? You look for satisfaction. You look for joy in the things of the world. And the devil promises you so much. But when you've tasted of that water Doesn't it leave you bitter?
Doesn't that leave you feeling cheap? Doesn't it feel You have used someone or been used, and there is certainly no lasting satisfaction there. This is why Jesus says to her and says to you, If you drink of the water that I give you, you will never thirst again. That is winning souls is his priority. And the amazing thing is that this woman who had been discarded by the Samaritans, who had lived this very unorthodox life and no doubt ostracized, you can imagine what the women in the village thought of her, you can imagine what the men thought of her, so she lives this lonely life now.
Through an encounter with Jesus Christ, she in turn has this priority that she is going to tell people about Jesus. See, once she encounters Jesus, her life is transformed. She's so excited, she leaves her water pot behind, a symbol of her old life. She rushes back to the town and do you know what she does? She invites everyone to come and meet Jesus.
I find that incredible. Once. She is isolated by people, but now she wants to introduce people to Jesus. Her past, her dysfunctional relationships, her rejection by the community do not stop this woman from trying to win souls. She is a Samaritan woman.
Telling people about Jesus, a Jewish man. You would say, don't use her. Let's get another Samaritan converted and we'll form a little committee and we'll think about how we're going to evangelize Samaria. But she is not the one. She is totally discredited.
Absolutely not. This woman had tasted of the living water. And she longs for everyone To come to Christ. What an inspiring example to us. And sometimes, in our sophistication, I'm all for training, I'm all for reading books.
I love to read, I love to study. I'm certainly not against all of that. But sometimes we can become so sophisticated. that we Forget. The passion of a life.
who has come in touch with Jesus Christ.
Some of the best witnesses and the best evangelists I have known are those who are new in their faith, who certainly don't have all of the answers, and that's not a plea for ignorance, but they don't have all of the answers, but they have had a transforming encounter with Jesus and they must share it with others. And this is what this woman does. And you notice verse forty?
Well, verse thirty-nine. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I ever did.
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we've heard for ourselves. And we know that this indeed is. The Saviour of the world.
Of all of the titles of Jesus, isn't this a powerful one? He is the Saviour. of the world. The Samaritans got that. Not just coming to the Jews.
But the Saviour of the world, including The Samaritans, including your nationality and mine, including everyone in the world, that Jesus comes as the Savior. of the world. And they believe not just by Not just based on what the woman said, but because. They had heard. Jesus themselves.
A community transformed. Through one woman. Coming. to Jesus. Wouldn't that be wonderful if that happened in your office?
And your bank in your school, in this city, in this village, in your family. We've seen that over and over again, haven't we? One person coming to Christ and within a short time their whole family finding Christ. The power of one individual on fire for Jesus Christ.
Now, when all of this is going on, The experts The disciples What about them? Their priority is not about winning souls. When Jesus is talking to this woman about our deep spiritual thirst, where are the disciples? What are they up to? They're back in town, they're at the local McDonald's or McAbraham's.
Buying some kosher McNuggets, some fries. Cheeseburgers are not kosher, by the way. You find out in Israel you can't mix meat and dairy products.
So, no doubt they passed on the cheeseburger. But their priority, they had gone. Into town. not because they were concerned about sharing The message with the Samaritans. They were concerned about their comfort.
Their food. theirselves. And I can picture them leaving Jesus at the well. The band of the disciples going towards town to get something to eat. And can you just picture this lonely, dejected woman?
with her head down. heading to the well as they're heading to the town. I'm sure They hardly saw her. They were blinded. blinded by their prejudices.
A woman. as a marathon. We've got no dealings with her. Blinded because of their own priorities, which was not on people, but on their own comfort. And instead of explaining to her The teaching of Jesus and the kingdom of God.
I think they hardly saw her. And when the disciples talk to Jesus about food, he explains. To them, he said, I have got food to eat. that you don't know about. His highest priority was not his own comfort, was not food or drink, but doing his Father's will winning souls.
Do you find that convicting? I do. I'm often like the disciples. People around us are in need. And so often were blind to these needs.
And notice what Jesus says to the disciples in verses 35 through 39. He says, winning souls involves sowing and reaping, verse 35. Do not say there are yet four months, then comes the harvest. Samaria is not ready, Lord. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true: one sows and another reaps. I send you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you have entered into their labor. Jesus is the one who wins souls, that's true, but we're part of that process.
Winning souls involves reaping and sowing. And Jesus tells the disciples to lift up their eyes. And look at the fields. They're white to harvest. What was he referring to?
In the context, he's referring to the Samaritans. Can you imagine them? The woman has gone back. She's told them about Jesus. Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did.
Isn't this the Christ? And so they come. In their white garments, they're coming to Samaria to Jesus, to the disciples, and he's saying to them. Stop talking about food. Lift up your eyes.
Look at the fields. They're white. For harvest, you're going to have the joy of reaping where you didn't even.
So A harvest of souls to be won. an opportunity to win Souls. That's a wonderful experience. In God's grace, I've sometimes had the joy of leading someone to Christ where, over a long period of time, people have been reaping and People have been sewing and sawing. There are those who faithfully sow the seed.
All of us should be doing that. There are those who pray for souls to be saved.
Some of you week after week are teaching our children.
Some of you week after week are working with our students.
Some of you, week after week, are sharing Christ with people in prisons. with the homeless. All around us, faithfully sowing the seed. And that can be very hard work and it can be very discouraging. I understand that.
