Sermon
2-5-23 AM Service: A Very Inconvenient Meeting
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives.
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The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist
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Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us
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or contact us at my Liberty, Baptist dot org or just look us
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up on Facebook. And now, we hope that this
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message from God's word will be a blessing to you.
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John chapter number four this morning.
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As we're going forward in Soul winning.
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That's what this month's emphasis is as January was
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forward in my daily walk. February is forward in
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soul-winning, and we'll get into that here just a little bit more
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in just a second, you know, I was reminded of this even this
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week and some things that happen with me and in my life but you
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know, life would be so perfect. If it went the way you wanted it
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to, how many times have you gotten up in the morning?
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And you said, I know what I'm going to do today.
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I'm going to do X, Y, and Z. And by the end of the day,
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you're laughing at the plans you made, or maybe you're crying.
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And the plans that you had made that never got fulfilled
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because, well, somewhere between, when you woke up and
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when you went to sleep life happened, and what you expected
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to do, didn't end up getting done.
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You had a call from a family member Isn't that a blessing?
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It's well sometimes it may be a call from a family member.
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You have a headache that popped up or something that maybe you
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didn't start to feel well during the day and unexpected text that
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just kind of came through that you weren't.
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Well I guess an unexpected text, you wouldn't be expecting.
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So yeah, there's that a project that you were starting but went
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completely different than how you thought it would go.
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Once you kind of got into it, a trip that the store that you
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didn't intend to take an unplanned meeting at work.
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And these disruptions and meetings can be a source of
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annoyance or sometimes they can be a source of outright anger If
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we're honest. Because we know what we wanted
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to do that day, and it ended up that somewhere along the way
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those plans got derailed. But, you know, I found this to
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be true if I was to think about this dispassionately not about
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what I'm in the middle of this and I'm kind of frustrated.
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But if I was a step back, there's a lot of times that
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these inconveniences are some of the hinge.
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Is on which swings the door of opportunity that if we were to
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just take a moment and stop and breathe for a second.
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We realized that what we think is an inconvenience is effort as
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actually opportunity that God is giving us either to minister to
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someone else or because there's something better that he has
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planned for us that what we had planned for ourselves.
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And so as we begin forward and soul winning this month.
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This morning, we consider one of the most unlikely in unusual
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meetings in all of the word of God.
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Right here in John chapter 4, it's a one-on-one conversation
John 4 chapter mention
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between a woman who tried her best to be hidden and a savior
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who sought her out despite all the difficulties.
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And when I think of us trying to give the gospel to someone else,
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I don't know that there are many greater passages that maybe John
John 3 chapter mention
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chapter 3 Jesus and Nicodemus and John chapter 4, the woman at
John 4 chapter mention
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the well for us to look at and be encouraged in our daily life.
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That despite the inconvenience it might seem To give the gospel
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to someone else that it is so necessary for us to share our
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faith with those who are around us.
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Would you stand please for the reading of God's word?
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If you're able to John chapter 4, we're going to begin in verse
John 4 chapter mention
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number one. Here this morning, John chapter
John 4 chapter mention
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4 beginning in verse number one when therefore, the Lord knew
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how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more
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disciples than John, although Jesus himself.
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Baptized not but his disciples were.
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He left Judea and departed again into Galilee and he It needs go
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through Samaria and verse. Number 4 is a short verse.
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It may not seem like it's that important, but is actually very
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important verse number 5. Then cometh he to a city of
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Samaria, which is called sychar here to the parcel of ground
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that Jacob gave to his son. Joseph.
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Now Jacob's, Well, was there, Jesus, therefore being wearied
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with his journey set? The Saint the well, and it was
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about the sixth hour, which is what we would call noontime
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here. Today, they're come with a woman
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of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her.
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Get me to drink for his disciples were gone away under
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the city. Goodbye meat then.
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Saith the woman of Samaria unto him.
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How is it that thou being a Jew? Ask a drink of me, which are a
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woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealings with the
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Samaritans, Jesus answered, and said, unto her.
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If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to
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thee, give me to drink. Thou wouldest have asked him and
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he would have given thee. Living Water, the woman saith
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unto him. Sir, thou Hast nothing to draw
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with and the well is Is deep from whence then hast, thou that
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Living Water art thou greater than our father.
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Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself and
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his children as cattle. Jesus answered and said unto her
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whosoever, drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
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Speaking of the well, but whosoever.
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Drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
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thirst. But the water that I shall give
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him shall be in him and well of water springing up into
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everlasting life. Life the woman saith unto him.
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Sir, give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither
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to draw us. God to bless the reading of his
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word. You may be seated this morning
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as we get into our message today forward in Soul winning.
