Speaker 1: 0:00

Good morning. Let's begin our worship this morning with a word of prayer Father, thank you for this morning and thank you for everybody that has chosen to be here with us this morning. And we just lift your name up and we praise you and we want the Holy Spirit in here with us, father, to worship with us and to encourage us and aid us, and we thank you for your Son and what he has done for us and help us remember that sacrifice that he made and help us tell others about that sacrifice. Lord, and it's in his name we pray, amen, amen, come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.

Speaker 2: 0:45

Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. Here I raise my Ebenezer. Hither by thy help I've come, and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God, he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. Oh to grace, how great a debtor, daily, I'm constrained to be. Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, lord, I feel it Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, o take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above when, upon thy spills, you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.

Speaker 2: 2:58

Count your many blessings made one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are told to bear. Count your many blessings. Every doubt will fly and you will be singing as the days go by. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done. So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged. God is over all. Count your many blessings. Angels will attend, help and comfort, give you to your journeys end. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what.

Speaker 2: 4:56

God hath done. Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God hath done, lord. Let your light, light of your face shine on us. Lord, let your light, light of your face shine on us that we may be saved, that we may have life To find our way in the darkest night. Let your light shine on us, lord. Let your grace, praise, from your head fall on us, lord. Let your grace, grace from your head fall on us that we may be saved, that we may have life to find our way in the darkest night. Let your grace fall on us, lord. Let your love, love with no end, come over us. That we may have life to find our way in the darkest night. Let your love come over us. Let your light shine on us.

Speaker 4: 8:40

Good morning. Today's scripture reading comes from John 4, verse 28. The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village.

Speaker 5: 8:50

We're going to get started this morning. We're going to complete our series on C3, a Christ-centered culture, and this week we're just going to keep it simple and look at a story that takes place in John, chapter 4. But before we do that, we're going to play a quick little game. If you want to follow along as well, we do have more Magi boxes up front. I know there was quite a line to get those last week. If you do want one of those, they're up front. We have some more of those. If you want to grab one of those. We're going to play a game this morning and I'm going to show an object up here in just a second and you are going to try to guess who it's associated with, why we would know. Okay. So here we go and you can keep points in your seat and brag to your family as you go. So here you go. Here's the first one. Don't say it out loud, everybody say it. It's for the younger generation. Okay, how many of you know what that is or who that is associated with? Okay, some of you got homework. Go home and watch Moana. That is, that's Maui's hook. If you don't know who Maui is, that's him. It kind of looks like me, I know.

Speaker 5: 10:04

Okay, here's the next one. That is from what I would say is one of the greatest television series of all times, that is Friends. You got it All right. How many of you? Two for two? Okay, I got a couple people, a couple people, all right. How many of you? Two for two? Okay, I got a couple people, a couple people, all right. Here's the next one, and that is David and Goliath. That's his little slingshot. Okay, that is Rafiki. How many of you got that one? Okay, good, all right. There you go. All right, let's keep going here.

Speaker 5: 11:05

This one has two answers. Two answers, two answers. Okay, what's our answer? I heard that. The lumbo and Inspector Gadget. Okay, hey Z, you guys, you're not supposed to say it. That's hilarious, because in the 830, as soon as that came out, boom, everybody knows this one. That is Gilligan's Island.

Speaker 5: 11:43

All right, let's see if you get this next one. That is, who's that represent? Who do you think of? Right there? Right, his name Woody Biggs. I kind of thought it looked like Mark. I kind of thought it looked like Mark. I kind of thought it looked like Mark. All right, let's see about this one. Who's it really remind you of, though I know everybody's Willy Wonka. Who's it really remind you of, though? This is who I think of when I see it. Right, charlie, charlie found the golden ticket. All right, this next one, let's see this one. That's me. That's me, guys. That's me. That one's for me, okay. And your last one, impossible. All right, I forgot to do something, so we're going to do it. Right now.