But there are others, and there are times supernaturally. when God's timetable is totally different from ours, when we have the joy of reaping the harvest. But both sowing and reapers are involved in the process of winning souls. He said, John, what are you telling me to do today? Look at verse thirty-nine.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. Don't you agree with me that following Jesus is a personal experience? We emphasize the need for each person to know Jesus Christ personally as Savior and Lord. Not just about Jesus, but knowing Christ personally as the one who's forgiven our sins. and who's transformed their life.
If that is true, if you're saved by God's grace, you have a testimony. You have a testimony to give.
Now if you're a cultural Christian Cultural Christianity. doesn't have testimonies. If you only know about Jesus and don't know him, You have no testimony to give. But if you've had A personal experience with Jesus Christ and are saved by His grace, you need to do, and I need to do what this woman did, and give our testimony, share our testimony. Tell someone how you came.
Yeah.
Well, don't make an overly dramatic story. But be bold. But also Notice what it says at the end of verse 41. Many more believed because of His word.
So what do we do in evangelism? Yes, we give her testimony. But we make sure that that personal testimony Is undergirded by the word of God. We give someone something to read. If they don't have a Bible, we encourage them to read the Gospel.
We quote scripture to them. Because the gospel is not just about me. It is true it impacts me. It's true I have a personal testimony. I can share that.
But I must also communicate the word of God. And when we do that, God acts in surprising ways. Many of you have had that joy, haven't you? And realize that God's timetable is very different from ours. Paul writes, I planted.
Paul has watered God causes the growth. We're partnering with God In the spiritual process of winning souls, we don't know how God is going to work. As you go to the bank tomorrow, You work in the Hospital With all of these people, you don't know how God is going to work. You don't need to know. God knows.
Your responsibility is to live for Christ. Still live. displaying Jesus. Your responsibility is to pray for the people with whom you work. And when God gives you an opportunity to share your personal testimony and to tell them, to explain from Scripture.
The old, old story of Jesus And is love. And sometimes the seed is sown and watered for many, many, many years. before someone places their faith in Jesus. It said that the Chinese bamboo tree appears to do absolutely nothing for four years. During its fifth year, it suddenly shoots up ninety feet in sixty days.
An illustration, isn't it, from nature? That something can be seemed dead and dormant and absolutely hopeless in a short time. New life. That's the power of the Spirit, isn't it?
So let's not be weary. Let's continue to. To serve God, let's continue to pray. And whether the person is a religious man like Nicodemus. Or whether it's an immoral person like this woman from Samaria, lost people matter to Jesus, and lost people should matter to us.
This woman had a passion. She had met the Saviour and wanted others. to do so as well. What about you? What about you?
If it's true, But souls can be won or lost for For all of eternity, winning souls must be our priority. Must be our passion. This is fruit for eternal life, as we read in verse 36.
So, every single one of us, if we're an authentic follower of Jesus, we have the privilege, the responsibility. Of telling others about Jesus. Will you do that? Will you pray about that? If each one of us accepted responsibility of where God and His sovereign purposes has placed us.
Starting with our family, our neighbors, at work, at school. Telling people About Jesus. On Sunday, April 14, 1912, the Titanic on its first voyage struck an iceberg and sank. 1500 people died. Including A Scottish pastor called John Harper.
John Harper He's a pastor of a church in the west of Scotland. And he was on the Titanic, he was on his way to go to Chicago. He was going to preach in a great moody church. In fact, there was word that they might be calling him as their pastor. He was on the Titanic when it went down.
Four years after the loss of the Titanic, A man rose in a meeting in Hamilton, Canada, and said, I'm a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting alone on a spar that awful night, the tide brought John Harper of Glasgow also on a piece of wreck near me. Harper said to the man, Can you picture it in the sea? The ICC, he says, man. Are you saved?
The man said, No, I'm not. Harper replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you'll be saved. The waves bore him away, but strange to say, brought him back a little later. And he said again, Are you saved now?
No, I can't honestly say I am, said the man. He again said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. And shortly after, he went down into his watery grave. Harper died. In the sea.
And this man says, There alone in the night, and with two miles of water under me, I believed. He was then rescued by the liner Carpathia. He says, I'm John Harper's last convert. All of us would like to think that Winway With our last words. We're pointing people to Jesus.
We're saying believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you shall be saved. This is the next step. in following Jesus. Winning souls.
If you've never come to Christ, I invite you to do so this morning. to turn from your sin. We read the words Romans 10 and 9: if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart A God has raised him from the dead. You shall be saved. Call upon the name of the Lord this morning.
and you'll be saved. And if you're a follower of Christ, tell others. About Jesus. Father, we thank you. For these scriptures, we thank you for the gospel that it reaches down.
And saves people like us, the chief of sinners. I pray for those who have not yet trusted Christ. May they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Give us strength. Give us courage, Father.
Open the doors, we pray. And may we have the joy of reaping. this season. That there would be a mighty revival among us. As many call out on the name of the Lord.
And so we're saved. We ask it in His name. Amen. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? When did you last tell someone about Jesus? Do you believe that people can be won or lost for all of eternity? The disciples of Jesus were often so absorbed in their own lives that they forgot about the people around them. That's very easy for us to do, isn't it?
Lift up your eyes and see the fields which are white unto harvest. Today, tell someone about Jesus. Be ready for the opportunity. And next time we'll think. of the very important subject of knowing and doing the will of God.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
