I Don't Have a Story Like That!

 

A woman from 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.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:7-15 ESV).

 

Our reading today contains the story known as the “Woman at the Well.” Her interaction with Jesus is well-known throughout the Church. It is both dramatic and powerful in presenting the power of Jesus to redeem. The grace Jesus shows to this disgraced and rejected woman is incredible. It is no wonder that she ultimately becomes a powerful witness to Jesus throughout her village. In that way it is similar to the Apostle Paul’s story of His Damascus Road experience and redemption.

 

I have been told by some that my story of redemption is one that is unusual and uncommon. My hope is that it is never a story that centers on me; it should always be a story about Jesus. Sometimes Christians are uneasy about sharing the gospel message because they don’t think their personal experience is extraordinary. I’ve heard many tell me they can hardly remember when they first came to believe in Jesus. For some it was the result of many years of being in a church that consistently preached the message of Jesus. It might have ended in an experience at Vacation Bible School, or Youth Camp; but in every case they felt there story was ordinary. That is simply not true. It is extraordinary, because Jesus is extraordinary!

 

When Jesus struck up a conversation with this woman at the well, it was culturally unusual for him to speak with a woman he did not know, but she sensed his care for her and her life. He was bold but also highly relational and kind. As she talked with him, she showed that she was a thoughtful but wounded person with broken relationships in her past. Aren’t we all broken and wounded before Jesus redeems us?

 

We are called to tell that story. It is that story about Jesus bringing wholeness and healing to our hearts and minds that people must hear. Jesus is the real story every believer has to tell!

 

A Story So Big, We Cannot Help but Tell It

 

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:13–20 ESV).

 

Today’s picture is from the archives of the Facebook thread titled “A&W Root Beer.” It was located on Texas Avenue in College Station, Texas. This photo was taken in the mid to late sixties, just about the same time I was a student at Texas A&M. It has long since been demolished and replaced with high-rise dorms. However, it holds a very special place in my memory. It was the place I first met Mary. In fact, it was that very evening when she and a friend of hers decided to get in the back seat of my car with a friend of mine and me for a hamburger and a frosty mug of root beer. Before your mind begins to wander, she and her girlfriend were seated in the back seat while my friend and I were in the front. Soon into the conversation I turned to her and said, “You’re the most beautiful woman I‘ve ever seen. I’m going to marry you.”  Her response was less than enthusiastic, “Marry me? I won’t even date you. You’re not a Christian.” Well, that was not at all what I expected! But it was the beginning of a journey that has lasted well over half a century!

 

It has been an extraordinary journey! I have often told the story, though I’ve never written the whole of it in any of my published works. Today, the point I want to make is that when we see or experience something extraordinary, usually we can’t help telling people about it. Whether it is an encounter with a celebrity or a wonderful vacation or a life-changing event, we want to share it. That’s why I have told the story so many times to so many people. This was that moment when my life began to change in so many ways.

 

As we think about God’s big mission, I want to focus on our second word, witness. We give witness, or testimony, about God’s work of salvation because God calls us to do so, and the Holy Spirit has come to help us (cf. Acts 1:8). But we are also motivated internally. If we have experienced the saving love and power of God, and it has completely changed who we are and how we live, how can we not talk about it?

 

In our passage today, we read that the apostles Peter and John caused a stir among the religious leaders in Jerusalem by healing a lame man. Those leaders wanted to know by what power or authority they had done this work. Peter, bold as ever, declared that they served Jesus and Jesus alone. And as for their work of speaking about Jesus and ministering in his name, how could they keep from sharing about all they had learned from the Savior? Likewise, our lives ought to spill over with the joy of our salvation!

 

What’s your story? Leave it in a comment for others to share in your joy!

 

The Big Joy of the Invitation

 

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (Luke 14:15–24 ESV).

 

Thinking about the gospel reminds us that at the heart of the Christian faith is a life- changing message of joy. That’s why I like this parable so much. Jesus uses a powerful metaphor to describe life with him in the kingdom of God: a great banquet. In Jesus’ day, banquets often celebrated important events in the community. In fact, Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding banquet. To spare the family from social embarrassment when their wine had run out early, Jesus turned several jugs of water into wine (cf. John 2:1-11).

 

In our reading (Luke 14:15-24), Jesus tells a story about a wealthy man who hosts a banquet for his friends. They all accept the initial invitation, but when the day of the banquet comes and they are told that the food is ready, they make ridiculous excuses and reject the host’s generosity. So, the angry and frustrated host opens his table to whoever wants to come. He compels his servants to go out and invite those who would be the least likely in many others’ eyes to be invited.

 

I identify so well with this story. I was one of those that would have been counted among the “least likely” to receive an invitation to attend such a lavish affair. I wonder if the reason we have empty seats in our churches is not rooted in our reticence to invite them all! The joy we have been given to attend cannot be hidden. It is meant for everyone!

 

The Big Love of God

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7–12 ESV).

