Sermon Tone Analysis

God Open Our Eyes to See Oconee

Duct Tape was the greatest invention created for humanity.

With it MacGyver could fix anything and save the world.

Almost every American owns at least one role.

Its uses and purpose seem endless, but duct tape doesn’t even do what it was designed to do - seal ducts - no not ducKs but ducTs - the sheet metal that carries the hot and cold air into your home and workplace.

Max Sherman, a physicist who conducted test for three months on a variety of sealing materials, noted that duct tape was one of the few sealants that failed when repairing air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

“We tried as many different kinds of sealants as we could get our hands on” said Sherman, “Of all the things we tested, only duct tape failed.

It failed reliably and often quite catastrophically.

On the other hand, while duct tape may not last long as a sealant, in the short run it is strong, sticky, and fairly easy to use.”[1]

[1]Paul Press, “Sealing HVAC Ducts: Use Anything But Duct Tape,” Accessed August 9, 2016.

http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/duct-tape-HVAC.html.

[1]Paul Press, “Sealing HVAC Ducts: Use Anything But Duct Tape,” Accessed August 9, 2016.

http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/duct-tape-HVAC.html.

Churches, the greatest institution created for humanity, if they’re not intentional, can become Duct Tape.

Churches can fail to accomplish what Jesus designed them to do - make disciples.

In the scripture we will read this morning, Jesus says His main goal/purpose was to do what God the Father sent Him to do.

While Jesus was doing the will of the Father, He also took every opportunity presented to teach and prepare His followers, the church, to do what He would design it to do.

One of the greatest moments comes after Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.

John is the only gospel writer to record this highly unlikely and unusual conversation between her and Jesus.

If you haven’t found it already please turn in your Bibles to the 4th chapter of the 4th Gospel of the NT, or if you prefer the Bible app on your smart device then you know what to do.

You can also just read it from the screen behind me.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN STANDING TO HONOR GOD AND HIS HOLY WORD

John 4:

PRAYER

PRAYER

Now let’s set up the scene here, especially for those of you who may not be familiar with this encounter and why it was so radical.

Cotton Fields

My great uncle Paul

Much of the time spent in the cotton fields was either plowing, prepping, or planting.

Then, when you could see nothing but white in the field, it was picking time.

My uncle Paul was a farmer, just not cotton.

He was known for growing fruits and vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

Like they say in Real Estate sales - Location, Location, Location is the key.

When it comes to understanding how to apply the text you read - Context is key - in this context it is about location.

He could be seen around our community and county during harvest time driving his old tractor pulling a trailer in and out of the fields.

He would go in with an empty trailer and come out with a full one.

Uncle Paul always had a companion with him - and old blind bulldog.

That bulldog loved uncle Paul so much he went with him everywhere, but he could see a thing he was looking at.

Jesus has some followers that love him so much, and go everywhere with Him, but they can’t see a thing they are looking at.

The same was true here in this occasion with Jesus.

The disciples were focused on the unusual circumstance Jesus had decided to put himself in.

They were focused on Jesus’s and their physical needs.

They were focused trying to figure out if someone had done something for Jesus they knew nothing about or had any control over.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers.

Jesus teaches this lesson from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

Samaria was…a region avoided by Jewish people of Jesus’s day.

The Samaritans ethnically were a mixed race of people.

Their ancestors were Jewish but also from other countries.

The Jews were big on nationalistic purity

The Samaritans were told they were second class citizens, told they were not worthy people, that they were cut off from receiving God’s mercy

Jewish saying: “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan”

The religion of the Samaritans was similar to that of the Jews, except that they were more liberal.

Now the disciples, being Jewish were uncomfortable in Samaria, but they could deal with being there as a necessary bad situation to pass on through.

The location was not the kicker for them.

As we saw in v.27 - John opens the scene up to us by describing the real factor behind their amazement and maybe even bewilderment - Jesus was talking to a woman.