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That term Soul winning. You know it's kind of a funny
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word isn't it? It's kind of a funny term you're
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never going to hear the word Soul winning outside of church
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and I would dare say there's a lot of churches, even that
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wouldn't even use the word Soul winning as part of their
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vocabulary and any form or fashion.
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But what does it actually mean? You know why?
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You might be surprised to realize this morning, that the
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word Soul winning is not something that I've made up, or
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that pastors have made up, but the term soul Any actually comes
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right from the Bible. In fact, Proverbs 11:30 says
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this, the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life and he that
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winneth Souls is wise. Now I don't know that I've
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always been accused of being a very wise person, all things
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considered but I know this if God says here's a way to be
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wise, I probably should pay attention a little bit.
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Shouldn't I perk up my ears. A little bit of God says here is
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a way a method a mechanism for you to show biblical wisdom it.
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Make me stop and think about it a little bit.
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And God says, to us through his word, the wisdom of Solomon
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inspired by the holy spirit, says this.
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He that winneth Souls is wise. Okay, well, we've established
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that this term Soul winning is not something that comes from
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Rivero theology, or from someone else.
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But this is something that comes from the Bible.
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But what exactly is so winning? Well, I Define it this way.
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It's to purposely catch lost souls for the sake of the
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Gospel. To purposely catch lost souls
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for the sake of the Gospel. Now this also may sound odd to
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catch Souls Pastor. So you mean when you ask people
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to come on Saturday do you hand out lassos?
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Do you hand out cages? I mean what are you doing to try
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to catch people for the cause of Christ?
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I don't know that. I like the sound of this at all
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Pastor. It sounds weird.
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It sounds unusual. No.
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Again, I'm using these words on purpose because I want to use
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some biblical words. Biblical thoughts to help frame
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the way. We look at this issue in a
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scriptural fashion. See was Jesus who said in Luke
Luke 5 chapter mention
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chapter 5 verse number 10, where he said to Simon Peter fear, not
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for henceforth, Thou shalt catch men fear, not for Thou shalt
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catch men. The idea is this and maybe the
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more familiar way we would put it is this Jesus was telling
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Peter, I'm going to make you a Fisher.
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Of men. Now that's ironic because before
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Peter was a fisher of fish which is usually what Fisher's do, but
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here's what he says. Jesus says, you were catching
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fish for a living but now your job everything that you do is
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going to be surrounded by the fact that you are going to catch
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them. So Soul winning is the process
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of becoming a fisher of men that you and I are trying to go out
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and give The gospel, the good news.
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And that's by the way, what the word gospel means.
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It literally means the good news.
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It's the gospel Jesus death, and his burial, and his
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resurrection. It's the gospel, it's
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deliverance from sin, it's the good news.
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It's the reality of heaven and of Salvation, from a devil's.
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Hell, it's gospel, it's good news.
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And when we are to bait the hook, if you will to be able to
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catch men, the hook is baited with nothing else.
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Than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is a Jesus, I was dying.
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He died was buried. He rose again and because of
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that sacrifice that he made once for all you and I could have
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eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord listen, there's
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no better bait than that friend and you and I are called to be
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those Fishers of Men. But here's the question.
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So are we supposed to actively win souls for Christ?
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Sure. It's a Biblical concept sure
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it's something that the scriptures teach us to do that.
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Jesus told the disciples that they weren't to do because I put
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it this way. What does that mean to me?
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Okay, the Bible talks about it, the disciples were supposed to
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do it but how does that help a group of souls sitting here at
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800 Washington Street in Easton in 2023?
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What does that mean? To us, is it relevant to us
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today? Does it matter for us today?
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And I would put it to you this way.
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It is not only just as relevant today as when Jesus, uttered.
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These words to Peter, 2,000 years ago, I would also submit
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to you that perhaps, it's even more important today than it was
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2,000 years ago. Because as we look at this world
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where almost eight billion Souls live in it today where this
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world is in an absolute mess and absolute chaos.
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Listen, the time is short. The prophetic clock is about to
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Ring. And you and I have to get as
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many people as we can. We got to catch as many as we
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can for the Lord while we still have time.
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That means it's our job. See some people say, well, Soul
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winning is God's job. He'll sort it out in his own
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way. Kind of like, you know, just
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leave it all to the Lord. There are some who say this,
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well, it's the job of the pastor to win souls or it's the job of
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the clergy. I mean, that's that's their job.
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I mean, that's what you get paid for.
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Anyway, I mean, just go win people to Christ, that's your
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job. Some would say it's the church's
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job without actually, thinking about what that means for it,
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being the church's job. And I would say this, I agree
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with all of these thoughts to a point listen without God.
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There is no salvation. So we understand that God is not
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just the important part that if you remove God from salvation,
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there is no salvation. So, of course, he's important.