Speaker 5: 12:48

Everybody gets a sticky note today, so you're going to take one and then just pass it. We're just going to pass it like we pass communion. Just take one. What's that jar? Remind us of? Anybody got it? Okay, I might have to teach the whole story. We'll be here longer. I thought we're going to be out at 1115 today.

Speaker 5: 13:13

The woman at the there you go, here's some sticky notes. Here you go. Here you go, take one and pass them. Just stick these to your outline for now.

Speaker 5: 13:24

I meant to do this this morning and I forgot.

Speaker 5: 13:27

Here you go. I feel like we're in a parade. Can you get a piece? All right, we got it. Hopefully you'll get one. If you don't get one, just walk up and grab one, I don't know.

Speaker 5: 13:39

All right, there are sometimes objects that remind us of people. Anybody get all answers right the quiz. Okay, you get a sticky note. She said no, I actually didn't.

Speaker 5: 13:55

It's interesting how certain objects are forever tied to a story or a person. That's what happens in John 4. That's what we're going to look at this morning. It's just an ordinary water jug, but because of what you know what takes place in John chapter 4, and that's what we're going to look at this morning it's just an ordinary water jug, but because of what you know what takes place in John chapter 4, you know that that's about a life-changing encounter. So we're going to start this morning in John chapter 4. We're just going to look at verse 7, and then we're going to look at the later part of this story, because I think this is a story that we've talked about quite often. We look at this story Because I think this is a story that we've talked about quite often.

Speaker 5: 14:27

We look at this story quite a bit, so I'm not sure we need all the details, but in verse 7 we get, and soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. It's the middle of the day, it's hot, it's dry, it's an uncomfortable time of the day. Most people in the town wouldn't dare to come to the well at that moment. That's what the early morning was for. We've talked about that before. The ladies and the children would go gather water in the morning. Why would you go in the morning? It's cooler, right, real simple, it's just cooler. But it was also like a social hour for them. They would walk with their friends and their family and they would talk and they would do life together as they walked to the well. But this woman, she was used to avoiding people. She was used to the whispers, to the stares because of her reputation. So those whispers in those stairs were all part of her normal everyday life, and so she would come to the well when no one else would.

Speaker 5: 15:36

But today, where we pick up in John chapter 4, it's a different day than every day before. When she gets to the well, there's a Jewish man sitting there at the well, and that's already strange enough. But what's even more shocking is, as he's sitting there, he begins to speak to her, which would have been unheard of. It wasn't just casual talk. If you've read John chapter 4, he starts telling her about spiritual things. He starts having a spiritual conversation with her, and as you read through it, you find out that he sees her, that he knows her, that he understands her past, he knows her pain. But instead of turning to judgment, he leans in with love and grace and he offers her living water. The conversation she never expected turns into a divine encounter with the Son of God. And then she does something bold, as we continue reading, she leaves the water jar. She has this conversation with Jesus about who he might be, and she's there with the purpose of getting water.

Speaker 5: 16:51

But when she has this encounter with Jesus, when she has this moment with Jesus, she forgets the whole reason she came. She had been spending so much time trying to avoid the crowd, to avoid all of the people. But we learn in verse 28 that the woman left her water jar beside the well and notice that last part of that verse. And she ran back to the city and I think about as she's walking to the well. She was probably very aware of her surroundings, very much aware of who was around and trying to avoid people and not trying to make too much noise. She just wanted to get to the well so that she could get her water and get on with her life. She didn't want to hear the whispers and people talking about her behind her back and all of that stuff. So she's just quietly trying to get to the well. But after she has this encounter with Jesus, she then what? Runs to the city. She doesn't care who hears her, because she runs. Like me, everybody would have known she's coming, and then she probably got into the city. If it's me, it's Right, she wasn't worried about that anymore.

Speaker 5: 18:06

But I want you to think about the jar for a second. That jar represented her routine. That jar represented her shame that she was feeling, and that jar was really just her survival strategy. She used that jar in her everyday life to avoid people. She came to the well that morning with not only the jar for water, but she came with shame, she came with isolation, and she came with shame. She came with isolation, she came with brokenness. And that jar was far more than just a container. It was a symbol of her everyday life, what she was using to just survive, to get through the stares, to get through the gossip, to get through the whispers that she was hearing. That's what her jar was. It was the thing that she was using to just survive.

