Sermon for 3rd Sunday in Lent – 03-12-2023
Psalm 95; Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42
Our Lesson from the psalm is a praise prayer. We should enter His presence with thanksgiving and submission. The call to worship is a vital prayer in the congregation’s worship. It calls for worship and obedience. Its speech to the congregation is at the same time prayer to Almighty God.
From our Old Testament from Exodus, we see God already has a plan to deal with Pharaoh. He told Moses he would harden Pharaoh’s heart. The approach of God to Pharaoh had the opposite effect, at first, from what God ultimately wanted. He wanted the Egyptians to recognize His sovereign power. How often has God’s approach to a lost sinner only seemed to make them more determined in His opposition to God. We may not understand beloved, but God knows what His is doing and we simply must trust Him and His plan. Know that God always seeks to introduce Himself and His power to all people, not just to a chosen few. The redemption of people always brings glory to God and makes others aware of His greatness and grace. God’s people should engage in witnessing, leading others to Jesus Christ, that God may be glorified. This is the supreme motive to evangelize and share Christ.
Our epistle from Romans reveals the death of Christ made possible for the Christian: peace, grace, joy, hope amid suffering, right relationship with God, salvation from judgment, reconciliation with God, and a life experiencing God’s salvation daily. Christ’s death for ungodly sinners is certainly more than sufficient proof that God loves us.
From our Gospel in John today, Jesus has just entered a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was thee, and Jesus tired as he was from the journey sat down by the well @ 6th hour of the day. His disciples had gone into town to buy food, and he started a dialog with the woman. What occurs is that we learn principles of how to do personal evangelism. A witness (1) is concerned with one individual; (2) begins with felt needs and desires of the lost person; (3) directs the conversation to the person’s basic spiritual need; (4) show the person his or her sin and need for salvation; (5) keeps the conversation from straying from the real issue; (6) points to Jesus as Messiah and Savior; and (7) leads the new convert to witness to others. Today, Christians can follow Jesus’ example and principles.
After the woman’s encounter with Jesus, she ran into town and told everyone of he experience, that He knew more about her than anyone else, and it could only have occurred by divine power. She became a witness for Jesus! The key is to try and follow His plan and lea others to Him to find salvation for each one we can. Amen.
Daily Meditation by Rev. Jerry 