Sermon Tone Analysis

! Close Encounters Of The God Kind

!

A Close Encounter Through Salvation

John 4:1-30

 

 

Last week, Reverend McIntyre handed me this little clip from the April 20th, 1998 USA Today newspaper, entitled:  “USA Snapshots,” by Anne R. Carey and Gary Visgaitis.

The subtitle was “A look at statistics that shape the nation.”

The clip was a graphic that showed that there has been an increase in people in America who have a “Belief in the beyond.”

They compared the percentage of people today with those in 1976 who said that they believed “somewhat” in six phenomena.

·        In 1976, 12% of the people said they believed “somewhat” in spiritualism.

Today that figure is 52 percent.

·        In 1976, 10% of the people in America said they believed “somewhat” in faith healing.

Today that percentage is 45 percent.

·        In 1976, 17% of the people said they believed “somewhat” Astrology.

Today 37% probably consult their horoscopes.

·        In 1976, 24% of the people said that they believed “somewhat” in UFOs.

Today that figure is 30%.

·        In 1976, only 9% of the people said that they believed “somewhat” in reincarnation.

Today 25%, i.e. one quarter of the people of this nation, say that they believe “somewhat” in reincarnation.

·        In 1976, only 4% of the people of this country said that they believed “somewhat” in fortune telling.

Today that percentage has risen to 14%.

The source of these statistics was the /Yankelovich Monitor Minute/.

There are some very interesting phenomena here that I would like to elaborate on, but our subject of study is UFOs.

Nearly one third of the people of this great nation of ours say they believe “somewhat” in UFOs.

These statistics only corroborates my reasoning concerning this present series.

Consequently, I felt impressed to use the subject of UFOs as a launching pad for our biblical discussion of “Close Encounters Of The God Kind.”

In first three sermons in this series, we worked hard to develop a definition for a “Close Encounter Of The God Kind.”

That definition is

 

A “Close Encounter Of The God Kind” is a face-to-face meeting with God that cannot be totally explained, but which—when fully experienced—will bring about a response of genuine worship or celebration, which includes the remembrance of a redemptive past and~/or the conviction of a liberated future that changes people forever; causing them to move and grow by over-recording the intuitive tapes of their core belief.

In the fourth message in this series, we explored one of the major barriers to experiencing a close encounter with God.

We called that barrier:  “The Brain Barrier,” i.e. how intellect keeps us from wholeheartedly worshipping God.

We then began to explore twelve “Close Encounters Of The God Kind.”

In the fifth message, we explored Abraham’s first encounter with God.

In the sixth message, we explored God’s encountering of Abraham through a test.

In the seventh message, we explored God’s encountering of Jacob through a dream.

In the eighth message, we began to develop a theology of dreams.

In the ninth message, we saw that God encountered Moses through the miraculous revelation of a burning bush that was not consumed.

In the last message, we saw God encounter Israel through a miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea.

 

/(This brings us to the next “Close Encounter Of The God Kind.”)/

Notice with me please John 4:1-30.

I see in this narrative before us a thirsty woman.

She had come to the well to draw water, but her physical thirst is an indication of something else:  her emotional thirst.

When Jesus asked her about her husband, she confessed that she did *not* have a husband.

The Holy Spirit revealed to Jesus that she had had five husbands, and the man that she was presently with was *not* her husband.

This was an unfulfilled woman.

*She was looking for love and fulfillment in all the wrong places.*

/(But that is not all!)/

 

        *I see in the narrative a fractured woman.*

I use the words “fractured” and “broken” different.

I use the word “broken” to speak of the good brokenness of crucifixion, which is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

I used the word “fractured” to talk about the breaking of life that is negative and devastating.

This woman was fractured by the negative things that she had experienced in life.

Therefore, she could not figure out why Jesus, or anybody for that matter, could really be interested in her.

She wanted to know why Jesus, a Jew, was asking her, a Samaritan for a drink—since the Jews have *no* dealing with the Samaritans.

*She could not figure out this strange Jew who had taken an interest in her.*

        *I also see a religious woman.*

This is denoted by a number of things:

 

·        She had a great deal of respect for the well of Jacob.

This traditional religious icon was important to her.

·        In addition, she later brought up a religious controversy between the Jews and the Samaritans.

There was some controversy over which was the correct mountain for worship, and she was aware of that controversy.

·        And finally, she knew that Messiah was coming and what He was going to do.

*Yet, her religiosity could not quench her internal thirst.*

As a matter of fact, we can see that her religion had not even prevented her from living a fractured lifestyle—and perhaps had contributed to it.

*In the narrative, I also see a materialistic woman.*

She referred to the physical inheritance of the wells of Jacob.

The wells of Jacob represented more than a religious heritage to her.

They also represented a physical inheritance.

*I also see a loose woman.*

She had had five husbands and the man she was living with was *not* her husband.

In addition, some scholars believe that this woman’s words to Jesus were sexually suggestive.

When Jesus asked her where her husband was, she said to Jesus in verse 17,

 

“I have no husband.”

(Illustrate).

*This woman may have been propositioning Jesus.*

She wanted sexual intimacy, but Jesus is about to give her something far better:  spiritual intimacy!

*I also see a woman who is proud of her ethnic heritage.*

She proudly refers to her fathers.

Even though she is a Samaritan, which means that she is of mixed origin, she is aware of that part of her roots which run back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

*But all of this was about to change, because she was about to have an encounter with Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.*

It seems to me that Jesus had planned to encounter this woman at this very well.

The Bible said, “He had to pass through Samaria.”

Jesus, impressed by the Holy Spirit, altered his whole itinerary to encounter this one woman!

/(And how did He encounter her?)/

 

        *Jesus encountered her by confronting her about her situation.*

He went right to where she lived.

He asked her about her husband, i.e. her sick relationship with men!

I know she said in her heart, */“O, I know you ain’t going there!”  /*But Jesus went there!

Once she became fully aware of her situation, Jesus offered Himself as the well of living water, the trust Thirst Quencher!

Her personal wells were dry, but Jesus would be an internal well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I also noticed the fact that Jesus met this woman where she was!

She didn’t have to go to synagogue or search for Him in some inaccessible place.

He was interested in encountering her and He set up a providential meeting at the well.

Paul wrote in

 

Romans 10:6-8, “But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, ‘do not say in your heart, “who will ascend into heaven?”

(that is, to bring Christ down), “who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’

But what does it say?

‘the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.’”

And once again we see, as we have seen in each encounter in this series, Jesus encountered this woman to give her a God-sized assignment.

\\ Now keep in mind that some called Jesus Rabbi, which was the Jewish name for teacher, instructor, or master.

Unger says that /Rab/ meant /master/; /Rabbi/ meant /my master/; and /rabboni/, being the most elevated, meant /my lord, my master/.

According to religious customs and traditions, Rabbis were *not* to talk to women in public or instruct them in the law.