Speaker 5: 19:01

And so I have a question for you today. You got quite a bit of homework today as we get through this. The first thing that you have to do there's not an answer for this fill in the blank it's this idea of what's in your jar. What is it that you're carrying around? Are you carrying around fear? Are you carrying around anxiety? Are you carrying around fear? Are you carrying around anxiety? Are you carrying worries? Or maybe you're just carrying around this idea of comparison and everything you look around is comparing and you're just carrying that weight of the world.

Speaker 5: 19:30

After her encounter with Jesus, after she encountered the Messiah and spoke to him, she learned that she had value. She learned that she didn't have to carry that jar anymore. She left it. She almost kind of forgets why she came in the first place, because she got good news. She discovered and found somebody that knew everything about her and still valued to have a relationship with her, even though she had a past that maybe would have been written off by everybody else. Jesus decided that she was going to be the person that he used to get the word to the city, and so her leaving her water jar is almost like a whole huge moment in the story, Because she discovered that she has a story, verse 29 you read.

Speaker 5: 20:24

After she leaves the water jar, she runs back into the city and she tells the people that she had been avoiding for years. She tells the crowds of people that had been picking on her and making fun of her and belittling her for years. She tells the crowds of people that had been picking on her and making fun of her and belittling her for years. She runs up to them and she says the words come and see. Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. And then listen to this last part Could he be possibly the Messiah? Is she sure yet? No, it's not like she's definite. It's not like she has a theology degree. She didn't go get a degree in biblical studies. She doesn't have a deep understanding of who this man is yet, but she knows there's something about him. She can't even fully say that he is the Messiah. She's just saying could he possibly be the Messiah? She didn't have all the facts, but what she did have is a story. She had an encounter, an experience with this man that leads us to this idea. You don't have to have all certain of every answer. You just need to be certain that Jesus changed you. She ran into the town the same town that judged her and shunned her and said come and see the man who knows everything about me. That was her message. That was how she told people to come and see about Jesus.

Speaker 5: 21:56

So many of us want to get to a perfect spot in our life and in our faith journey before we tell somebody about Jesus. We think we have to reach this milestone. We say maybe I'm not smart enough or maybe I'm not good enough, or maybe I don't have it all put together. When I get it put together, I'll start telling people about this Jesus guy. Here's the truth, guys, you're never going to have it put together. That's the beauty of the gospel he puts us together. We're not waiting for that moment. He's already done it. So you've got more homework. Self-evaluation.

Speaker 5: 22:35

If you would, what if your story is exactly what somebody else needs to hear? So if you had to share Jesus with somebody just using one sentence from your story, what would it be? I even started that sentence for you Come and see the Jesus that blank. For her it was come and see the man that knows everything about me. For Josh, it's come and see the man that gave me peace as a young guy that struggled with anxiety. As a young guy that struggled with worry and wondering what was going to happen next, I discovered a relationship with Jesus and found peace through Him. That's Josh's one line. Come and see the Jesus that gave me peace. What is it for you? You can write that there on your outline as well. Come and see the Jesus that. And then here's what else we learn Invitation sparks movement. Piece together three verses here in a row. This is what happens.

Speaker 5: 23:49

After she goes to the village and says come and see this man, there's three things that take place. I want you to notice what happens. Verse 30 says so the people came streaming from the village to see him. So she goes out and says Come and see this man and guess what they did? They did it. They came and saw. They take off to meet him. Verse 39 says Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because what the woman had said he told me everything I ever did. So people are starting to believe in Jesus because she said come and see. And then you get verse 42 where it says then they said to the woman now we believe, not just because of what you told us, because what we have seen for ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the. Remember when she went out and said come and see, she wasn't even sure who he was. She said could it possibly be? I got to stop standing right there. Could it possibly be the Messiah? Now that she's sparked the invitation, now people are saying this is indeed the Savior of the world.

