Connected to the Cause | Ps Rachel Eaton

Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast.

Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to

take hold of. So we hope this message inspires

you and build your faith that it helps you have more of a God

perspective for your day. Enjoy.

Start. This morning with a slide, if

you guys have that and can bring it up on the screen behind me.

I'm not going to speak long on this, but just very briefly want

to touch on what a lot of people's journey to faith can

look like. The different stages now we have

in there at the beginning, it can be quite hostile.

Not everyone goes through all of these stages, but these are just

the different places that people can find themselves in before

they find Jesus. So there can be quite a

hostility. That's where I don't want to

know. Religion is the problem of the

world. I'm not interested at all.

Then you can have indifference. It's a little bit closer, but

indifferences. People honestly just happy to

live their life, want the easy path.

Not really interested about, you know, religion or anything

costing or, or seeking anything, but just this indifference.

Nah, Nah, it's not for me. Then you've got a stage that's

curious what you like. Is there something out there?

And a lot of people in the curious space are actually

religious, not loving Jesus, but religious.

They will find different religious because they're

curious what's out there where like is on I'm I'm a little bit

open to maybe exploring. Then the next stage is

considering where you will consider these things you

actually search it out. I actually find my husband would

would seek people out on online scientists and they actually

want to know. You've got a bunch of people who

just want to say what they say they want to be heard and then

there are some people who are genuinely curious about how the

world was created. Many people have actually come

to Jesus through science because they read it and go, oh, there

is a God, and then you've got the path of faith.

And the reason I want to bring this up this morning is because

Jesus is so interested. He's so obsessed with people.

There is a cause of Christ and it has you and I on his heart,

and it has the world on his heart.

And so when we look at people, we have to understand that Jesus

wants to come in and meet them right where they're at, wherever

they're at, and then connect them to himself.

And some of these people we we engage with, we might kind of

think, oh, they're a little bit too far gone.

We know they're in, in new age. And so you leave them alone.

But actually they could be closer to Jesus.

Satanists actually understand that there is power in the

spiritual realm. They are one revelation away

from understanding that the power that they possess and they

do possess power. Things do move around for them.

They're one revelation from realizing that they serve the

weaker power. And when they realize and have a

revelation moment and encounter with Jesus, there's this

connection process. And so just understanding when

you are engaging with people, perhaps they're actually closer

to being connected to Jesus than we may give it credit for.

We're actually wired for spirituality.

We're wired to know our Maker. So I want to bring up a story

this morning. This here is probably one of my

favorite stories in the Bible, and it's around the Samaritan

woman at the well with Jesus. So let's have a look.

We're going to read lots of scripture from the Bible this

morning. In John 48, it says soon a

Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus said to her,

please give me a drink. He was alone at the time because

his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

The woman was surprised for Jews refused to have anything to do

with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, You are a Jew

and I am a Samaritan woman, why are you asking me for a drink?

Jesus replied. If you only knew the gift God

has for you, and you are speaking to you would ask me and

I would give you living water. But Sir, you don't have a rope

or a bucket, she said, and this well is very deep.

Where would you get this living water?

And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob

who gave us this well? How can when you offer better

water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?

And Jesus replied, anyone who drinks this water will soon

becomes thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I

give him will never be thirsty again.

It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them

eternal life. Please Sir, the woman said, give

me this water. Then I will never be thirsty

again and I won't have to come here to get water.

Jesus says go and get your husband.

I don't have a husband, The woman replied.

And Jesus said, you're right, you don't have a husband.

So if we have a look at this engagement between Jesus and

this woman, where would you think on that that path of

spiritual journey that she might be resting on?

I would, I think I read in there, Sir, please give me this

water so I'll never be thirsty again and I won't have to come

here to get water. Think it through for a moment.

This is pretty much an episode of Indiana Jones.

If you drink from this living cup of water, then you'll never

be thirsty again and you'll have eternal life.