 

I sometimes ask people if they believe God loves them. For those who answer affirmatively, I follow that question with one that goes a bit deeper in revealing what they understand about the love of God. I ask, “Why does God love you?” The answers are shockingly similar. Almost everyone answers with phrases like “Because I am sometimes kind to others,” or “Because I try to do my best in my life,” or perhaps something like “I try my best to take care of my family.” In almost every case the answers are connected to their efforts to earn it. This idea is foreign to the Scripture.

 

The true heart of the gospel is captured in the powerful words of our reading today: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

 

The gospel message is that there is nothing we can do to make Jesus love us. Our salvation is offered as a completely free, undeserved gift: we simply receive it. Our passage sums it all up in one word: love. The Apostle Paul writes it this way:

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV).

 

Receive the good news for you today: This is love: not that you loved God (or did anything else to earn God’s favor), but that he loves you and sent his Son as a saving sacrifice for your sins. You are loved—just because you are you and God is love.

 

The Big Gospel

 

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-28 ESV).

 

Yesterday we a series surrounding the “bigness” of God. Today, we will look at the first word describing God’s big mission: Gospel. “Gospel” is the Old English translation of the Koine Greek term εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion), meaning "good news". The definition that I think captures just how big and amazing this good news is: “The gospel is the good news of God’s reign, grace, and love in and through Christ for the redemption and renewal of all things.” This definition shapes everything we should be doing in the mission field God has given to each of us. I like Pratney’s quote in the attached meme: Every Christian is a missionary; every non-Christian is a mission-field. The Gospel is meant for everyone.

 

We see this definition at work here in our reading. Jesus announces and proclaims the good news that God’s kingdom has arrived—our God reigns! This good news is not just an announcement; it comes with a powerful demonstration of this life-changing message. Filled with compassion and love, Jesus heals people of “every disease and sickness.” What’s more, Jesus longs to see his team multiply and bring this good news to a world that is desperate for hope and love.

 

In a day when good news is hard to find, there is no better news than the good news of Jesus. There is no better calling than to share this good news with others. “The harvest is plentiful” … we can be the laborers to go into that harvest! (v. 37).

 

A Big, Big God

 

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalm 96:1-13 ESV)

 

According to the scientific evidence we presently have, there are an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. This estimate was derived using data from the Hubble Space Telescope combined with sophisticated mathematical models that accounted for the vast number of fainter, smaller galaxies that were previously undetectable. While previous estimates were in the range of 100–200 billion galaxies, more recent data suggested that about 90% of galaxies are too faint and distant to be seen with current technology, significantly increasing the total count. As you can see from the picture I‘ve attached the earth is miniscule in comparison to our galaxy. So, the question of how big is God, who spoke everything into existence is almost laughable.

 

Our reading today (Psalm 96) reminds us that we serve the God of the universe. As followers of Christ, we are brought into a life-giving relationship with our big and marvelous God who not only rules the heavens and the earth but also knows every detail of our lives. This makes us part of a story that is much bigger than we are. Remembering that we are part of a global church living out God’s mission in every corner of the world should cause us to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (v. 3).

 

In the coming days we are going to explore what it means to be part of this story. And we will use four key words to get at what it means to declare with our lives the greatness of God's marvelous deeds: gospel, witness, holistic, and intercultural. As we reflect on these key words together, I pray that God will make us into people who increasingly declare his glory through our lives.

God's Promise of Protection

 

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. (Psalm 91:9–16 ESV)

 

Not long ago I happened to be standing on my deck and heard the familiar sound of a jet approaching overhead. It is not uncommon to see them in the skies over Parker County. In fact, F-35 fighter jets have been seen over the Fort Worth/Weatherford area recently, likely due to the presence of the U.S. Air Force Reserve's first F-35A unit at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) Fort Worth, which is near Weatherford. What is a bit uncommon is to see them in formation. I was very fortunate to have my phone and snapped a photo (which looks much closer than it was) of these two streaking across the sky to the north over our place. It was loud, though I’m sure it could have been much louder if they had been traveling faster or closer to the ground. I was struck with a sense of security knowing they were near. That feeling brought me to today’s reading and the following devotional.

 

The psalmist says that “because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent” (v. 9). He even goes further to say that the Lord has commanded His angels to guard over me. This promise applies to all believers.

 

The tension we face in life is that even though we may “dwell in the shelter of the Most High” and “rest in the shadow of the Almighty,” we have to deal with troubles and daily struggles—and even deadly diseases and terrorizing attacks at times. The psalmist understood that this world is filled with uncertainties—and yet there is a place of safety. We can go up against giants and must flee for our lives from dangerous enemies, and still we can be in a safe place with the Almighty.

 

The question each of us must address is “What is our dwelling place? What is our shelter or safety net?” If it is our money, family, home, or work, that will crumble. The enemy has come to kill, steal, and destroy. But the one place of safety in the universe from which no one can snatch us is “in the shelter of the Most High.” Our risen and ascended King has promised, “My sheep listen to my voice … and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and … no one will ever snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

 

So, when you face your circumstances, recognize that the shelter of Jesus’ work of redemption is greater than any threat. Fighter jets are great, but God’s protection is much great than that! Rest in Him!