How to Bring Your Friends to Christ ? John 4:27-42

DAY 1,2 - Witnessing
Let us look at an illustration from the football field.  Everybody in
the stadium loves football.  They all believed that football is a great
sport.  Now, on the field, we see 22 men that desperately need REST.  On
the other hand, we see there are tens of thousands of spectators that
desperately need EXERCISE.   Yes, those football players are giving
their very best and keep pushing themselves beyond their limit to
achieve the foal of the game.  The spectators comfortably watch the game
and most of them do not even push themselves to be discipline and exercise.

The illustration above describes the live of Christians.  Every
Christian believes that sharing our faith and sharing the gospel to
other people is important.  But, we only have a few men and women that
actively share the gospel.  They stretched themselves beyond their limit
and make themselves available to other people.  On the other hand, we
have a lot of spectator Christians that comfortably sit and watches
other Christians sharing their faith.  These spectator Christians hardly
exercise their faith and they do not even get over the hump to be
discipline.

Let us see the following statistics from a survey.  A survey was
conducted among born-again and devoted Christians:
89% believes that sharing our faith is important.
87% confirms that sharing our faith is the responsibility of every believer
68% states that the most important thing in Christian life is sharing our faith
But, there is only 52% that actively involved in sharing their faith
with unbelievers

So, what has happened?  What happened to the GREAT COMMISSION?   Jesus'
last command before He was taken up into heaven, "Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you."  (Matthew 28:19-20).  How does the GREAT
COMMISSION become the GREAT OMMISSION?  Is it because Christians do not
have time?  Afraid of being rejected?  Afraid of being called an
extremist?   Feel like we are not knowledgeable enough?  Feel like we
are not perfect enough?

Definitely God has called each Christians, each believers, to "go and
make disciples."  Sharing our faith to unbelievers, bringing people to
Christ is not only the job of pastors or full time workers.  It is the
responsibility of each Christian.

DAY 3 - Be Expendable, Be Available

There are 3 ways to be witnesses.  These are the basic that each
believer is capable of doing.  Today we are going to look at the first
thing about witnessing, that is, "be expendable, be available."

In John 4:27-42, we saw that Jesus went through Samaria.  Jesus was a
Jew.  Jews should not pass through Samaria, for the Samaritans were
considered to be of an unclean race.  But, Jesus did not only go through
Samaria but He also talked to a Samaritan.  Why did Jesus break the
custom?  Jesus was doing the will of God (John 4:34).  He was there by
divine appointment and Jesus made himself available to do the work of God.

In Samaria, Jesus met a woman.  A woman that was almost done with her
life.  Jesus loves everybody including this woman, even though she was a
sinful woman that had failed five times in marriage, a prostitute, an
immoral woman and living in sin.  Jesus saw that she needs hope in her
life.  Many people need the Lord.  Many people are so open to the
gospel.  Many people are thirsty, just like this woman.  There are four
things about people:  (1)  people are empty, because they do not find
the purpose for their being (2)  people are guilty of sin (3) people are
lonely, because of the separation from God and (4) people are afraid to
die.  We, Christians, do have the answer to those needs.  But, are we
willing to make ourselves available to our friends that need to hear
about the love of God and the gospel?

William Booth had a vision to bring people to Christ through social
works.  He made himself available.  The result is the founding of
Salvation Army.  What we have to do is only to make ourselves available
for the work of the Holy Spirit, available for the divine appointment,
engage with people at all times, and watch what God is doing in their lives.

Let us look at this illustration.  How many red cars did you see today?
Well, most people will not know how many red cars they see today.  But,
if I say that I will give you $50 for each red car that you see.  Then,
suddenly you know exactly how many red cars you see in a day.  It is
only about paying attention.  The same thing is there about sharing your
faith.  There are many thirsty people, but if we don't pay attention,
then we won't notice them nor their needs and their capabilities.  Let
us look at Jesus.  He saw this woman, but he did not see the bad things
in her, Jesus saw the beauty in her.  Jesus saw that this is a woman
that He could use to be an effective witness in the village of Samaria.
Jesus saw that this woman would be available and expandable to bring
people to Christ.

Remember the disciples were in the Samaritan for the whole day to buy
food.  Those disciples didn't bring a single person to Jesus.  On the
other hand, this newly converted person, the Samaritan woman, brought
many of the Samaritans to believe in Christ.  (John 4:39).  She could
not stop talking about Christ to the people in the village.  How about
us?  Are we like the disciples that do not bring any people to Christ or
are we like the Samaritan woman that bring many people to Christ?  We
should pray in the morning and ask God to use us to share our lives with
other people and bring people to the hope and joy in Christ.

DAY 4
Yesterday, we studied the first thing about witnessing, that is "to be
expandable and to be available."  Today we are going to study the second
thing about witnessing, that is "to be believable."

Jesus was believable, because he is real.  When Jesus talked to people,
he did not talk in bible scholar or highly complicated words.  He met
people on their own turf and talked in their terms.  People are not
looking for perfect people, but they are looking for real people.  Look
at the Samaritan woman.  She was far from being perfect, but she was
real and authentic in her testimony, therefore her witnessing was
effective.

Let us look at how this imperfect Samaritan woman brought people to
Christ.  John 4:39-42, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed
in him (Jesus) because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything
I ever did."  So when the Samaritans came to him, they urges him to stay
with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many more
become believers.  They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just
because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves and we know
that this man really is the Savior of the world."

All that this woman did was gave a real life testimony, a testimony on
how God had touched her life.  She was not perfect, but she was real.
If we want to wait until we are perfect in knowledge and behavior before
we start becoming a witness for Christ, then we will never become a
witness for Christ.  People are not looking for perfection, but they are
looking for real.

The simplest thing that we can do is to share what God has done in our
life.  We just have to CONNECT to people and talk in terms that ordinary
people can understand.  We can tell people what Christ has done for us,
then just simply WATCH the Holy Spirit work.  Have we forgot how we felt
when we were newly redeemed?  Do you remember how God meets us in our
point of trouble, in our lowest time, in time where it feels like there
is no way out?  Give a genuine and authentic testimony, then WATCH the
work of the Holy Spirit.

DAY 5
The past two days we have studied two things about witnessing, (1) "be
expendable, be available" and (2) "be believable."  Today we are going
to study the third thing about witnessing (3) "Be charitable."

When Jesus met this Samaritan woman, Jesus knew that she was a sinful
woman that had failed five times in marriage and currently living in
sin.  But Jesus did not meet this woman and started with judgement, such
as, "Hey you sinful, sorry woman, headed for hell."  Jesus had a tender
heart and He loved her, so He actually started the discussion to build a
relationship, a friendship with her.  Jesus asked her, "Will you give me
a drink?"  He was asking for a favor.  By doing that, Jesus started to
relate to her.  He brought her to himself.  Then, after seeing the
tender, charitable heart of Jesus, the woman opened up her heart to
receive the gospel, the hope of eternity.

Jesus truly is our friend.  He died on the cross for our sins so that we
may have eternal life.  Jesus is a friend that will always be there for
you.

~END~

Disclaimer !!!
This material is a summary of the message that was preached by Pastor
Jack Graham at Prestonwood Baptist Church.  The writer of this EBS
(Electronic Bible Study) made some changes and added some personal notes
that is necessary to customize this material into an electronic media, a
daily reading material and to better fit the audience.  The Prestonwood
Baptist Church is not affiliated in anyway with the Indonesian Christian
Fellowship of Fort Worth.