Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that's none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know— Someone not impressed with weak excuses (MSG)

John 4:1-45; Proverbs 24:11-12; Jude 1:23; James 5:19-20

Recurrent Thought

To effectively win others to the Lord, we must be intentional, persuasive and trust the power of the Holy Spirit to convict and transform people.

Jesus echoed the Words of John the Baptiser that the Kingdom of God had arrived. He also proceeded to inform individuals and crowds how one became part of the kingdom. To Nicodemus, he stated that becoming part of this New Kingdom was likened to being born twice. Every human being is already born in the flesh, from our federal parents, but to belong to the Kingdom one has to be born by the spirit, which is also to be born twice. Those who do not enter the kingdom of God, they are in danger of eternal damnation. To testify to those who are in danger of eternal damnation is also known as Rescuing the Perishing, or Winning Souls. In this series we use the Picture of Rescuing someone as we describe the activity of telling (preaching) others about the Good News of Jesus (Prov. 24:11-12; James 5:19-20)

The phrase Winning Souls is used in 1 Cor. 9:19-23 to show the same meaning and give the picture of Rescuing one about to Perish. Therefore, to Win Souls, is same as Rescuing those Perishing.

The Narrative: John 4:1-45

• The Narrative is divided in four Sections: 1-3 introductory; 4-26 Discussion with the Woman culminating with the unmasking of the Messiah; 27-39 Discussion with his Disciples about the Harvesting; 40-45 the results of Transformed Life by the Samaritan Woman
• He noticed the tension the ministry created in Judea he decided to go to Galilee (4:1)
• He had to go through Samaria; this is unusual. There is a sense of necessity in text.
• At the Town of Sychar, his disciples went to fetch food, while he waited by the Well of Jacob.
• A woman came to draw water at noon, which was unusual time.  She met Jesus
• Jesus engaged her in a conversation with the purpose of introducing her to the kingdom,
• He asked for Water; she hesitated to give him. The conversation around the Physical water transitioned into the need for spiritual water.
• With the explanation the woman demanded for the spiritual water.
• To stress the desperate, need the woman had, he revealed her spiritual brokenness in the way she looked for peace and joy through various relationships.
• Later the Disciples returned just at the point the woman is feeling the greatest unmasking of her life.
• The disciples started to urge him to eat the food they brought, he refused and stated that he had had food already.
• Then he said “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (4:34). This is where we pick the title of this message

Out of this text we see Jesus how he ministers to the woman with a clear intention of introducing her to the Kingdom: rescuing her from perishing, winning her soul.

Jesus was a passionate Soul Winner. When he led people to the kingdom, he fulfilled the Will God, which he called his Food. He exemplified one specific trait of a Soul Winner: Compassion for Souls (Math. 9:36)

Notice the following Four Lessons in Winning Souls

1. Show Interest in Individual Persons
   •  An Effective Soul Winner understands the value of Speaking to individuals as a basis of rescuing those perishing
   • Here Jesus showed interest to speak to one person, who by Spirit’s revelation was a broken person.
   • Jesus was a person who specifically engaged individual persons with keen interest. Mathew records sixteen (16) personal engagement he had with people; while John records seventeen (17).
   • The individual we rescue, usually become a trigger for a chain reaction when we properly lead them. This woman triggered the transformation of her community
2. Be Aware of the Urgency of the Task
   • An effective Soul Winner understands the urgency of winning souls.
   • Jesus showed the urgency of this task by specific words given in the text:
   • We are told he needed to go through Samaria, while there was another more peaceful route. (4:3)
   • He called this task as his Food, doing the will of God (4:34)
   • He likened the task to crops that were ripe in the field and was ready to be harvested. (4:35)
   • Effective Soul Winners cultivate this urgency by the pictures that drive them: Rescuing the perishing, Ready for Harvest, Winning Souls (Pro. 24:11-12)
3.  Use the Surrounding Realities for Spiritual Truths
   • An Effective Soul Winner attempts to use the present realities of person to show them the truth of God.
   • Jesus was the master in using natural realities to paint spiritual truths. He used parables, natural objects, people’s stories, etc., to drive the story
   • To do this well, one must be perceptive and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you.
   • Jesus used the reality of his needing water as an entry to speak to the thirstiness of the Samaritan Woman.
4.  With Wisdom, Show the Persons where they Fall Short
   • An Effective Soul Winner leads the person to understand where they fall short of the God’s glory; they also show them that only God can fill that gap.
   • Jesus Captured her curiosity and interest. He created soul hunger.
   • Notice even when she realized that Jesus unmasked her situation, he did not condemn or reproach her.
   • He told her, he had living water and if she drunk, she will never be thirsty again.
5. Then He Revealed to her he was the Messiah (4:26)
   • Greatest and first Revelation of messiahship
   • Revealed to a Samaritan woman, with a checkered past.

Altar Time

• Teach me how to do it. 
• Empower me with your Spirit
• Show me, who to talk and lead out of danger