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| Evangelist (Mrs.) Esther Ogunbayeje |
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water… The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. John 4:3-30.
Salvation is free but we are called to worship God and to bring others to Christ to enjoy His divine love that we are enjoying. Christ has not called us to be idle or passive but to be active in expanding His kingdom. We are not called to kill (physically or by other means) but to save others, and we do this by the power of the Almighty God by reaching the people with the word of God. We can do this when we are fully dedicated and relentless in our efforts to win every soul that God brings our way.
We must know that:
1. Conversation precedes salvation- How can they hear if they are not told?
2. The major task has been done- we are to reap what has been sownby Jesus through the shedding of his blood, by the disciples, and the martyrs who have gone before us.
3. We are not doing the conversion but God, the Holy Spirit waters the word of God that we sow in people’s hearts and cause it to germinate in their hearts.
4. It is not enough to hear and enjoy the gospel but to share it with others.
5. Babes in the Lord can lead others to Christ: The woman of Samaria went to call others and said, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
6. There is power in God’s word when it is preached and when we speak:
The need to call othersto Christ:
· The father is seeking those who will worship Him in truth and in spirit- “ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” John 4:23.
· It is a general calling and ministry to all believers- “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15.
· It is also a specific calling – We all have specific assignments- gifts to use for reaching out to others and for supporting others to preach and reach where we cannot go or what they do not have the power to do e.g. “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So, she persuaded us.” Acts 16:14-15.
· Salvation is in no other one except Christ- He is the true way that leads to the father “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6 and “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. ”Acts 4:12.
· It is a sign of love for God who has called us out of the darkness and the ignorance of our lives.
· It is a sign of love for others- Those you love, you do not want bad things to happen to them.
· It is a calling and command for the saved to reach out to the unsaved and the dying world– Angels are not commanded to preach to human beings but to human beings, the disciples of Christ “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Gotherefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20.
· Salvation brings healing.
· The harvest is ripe already- there is no point waiting/delaying, people are thirsty and hungry for the true word and God’s salvation- Christ is coming back again.
· Faith only comes by hearing the true gospel- “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17.
· Faith without work is dead because faith is living, and it can work “ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? … Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead… But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [c]dead? …For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”. James 2: 14-26.
· To show the right way to people- Some people have zeal but to redirect them to the right zeal e.g. Paul before his conversion- “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for [a]Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” Romans 10:1-3.
· The gospel breaks barriers- culturally. “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” John 4: 9.
· Soulwinning gladdens God’s heart- both the Sower and the reaper are made glad. It means the Sower has not sown the seeds in vain and the efforts will not be wasted“And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows, and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows, and another reaps” John 4:36-37
· Soul winning is eternal harvesting- it is meant to be done with joy and not seen as tedious as sowing.
· Heaven rejoices when souls are won to Christ – there is joy in heaven“ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine]just persons who need no repentance” Luke 15:7.
· There is a reward for reaping souls for the kingdom of God- here and beyond. “And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors”. John 4: 36-38.
How to call others to Christ
· Go outside there– Do not wait for a crowd. Donot sit in the church and expect them to walk in, go out to them where they are. A farmer goes to the field to harvest. Jesus met the woman at the well, not in the synagogue. She also went out to the town and call her people.
· Just say the simple word and say it simply“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45.
· Point them to Christ and not yourself: It is all about him e.g. John “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” John 1: 35-37.
· Share your testimony- We all have testimonies e.g., the Samaritan womane.g. Paul, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:15-17.
· SpeakPassionately to others about Christ“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” John 4:34-35.
· Speak in love and not in hatred- you will die if you do not repent- it is true but the strong willed they do not care.
· Speak convincingly- she spoke what she saw and did not mince her words/ You do not have to imitate or speak big grammar or jargon.
· Speak with confidence- Speak without fear.
· Speak with and in love to others -“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” James 2: 14-17
When to share the gospel
· Now- the woman did not wait but went immediately“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men.” John 4:28. Philip also went ahead to share the gospel “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45.
· At every opportunity e.g. Philip preached and explained the Bible to the Ethiopian Eunuch “And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” Acts 8:26-40.
· Be ever ready- Takeevery opportunity that you have – e.g., Jesus spoke with the woman at the well,and she spoke with other people.
What to avoid for effectiveness in reaching out to others:
· Fear and unnecessary preoccupation/ excuses- The woman immediately left and went to invite others. Some people do not evangelise because they do not want to leave what they think is precious to them- money, time, career, and they do not want to go and preach because of fear, fear of being ridiculed, rejected, and not being listened to.
· Do not underrate the power of the word- How can they believe unless they are told- It means that we need to talk, the word is effective when spoken and the word can produce – words are like the seed that when sown germinates.
· Do not underrate the power in numbers and God’s power to increase- One person is important why? With one person, the multitude can be saved e.g the woman went about, with one person, giants can be birthed into the kingdom of God e.g Paul, e.g the disciples, and giants of God e.g Idahosa, Kathrine Kuhlman etc.
· Avoid unnecessary argument – the word of the cross is foolishness to those who do not believe.
· Avoid being compelled or forced to preach the gospel- It is a mandate we cannot shun or substitute with other things and that we need to do willingly with all humility and joy for God- For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:16-18.
· Avoid pride- Pride in any way.
· Avoid prejudging people or labelling people.
· Avoid resistance- Avoid arguments and being confrontational, it will only lead to resistance.
· Avoid sin in different ways. Our daily speak volume.
When we do not preach or reach out to others
· It is a sign of selfishness.
· It is depriving others of their chance of hearing the gospel, what if you have been deprived of the means of hearing the gospel- Information is power,it is empowering and so we must share the gospel“So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
· We give satan the chance to hold people captive in their sins- “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14
· We give lies and false religions the chance to be established or to increase“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4: 20-24.
· We delay the second coming of Christ: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14.
In conclusion, the gospel is the heartbeat of God, and He wants us to relentless bring souls to His kingdom. Let this be our heartbeats as we daily go about our daily work, let us keep this in all relationships and our encounters with people. Preaching to others and bringing souls to God’s kingdom is preparation for His second coming.
Evangelist (Mrs.) Esther Ogunbayeje
Christ Apostolic Church
United Kingdom
+44-7478044454/ +44-7988672933.