And she went, I want the water. There was actually an openness

in her. She, there was something in her

that was actually ready for the supernatural.

There was an openness in her to believe.

And Jesus comes and meets her where she's at, which was a bit

off, and then connects her to himself.

And our entire Christian journey, our entire Christian

journey is Jesus meeting us where we're at and then

connecting us deeper to himself. It's a process that just

continues. Let's keep reading.

In John 416 to 25, it says go and get your husband.

Jesus said to her, I don't have a husband, The woman replied.

Jesus said, you're right, you don't have a husband, for you

have had five husbands and you aren't even married to the man

that you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth.

Well, then the whole thing gets real.

Sometimes when we're speaking to people, they want to talk about

all of these things that don't even matter.

This Christmas tree is really in the Bible.

Should the church be black or should it be white?

You know, we get caught up in these conversations that

honestly don't matter. And here Jesus gets real,

presses on a sore spot. Let's talk about the real thing.

Hey, let's talk about what's actually going on.

Let's talk about where you're right at.

So since we've had five husbands and you aren't even married to

the man you're living with now, you certainly spoke the truth,

Sir. The woman said you must be a

prophet. So tell me, why is it that the

Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship while

we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim where our

ancestors worshipped? And Jesus replied, Believe me,

dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter

where you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

You Samaritans know very little. A bit of offense there.

You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship.

Well, we Jews, we know all about Him, for salvation comes through

the Jews. But the time is coming, indeed

it's here now where the true worshippers will worship the

Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those

who will worship Him that way. For God is spirit, so those who

worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

The woman said, I know that the Messiah is coming, the one who

was called Christ. When he comes, he will explain

everything to us. Jesus told her I am the Messiah.

It's a cool story. He came in and he met her right

where she was at and then connected her to himself.

So the title of the message this morning is actually being

connected to the cause. What is the cause of Jesus?

The cause of Jesus is a deep transformative, can we all say

transformative relationship with Jesus.

It's about everyone in the world, and it's also about you.

And what I love depicted in this story is that there were only

two people in in the majority of that story.

It was Jesus and this woman. It was all about what God wanted

to do in that village, as we'll read later, but it was all about

her. Jesus is so personal.

He has a 'cause He has mission to work in US and to work

through US. Are we connected to His cause?

In verse 16, Jesus says go and get your husband sore spot.

He comes in and touches right on the sore spot.

Historical context would suggest that this woman has had a very

bad experience with marriage, marriages.

And Jesus comes in and he presses on this not to bring

judgment, shame, or condemnation.

No, to bring honesty, healing, restoration, and life.

If you haven't figured it out, Jesus is a God of life.

He wants to bring you into life. He wants to breathe into

situations life. He wants to pour into your pain

life. He wants to take you from A to B

and connect you to life. He's all about life.

Jesus let her know then that He is actually what she had been

searching for. Did you know this morning that

you are the cause of Jesus? You are so on His heart.

You matter. He cares deeply about you, your

well-being, your growth, your spiritual transformation.

So this woman had had five husbands.

You know, what that tells me is that she probably wasn't 19

years old. She'd lived a little.

She might have been a little bit more of age.

And Jesus presses on this sore spot not to, not to condemn, but

to bring teaching, new teaching. So just because she's of age

doesn't mean that her life experiences have now given her

the tools and what she needs to launch forward into life.

Life experiences are not your tools to connect to Jesus.

An encounter with Jesus will connect you to his cause.

And so he comes into this space and he brings teaching.

Correction, an invitation. She was invited in to unlearn

some things and relearn some things.

Her life experiences was not the point of a transformation.

So she has this encounter with Jesus and I'm going to bring up

a Psalm here. This was shown to me a little

while back. This is my favorite Psalm.

I I've memorized it as a child. I got to be the girl who spoke

it from memory to the whole church in my grandmother's

church as a child. So it has holds very special

value to me. I've always known it off by

heart. I'm pretty sure it's a song.