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It is the pastor's duty to be a soul winner.
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It is my job. If I was having job description,
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certainly, it should be to try to bring people to Christ
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Romans. 10:14 says how then shall they call on him in whom
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they have not? And how shall they believe in
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him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear?
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Without a preacher. So certainly it's the job of a
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pastor of a Preacher as well and it is the church's duty to win.
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People to Christ is why we mentioned even on Wednesday
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night, Matthew 28:19, where he tells the church pre-existing
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there on the mount before Pentecost.
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He says go ye therefore and teach All Nations.
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Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and
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the Holy Ghost yet, it's not Just the sacred duty of the
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church to actively win the lost to Christ.
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I would also say to you that if it's the job of the church to
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win people to Christ, then whose job is it.
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It's the people who make up the church who are called to do it
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because we can't send 800 Washington Street to other
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people's own dresses and have the church building when people
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to Christ know what happens to be those who claim the name of
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Jesus Christ and are part of the membership.
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Of Liberty, Baptist Church, specifically who God has called
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us now he's called every believer, but I would say even
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more. So for us who are part of this
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church that we would say this? Why are we gathered here today?
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Why have we come? Well there's lots of reasons
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why. But one number one has to be
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this for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because
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if it is for any other reason, if we've missed the mark of what
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the heartbeat of God is because he wants to see more souls added
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to the kingdom. And that's not the church's,
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quote, unquote job could. I just put it bluntly?
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It's your job. It's your job.
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Well, Pastor a more comfortable. If if you do it, well, can I be
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honest with you? I'm more comfortable.
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If you do it. But it's not about what's
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comfortable, is it? It's about what God's called us
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to do. Everybody wants someone else to
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do the work. I mean that's life but here's
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what God says, given us. He has given us a command.
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He's given us a commission. He's given us a calling, but I
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thank him that he's given us. His blessed, Holy Spirit, to
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live inside of us to go before us to work in the hearts of
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other people. And he gave us the boldness, and
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the courage to speak. And to tell other people about
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the gospel know who's Curtis Hudson, who said this, the great
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evangelist. He said this, the only
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alternative to Soul winning is Insta Christ, the only
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alternative to Soul winning the only alternative to sharing your
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faith with someone else of trying to actively try to pluck
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someone from the very snares of Hell.
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The only alternative to Soul winning is Disobedience to
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Christ. But here's the thing.
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I feel like probably if you know the Lord you're on the same page
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with me right now. I don't know that anyone's
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really actively saying, I don't agree with that.
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I would say if you know Jesus Christ as your savior
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Fundamentally you understand the truth of what I'm saying, right
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now. I don't know that I need to lay
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out an hour. You say, please, Pastor not an
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hour. No, but I don't need to lay out
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an hour of here's why you. And I are responsible to win
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people to Christ. I think we're on the same page
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there, here's the problem, most of us don't.
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Most people don't. Why?
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Why is there the disconnect between?
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We know, this is what we're supposed to do, but yet, it
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doesn't get done. Could I submit you a few
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reasons? It's inconvenient.
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It's not easy. It's time consuming.
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Get to put your pride on the Shelf a little bit, you might
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have to put your reputation on the line a little bit.
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It could cost you not in necessarily dollars and cents
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but maybe in the way you're perceived by others, Like I
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said, it's inconvenient. Just like you get up in the
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morning and say, this is what I want to do today and things
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change. Soul winning will change your
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day. So winning will change the way
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you look at people. It will change the way you look
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at situations, it will very much change the way you look at life.
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And this brings us to this morning's text here in John
John 4 chapter mention
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chapter 4 and I would love to go back to John chapter 3 and look
John 3 chapter mention
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at Jesus and Nicodemus as well. But but here we are in John
John 4 chapter mention
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chapter 4, this morning and I believe it represents.
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Maybe the best of all the tutorials you can find on what
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it means to win. Someone to Christ we're looking
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at the greatest Soul winner who ever walked the Earth.
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Jesus Christ. In fact he's the one One who
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literally one every soul in the sense that he secured salvation
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For All Mankind. Not that he's saved all mankind
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in the sense that he forced everyone to be saved, but he
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secured it. So that every single person
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could call upon the name of Jesus Christ, the greatest Soul
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winner of all time talking to a woman who had a past talking to
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a woman who had some history and instead of going by her and
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ignoring her like many did, and instead of a going by her and
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Whispering about her behind her back.
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Like many others did. He stopped.
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And a very inconvenient time, and loved her, and cared for and
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brought her to himself. So, two things, I want to look
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at very quickly about our Texas morning.
