The readings for today have a common theme of
water and life. In the Exodus story the Hebrew people are ready to stone Moses
because he can not find water and they are in a desert. The Apostle Paul
describes the love of God being poured out into the hearts of believers like life-giving water. Finally Jesus has this amazing conversation with a Samaritan woman. It
is the same conversation he had in the Reading for last week with Nicodemus.
This is the model for how to do one on one personal evangelism:
- Ask a question to begin a conversation
- Give a reply to their response that turns the conversation into how to
have a right relationship / spiritual life with God
- Give a reply to whatever is said that raises a spiritual question in their
mind
- Respond to their next question with how to have spiritual life - be
born again / receive the living
water of the Holy Spirit
1. Jesus
describes the Holy Spirit as like "a spring of water welling up to
eternal life."(John 4.14)
·
Jesus asks a question that will
lead to a religious conversation -Jews did not talk to Samaritans for fear of
spiritual pollution
·
Jesus replies to her response with
an interesting religious question - if you knew...God would give you living
water
·
Jesus tells her something He
could not normally know - husbands
·
Jesus affirms her guess and
reveals who He is and how to worship
·
Profound teaching about God as
spirit & worship "in spirit"
·
Woman becomes a believer and
witnesses to her community
·
Jesus taught people about
spiritual things using concrete examples.
·
Cannot see, imagine or feel the
Holy Spirit, but we can see water
2. The
Exodus Reading (17.1-7) reminds us to trust in God - for life
The story of the Hebrews in the desert
reminds us that people often forget about God until they are in a crisis. Being
in a desert without water is a crisis. We can be fairly confident this is not a
myth because the people are not described in mythical language. They are very
human, very cranky.
- They do not seem to have faith that God will provide for them.
- Do not seem to realize that their desert experience is team-building
- Goal is to bring them together as a people who do have faith that
God will provide for them.
- The good news is that God did provide for them and did give them
everything they needed for physical and spiritual survival.
3. Fast
forward to 65 AD and Paul is explaining the Holy Spirit
Paul is explaining that those who have faith discover that "… God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5.5) Just as water was poured out to
keep the Hebrew people alive physically;
- Holy Spirit is poured out to keep believers alive spiritually
- Gift of the Holy Spirit is a tangible sign that one is a real
believer
- Paul explains the key doctrine of Justification by faith.
- God's grace is poured out on those who believe in the life,
sacrificial death and way to forgiveness of Jesus.
- "justified' (made just) means their past guilt is taken away
- Begin a new life with a clean slate.
- "Sanctification" is our lifelong struggle to overcome the
temptations of life, control our human desires and ambitions and live a
life of prayer, praise and service.
- As we step out in faith to live this life of prayer, praise and
service we experience the love of God being poured out spiritually, like
water, into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
The
readings challenge us to persevere in our spiritual life
The Apostle Paul encourages us to
"…rejoice in our sufferings…" (Romans 5.3).
- Suffering develops our
perseverance
- Perseverance develops our
character
- Character gives us hope.
- Hope - our Faith or belief in Jesus Christ is not disappointed.
Become Justified,
Sanctified
and receive the Holy Spirit
that guides and heals us for a personal
spiritual life
that begins on Earth and continues on in the
spiritual dimension after our body dies
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