Speaker 5: 25:05

One woman, one moment and one bold invitation, and it changed the entire town. And it changed the entire town. She didn't preach a sermon, she didn't start a program. She just said come and see. And that sparked and led to a movement of belief. People came to meet Jesus and once they encountered Him, they believed. And so the goal of every invite well, let's see here. Don't look at that yet. Nope, never mind, it's on your outline, I didn't put it on the screen.

Speaker 5: 25:48

The goal of every invite is not to point people to us, but to point people to Jesus. You never know what that invitation might unlock. It might be somebody's breakthrough. You might have invited them for years, but it might be this time that works. It could be a generational shift for a family. It could be the reason that somebody hears the gospel. It could be the reason for a revival in Byesville, ohio, through one invitation.

Speaker 5: 26:21

And so what we learn from this woman is that she left her jar because she found something in Jesus that was better than any water that she could find that day. She didn't have all of the answers, but she had a story, and Woody used to always say that everybody has a story. And guess what? People can't argue with your story. It's like a great tool you have. You've experienced Jesus and what he's done in your life and nobody can argue with that. And so you have that to use. The same invitation of come and see still works. It's not ancient, it's not outdated, it's not reserved just for those in the Bible. Jesus used it. We Talk about that in a second and we, as his messengers, can keep using it. Jesus to his disciples said this phrase in John 1.

Speaker 5: 27:07

When Andrew and Philip came to see Jesus, they asked him a question. They said Jesus, where are you staying? Guess what his answer was Come and see. He doesn't say oh yeah, I'm staying at the hotel down the road. Where are you staying? Guess what his answer was Come and see. He doesn't say oh yeah, I'm staying at the hotel down the road. They say where are you staying, rabbi? Where are you staying, teacher? His answer is simple, it's just come and see. He didn't complicate it, he didn't overdo it, he didn't have a lot of words to say, he didn't have to have all the answers, he just said hey. So then Philip has a conversation with Nathanael and Nathanael says what is this whole Jesus thing about? And guess what Philip says?

Speaker 5: 27:50

Still in John 1, he just says come and see. He doesn't overcomplicate what Jesus has told him to do. He just takes what Jesus said and he uses it. He says, hey, come and see. Guess what the woman did? She didn't overcomplicate it. She just said hey, you've got to come check this out, you've got to come see this man that knew everything about me and still loves me. And so here's the truth. There's somebody in the world that's awaiting the invitation to come and see.

Speaker 5: 28:24

So here's your sticky notes. Okay, here's where these come into play. Grab your sticky note. Hopefully you got one. There is somebody in your life that you hope and pray discovers a relationship with Jesus. I know it, you are loving people. I know that there's somebody you're thinking about right now that you hope and pray finds a relationship with Jesus. I know it, you are loving people. I know that there's somebody you're thinking about right now that you hope and pray finds a relationship with Jesus. So I want you to write that name down on the sticky note. Okay, you're going to write that down on the sticky note and then at the end of service I'm going to have this box in the back of the auditorium. I want you to put that name in the box, okay, and the leadership and I are going to spend the week praying for those names and praying for you that you have the courage to go out and ask them to come and see. And then I made this little ticket for you in your outline right there. You can take that home and cut that out and you don't even have to say anything, you just hand it to them.

Speaker 5: 29:28

It Come and see Sunday morning 10.30. Okay, I know there's somebody in your life that you've been wanting to say man, I hope they find Jesus. I hope they discover that relationship with Jesus. If God can use the woman at the well as the first ever disciple that shared the Gospel in John 4, I know he can use you. She had a story and God said I'm going to use it. You have a story and I know God is going to use it and he's challenged us to do that. So write that name down on your sticky note and we're going to be praying for you this week that you have the courage to go out and tell somebody to come and see. That's going to be our theme at Stop 9 for the next year. It's just the idea of come and see. We want to present opportunities and have moments where people can just come and see Jesus, because that's the gospel. To continue, that's what the disciples did even when Jesus left. They continued to present opportunities for people to come and see Jesus.