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The first is this Soul winning was a matter of inconvenience
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for Jesus Soul. Winning what a matter of
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inconvenience for Jesus. Now you might hear the word
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inconvenience in Jesus's name in the same sentence, that might
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kind of set you off a little bit.
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It might not sound right, but just follow what I mean by that
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here for just a second. What I mean by that is this Has
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had a multitude of reasons not to have this encounter with this
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unnamed woman. There were so many reasons why
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Jesus didn't have to stop and sit by the well and talk to this
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woman here in Samaria. There's a lot of reasons, the
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first was this, he was kind to her despite ethnic tensions.
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Remember, I said it was important when it said, and he
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must needs go through Samaria. In verse number 4, and you can
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see this ethnic tension, echoed in verse number 9, where she
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says, then said the woman of Samaria unto him.
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How is it that thou being a Jew? Ask us drink of me, which I'm a
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woman of Samaria for the Jews Have No Dominion dealings.
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With the Samaritans, well, what is being referenced here?
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Is the fact that for probably about 500 years, the Jews and
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the Samaritans have been at odds at one another because during
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the Captivity time, when many were taken away, Left there in
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the land and intermarried with other people in the land.
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And so the Samaritans in many ways were considered to be half
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Jews. And so when someone was
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traveling from the North of Israel, to the south of Israel
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at the time of Jesus, life and Ministry, you would have had to
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go through Samaria or you would have to take several days to go
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around some area to make sure that you avoided dealing with.
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The Samaritans as she says, in verse number 9, you say, well,
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why would anybody do that? We'll listen.
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Why does anybody do anything? Because of a Ethnic hatred.
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Well, it doesn't make sense at all.
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That's exactly what was happening here by the way, if
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you want some of the back story about the Samaritans and why
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they were the way they were. You can read second Kings,
2 Kings 18 chapter mention
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chapter 18 and find out more about them later.
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But here, when many Jews said this, I'm going to go around
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Samaria. Jesus said this, I must needs go
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through Samaria. He wasn't saying that.
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Because he was trying to save time, he wasn't trying to say
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that because it was the most direct route.
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He went through Samaria because there was a woman in a place
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called sychar and because there were people people who lived in
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that city called sychar, shechem in the Old Testament, and he
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went there because there was someone who needed to talk to
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him and he was kind to her, despite this ethnic tension.
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It was inconvenient, some would say, but to Jesus, it was just
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the right thing to do, but he wasn't just kind because of the
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ethnic tension, despite the ethnic tension, he desired to
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meet her, despite the distance. Jesus was traveling, I don't
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know about you, but when I travel, I want to get from point
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A to point B. And I don't want to say anything
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in between. I wish I had more of the
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roadside Spirit where, you know, hey let's pull off and look at
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this, and let's pull off and look at that.
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When I'm driving, listen, if it's a 20-hour drive according
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to Google Maps, if I get there in 21, it's a failure.
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Not a great way to live. It's just honest.
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All right, that's the way that it is.
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All right, but there's some distance involved.
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Well, Jesus had some distance involved and no one would have
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blamed him for just saying. Listen, I'm on a journey.
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Listen, I have a direction that I need to go.
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I don't have time to talk with these people right now, but,
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despite the distance, he knew that she was going to talk with
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her. Despite we put it this way, the
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inconvenience, he knew that he needed to meet, with her.
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He ministered to her despite being weary.
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Look at verse. Number 6, it says, This and
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Jacob's. Well, was there, Jesus,
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therefore being wearied with his journey sat thus on the well.
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And it was about the sixth hour now.
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You understand that Jesus, although completely God was
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completely man at the same time and so Jesus at times would have
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been hungry or thirsty. Or tired.
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Listen, Jesus. Slept at the bottom of the boat,
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while the storm was going on above in his Humanity.
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He was in this verse. We re why what was a few
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reasons. One, he'd been walking for a
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while. To it was noon time.
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The hardest part of the day three.
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It's likely it was thirsty. He was sitting next to a well
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and for he was hungry because he sent the disciples to go in and
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get food and bring it back. I would say that was a
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combination for someone to be weary.
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And again, I don't know about you, but when I'm weary, I don't
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really think about other people's needs as much as I'd
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like a nap. I'd like some water, I'd like
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some food. This is what I'm focusing on is
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because what I need and Jesus would not have been blamed to
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say well, lady listen, I don't really want to talk to you today
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because you listen, I'm tired. I'm weary it's been a long day
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on a dusty road. But despite the fact that there
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was weariness in his heart there, that moment he knew there
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was something greater to do and he ministered to her need.
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When he had a need, he ministered to her need, when he
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had a need despite that not only that he talked to her despite
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her reputation. Still Pastor what kind of
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reputation to they have? Well did she have?
