Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1947-01-24

LESSEN T1,xT--John 4:s-io 27.sc, 20
q
MEMORY SELECTION - whosoeve
drinketh Of the water that ! shall Civ,
him shall never thrst.--John 4:i4.
Racial and social prejudice divide
mankind, although they are really
one family by the creation Of God
Speaking thousand or more
tongues and countless dialects; liv'
ing in separated areas: suffering un'
der or prding themselves in Gas the
case may bel certain social order,
and disagreeing even about the
things of God, they manage to build
up formidable barriers between their
various groups.
The Word OF God by both precept
and practical example teaches just
the opposite.
l. Barriers Broken tvv. 4-0.
Contrast the woman Of Samaria
With Nicodemus. whose coming ia
Christ we stuSed last week. He was
rich: she was poor. He was Jew,
she was Of the mixed race Of Ssmar.
itans. He was a man of character
and high position: she was immoral
and uneducated. He sought Jesus;
Jesus sought her.
In doing so. he cut straight across
ne barriers of race. tradition, social
Dosition. education, everything He
was interested in her souls saliva
lion and nothing could stand in his
way. We would do well to follow
his example.
Every Christian Is by his very
calling a soul-winner. We dare not
delegate this responsibility 70 the
pastor or missionary. As soul-win-
ners we are vitality interested in our
Lords approach to this woman who
was far from God. apparently hope
iessly involved in sinful associations,
q citizen Of hostile nation and ar
adherent of another religious faith,
BY asking a favor Of her. Christ
tactfully placed himself Gas does any
petitioner), for the moment on her
own plane. He was not distant
learned religious leader deigning &c
cast BIT q religious philosophy tc
her. He was tired, thirsty mar
asking for a drink Of water.
But he was more! He was thu
gracious Son Of God. declaring t
her that he was ready to give t.
her the water Of life.
II. Problems Solved wv. Q. 10,
1850.
The first problem this poor woman
had to face was her sin problem. Is
not that true of all Of US?
She first tried to avoid 1t by rails
ing the race problem. and the reply
Of Jesus told her Of the water of
life Her quick desire to escape the
drudgery of carrying water, gave
him opportunity to face her with her
sin. She could never find peace and
Joy until there was frank and open
facing OF Sill IN her lie.
Let US make no mistake at this
point, for the moral law of God is
the same now as 1t was on that far
off day when Jesus brought the
woman Of Samaria face to face with
her own sin.
Possibly in an effort to evade her
moral problem by theological discus.
sion "a common practice in our day
tool. and partly because of her ig
norance Of true worship, she asked
question about controversial
matter relating TO outward cere
mony Is i not singular thing
how men who know nothing of spir
itual lie delight in the propagation
and defense OF organizations and If
the conduct OF outward religious ex
ercises2
True Worship is revealed ". 80
as being first lin spirit" We d.
not east aside all external helps t
worship, but real worship goes
through and beyond both place ant
symbol TO real soul communion
with God, second, "in truth"
The disciples were wise enough
not to interfere with what Jesus wa
doing personal workers take notch
and il was moi long b. .ore the WON
an saw Jesus as the CHI s'! Observ,
how quickly she went to tel others
III. salvation Declared wv. 39.42)
Jesus honorS this poor fallen WON
an by making TO her his first dec
laration of himself as the Messiah
wv. 26, I'D He is the high ant
exalted One, but he Is at the sam,
time the friend Of sinners. To Nico
demus. the learned fuller Of tn,
Jews. he spoke Of the new birth. 7,
the poor woman Of Samaria he a.
clared his Messiahship. He is n,
respecter Of persons. and neithe
are those who truly follow him.
Those whom the wcnan brought Il
Jesus saw and heard sor themselves
and many OF them believed. Per
sonal testimony is wonderful thing
but the ultimate purpose Of such vii
ness is TO get men to come by faitl
into the presence Of the Lord Jesu
himself.
A personal experience with Chris
leads to real assurance; without
which there can be no spiritue
growth or usefulness.
May many who read these words
and who have so often heard an
read about Jesus. come to him tc