Presbyterians are not noted for having revivals in their churches. However, the pastor of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church at 260 Pleasant Hill Church Road in Statham, GA, is an exception. Every fall, he plans for a three-day series of revival services. He has his D. Min. degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.
The Rev. Dr. Dave Fahner, a retired Air Force chaplain, is the pastor. He has been at this Presbyterian Church in our community for seven (7) years. I will be preaching on Monday night, 2 August, at the 7 p. m. revival service. My sermon topic is: "Thirsty and Weary:A Deep Well without a Bucket or Rope." You know the story well about the woman of Samaria who came to draw water from the well that Jacob had dug and given to his son Joseph. John, the writer of the Gospel of John wrote that "He (Jesus) needed to go through Samaria."
There is no doubt about it—Evangelism is the priority of Jesus Christ. And since He is the Head of the Church, it should be our priority too.
The purpose of the Gospel of John is recorded in John 20:31. It reads like this in the Amplified Bible:
John 20:31
But these (signs or miracles) are written (recorded) in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of God, and that through believing and cleaving to and trusting and relying upon Him you may have life through (in) His name [through Who He is].
AMP
In the original Greek the word that is used for these—means these things or these signs or miracles. Each miracle in the book of John is for a purpose--bringing various people to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
John’s Gospel demonstrates over and over again that God loves the whole world. Jesus talks with a religious leader by the name of Nicodemus at night, and then moved to an encounter with an unnamed woman who is an outsider and an outcast who comes to a well in Samaria to draw water. She brings her burden of guilt, loneliness, and isolation. Jesus touches the spiritual chords of each person.
Jesus unmasks the spiritual emptiness of the religious leader who appeared to be righteously self-sufficient, and opens up the alienation of the second person, a woman who was caught in a merry-go-round of broken relationships.
It is striking to note that Jesus does not follow a canned or rehearsed plan of witnessing like we have today with Four Spiritual Laws, The Roman Road, or Evangelism Explosion. It has been observed by many who are students of evangelism that most of the spontaneous, effective and real witnessing is done by new believers within two years after their conversion. We must not lose that freshness and enthusiasm about our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be "born again." To the woman at the well He offers her “living water.”
We, who read the story about the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well, may wonder if anything of great significance can happen at an old well where a tired Traveler sits by that well wondering if there is some way He can quench his thirst.
Let me ask you a question: Do you believe that anything supernatural can happen in a supermarket or a drug store when you are in a hurry to get home from a hard day of work? Far too often, we really don't expect the glory and presence of God to break forth in these kinds of settings. But could it be, that God wants to open us up to such possibilities and use us to touch other lives where we live, and move and have our being?
I am believing God to give us a spiritual breakthrough this week as we meet for revival services. If you live in the area of Statham, GA, near Winder and Bogart and Athens, why not come out tonight to help us believe God for miracles as God touches the lives of people who will come seeking for something they don't have. Our God can cut through all the barriers that might keep us from experiencing revival. I long for a service where the presence of God is so strong that no one will want to leave or even move.
You see I believe there is "living water" that is the Gift of God and it can be ours for the asking. I am expecting this Stranger of Galilee to show up and teach us about reaching out in our neighborhoods and in our places of work and recreation so they will receive this gift of "living water." It is my prayer that we will become transparent, open, real, as well as humble in our approach to other people who may not know the Savior, Jesus Christ.
I ask that you pray for me as I preach to the Presbyterians in Statham, GA, tonight. My famlly and I will be singing. It is a miracle for them, Melvine, Greg and Stephanie, to ask me to sing with them.
I hope Melvine will sing, "Fill My Cup, Lord." The words and music are by Richard Blanshard.
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14, NIV).
Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy:
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".
Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
Posted on
Mon, August 2, 2010
by Hugh Morgan