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Well, I mentioned to you that she was gathering water at the
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six-hour, that's there in verse number 6, that's noon.
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Time people didn't normally gather the water then we go to
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the well at noon time. You know why?
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Listen, this is deep stuff right here.
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It's hot at noon. I know it's hard to believe
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right now but it's the only hot at noon at least that part of
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the world. That's the way it would have
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been. So what did you do?
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Usually Drew water in the morning or in the cool of the
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evening? She's there and the noon I would
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surmise she was there because she didn't want to be seen.
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She went in the morning, two people, their joint in the
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night, there'll be people there. So when the afternoon she had to
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weld or sell, well, why would she want?
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The well to herself? Well, Jesus revealed in verse
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number 18, that she had 500 husband previously and who she
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was living with now, was not her husband, by the way, even in
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that, recognizing that God, biblically established marriage
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and that there's a difference between marriage and living
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together. He says, listen you have a
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situation here. He says you Five, husbands and
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you're living with someone. Now, who is not your husband?
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Now while that may not have much of a stigma today and 2023, no
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matter what the Bible says, it may not have much of a public
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stigma. We understand that at that time,
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especially what's going to happen.
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People don't like that. People don't like her.
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You say, is that right? Well, no.
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Is it right for them to talk about her behind her back?
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No. Was it right for them to treat
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her in the way they were treating her?
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No. But what did Jesus do?
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Did he treat her? Like the rest be treated with
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compassion? He treated with love, she has
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Story, by the way. Could I mention this before you
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got saved, you had a story too. And some of us fell away from
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the Lord for a while and have a store even after we get saved.
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But Jesus Christ has love and compassion for you and love for
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you. He talked to her despite her
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reputation reputation. I'm glad that Jesus Saves the
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down-and-outs. He can't save the proud. but
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it's not because he's not able to it's because the proud won't
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allow him to So here's a woman Pride was put to the side.
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She had nothing left but what did she do?
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She listened to one who had compassion on her and listen to
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her. He was patient despite her
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confusion. You read this chapter and you'll
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realize that there's this great back and forth to go between
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Jesus and the woman, he talks about water, she doesn't know
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what the water he's talking about.
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He talks about Wells and she thinks he's talking about
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Jacobs. Well she's talking about the
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Wrath between the Jews and the Samaritans, she's talking about
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where they're supposed to worship.
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You know, you Jews, you you Worship in Jerusalem but we
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worship here on Mount gerizim and this mountain and they kind
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of go back and forth. There was so much confusion.
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Hey, you know what Jesus does he says lady either.
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Get it or don't. No, that's not what he said.
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So make sure you're with me. We also have a little worried
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there for a second. All right, somebody said yeah,
-
that's why. This is what he said, so he's
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hit no, she asked questions that had nothing to do with what
-
Jesus was trying to get across to her.
-
But instead of Jesus saying, look, I don't have all day, you
-
want the water, or don't you, She says he says this, he
-
continues to give her love and understanding and keep speaking
-
truth to her. He keeps speaking truth to her
-
patiently lovingly kindly listen.
-
It's an inconvenient meeting. He was kind despite the ethnic
-
tensions. He desired to meet her, despite
-
the distance, he ministered to her, despite being weary talk to
-
her despite a reputation. He was patient despite her
-
confusion and all of that. even in her confusion, he keeps
-
guiding her back to one thought, look at verse number, 25
-
quickly, Because it's whole conversations being guided to
-
one thought and it's this the woman saith unto him.
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I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ.
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When he is come, he will tell us all things. and Jesus saith unto
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her, I that speak unto thee and he it all came down to this.
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I that speak it to thee. MD.
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You know, it's interesting here. What we read.
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Here in this chapter. So far shows us what's really at
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stake here. What's a matter of inconvenience
-
for Jesus Christ. And we saw there were some
-
inconveniences that he overcame. But what was a matter of
-
inconvenience for Jesus Christ was a matter of life or death
-
for this woman because what was at stake, eternal life?
-
What was a matter of inconvenience for Jesus Christ?
-
Was a matter of life or death for this woman, and it reminds
-
us that, while soul-winning may be an inconvenience for a
-
Christian, it is a matter of life and death for the lost.
-
Soul winning is an inconvenience for the Christian.
-
We have some inconveniences as well, that we need to overcome
-
whether it's our pride or whether it's our fear or whether
-
it's our time or whether it's a any number of things.
-
But what inconvenience says we have to come are just small.
-
Their infant testable in proportion to the fact that who
-
we are trying to minister to the message of the Gospel is a
-
life-or-death situation. So we have to overcome our
-
little Hang-Ups. We have to overcome our little
-
inconveniences to realize this know I have to give them Jesus
-
Christ, because if I don't or someone else doesn't then they
-
will die and they will go to hell for all eternity.