Speaker 5: 30:24

Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the way that you work in our lives. We're thankful that you're a God that meets us right where we are. We're thankful for the example of the woman at the well and how you just worked through that. Knowing our stories and knowing our mess, you still use us to spread your word. Father, I pray that you would stir in us today the courage and the excitement to go out into the world and to want to share with somebody else the love of Jesus.

Speaker 5: 30:53

Father, I pray that you would help us leave behind the things that are holding us back, whether that's the shame or the guilt or just the idea of having to be better to invite. And, father, I pray that we can leave those things behind, that we can go out into the community and say, come and see. And, father, I pray that when they come and see, that they see you, jesus, that they see your glory and your love for them. We pray for those people that are writing down names right now. Father, I pray that you would give them the courage to interact with those people, whether it's a text, a call or a written invitation just to let them know that they love them and they want them to have a relationship with Jesus. Father, we pray for all of the names this morning that are being written down. Father, we thank you for Jesus and his love and that we're so thankful that it reaches all people and we just pray for opportunities to continue to share that love with our community. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Speaker 2: 31:47

Open my heart to what you know so I can stretch, so I can grow. My feelings haunt me to and fro. Open my heart to what you know. Open my eyes to what you see To understand what I should be. My feelings get the best of me. Open my eyes to what you see. Open my ears to what you hear so I can keep you very near. My feelings make it so unclear. Open my ears to what you hear. Open my heart to what you know so I can stretch, so I can grow. Can stretch so I can grow. My feelings toss me to and fro. Open my heart to what you know be seated.

Speaker 3: 34:14

We sing. You may be seated. Okay, we have two sisters come forward today, bonnie Hollins and Star Wharton. Star says that she's got a lot of family issues Upcoming wedding, kids are stressful health issues. Who can't say that? Who here can't say that? Who here can't say that? I remember when my kids were your kids' age. I remember that Not easy. I see Andrew and Brynn and Jason and Marnie my kids with my grandkids. My goodness, I get it.

Speaker 3: 35:07

And Bonnie Holland says that she is dealing with fear and anxiety. That's what's in her jar. That was her words, that's what's in her jar and just wants to trust God more to take care of the stuff that is in her jar. I don't know what's in your jar. I know that in my jar I've got lots of stuff I don't like to talk about. Quite frankly, probably you do too Time to empty the jar, time to put it down, and that's what we're going to pray for Star about and we're going to pray for Bonnie about, and I encourage you not only to pray for them but pray for yourself as well.

Speaker 3: 35:51

You need to empty those jars and get busy running. Let's pray, lord. I love these two sisters and I love their hearts and it is difficult to deal with family issues. I don't think there's anything more difficult than dealing with family issues and I do pray that Star will have some peace of mind, that people will come into her life to help her to deal with those issues, that some of the ladies here will mentor her. I think she needs mentoring, but I know that you know the answers and that you will provide them. We pray your blessings on her. Help her to know that you are with her and that she can get through.

Speaker 3: 36:41

We ask you to be with Bonnie and help her to empty that jar of anxiety and fear and to learn to trust you more Difficult to step out on faith and say I don't have the answers, lord, but I know that you do and I pray not only for her but for all of us. We all struggle with that. Help us to empty our jars of fear and anxiety and just put our trust in you, knowing that, for good or bad, whatever happens to us, you have us in your hands. And I do pray for our missionaries overseas and what we're going to do for them, what we have done for them and what you are going to do for them through us, and I thank you for that. We do ask your blessings also on the Bates family. Be with Rhonda and the doctors and nurses that are working on her. We pray. We'll make the most aggressive prayer we can. We pray for full recovery for her. Help Ed know that you're with him. We do thank you for bringing us together and in your son's name, we pray Amen. We do thank you for bringing us together and in your son's name, we pray amen.