But when this particular Psalm was explained to me the way I'm

about to explain it to you now, I've never looked at it the same

again. It's just brings new revelation.

This is Psalms 23, and we're going to have a little bit of a

dance with this scripture this morning.

This Psalm was explained to us as the leadership team, as a

circle. So keep the circle in mind as we

go through here. The Psalm, you can read it out

with me if you like. You can say it off by heart and

close your eyes and show off if you want to.

I liked doing that when I was a child.

I'm pretty sure I got a prize. It was a chocolate.

Someone got a prize. If I can do it off by heart, no,

never mind. I do like chocolate.

Hazelnut. If you're looking.

Cadbury. Never mind.

Let's move on. The Lord is my shepherd.

I lack nothing, or I shall not one.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me besides still waters.

He refreshes my soul. He guides me along right paths

for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the

darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Your rod and staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my

life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Oh, you're all celebrating, and in the moment you're going to

want to throw tomatoes at me. Let's look at this how it was

explained to me. The Lord is my shepherd.

If you have come to know Jesus, if you have invited him into

your life to be Lord and Savior, Hebrews describes him as the

great Shepherd. Hebrews 1320, The great

shepherd. Yeah, Jesus is my shepherd.

So then it talks about in Psalms 23, if we can actually keep.

Oh, yeah, just follow me with this.

Keep it up there So it talks. He's my shepherd.

I don't like anything. He makes me lie down in green

pastures. He leads me besides still waters

and he restores my soul. And I promise you when you meet

Jesus, he does this. Pastor Mel actually touched on

this morning in that lead moment that there were people who who

were experiencing difficult things.

Can I be honest, I, I felt this morning when we were singing

that song that God is a good God.

There was an offence in people's hearts this morning.

I could feel it. And it's almost like you've got

this bag of luggage behind you of proof.

See, This is why God isn't good. If that is you this morning, I'm

actually just going to give you a moment just to close your eyes

while I pray for you because God is good.

Here's the thing though. We have been invited into a

circle. We have been invited for him to

be the shepherd. And it's there's a job that God

does and then there's a job that we do.

And if that was you this morning, if you're like, I've

got the proof. That's not been my experience.

He hasn't been good to me. Can I, can I actually ask

everyone, do you mind if we do this?

Just take a moment. close your eyes in here this morning.

Everybody, please. If that's you and there's an

offence in your heart over this, can you just raise your hand

while no one's looking and I'm going to pray for you.

Thank you. Yeah.

Just keep it up, Lord. I actually just pray, Father,

that you would minister into this space.

Lord God, I thank you that you are a good God.

And Lord, I pray right now, Father, for the invitation

moment. Lord, I pray that you would be

invited into this space to show off.

Lord God, I pray, Holy Spirit, for faith to pour in that where

there's been doubt, where there's been preconceived proof

that you're not good. Lord God, I pray right now that

you would bring revelation, that you would bring hope, that you

would bring comfort, that you would pour in your mercy, and

that faith would begin to pour into this space.

Lord, I pray right now, Jesus, against any distractions.

And Father, I pray that you would lead people, God, from

that place of hopelessness, from that place of doubt.

And I pray faith would pour in and you would connect them to

yourself in Jesus name, Amen. Alright, thank you.

Now I've got to come back to my notes.

Where was I? He makes me lie down in green

pastures. He does do this and this is a

wonderful experience with Jesus. He refreshes his soul and and

we're having a wonderful time with him.

But it's a circle and we're with Jesus, walking with Jesus.

And then it says that he leads me in the path of righteousness

for his name's sake. So we're going for a walk with

Jesus. Where are we going, God?

We just read the Scripture. Allow me to unpack.

So we're walking with Jesus and he wants to lead me in a path of

righteousness for His name's sake.

Here it is. If there's anything in you

that's not righteous, if there's anything in you that's off, it's

a matter of now bringing alignment into right living.