-
So why would I keep my mouth shut?
-
Why would I not share? Because what is a in Convenience
-
to be is life or death for them. Now, why is that look at verse
-
number 14, why is soul winning a matter of life or death?
-
For the Lost verse number 14, but whosoever, drinketh of the
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water that I shall give him shall never thirst.
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But the water that I shall give him shall be in him, shall be in
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him a well of water springing up into everlasting life, which
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says this without the Water of Life.
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What happens without water? We die without the Water of
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Life, That's not just water. The Living Water, we know that
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there's a spiritual death that comes, that's serious, John put
-
it so well. And so succinctly.
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In first John 5:12, he that hath, the son hath life, and he
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that hath, not the Son of God hath, not like this woman need
-
to understand the her sin was sending her on a path.
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Straight to Hell. Your Jesus Christ was offering
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her himself. The Living Water that would give
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her life. What's interesting about Jesus,
-
every man before that she met had taken from her.
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We can count six. Can't wait, five husbands and
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one that's living with her. Every single one of those men
-
wanted something out of her. Jesus was the only man who
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didn't want something out of her.
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He wanted to give her something. I want to give her the Living
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Water. He wanted her to have eternal
-
life and that's what the soul winner does.
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It say I'm not trying to draw out of you from this
-
transaction. I'm not trying to get something
-
out of you out of you know I'm trying to make sure that you get
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something that is totally free and without charge not that they
-
came without cost because it was the cost of Our Saviors,
-
Precious Blood but it's free for all who will take and that
-
salvation in Jesus Christ and that What salvation is a free
-
gift. So this shows me in our text.
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There's two groups of people that have something on the line
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today. Just from looking at our text.
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There's two groups of people who have something on the line
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today. There are those who are like the
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woman at the well at the beginning of the text.
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Lost and needing a savior. You know what you have on the
-
line today, the difference between Heaven and Hell.
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It's real. You say, Pastor, you're being
-
dramatic? No, I'm not being dramatic.
-
I'm being scriptural. The Bible says, it's been
-
appointed unto man once to die. And after this, the Judgment
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that there is a Salvation that will save you from your sins and
-
it's important. It's necessary for every single
-
person to call Upon Jesus Christ to save them.
-
It's religion. It's going to save you.
-
It's not good works that will save you.
-
It's not coming to church on Sunday.
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It's not putting a big check in the plate.
-
It's not How many people you shake hands with when you come
-
here or how nice you are or how many Good Deeds you do in the
-
town? It has nothing to do with any of
-
those things although they might be good things in and of
-
themselves but none of them will help you ever achieve eternal
-
life there is only one method. There is only one way that
-
eternal life can be achieved and it's not buying achieving.
-
You can do is by what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
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So you must call upon him and save you today.
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Alyssa, that's what's on the line.
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That's what's on the line. And we have to understand that
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you say, Pastor, why do you talk about this every week?
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I mean, can't you just talk about like once a month or maybe
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you have. It's like a Salvation day where
-
you preach on salvation because it's so important that we have
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to talk about it every chance we have because there could be
-
someone within the sound of my voice.
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They may believe they are saved or maybe or trusting in a prayer
-
that they said when they were young or they have some other
-
issue where they think they're trusting in good works or
-
something else. And we just have to take time to
-
say no. No, you need to call Upon Jesus
-
Christ to save. You repent, a call upon Christ
-
to save you today. Only, he can save you from your
-
sins. Listen.
-
If it was as easy as baptizing people, as my pastor, you say
-
we'd build a pool out there and we run everybody through it.
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If it was as easy as taking the communion, we'd hand out the
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juice and the Wafers every week, and I'm not trying to be
-
flippant understand that, I'm trying not to be disrespectful
-
or flip. It always say it.
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But I'm saying if that was the method of Salvation, that we
-
would do whatever we could to make people do it.
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It's not that it's you have to decide.
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In the gospel message, and you have to decide.
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Will you repent call upon Christ?
-
The Savior this woman. You know, when Jesus said, I am
-
the Messiah, you know what, she did, the Bible said she left her
-
waterpot and ran into the City and told everyone that she found
-
the Messiah. You know what's funny?
-
Is that when she realized she found the Messiah that water
-
didn't matter anymore. She didn't care.
-
It's about Jesus isn't amazing. Once we get saved our priority
-
sometimes shift really quickly and all of a sudden what was
-
important before is an important after and all of a sudden, you
-
realize I've found something greater than a picture and found
-
something greater than the water inside of it.
-
I have found the Living Water that if I take of him will
-
spring up with me into eternal life and you know what she did?
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She became immediately part of the other group.