Speaker 3: 37:45

Now I have been asked to announce the number of both last week and this week. Anything above budget was going to go towards missions. Remember we were shooting for $15,000 is what we wanted for two rooftop solar generators for two of the four main churches that we support, and then another $5,000 for Lynn Miller's scooter electric motorcycle. The German Helmick is extra. Here's the total. This is what you did, this is what God has done, and when you hear this, this is God working through you. You know we always say we want a miracle from God. You are the miracle. God works through his people. He's working through you. $33,134.02. That is incredible, and so I say, on behalf of the leadership here thank you, and we will keep you informed as to the progress of the generators, the motorcycle, all the stuff that you are doing through this number. We'll keep you updated. Thank you very much. All right, who's up? Joe and Heather, joe and Heather.

Speaker 4: 39:30

Don't stand down here. You don't want to go up on stage, do you? So this is a bittersweet moment for Heather and I. As many of you guys know, we've been been a while now. We've been looking for a home a little further north, getting me closer to my work and family. With what my mom's gone through with the stroke and being in a wheelchair, we want to be able to be closer to her and our family up there. So the bitter part of that is the family here that we're leaving to move further north. The sweet part is the chance to be with family, but the sweet part has also been the 23 years that we've been here. I look around and I look at all the amazing things that have happened in those 23 years. Our kids were two.

Speaker 4: 40:17

Twins were two when we started attending here. Thanks to Gary and Julie, they had moved down here from New Philly. I was working down in this area at the time and that's really kind of how our family at Stop Nine started. So you guys have been amazing at what's happened here, what God has done and helped our family grow. They're moved on Chloe's a year and a half from being out of the house now. So it's been incredible having the support that we've had from this church family and we're going to miss you dearly.

Speaker 4: 40:49

Our thought here is this is not goodbye, this is just see you. Later we plan on visiting. We really appreciate everyone here and we're so excited hearing $33,000 going to missions. I mean, every single time that this church has been asked to step up to help God has moved our hearts. Whether it's floods, whether it's missions, whatever it is, this church family has been so amazing to be a part of and we can't thank each and every one of you enough. We just wanted to kind of make a quick announcement here because I know we can't get to everyone, but our hearts go out to you, thanking you for all that you've done to support us as we raised our families. So anything you want to add, we love you guys, thank you.

Speaker 5: 41:50

Heather is the click behind the clicker and she didn't know. She signed up for like a three-year contract three years ago, but I joked around about getting her a golden clicker as a thank you. But Angie found something even better it's a goat on a trophy Because Heather is the goat at clicking. And thank you so much. Not I'm not going to say much. I love you guys and you've been a big part of my life for many, many years. Thank you for trusting me with your kids. They were something, logan was something. But I love you guys and I'd like to pray over you guys and then we'll sing the last song.

Speaker 5: 42:51

Father, we thank you so much for Joe and Heather and just the example that they are as a mother and a father, as Christians, we're thankful to be able to work with them and do life together with them for all these years and, father, I pray that you will just be with them and bless them as they move north. And, god, we know that you're going to open up opportunities and just different paths and ways that you're going to work through them. We're going to miss them selfishly, father, but we know that you have big things planned and that they will be loyal to you as King Jesus. Thank you so much for their heart and their willingness. Be with them as they travel. Watch over them. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Speaker 1: 43:31

All right, let's go ahead and stand up and, as the last Sunday of Josh's series here about building the kingdom, really, and missions we wanted to finish one more time with a. Let's finish with a verse and chorus of this, and then we will have a great week.

Speaker 2: 43:52

Unleash your kingdom's power reaching the near and far. No force of hell can stop your beauty changing hearts. You made us for much more than this. Awake the kingdom seed in us. Fill us with the strength and love of Christ. We are your church. We are the hope on earth. Build your kingdom here. Let the darkness fear. Show your mighty hand. Heal our streets and land. Set your church on fire. Win this nation back. Change the atmosphere no-transcript.