When I was unemployed, I had a lot of free time to do anything I wanted. I realized that this was a wonderful opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with God.
I could sing worship songs and pray as long as I wanted to without worrying about being late for school or work. And I also had enough time to dig deep into the Word and meditate on the Scripture.
This uninterrupted time allowed me to sit in the presence of God and wait for revelation from God. During that time, I decided to look at the lives of people who had an encounter with Jesus.
I realized that people who had an encounter with Jesus were always changed or challenged. If you’re interested in reading more about these encounters, you can click here to read more in the article.
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After looking at their lives, I decided to focus more on the Samaritan woman who had an encounter with Jesus at the well. She is sometimes referred to as the Woman at the Well.
Her life-changing encounter with Jesus is recorded in St. John Chapter 4. As I studied the chapter, I realized that there are 4 applicable and relevant lessons for evangelism.
You can grab your Bible and read the Chapter or you can read it online by visiting Bible Gateway. Here is the link to read St. John 4:1-42.
Brief Overview of John Chapter 4
I will provide a brief overview of the passage in case you didn’t have the time to read it.
Introduction
The chapter starts off by sharing that the Pharisees were keeping count of the number of baptisms that Jesus’ disciples were performing and that they were leading even though it wasn’t really a competition.
So Jesus decided to leave that town which he was in, which is Judea. He wanted to go back to Galilee.
He took the route that required Him to go through Samaria and He stopped in a town called Sychar.
Jesus was tired so He decided to sit by the well while the disciples went to buy food.
A Samaritan Woman Encounters Jesus
At the sixth hour, a Samaritan woman came to fetch water and He asked her for a drink of water.
She was quite shocked by this request because Samaritans and Jews had no dealings. Jesus then told her that He could give her living water so that she would never thirst again.
The Samaritan woman was intrigued so she asked for it. Jesus then told her to call her husband but she told Him that she didn’t have a husband.
Jesus replied by saying that she was correct. He went on to share that He knew that she had 5 husbands and the man that she is living with is not her husband.
That response made her think that Jesus is a prophet. She then began to ask questions about worship and mentioned that she knew that a Messiah would come. Jesus then revealed that He is the Messiah, the Promised Saviour.
She went back to her community and immediately she began sharing her experience with those in her town. She urged them to come see the Man who knows everything about her.
Many of the Samaritans came to listen to Jesus and when they heard what He had to say, they knew that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Lessons From John Chapter 4
There are several lessons that you can learn from this chapter. I found 4 key lessons and they are closely linked to evangelism. Here are 4 key lessons from John Chapter 4.
Lesson 1
You may need to break traditions and societal norms to reach the lost.
In this passage, we see that Jesus did something out of the norm.
He, being a Jew spoke to a Samaritan even though they had no dealings. He broke cultural rules and societal norms -Jews did not speak to Samaritans yet He did.
And this was a big shock to the lady. If Jesus was thinking that “I shouldn’t speak to a Samaritan” then how would she be reached?
The reality is that you may need to step out of our comfort zone and routine to share the gospel.
This may require you to share the good news with those who you are afraid to approach or those who seem uninterested.
Take a minute to think about who you can share the gospel with and where you can go to share your faith. Do you know anyone who is an unbeliever who needs to hear the message of salvation?
You may need to initiate the conversation but before you do, let’s look at lesson 2.
Lesson 2
Jesus used the circumstance to build conversation and to gain the woman’s interest.
When I read the passage, I noticed that Jesus did not start the conversation by revealing that He is the Promised Savior or with any spiritual matter.
He started with what was happening in the present moment. Jesus met her where she was and He found common ground to start the conversation.
He was tired and He probably wanted water. And she came to fetch water.
Jesus started with what was on her mind. He then used the earthly need to introduce her to the spiritual need of living water.
A key lesson from John Chapter 4 is that being relatable helps with sharing your faith.