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She told everybody she could. See because there's one group
-
here for the loss. You need to be saved, but for
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the say, we have to ask ourself this.
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Why won't you be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel?
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Because remember what to one group is a life-or-death
-
situation is for those of us who are saved, the issue of Soul
-
winning is a mere inconvenience. What do we have on the line?
-
Well, they might say something. Not nice to me.
-
I don't want to be sarcastic. Well, maybe I do a little bit
-
bouquet, but I don't want to be sarcastic.
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But how does that compare to an eternity in hell?
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That's like a hangnail. That's a spiritual hangnail and
-
we get so caught up in these things.
-
Well, you know, someone might not, you know, it might yell at
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me. They might.
-
Or they might get saved. Or they might trust Jesus Christ
-
as their Savior. And so what for the Lost is a
-
matter of life and death is for us, just an inconvenience.
-
So here's the question. Why don't we do it?
-
What do we tell other people about the gospel?
-
Why don't we go to those that were afraid.
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Well how they'll respond and give them the gospel, why don't
-
we come to outreach and and do those things here, I mentioned.
-
And I'll mention this again on Wednesday night in probably
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mentioned. Again during the week we have
-
enough work to do on a normal Saturday morning that we could
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get a. We could take at least a dozen
-
people and If you run in different places and do
-
different things and you say, well I don't know what to do
-
when I don't know how I feel about it.
-
And I don't understand. I'm busy on Saturdays.
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I got to sleep in at least until noon on Saturday to make up for
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the rest of the week. And listen, I get it, sleep on,
-
it's kind of like Jesus said to the disciples that go ahead and
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sleep on. Because the soldiers were there
-
to take him to the cross. I asked, you could you spend an
-
hour, if you spend an hour, could you spend an hour and then
-
he finally said sleep on, You've missed it.
-
You've missed. See Pastor was everything about
-
Saturday. You say this Saturday thing know
-
that Outreach is some winning and is more than just a Saturday
-
thing. But I'll say this, if you can be
-
here on Saturday, we need you Why?
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Because there's people out here. I need the gospel, you know,
-
where they're going, they're going to Farmer markets on
-
Saturday because all the store. To taking care of the Yards.
-
They're sleeping in the doing all kinds of things, not
-
realizing that it's a life-or-death situation that
-
they were in a car accident. if they had a medical event, God,
-
just called him home, for whatever reason, that they have
-
to give an account for why they did not accept the gospel
-
message. Now, wonder how many of us will
-
have to give an account for why we didn't share the gospel
-
message with those groups of people.
-
Is your Saturday routine, too. Sacred to show someone the
-
gospel. You comfort too important to
-
show the cruelty of the Cross to a loss center.
-
Is your impatience with the world, too?
-
Deep to patiently. Show them.
-
The savior. In fact second Timothy 2:25 26
-
says this in meekness, instructing those that oppose
-
themselves you don't we talk to the lost and what we do we
-
instruct those who oppose themselves.
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They're very position that there is no God is opposing to
-
themselves. So what do we do in meekness, we
-
help them. If peradventure God will give
-
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and
-
that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil
-
who are taking captive by him at his will.
-
Paul is saying this. There are literally those who
-
are unsaved there in the snare of the devil.
-
You understand a snare is like a trap like a bear that's been
-
appalled. It's in there that can't move
-
and just waiting for the hunter to come and to kill them.
-
And Satan has laid these snares out for a, but you and I have
-
the ability to come and to open that trap.
-
And oh, Open that snare through the power of the gospel and to
-
give New Life to someone who is unsaved not that we have the
-
power to give the new life but we can present it to them and
-
show them and we can win souls for Christ.
-
But it's an inconvenience floppy.
-
Won't do it. My mom and I get it.
-
There are times. I just want to keep my mouth
-
shut. There are certain people that I
-
just don't want to bring the gospel up to There are times
-
that I get up on Saturday morning and say, I don't know
-
these people, I don't know if they'll get it.
-
Their times. But, may I ask you this.
-
How else will people get saved? Unless people present the word
-
of God? You said, well, it's you because
-
you said how shall they hear without a preacher that was in
-
Romans 10? Well, you understand, that's
-
talking about the word of God being preached and presented and
-
that means it's not just me, that means that's all of us.
-
That we're all preachers in the word of God, in that sense that
-
we have to present the word of God, and salvation, to his
-
people who said they put you this way. if there was an EMT, a
-
coffee shop, No sense. A policeman.
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A donut shop as an EMT at a coffee shop.
-
Who has their radio on, and as they're sitting there in the
-
coffee shop, they hear this poison victim at 345 Main
-
Street. Knowing that they're a block
-
away from 345 Main Street. What would you think of an EMT
-
who refuse the call? Well, maybe the AMT says, well,
-
I can't do anything. Well, you have the medicine with
-
you to help them. Maybe the EMT would say oh, it
-
cost too much. well, the medicine is already paid for
-
maybe the EMT would say I'm tired.
