Jesus had a way of dealing with people groups -- radical!  Sometimes we're afraid of crossing lines. Jesus never is.

GASP! Jesus went to Samaria.

5 "So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about [a]the sixth hour." John 4:5-6

He goes through and stops in the middle of the day.

7 There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 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.” 11 She *said to Him, “[a]Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” John 4:7-12

She falls back on tradition.

13"Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman *said to Him, “[a]Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” John 4:13-15

Water was a big deal.  Her shame was relived every day as she walked to the well.

16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “[a]Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." John 4:16-19

God knows all our sin. He knows all our dark spots. He knows it all but He still offers His living water.

She brings up a religious argument. Her question goes back to religion.

20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is [a]spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:20-24

True worshippers worship in Spirit and Truth.

Being filled with the Spirit.

Think of the disciples like us. 

27"At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not [a]the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anythingto eat, did he?” John 4:27-33

Disciples uncomfortable with Jesus's actions but didn't confront him on them.

Woman took this encounter with Jesus and ran with it. Allowed it to change her! She goes to the ones who shun her and told them the Good News!

Jesus has just fulfilled His purpose with this woman. He was full. He gave. She accepted.

34"Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:34-38

He stayed two days. The Harvest was in process!

39"From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I havedone.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word;" John 4:39-41

Live water= running water

Do you have a stock pond or a river in reference to your faith? Is your faith a stock pond (stagnate) or a river (deep and flowing)?

Live water is overflowing, pressurized, bursting out. Spirit will overwhelm us.

37"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “[a]If anyone is thirsty, [b]let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From [c]his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:37-39

#1 You gotta be thirsty.
#2 Come to Jesus.
#3 Drink!

What's keeping us from drinking from the well?

What's separating us from the living water?

What fears keep you from commitment?

Whose rules are limiting your witness?

What is stopping your harvest?

We're missing the harvest. God's harvest will happen, but are you giving away the opportunity to take part in that harvest?

Have you encountered Jesus in this radical way?

Have you asked for the living water?

Have you received the living water?

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, [a]clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of [b]the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [c]kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they [d]will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever." Revelation 22:1-5

Take it now!

10"And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."
Revelation 22:10

The time is near!

12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man [a]according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13

He is coming soon!

He doesn't want us to be fans. He wants us to be followers.

What have you done for the kingdom of God?

Take them to the well!

Let the river flow!

​Shannon was the guest preacher for the Dupree Community Service today. Dupree is celebrating Pioneer Days this weekend and there is always a community service for all who want to attend.

I didn't take notes, but I can tell you Shannon talked about love -- how Jesus says in Matthew, 'You are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" in all manners of love. Loving God and loving all people (friends, family, enemies, strangers and especially those who are hard for you to love). 

This world is lacking love. So many people are lacking love in their lives.

Loving like God loves isn't easy. Sometimes it is darn hard. But you'll never regret it.

Ever.

We live in a faith desert. Less than 2% of Native Americans are saved.
30 "The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. 33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.34 When Jesus went [a]ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things." Mark 6:30-34

The disciples were coming back from a mission trip Jesus sent them on. 

I. Know that you will be held to account. 
Everyone will have a different account. Account to Jesus for you've done with this life.

"For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall [a]give praise to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:11-12

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for [a]his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:20

You may not be accepted everywhere, but just keep going. Go to all peoplee and tell them. Share the Word of God. We are accountable for what we do with our salvation, our life.

II. Watch out for burnout -- set a pace.

It's easy to get burned out.

(Look at Jonah)

Rest and recover.

"And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves." Mark 6:31-32

“Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When we burn out it's about us. We are in the mode "I can't." There is a massive amount of burnout with pastors in the USA, especially in smaller churches. 

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [b]mount up with [c]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:28-31

There will come a time when you're weary. God will be your oasis.

An oxen yoke is heavy. What makes Jesus's yoke light is that He is carrying it with us -- He takes the brunt of the load.

III. Be ready for the flood!

Is God holding back because we can't handle what He can do?

Maybe we need to prepare for it.

53 "When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him," Mark 6:53-54

"A voice [a]is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 “Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 [b]Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5

Be ready for the broken person.

IV. Ready for the call in the desert.

23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Wilderness causes us to focus, to lean on God, to get strength from Him.

"if you [b]obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, [c]if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it [d]out of reach. 12 It is not in heaven, [e]that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Deuteronomy 30:10-12

We gotta be listening for God's voice.

I didn't ask you to be good at it. I just told you to go.

Can you recognize His voice?

If you're listening you'll hear Him.

11 "So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, butthe Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, butthe Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13

​What are we doing here?

Shannon preached at the Pioneer Hall in Dupree today as part of the Community Service for Pioneer Days. He spoke the importance of being in a community of Believers.

I. We all see God.

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
 “Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:7-10

When you watch a sunset you know God exists.  Every newborn has God's fingerprints. New Birth is a miracle in all its forms.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun," Psalm 19:1-4

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

II. We have faith He will keep working. This isn't an easy place to live. We have faith it will be green again in the spring even when it is a drought right now.

III. The Creator wants you.

He wants a personal relationship with you as an individual. 