Women were…often abused, discarded, and seen as less than second class citizens.

The Jewish disciples could have swallowed Jesus talking to a Samaritan - but really Jesus you’re talking to a woman!

While God the Old Testament writings afforded great dignity to womanhood (cf.

), many a Jewish man started the day with a prayer to God, in this manner, “Thank you Yaweh I am neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!”

But, While God the Old Testament writings afforded great dignity to womanhood (cf.

), the Hebrews over the years had exchanged God’s love and dignity bestowed women for some of the attitudes of paganism seen towards women.

Many a Jewish man started the day with a prayer to God, in this manner, “Thank you Yaweh I am neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!”

A Hebrew man did not talk with women in the street—not even with his mother, sister, daughter or wife! (cf.

Lightfoot 1979, 286-287).

She knew all of this - “why are you asking me?”

There is recorded a group of Pharisees known as the “bleeding and bruised” Pharisees, who would close their eyes when a woman was approaching.

Consider what is going through her mind during this conversation:

her race issue: looked down upon and mistreated by the dominate race like how blacks and immigrants can be some place in America

her gender issue: shown contempt and scorn even by the religious men around her like how unfortunately is too often the case even in SBC churches.

her morals issue: five divorces and now living in a sinful relationship like many in our community whether heterosexual or homosexual.

her spiritual issue: confused, and without hope like many today thinking they are good enough for heaven because they are spiritual or thinking they are worthless because of their lifestyle

her outcast issue: she purposely avoided the respectable women when they came to draw water at the well.

her mental and emotional issue: others viewed her as scum and like many in our community probably bullied for who she was or how she lived.

Jesus was not concerned by the prejudices of other people.

Jesus had one concern - the salvation of her soul which has no color nor gender.

So, in he says “Give me a Drink.”

The Son of God, therefore, in one fell swoop, intentionally went passed the socio-ethnic barrier - one steeped in racial bigotry; intentionally went passed the gender barrier - coming from a hurtful sexist and misogynistic disposition both these are sinful and seen in our society and too many churches today - He also intentionally went passed the moral or religious barrier and talked with a sinful person.

Jesus could see what the disciples couldn’t see - the spiritual harvest ready for picking.

The Son of God, therefore, in one fell swoop, intentionally went passed the socio-ethnic barrier - one steeped in racial bigotry; intentionally went passed the gender barrier - coming from a hurtful sexist and misogynistic disposition both these are seen in our society and churches today - but are sinful and unbiblical because they see other ethnicities and women as less than image bearers; Jesus, as a friend of sinners, also intentionally went passed the moral or religious barrier when a righteous person talked with a sinful person.

Illustration: During my time growing up in Beulah - Lee County - Alabama two things were always visible when traveling the roads.

During my time growing up in Beulah - Lee County - Alabama two things were always visible when traveling the roads.

Cotton Fields

My great uncle Paul

Much of the time spent in the cotton fields was either plowing, prepping, or planting.

Then, when you could see nothing but white in the field, it was picking time.

My uncle Paul was a farmer, just not cotton.

He was known for growing fruits and vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

He could be seen around our community and county during harvest time driving his old tractor pulling a trailer in and out of the fields.

He would go in with an empty trailer and come out with a full one.

Uncle Paul always had a companion with him - and old blind bulldog.

That bulldog loved uncle Paul so much he went with him everywhere, but he could see a thing he was looking at.

Jesus’s disciples loved him so much, and went everywhere with Him, but they couldn’t see a thing they were looking at.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers.

Jesus teaches this lesson on evangelism from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers.

Jesus teaches this lesson from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

During Jesus’s teaching moment the Samaritan woman left to go make more disciples by telling other people about Jesus

John 4:

For us to ensure we never become duct tape we must be a church that is intentional about doing what Jesus designed and Great Commissioned us to do. - Make disciples which always begins, not with inviting people to church, but with inviting people into a relationship with Jesus.