This is a picture of sanctification and Jesus comes

in and leads us in the path of righteousness.

It's into it's taking us from where we were and now leading us

into a a new way. Sanctification sometimes stings

a little bit. How do I know that?

Because of the next verse that says when and and though I walk

through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

He was reading my notes, I'm sure of it.

You know evil for your with me sometimes when when we're called

and when Jesus walks with us into alignment and get those

things that that aren't quite righteous into alignment.

It's going to bring up some things.

It's going to press on sore spots.

It's going to bring up things that that are going to hurt.

But he, he's not a God who's unkind.

He does this because he wants to bring freedom into this area.

And so he walks with you, right beside you and walks, walks with

you. Doesn't take it away from you.

But Pastor Dan hit it so beautifully on the head this

morning. We want a life of ease.

God, this is my mess. Just take it away from me.

No, He comes in and he'll walk with you.

Let's have a look at this together.

Let's have a look at this angle. Oh, let me press on some things.

Let's have a look at this failed marriage.

Let's have a look at this failed business.

Let's have a look at at why this is here.

And he brings it out and he walks with us, presses on the

sore spots. In Exodus 1318, it actually says

that God led the Israelites into the wilderness, like into the

desert, into the place that's meh.

There was no sparkling pools and spas and waterfalls.

No, it was a desert. Why would God lead you into a

desert, Friends? That's where the lessons are

learned. It's actually where you get to

walk to the other side. But sometimes he leads us to

these places to help bring about new freedoms within us.

He wants to take us where we're at.

The real stuff, the Samaritan woman, he pressed on the real

stuff. He wants to talk about the real

stuff and lead you. Can you be led by him this

morning? Would you allow him to lead you

through this circle? Because if we're not, if we're

not careful, we can actually disconnect.

We want to be connected. He wants to take us from where

we are and connect it deeper to himself.

And sometimes when that sore stuff comes out, there can be a

disconnect, right? Oh, I think I missed one.

He leads us in the path of righteousness for his name's

sake. On here we are.

Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I

will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Then it says thy rod and thy staff.

They comfort me. Does anyone know what a rod and

a staff is? Do you want to come and do that

again, Pastor Chris? It's not quite that abrupt.

Lisa is a gentle spirit. The the rod is, is a stick

that's got a hook on it. Have you all seen a shepherd's

staff before? And it's to grab the sheep when

they're going off off, of course, and go yank them and

just pull them back in here. And then they're going off here

as sheep like to do, and go and explore and goes come on back

here. This is the way to go.

It's new boundaries. Jesus actually disciplines those

he loves. And it's not to to be angry,

it's to keep you on path. Hey, I want to protect you.

I've got a path of life here for you.

Are you interested? And so he brings us into line.

This is a part of the path. So he brings righteousness right

living. So we those things that are off,

he comes in and he aligns and now there's new boundaries.

So it, it might be a bit like a traffic light in areas in your

life. You've just had a green light

and lived it the whatever way that you want.

And now you're going through this circle and you're down here

and there's a new boundary. There's a, a red light.

You're like, oh, I'm, I'm not for that, that lifestyle

anymore. Some of you, some of you God

might have been pressing on this a while and you've seen an

orange light for years and he's preparing you.

Come on, you need to stop. You've been at this orange light

and you're like, how long can I? I'm pretty sure I can get

through. Oh, that's cherry green.

And you're and you're you're running on on the.

Yeah, cherry green. I'm like, never mind.

We won't go there. Yeah, we actually need to move

on. You've been looking at an orange

light and Holy Spirit's been pressing on.

Something going. Come on.

It's time to give this up. And you go through this circle

and he comes in and there's a new boundary that's a red light.

But here's the thing about a traffic red light.

We get a traffic light that has a red light because you're at a

crossroad. It doesn't mean you just stop.

There's a new path. There's a new path of life.