-
But it's your job. We would say at best an EMT
-
would be negligent. For not doing what they could
-
for someone who is in a life-or-death situation.
-
That literally, all they needed was the antidote but yet
-
Christians make these same excuses every day.
-
I can't do anything. Well, God's given us his word to
-
be able to tell people about the gospel, it cost too much.
-
Costs already been paid for the blood of Jesus Christ, the cost
-
of our shame, or the cost of the loss of our pride, or the cost
-
of our standing in the community is so small.
-
You can't even measure it compared to the cost of the cost
-
Jesus Christ. I'm tired.
-
It's our job. But it's our job.
-
Are you let is a pastor in Michigan.
-
And he puts Soul winning in this way.
-
I read this and I thought this was good.
-
He said, sometimes people wonder why I emphasize Soul winning so
-
much an evangelist. Once preached our church and
-
asked how many of our folks went Soul winning on a regular basis
-
when approximately half of the evening crowd, raised their
-
hands. He said, look at that amazing
-
sight. Another evangelist said to me
-
that it would be ridiculous to preach on Soul winning at our
-
church because so many people already rent went but suppose
-
about half of an army showed up when it was time to fight.
-
Suppose about half the football team were there for the opening
-
kickoff. So is it half of the workforce?
-
Came at their appointed time on a given day?
-
We would not think that was a success.
-
It is possible for us to be better than average in the area
-
of Soul winning, but to still be far below, normal.
-
Can I tell you this? And maybe this is a scary
-
thought to you or church compared to most churches.
-
And I'm looking about churches just all across denominational
-
stripes. Is better than the average
-
Church in. Handing out the gospel we have
-
tracks, a lot of church don't have tracks gospel literature
-
which you have an outreach program as soul-winning program.
-
A lot of churches don't even have that.
-
We have some people who actually come which is more than most
-
churches consent. But does the fact that we have
-
tracks and that we have a program and that we have some
-
people come and that we do better than most mean that we're
-
right with God. Because the spec is not for us
-
to be up to where the world is, or a little bit better.
-
The spec is this, where am I? According to what God's standard
-
is she Patrick? I know what this is.
-
You're just trying to get a bunch of people here at 10:00 on
-
Saturday morning to share the gospel.
-
Can I be honest with you? Yes.
-
Yeah, I am. No.
-
The sarcastic things, that matter if I'm pushing them down.
-
I really, I'm pushing them down right now because I'm not, I'm
-
not angry about it at all, but I will say this, it's our duty.
-
I know that everybody can come every Saturday.
-
I know that I mean, I'm not too crazy.
-
Okay. Anyway, I know not, everyone can
-
come. I just said it's thinking about
-
that. Maybe I am, but I know that ever
-
comes. I know that's the way that it
-
is. We have, yeah, I can't always
-
come every Saturday to get different things going on travel
-
or different events. I get that.
-
But at some point we have to say whether it's on Saturday,
-
whether it's during the week or whether it's another time
-
because soul-winning doesn't just happen to happen on
-
Saturday or whether whatever it is.
-
Am I willing to overcome my small inconveniences?
-
To help someone who is in a life-or-death situation.
-
Well, if I witness to my brother, he might get angry.
-
If you don't your brother may, go to hell.
-
I'm not trying to be too blunt. I'm just being honest.
-
Well, if I witness to my coworker that's in the cubicle
-
next to me, it might get very uncomfortable for us, if it
-
doesn't go well, it will be Beyond uncomfortable for
-
eternity if they don't accept the gospel, uncomfortable is not
-
even a word that can describe it.
-
Luke chapter. 16 said that the rich man was in hell in
-
torments, the word torment was plural.
-
So, I'm not trying to hit you with a blunt, you know, you
-
know, blunt force, trauma this morning, but I do want us to
-
recognize what the stakes are and that a lot of times our
-
excuses and I raised my hand. Because it just because I'm here
-
on Saturday, doesn't mean that I have a soul winning Spirit, the
-
way that God wants me to all the time.
-
Is it? Our excuses are so small.
-
Because our inconveniences as are like an ant looking at Mount
-
Everest. Compared to the issues of the
-
unsaved, if they don't get saved for all eternity.
-
So as we look forward this month, new month, new theme for
-
and soul winning. Are you willing to go forward a
-
little bit this week? For the cause of Christ.
-
Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of
-
Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing
-
to you or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us
-
know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty Baptist dot org,
-
or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred Washington
-
Street in Eastern. Massachusetts, may the Lord
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bless you as you grow in his word.