If you want to share the gospel with someone, you can initiate a conversation by finding common ground.
Is the person interested in football? Then maybe you can start talking about the latest match if you’re also into that sport.
Do they like hair, makeup and the latest fashion? You can initiate the conversation with those topics if you’re also interested in that.
Finding a common ground helps with communication and connection which leads to trust. So find that common ground. And as you share, opportunities will come up to share your faith.
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Lesson 3
Spiritual gifts are powerful in witnessing.
The spiritual gift that was seen in this passage is word of knowledge. Word of knowledge refers to the ability to know something about a person that could not have been known naturally.
Jesus was a stranger to this woman but He knew that she had 5 husbands. He could only know this if it was revealed to Him supernaturally.
Jesus used the spiritual gift of word of knowledge to reach this woman. And it was effective. She went back to her community and told the people that they needed to come see the Man who knows everything about her.
Spiritual gifts are not limited to prophecy or speaking of tongues. The other spiritual gifts can be used to effectively minister to others. These gifts include:
- Exhortation
- Mercy
- Serving
- Teaching
- Discernment
- Hospitality
- Giving
You can use your spiritual gifts to serve and while doing so, you can share the good news of salvation.
You can also share a word of exhortation with someone who feels sad, hopeless or depressed.
Do you know anyone that needs food or clothes? You can give to that person and share the love of God and the gospel as you do so.
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Lesson 4
The persons you are reluctant to speak to may be the best witnesses.
During those times, the Jews did not speak to Samaritans. A typical Jew would be reluctant to share with those in Samaria.
But Jesus broke that norm and shared with the Samaritan woman at the well. Interestingly, she began to witness and disciple immediately!
She didn’t wait until she learnt everything about Jesus. The woman didn’t wait until she was fully schooled; she began to share her experience immediately.
She pointed others to Christ and she called them to witness Him for themselves. The Bible tells us that many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her testimony.
Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Jesus because of the word of the woman who testified.
– St. John 4:39
Some people will believe in God when they hear your testimony (St. John 4:39) while others will believe when they hear the Word of God (St. John 4:42).
Your testimony is your experience and that can be very impactful!
The Samaritan lady shared her experience and the members of the town ended up having their own testimony.
Your testimony can lead others to Christ but their personal encounter with Him will anchor their faith.
She could have felt ashamed about her past and kept quiet but she opened up and testified.
Recommended Article: How To Share The Gospel With A Non-Believer (Step-by-Step)
Will You Apply The Lessons?
You can start sharing the good news today even if you don’t know a lot about the Bible. You can start with just sharing your personal encounter with Christ.
Attending a seminary, studying the Bible and praying are important and effective but we can only testify about what we have experienced.
There are people waiting to hear the good news so they can believe in the One who saves, Jesus Christ. But you have to share your faith. That’s what Paul says in Romans 10:14-15 (NIV):
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)
If you’re still not sure what you can share, take some time to answer the following questions. Then you will identify experiences that you can share with others.
- How have you witnessed the hand of God in your life?
- What positive changes have you seen in your life since becoming a Christian?
- Has the Lord answered any of your prayers?
- What challenging experiences have the Lord helped you to overcome?
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Takeaway
I hope these 4 lessons from John Chapter 4 will encourage you. Remember to make an effort to spend time with God and share your testimony with others.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior but you believe that He died for your sins and you are ready to accept His FREE gift of eternal life, then I invite you to turn away from sin and accept Him now by saying this prayer:
Dear God,
I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. Forgive me of all my sins; come into my heart today and live forever. Give me a home in Heaven when I die. Help me to obey you. Amen.
If you said that prayer, connect with me on Instagram (@rejoicingwithpurpose) so we can talk about the next steps.
Here are FREE Bible study sheets that you can use for Bible Study in your quiet time. They are based on the SOAP Method which is a simple study method that is beginner-friendly. You can also use it for devotional journaling if you like.
