Sermon notes

We're back to our series on the Gospel of John as my pastor is back from vacation.

We're studying this week John 4:27-42 when Jesus is just finishing up his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.

"Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, 'What do you seek?' or 'Why are you talking with her?'"

Men at that time were not supposed to talk to women in public, because leaders thought it would lead to lust. They weren't even supposed to tell women about God, but Jesus doesn't care about the culture. He was a non-conformist. We should honor God instead of our culture. We should care more about what God thinks of us than what people think of us.

"So the woman left her water jar and wet away into town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?' They went out of town and were coming to him."

This woman has gone probably a day without water and walked miles to get it, but she doesn't even think about bringing water back. The news she has heard about spiritual water from Jesus is more important.

This woman's life is screwed up, and people see that God can help her, so Jesus must be able to help them too. It's not always celebrities or important people who can be used by God.

Back at the well, Jesus' disciples were encouraging him to eat, but food wasn't what he was concerned about at that point.

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest?' Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and se that the fields are white for harvest."

Jesus is saying it's harvest season, not a time to sit back and eat lunch.

The Samaritans first came to Jesus because of the woman-at-the-well's testimony. Then they got to hear the word of God for themselves.

"They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

Overall, the pastor's lesson is: "It is in the most unlikely times, with the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely places that God is most likely to work through in my life."