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

There's not a single person God doesn't want.

 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

We're not good enough. We can't fix it by ourselves. He loves us anyway. You were born ready to accept God. You were born with a need for Jesus Christ. Accept Him now. 

The only thing that keeps us from God is our own stubbornness. He did everything He needed to do so we could be with Him. We need more God and less religion. We let religion get in the way of relationship. The most necessary part is relationship with Christ. There is no way to the Father except through Christ. We have to go through Jesus. 


1. Recognize God as God.
2. Recognize you as you. 
3. Ask Him to enter life. 

The most important communities are based on relationships. 

There is a legacy of faith in each of us (or we wouldn't be here). There's a need for revival. 
​


Footnotes:

Notes found below Youtube link. Some notes are left out due to Jane taking Hawk to restroom!!

Mark 6:7-13: "7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them."

We're called to be soldiers. This was the first time he sent them out alone.

Just take the minimum. No extra baggage. 

What do we need materially before we work for the gospel? 

Do we need a big church?

Do we need a degree?

No and no. We need nothing to proclaim the gospel. 

Luke 22:35:

35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.

They were sent out with nothing and in the end they lacked nothing.

Do you remember when I sent you out with nothing?

#1 Be single-minded. Don't get distracted by stuff.

#2 Don't waste your time with people who want to argue, who don't want to believe.

#3 Be kind.

#4 Repentance is absolutely necessary.

If you don't need Jesus, Jesus doesn't need you. If you don't ask for help, He won't help.

Repent and be baptised. Repent -- admit you're a sinner and then turn to Jesus. Acknowledge who we are and who He is. Turn to Him.  

Without repentance there is no salvation. That is the message.

In the 1620s pilgrims came over and had the Mayflower compact. It talked about the grace and provision of God. Religious freedom.

Then the colonies went their own way.

1720s something happened -- the great awakening. Sinners in the hands of an angry God.

1770s -- the children of the Great Awakening wrote The Declaration of Independence.

Founding Fathers started us off on the right foot. Acknowledged the Creator, gift of Creator. Repentance and need for Consistent Faith.

It was a powerful time.

We are desperately in need of a great awakening right now in our country.  We had a temporary awakening Sept 11, 2001 but we didn't stay there. 

Oftentimes there was a great loss of life before repentance.  I hope we dont' get the wrath of God to bring us to repentance. 

If God takes His hand off our country we would feel the wrath of the world. 

We Christians need to preach and pray. If we the church aren't affecting our country, what good are we?  Are we soldiers refusing to go to battle?

Stolen Valor.

Let's not be stolen valor christians.  Am I wrapping myself up in Christian culture but never really doing anything?

Jesus gave us the battle plan. It's called the Great Commission.

Soldiers don't get asked if they want to go to battle. When they sign up,that's their time to be asked. after that they just do it. That was their one time, their "once" to be asked.  If you are a Christian, that was your once -- Now you're expected to do the job. Repentane is needed. 

We need to keep active. 

There's no apology for God's morality. It is the right thing. 

Ezekiel called bread the staff of life.

The U.S. population spent 23.6 billion dollars on bread in 2016. 

50% of Americans eat a sandwich daily.

Genesis 3:19a "By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread."

That is the first time bread is mentioned in the Bible.

Jesus and the 40 days in the desert.

Bread and Water -- prison food.

Daily bread.

Parable about "even the dogs eat the crumbs off the children's table."

Tradition tells us they'd save the crust of the bread to wipe their fingers on and give these scraps to the dogs.

Offerings.

Wave Offering -- bread they made from the first grain from the harvest.

Abigail -- gave a huge offering of bread (and other things) to David to cover her husband's guilt.

Luke 9:10-17. 

They had a little bit, but when it was broken and shared it fed everyone. And there were tons of leftovers.

The more you give away, the more comes back.

The more our gifts will expand.

Just do it. Don't worry -- just do it.

John 6:26-40. Jesus calls Himself the "bread of life."

You should be hungry for the Word of God.

Walk by faith means stepping out. Step off that ledge. The disciples delivered the bread and fish.

Matthew 26:26 Jesus is the bread.

breaking of bread means sharing.

Acts 2:46. Continued to break bread together.

1 Corinthians 10:17, "Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread."

To put it together, we all need to be actively involved.

(Notes from today's sermon taken by Jane)

Work the prayer muscle.

Prayer should always come first. 

He was preparing himself for a crisis. It has to become a habit.

When apostles asked how to pray Jesus gave them this:

Matthew 6:9-13.

Little bit of a change means we need to make some adjustments.

Go to God confidently.

Hebrews 4:16.

If you can't think of what to pray, sing. Hymns (and choruses) can open up our hearts to God.

"I need you, Oh I need you. Every hour I need you."

Come to Him.
 
You don't need to "fix" yuorself before you come to God. Prayer changes everything within us. Prayer doesn't change God. He is always the same. We're in a different place when (and after) we pray.

Ephesians 6:18

We have no idea how many things haven't happened becaues of prayer (for good and bad). 

Can we sense God? If we know Him we can learn how to sense Him continually.

James 4:14-15

1 John 5:14-15

Confidence comes from consistency.