Third Sunday of Lent

Sermon outline

Text: John 4:5-42            

Title: Tearing down the wall

 

Introduction:

Ever since the wall of Berlin was torn down, all Koreans have been looking forward to tearing down the wall between South Korea and North Korea. Unification cannot be achieved without tearing down the wall between the two parties.

 

Transitional sentence:

To tear down the wall of sin between God and a human being, an evangelist should tear down all social barriers first between him or her and the one who hears the gospel.

In the text, Jesus demonstrates the excellent way to tear down the barriers between Him and the woman of Samaria.

 

Text:

 

Jesus finds a clue to open conversation:

The water becomes the crucial element to open conversation.

 

Social and racial barrier between Jews and Samaritans is overcome: "…being a Jew…I am a Samaritan woman."

The spiritual water for eternal life is introduced.

 

Gender barrier between man and woman is overcome: "Sir, give me this water…"

Jesus reveals the very privacy of her life: "Go, call your husband…five husbands…"

The Samaritan woman recognizes Jesus as a prophet.

 

The religious barrier is overcome: "…when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth…those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

 

Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah.

The woman recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.

Many Samaritans believe in Jesus and recognize Him as the Saviour of the world.

 

 

Application and conclusion

As an evangelist who tries to save a soul, each one of us should overcome all kinds of barriers that lie between the lost and us.

Being a Christian means a citizen of the kingdom of God, a new creature, and a child of God. We should take all secular profiles off and meet people with our born-again identity.