There's a green light, there's a new boundary, there's a new way

to go. And here's what happens when you

come through on that other side says he prepares a table before

me in the presence of my enemies.

This is a show off moment. He prepares a table that he's

going to make the enemy sit down while God shows off what he has

done in you. Look, devil, this was a point of

weakness that you tried to exploit in her.

And now this is her moment of strength.

Look what the Lord has done. Look what I can do.

And we start coming up the serpent cool.

And then it says anointing flows, anointing, new anointing

flows. When you come through to this

side, then we come straight back up to the top.

Lord, you are my shepherd and you find a new peace, new rest,

new levels of restoration. Every time you come around this

circle. We are stronger, we are more

anointed when we're equipped. It's God working in US.

It's actually a picture of discipleship allowing Him to

press on these things. So you'll be straight back up at

the top and you're enjoying His presence and buckle up because

then He goes again, and then he goes again, and then he goes

again. And you'll see people in your

life and you go, how come they're so far ahead?

How come they're always happy? How come nothing ever seems to

bother them? How come so much can come

against them and no matter what comes against them, that never

irks them. Or they've just been round the

round the circle a few times. Every time you go around, you

get stronger, wiser, more surrendered.

Your authority will grow. Intimacy with Jesus will grow.

It's a picture of allowing Jesus to meet you where you're at and

connecting Him to yourself. I'd love the news eyes to come.

It's vulnerable, this circle, and it's allowing Him to lead

you through. Allow Him to lead you not where

you want to go. Not talk about the things you're

so sure are important. Allow Him to lead you through.

He highlights things in our life that need to be surrendered.

When he does, you kind of got two options.

You can stay on this circle and you can take it as slow as you

need to. He's not forceful.

He's gentle. He walks with you.

He doesn't walk in front of you. He walks right beside you.

He's not like what you hurry up like I do with my kids when I'm

at the groceries. Come on.

Or like they do to me when we're trying to get out of church on

Sunday. Come on, Mom, He's not in front

of you, He's right beside you, but you can disconnect.

Oh, it's a bit too hard. God don't want to talk about

that thing. Lord, here's what I want to

bring out here. Whilst the cause of Jesus is

very much about you, it's not just about you, it's not just

about us, John 428 says. Then leaving her water jar, the

woman went back to the town and said to the people, Come and see

a man who told me everything I ever did, Could this be the

Messiah? They came out of the town and

made their way toward him. Many of the Samaritans from that

town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.

He told me everything I ever did.

And so when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him them to

stay with them. And he stayed for two days.

And because of his words, many more became believers.

They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of

what you said. Now we've heard for ourselves

and we know that this man really is the saviour of the world.

It's not just about you. I'll bet that she didn't even

know that that was in her. I'm just going to call it and

go. She probably never dreamed that

her story would be in God's Word, Hod's Holy Bible, as a

testimony out of what she did. One encounter with Jesus, one

trip around the circle, inviting him in, allowing him into that

space. But this was a woman.

I don't know if you understand. This woman was so broken.

She came to the well in the heat of the day when no one else was

there. I mean, we live in Brisbane.

No one wants to be out in the heat of the day, and she was

going to fill up her water buckets there because no one

else was there at that time. She was riddled with shame.

And she's gone from this woman who didn't want anybody to see

her to this woman who's everybody has to know one

encounter. What's possible on the other

side of an encounter with Jesus? What's possible after?

Do you go around your circle 1235 times?

Who's potentially on the other side of your surrender?

There's a 'cause when we're so full of, for lack of a better

term, ourselves, we can miss what God is doing, what he wants

to do. Do you know He loves to be

people's answers? What if you're the connection

point for somebody? Allow him to do what he wants to

do in your life. Just allow him to keep pressing.

Allow him to keep teaching. Allow him to continue to, to

bring you a place where you unlearn and relearn.

And we'll see what's on the other side of that.

Because it's not just about you, it's about everyone else as

well. Discipleship is so important.