At VCF on tuesday we were talking about evangelism, and today during quiet time i read a passage that I think pertains very much to it and one that we can learn from. John chapter 4 accounts the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, quite a well known story. Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well, asks her for water, and then offers her the "living water", which she says she wants. He then tells her that He knows about her past five husbands and adultery. He then tells her later than He is the Messiah.
That part of the story is quite well known. Note the sequence of events that follow:
1. "The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 'Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could He be the Christ?'" v.28-29
2. "Then they went out of the city and came to Him." v.30
3. "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all that I ever did.'" v.39
4. "So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word." v.40-41
5. "Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." v.42
This, I believe, is a wonderful model for evangelism. In our lives we begin by telling people about Christ and like the woman, testifying about the wonderful things that He has done in our lives, sharing about Christ's goodness. Some may come to faith by the power of the testimonies of believers, just like the Samaritans in verse 39; others may be interested to find out more and start seeking Jesus themselves, just like the Samaritans in verses 30 and 41. But what happens when these people come to seek Christ personally is that He impacts their life and speaks to them directly, so that they come to faith because of His own word in their lives. Christ once spoke through believers; now He speaks directly to them. Occasionally, like in verse 42, we may have the blessing of hearing someone whom we have pointed towards Christ come back and tell us the same thing that the Samaritans told the woman- "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." And that is a truly joyful and awesome thing.
Your testimony can make a difference to those who have yet to come to know our Lord Jesus. And while we testify we must also pray that our friends, drawn by the Holy Spirit, will eventually come to seek the Lord themselves, hear Him, and find Him.
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20
That part of the story is quite well known. Note the sequence of events that follow:
1. "The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 'Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could He be the Christ?'" v.28-29
2. "Then they went out of the city and came to Him." v.30
3. "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all that I ever did.'" v.39
4. "So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word." v.40-41
5. "Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." v.42
This, I believe, is a wonderful model for evangelism. In our lives we begin by telling people about Christ and like the woman, testifying about the wonderful things that He has done in our lives, sharing about Christ's goodness. Some may come to faith by the power of the testimonies of believers, just like the Samaritans in verse 39; others may be interested to find out more and start seeking Jesus themselves, just like the Samaritans in verses 30 and 41. But what happens when these people come to seek Christ personally is that He impacts their life and speaks to them directly, so that they come to faith because of His own word in their lives. Christ once spoke through believers; now He speaks directly to them. Occasionally, like in verse 42, we may have the blessing of hearing someone whom we have pointed towards Christ come back and tell us the same thing that the Samaritans told the woman- "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." And that is a truly joyful and awesome thing.
Your testimony can make a difference to those who have yet to come to know our Lord Jesus. And while we testify we must also pray that our friends, drawn by the Holy Spirit, will eventually come to seek the Lord themselves, hear Him, and find Him.
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20
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