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"Well"
Trained Teachers
Bubba Garner
They
promised you they would come to the meeting. They never showed up. They
agreed to study the Bible with you. They backed out at the last minute
when some “emergency” suddenly arose. Such repeated rejection can
quickly extinguish the fires of evangelism, the very fires that ignited
the courage to ask and invite in the first place. What’s worse, when we
see no immediate results from our initial efforts, we develop an attitude
of “nobody cares anymore” or “why even bother?”
Consider Jesus, the Master
Teacher. Whether in a large crowd or one-on-one, Jesus had a unique
ability to say the right thing at just the right time. That doesn’t mean
everyone listened and followed, only those who had ears to hear. But at
least He gave them the information to decide for themselves. He is the one
who instructs us to “go and teach” (Matt. 28:18-20); He is also the
one who invites us to “come and learn” (Matt. 11:28-30). Let’s sit
at His feet for a little while and see what He did with the woman at the
well in Samaria.
He saw a prospect, not a
suspect. Jesus could have easily passed up the opportunity to talk to
this woman as one who “probably wouldn’t listen anyway.” The context
reminds us that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (John 4:9) and
reveals that the disciples “were amazed that He had been speaking with a
woman” (John 4:27). But Jesus didn’t care about things like that. He
didn’t see colors or races or social classes. He just saw sheep who
needed a Shepherd, souls who needed a Savior.
We give up too quickly on
people. In fact, we sometimes don’t give them any chance at all. Just
because the last five have no produced no visible results does not give
you the right to write off the sixth one. Instead of taking one look at
someone and immediately judging them an unfit prospect, remember that the
gospel is the power of God to save “everyone” (Rom. 1:16). Let them
decide. Any other approach is suspect.
He was patient with the
opportunity. Many people sought Jesus out during His lifetime. This
time, He initiated the conversation. At first, the woman just didn’t get
it (John 4:10-15). He talked about living water. She asked, “where’s
your bucket?” He told her about water that quenches your spiritual
thirst. She remarked how convenient that would be so she wouldn’t have
to keep coming to the well to draw water. Yet Jesus did not dismiss her as
someone who was too ignorant to understand. He was not ready to let go of
the opportunity. After all, what were the chances that these two would
ever meet again?
Maybe that’s why the
Master Teacher referred to evangelism as sowing seeds. You plant and water
and fertilize and water some more. Then you wait. We want to quit at the
first sign of friction or disagreement. We get frustrated when people can’t
see the application of passages that seem so plain to us. But the truth
will open the eyes of those who want to see it. Be patient. You can lead
them to the water, but you can’t make them drink.
He knew the value of
one. Jesus took time to talk to a woman whom we might have classified
a “dead end.” And because He refused to disqualify her, an entire
village was given the opportunity to hear about Him. “From that city
many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman
who testified” (John 4:39). She went and reported to her neighbors, her
family, and her fellow citizens all that happened at the well. When they
came to investigate for themselves, they developed their own thirst for
righteousness. And that was just the beginning.
The reason we cannot afford
to become discouraged in evangelism is because we never know how far one
will go. One person learns the greatest story ever told and realizes that
it’s too good not to tell. They tell their neighbor. The neighbor tells
their spouse. The spouse tells their friend. The friend tells her
children. The children tell their classmates. One conversation has the
potential to bring about the conversion of many.
The Master Teacher needs
disciples who care enough about the souls of men that they will reach out
and rescue them from drowning in the waters of sin. That’s what He did.
That’s what someone did for you. Go and do likewise. We have come and
learned of Him. It’s time to go and teach of Him, putting aside all
excuses, prejudices, and fears. When you follow the Lord’s example, all’s
well that ends well.
Copyright (C) 2002-2008 Southside
Church of Christ
All rights reserved.
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