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Sermon Growth GuideSeptember 12, 2021Belong – Open to OthersJohn 4:27–42Key Verse: John 4:29–30 “Come see a man who toldme everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?They came out of town and made their way towardHim.”Big Idea: Belonging can only happen when we are opento others.FoundationsUnderstanding God’s WordAs we continue the story of the womanwhom Jesus meets at Jacob’s well, we seea progression in her understanding. Atfirst she sees Jesus as a Jewish man andtherefore not someone to talk to a womanof Samaria. Then she sees that Jesustakes her seriously, so she becomes morecommitted to speaking with Him. Eventuallyshe sees Him as a prophet because Heknows everything about her.In John 4:26–30 we see a model of howone can have spiritual conversations withothers. It is not formulaic. It is relational.When this woman runs in to town herwords are enthusiastic, experiential,engaging, it’s all about Jesus. And, it isbrief. Dale Bruner, in his commentary onJohn, summarizes her “sermon” as honest,real and Christ-centered. Because of hertestimony, many in the village becamefollowers of Jesus.But we also witness a progression in hersense of belonging. She journeys from beingan outsider to sensing that Jesus is “safe”and that she can talk to Him. Then as shedrinks of the Living Water that Jesus offers,she runs to all those neighbors she had socarefully avoided. She is not afraid to talkabout her past as she tells the townspeoplewho she has met and what has happened.She is able to move toward others becauseJesus has moved toward her and includedher among those who would follow Him. AsPastor Tim said in his sermon, her story isno longer a failed marriages story. It isn’t ashame story. It is a Jesus story.When she shared her new story, a newcommunity was formed. The villagers wereintrigued by what she had to say and invitedJesus into their midst. Think about this:In what ways does this story illustrate thesaying that “our faith is personal but it isnot private”?That was a “great harvest.” As you readverses 34–38, what encouragement do youreceive as you face the challenge of havingspiritual conversations with friends andneighbors?Applying God’s WordWhen we drink of the Living Water, weare transformed in a way that motivatesus to reach out to others with the goodnews about Jesus. Bruner writes: “Havingtasted the Well of Living Water herself,she has been transformed into a Fountainof Flowing Water.” How do you think themanner in which we share Jesus withothers creates relationships and belonging?Witnessing God’s WordThis woman left her jar and went runningto tell others about Jesus. What do youthink this means? What things do you haveto leave behind to tell others about Jesus?ALONE IS NO GOOD. JESUS INVITES YOU TO BELONG.
BELONG John 4:27–42 Tim McConnell September 12, 2021She starts out a loner. She endsup the town evangelist. Howdoes that happen? Jesus oncesaid the Kingdom of God is aseed. “It is like a mustard seed,which a man took and planted inhis garden. It grew and becamea tree, and the birds perchedin its branches” (Luke 13:19).The smallest of all seeds. Theunlikeliest of persons to bringa city to Jesus. But somethingchanges and this woman, thisseed, is soon a tree, a place forothers to rest, a shelter and arefuge. Not only is she suddenlyat home in her own skin, notonly is she at home with Jesus,but she is Open to Others. Anew story begins. The SamaritanWoman found true belonging.That’s what we want. Lonelinessis killing us. Jesus invites us toBelong.After preaching the firstmessage in this series, the oneabout Jesus going to the wellwithout a bucket, I got a textfrom my niece Amanda. She isan Air Force wife now and justmoved to California. She wentto UCCS and met her husbandwhen he was a Cadet; they metat New Life’s college worshipnight. By the way, how manyof you met your spouses atchurch? See? On a related note,Greg Hartnett has started a newCollege and Young Adults groupcalled Basecamp. The firstmeeting is today, just in caseanyone needed that information.Amanda watched the sermonand sent me this text: “Hi UncleTim! How’re you? I hope youand the family are well. I have astory for you. I’ll make a reallylong story short. So beinghere in California, I’ve beenfeeling really lonely. Recently,our washer broke. (Of course,Taylor leaves on a month-longtraining AND THEN our washerbreaks). Anyways, I had thoughtabout your sermon on Sundayand I thought to myself, ‘Well, Ican either haul two baby boyswith me to the laundromatto do laundry or I can go tomy neighbors with an ‘emptybucket’ and ask if I can use theirwasher for the time being,’ andI did! And our neighbors arean older retired couple and thewife, Na, has already watchedRobby while I’ve had to putDavid down for a nap, folded aload of my laundry, and taughtme how to make sushi, so weare feeling very blessed and I’mjust so thankful for the wordThe Lord gave you and how it’salready made an impact hereon my life in Cali. So, thankyou.” Need is an occasion forrelationship.The Samaritan Woman is alesson in how to break out ofloneliness and move into truebelonging. I want you to see thepattern. Four steps. First, shewas alone. She avoided others.She kept her defenses up. Whowas Jesus to her in this stage?He was a stranger, a foreignman she didn’t know. She calledhim “Lord” or “Sir” in the NIV.“‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you havenothing to draw with and thewell is deep. Where can you getthis living water?’” (John 4:11)Next, she gets known by Jesus.He sees through her mask andknows her story. She, as we said,risks being known. Who is Jesusto her now, in this second stage?Jesus is a prophet. He knowsstuff he ought not to know.“‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can seethat you are a prophet.’” (John4:19) Then what? Well now, shecomes to Jesus. She comes torealize who Jesus really is! Shecomes to Christ. “The womansaid, ‘I know that Messiah’(called Christ) is coming. WhenPAGE 2
BELONG John 4:27–42 Tim McConnell September 12, 2021he comes, he will explaineverything to us.’ Then Jesusdeclared, ‘I, the one speaking toyou—I am he’” (John 4:25–26).Until now, Jesus has only madevague references to the Son ofMan, leaving listeners to wonderif He is talking about Himself orsomeone else. Get this now, thevery first clear revelation in theGospel of John that Jesus is theMessiah comes to this SamaritanWoman at the well. Who isJesus now? He is the Christ.Well, the fourth thing is whathappens today. She is a newperson. She can move towardothers in a new way. Her storyis changed. She is transformed.She has a new ground ofbeing, a new identity in Christ,forgiveness, reconciliation,peace with God and with herself,a new and eternal life. No morehiding. No more evading. Shecan walk toward others, and herentire story is altered. WhetherJesus shows up in the firstchapter of your life, or the last,or anywhere in between, Jesuschanges the whole story. “Then,leaving her water jar, the womanwent back to the town and saidto the people, ‘Come, see a manwho told me everything I everdid. Could this be the Messiah?’”(John 4:28–29) Who is Jesusnow? He is the one who knowsher. He is her personal Savior.Her Jesus. Now her story isn’ta lonely story. Her story isn’t afailed marriages story. Her storyisn’t a shame story. Her storyis a Jesus story. And she walksout of isolation and into truebelonging.I want you to see this pattern.We are going to spend the restof our series unpacking it andapplying it to church life. Sohere it is: (1) Lonely, (2) RiskBeing Known, (3) Meet Jesus,(4) Move Toward Others. Putthat on a card in your pocket.Throw it in your notes app.Learn how to move out of lonelyand into true belonging. Let’sstudy.“Just then his disciples returnedand were surprised to findhim talking with a woman.But no one asked, ‘What doyou want?’ or ‘Why are youtalking with her?’” (John 4:27)“Surprised.” Astonished is closer.Traumatized is not far off. Thedisciples are worried aboutall the wrong things, aren’tthey? They are worried aboutappearances. They are worriedabout racial and religious lines.They are worried about food.I’m not going to go into thefood conversation at all, butthey were upset about the food!He sent us to get food. Wewent to get food. We got backwith the food. Jesus says, “Idon’t need food!” What is this?Even well-meaning disciples ofJesus get all worked up aboutthe wrong things sometimes.It was a divine appointment.Jesus, remember, “had” to gothrough Samaria back in verse4. He happened to sit downat noon in verse 6, just whenthe woman arrived—when nowoman should. Once He revealsHimself to her as Messiah, verse26, the disciples happen to pullup, “just then,” verse 27. Jesusis in the business of divineappointments. When did Heshow up in your life? Just then.Right on time.The farmers had a saying, “fourmonths till harvest,” verse 35.But Jesus wants us to see, assoon as the seed drops theKingdom springs up. God is upto stuff we will miss if we insiston keeping our eyes on whatdoesn’t matter at all. And justPAGE 3
BELONG John 4:27–42 Tim McConnell September 12, 2021to make it clear, just to makeit crystal clear, Jesus says theharvest is ready and He sweepsHis hand over the region ofSamaria. The disciples’ skin wascrawling just passing throughthere. They don’t want thatharvest. They don’t want thatpeople coming into the family ofGod. We discriminate. We drawlines to limit God’s love. Theharvest is ready if you are willingto accept and love and welcomeany whom God brings, anywhom the love of God reaches.But we focus on the wrongthings and disqualify othersfrom God’s grace and love. Let’snot.get water with my bucket.How are you going to get anywater ?” Dropped it and ran. Iwant you to see that somethinghas impacted her deep inside.She is transformed in thatmoment. Once she sees Jesusfor who He is, her life changes,it is altered root and stem. Justas Jesus has said, rivers of livingwater start welling up in her,right from that very place ofloneliness and pain, right fromthat vacuous gap in her soul,from that very spot, the Spirit ofGod enters in and rivers of waterstart to flow, and she drops thatbucket and moves. She movesout, baby! A new woman.But back to our hero. Theunnamed woman we can onlyknow as the Samaritan Womanat the Well. The disciples wereunnerved that Jesus was eventalking to her, but they were sorattled, no one dared ask. Butwatch what happens to her.