Sermon Tone Analysis

liberty bible church          2~/17~/08 a.M.

By Tom Zobrist

“evangelism changes things”

John 4:27-38

introduction

Illus. of major life changes that I have gone through.

The first one was when my dad passed away.

The second was when I got my driver’s license.

Then the next was when I joined the Air Force.

Another was when I got married.

Another was when I became a father.

Another was when I went away to Bible college.

Although each of these had profound impacts on my life, none brought a greater change than when I trusted in Christ for salvation and experienced the new birth, as described by Jesus in John 3 in His conversation with Nicodemus.

As the Apostle Paul said, I became a new creature, the old things were passed away, all things had become new.

Because Cindi had the courage to share the Gospel with me, my life would never be the same again.

Someone once said that prayer changes things.

I am not disputing that because prayer impacts evangelism a great deal; but, evangelism carries with it the power to change people into new creatures.

As believers, we have that message.

If we believe that and have experienced it, why aren’t more of us involved in evangelism?

*Prop.

*In this passage today, we see what positive changes result from evangelism and hopefully will be emboldened to be involved more in sharing the Gospel.

Open in PRAYER.

PREVIEW the passage.

The last few weeks, we have talked about evangelism.

We talked about overcoming the fear of evangelism, we talked about a plan for evangelism, today we want to talk about the changes that are possible through evangelism, and next week we will examine a few methods of evangelism.

REVIEW Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well in Samaria.

Although this would have been a cultural faux pas, He persists nonetheless, building a bridge spiritually to this woman, confronting her sin, and finally revealing to her that He indeed was the Messiah.

This conversation would result in a lot of changes.

Any time sin is confronted with the Gospel, change is possible.

It certainly was here in John 4 and it still can be today.

What changes are possible?

First…

  i.

evangelism changes people vs. 27-30

Illus. of the testimonies we heard Sunday night at the baptism.

The obvious “people” changes are to the ones evangelized, if they get saved.

But others can be changed as well.

Who?

a. the people who watch us  

            Illus. of John Burnham wanting to have “fish stories” to tell his kids.

He wanted them to know that their dad wanted to share Christ with others.

If he wanted them to tell others about Christ, he had to do the same.

It’s the same for us.

When we evangelize, it affects others around us, both good and bad.

V 27a   1.

The disciples had been in town looking for food.

V 8 It was dinner time; Jesus was hungry and thirsty, as were they all I’m sure.

They were in “foreign” territory, not where “good Jews” were used to being.

They return and they see Jesus alone at this well speaking with a Samaritan woman.

They “marveled” that He would be speaking with any woman, let alone a Samaritan woman.

Yet…

V 27b  2.

It was one of those uncomfortable situations that they did not want to broach at this time.

Yet, soon they would be forced to deal with this issue.

They were learning for future ministry needs that they would have.

They may not realize it now, but they were going to be changed by this.

b. the people who hear us

V 28a   1.

All of a sudden, her mundane task of gathering water was not so important any more.

At the excitement of Jesus statement about Himself and with the return of the disciples, she hurried back to town and left her water pot.

Her priorities changed.

V 28b- 2.

She shares with the men of the city how Jesus had shared with her that He knew all about her.

V 16-18 She

       29a           was excited.

She wanted to share this good news about this man.

Perhaps some of these men had been her former husbands and perhaps they wondered if He knew all about them as well.

Then she asks this question…

V 29b  3.

Literally, this is “This couldn’t be the Messiah, could it?”

Once again, grammatically, this question expects a tentative negative answer.

She was an unbelievable witness, with such a seedy background.

But, she wanted to stimulate their curiosity so they would seek Him out.

In a way, she was building abridge to the others in her community.

V 30    4.

The affects Jesus had on this woman has now spread to others as they are now seeking this man out as well.

When one person is radically changed by the Gospel, others are bound to follow.

*Trans.*

EVANGELISM CHANGES PEOPLE, those with whom we talk and those that watch us.

But, it also changes the evangelist because…

 

 ii.

evangelism changes your passions vs. 31-34

Illus. of D.L. Moody.

The more we evangelize, the more we will see people as God sees them…needing Christ.

We must begin to think outside of the physical realm.

The disciples needed to learn this lesson.

We naturally have a…

a.     passion for the material

V 31    1.

The disciples goal was to get supper for the Savior.

When they left Him, He was tired and thirsty.

V 6-7 Since the disciples had gone for food, we can only assume that He was hungry as well.

But now, something was different.

V 32-   2.

Has someone else fed Him?

How could He not be hungry anymore?

Where did He get this food?

Is He holding

       33      out on us?

The disciples were stuck in the material world.