Sermon Listening Guide
Speaker: Dr. Condy Richardson
Scripture: John 4:27-42
Sermon Title: “Many Believed"
John 4:27-42 (NIV)
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 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. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 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. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
First Thoughts
The church must never forget her mission to reach a spiritually dark world.
Have you even been part of a church that was more country club than rescue station?
John 4 tells the story of a woman rescued by Jesus.
The Woman’s Enthusiasm
The Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well becomes a believer in John 4.
In verse 28, she cannot contain her enthusiasm, and races to town to share her story.
In verses 39 and 42, many others become believers because of her testimony and Jesus’ story.
What in life excites you enough to tell others about?
Urgency
In the middle of these verses, Jesus educates the Twelve on evangelism.
In verse 34, he tells them he lives to do the will of his Father.
He uses the example of a farmer’s field to explain the urgency of reaching others.
One author says we do not invite others to church and Jesus because of prejudice and pettiness.
He also says we procrastinate because we do not understand God’s timetable.
Those in church who are the most evangelistic usually lack harmful skills that hurt the church.
Who?
Verses 36-38 explain that evangelism involves a division of labor.
Paul believed that many spiritual conversations are useful to bring one person to Jesus.
He also often highlighted the spiritual generations of believers in his letters.
In just a few years, Greenville, SC will have over 600,000 residents.
Everyone from all walks of life deserves to receive an invite to Jesus and his church.
Final Thoughts
In church, we all must do our part to reach the world.
“As You Go,” will you share Jesus’ “Living Water” with someone?
The church must never forget her mission to reach a spiritually dark world.
Have you even been part of a church that was more country club than rescue station?
John 4 tells the story of a woman rescued by Jesus.
The Woman’s Enthusiasm
The Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well becomes a believer in John 4.
In verse 28, she cannot contain her enthusiasm, and races to town to share her story.
In verses 39 and 42, many others become believers because of her testimony and Jesus’ story.
What in life excites you enough to tell others about?
Urgency
In the middle of these verses, Jesus educates the Twelve on evangelism.
In verse 34, he tells them he lives to do the will of his Father.
He uses the example of a farmer’s field to explain the urgency of reaching others.
One author says we do not invite others to church and Jesus because of prejudice and pettiness.
He also says we procrastinate because we do not understand God’s timetable.
Those in church who are the most evangelistic usually lack harmful skills that hurt the church.
Who?
Verses 36-38 explain that evangelism involves a division of labor.
Paul believed that many spiritual conversations are useful to bring one person to Jesus.
He also often highlighted the spiritual generations of believers in his letters.
In just a few years, Greenville, SC will have over 600,000 residents.
Everyone from all walks of life deserves to receive an invite to Jesus and his church.
Final Thoughts
In church, we all must do our part to reach the world.
“As You Go,” will you share Jesus’ “Living Water” with someone?