“Then, leaving her water jar,the woman went back to thetown and said to the people,”(John 4:28). Pause. Leaving herwater jar. Dropping her bucket.Remember how much she likedthat bucket? “I have a bucket.You don’t have a bucket. I canThis woman walks right backinto that town. She walks backinto the community she hadsystematically evaded for years.She walks back toward thosepeople and engages them allin a new relationship, a newrelationship centered on Jesus.“Come, see a man who told meeverything I ever did. Could thisbe the Messiah?” (John 4:29)He knows everything I everdid, she says. The townspeopleare like, yeah, we all do. No.It’s more than that. Her storyis different now. I’m sure therewere people there she had hurt.I imagine there were peoplethere that had hurt her. Peopleshe disappointed; people whowere disappointed in her. Thereare stories here. Relationships.This is small town life! But withJesus, her whole story is new,different, transformed. Yes,there were dark times, but theywound up leading me here tothe light of Christ. There weremistakes, but they landed me inthe arms of grace. There werechapters of horror, but they ledto a conclusion, an ending thatresolves on Jesus, on eternal life,on forgiveness and restorationand love. Wherever Jesus entersthe story, the whole narrativechanges. Past, present andfuture.So, the town loner becomesthe town evangelist. And sheis effective. “Come see a man,”she says. That’s it. Come see.See my Jesus. That’s the rootof evangelism. Not, listen to mydefense of biblical authority.Not, hear my watertight caseand ready defense. Not, letme show you how you arewrong and I am right. “Comesee a man.” Come see a man.Jim Rayburn, the founderPAGE 4
BELONG John 4:27–42 Tim McConnell September 12, 2021of Young Life, had a saying,“Never stop talking aboutJesus.” Come see a man. “Manyof the Samaritans from thattown believed in him becauseof the woman’s testimony, ‘Hetold me everything I ever did’”(John 4:39). He rewrote mystory. Many believed. So theyinvited Jesus toward them. “Sowhen the Samaritans came tohim, they urged him to staywith them, and he stayed twodays. And because of his wordsmany more became believers.They said to the woman, ‘Weno longer believe just becauseof what you said; now we haveheard for ourselves, and weknow that this man really isthe Savior of the world’” (John4:40–42). Who is Jesus now?He is not just a man, not just aprophet, not just a helper of onewoman by one well. He is theSavior of the world. So muchto unpack. And we will. We will.Just not today!Why was she so effective?When Jesus changes your lifeand fills that void within, andtransforms your story fromshame to glory, you can steptoward others in a new way. Youdon’t need their approval foryour identity; your identity is inChrist. You don’t need them toreciprocate your emotions tovalidate them; you are at peacewith God in Jesus Christ. Youdon’t need them to rewrite theirversion of your story; your storyis a Jesus story! That’s all thatmatters. So you find you don’tneed your bunker and yourdefense mechanisms the wayyou used to. You don’t need toarmor up. You are at home inChrist. You are open to others ina new way.Why was she so effective anevangelist? I want to suggesttwo sources of her charismaticauthority. (1) She had a newstory, a transformed life. Jesusrewrote her story, and everyonecould see it. Julian of Norwichsaid that once the love of Christpenetrates your heart, “Sin willbe no shame, but honor.” Youmean I’m proud of my sin?No. But at the cross of Christ,even your sin, even your shamechapters, they get transformed.Your story is rewritten in Gospelletters. Five marriages? Justpart of the story. Porn addiction.Just a step on the road to Jesus.Alcoholism? It drove me to mySavior. That mistake on thebusiness trip. That disobedientson dropped off by police.The failed business that droveyou to depression. The sin isnot shame, but glory. How?At the cross it is transformed.Your whole life is transformed.It’s not about your failure, it’sabout your Savior. The tinyseed of faith in the blackenedsoil of a tried and humbledheart, it becomes a tree wheremany find rest and shelter andbelonging. She had a new story,and (2) She loved her Savior.She had a deep, deep love forthe Savior who changed her lifeand saved her soul. Come seea man! Come see my Savior! Idropped my bucket and ran! Myheart is different on the inside!I’m not empty. I’m not scared.I’m filled with the Holy Spirit ofGod! Redeemed. The love ofJesus is the only authority forevangelism. The Gospel changeseverything. Find your new storyin Jesus. No more alone. Jesusinvites you out of alone and intotrue belonging.PAGE 5
4:19) Then what? Well now, she comes to Jesus. She comes to realize who Jesus really is! She comes to Christ. “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) is coming. When She starts out a loner. She ends up the town evangelist. How does that happen? Jesus once said
