The Unlikely Soul Winner

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 6 APRIL 2025 - MR JOHN WEIR

JOHN 4 VERSES 4 TO 42

Rodney Gipsy Smith was born on 31 March 1860. He was born in a tent in Epping Forest just outside London. He would become the greatest evangelist ever known. He travelled all over the world preaching the gospel. Many came to faith in Christ as a result of his outreach. The most unlikely soul winner. He had no education. His family made a living out of baskets, tinware and clothes pegs. His mother died of small pox and his father Cornelius ended up in jail for various offences. It was there in jail that he received Christ and Rodney also went on to make a profession of faith as a result of his father's conversion. He heard D L Moody and Ira Sankey and was greatly influenced by John Bunyan. After his conversion he had a great desire to serve the Lord, to be a soul winner. Many have been the same, they met the Saviour and they want others to know about him too. Gipsy Smith taught himself to read and write. He used to practise his preaching to the turnips. They say Billy Graham practised with his cows. He loved to sing hymns and was known as the singing gypsy boy. William Booth heard of him and asked him to join the Salvation Army. Gypsy Smith held many crusades and missions with the Salvation Army as a result. He died at 87 years of age on 4 August 1947. He famously once said "The way to Jesus is not by Cambridge and Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Socrates, Plato, Shakespeare or the poets. It is over an old-fashioned hill called Calvary." He also said, "St. Paul’s cathedral is nothing but a glorified quarry if Christ be out of it, and my old gypsy tent is a cathedral when Christ is in it." Someone once asked him how to start and revival and he said "Find a piece of chalk, and find an empty room. Go into that room and shut the door. Draw a circle on the floor with that chalk, kneel down in that circle, and ask God to start revival right there." We pray that God's people might be stirred up, challenged to reach out in these days. I don't want to have any regrets when I stand before my Saviour and I hope you don't too. If the Lord could use this woman he can use you and me.

Many of the Samaritans believed because of a woman who shared her testimony.

Her past didn't hinder her - verse 18. She had had 5 husbands and the man she was now with was not her husband. She had a past. One relationship after another. Heartache and pain. Disappointment after disappointment. Many of us have deep scars. This woman was known by many in Samaria. Her past didn't hinder her. She was living with a man who was not her husband. People laughed at her. They mocked her. She was probably avoided in the street. It was a lonely life. Sin causes heartache and pain. Sin takes us in a direction we never intended to go. Someone once said it is like throwing a stone into the river - there are many ripples. Many don't want to get up in the morning, the sin of the past is catching up with them. Sin pays out terrible wages. Sydney Murray the evangelist used an illustration of the time he went to Blackpool with his wife Lily. He saw a woman going into the house of mirrors. The woman got trapped, she kept banging her head. Everyone laughed at her. She had paid to get in and couldn't get out. The man who owned the place went in and took her by the hand to lead her out. It is the same as when we were in sin. Jesus said "the man that has been set free is free indeed". The woman was only existing, not living day after day. In verse 27 we see the disciples marvelled that Jesus was talking with her. They were in shock but didn't say anything to the master because they knew he was in control of the situation. Maybe you have past skeletons in the cupboard, you have done things you are ashamed of. The Saviour is here where the 2 or 3 are gathered together in his name. Maybe you want a fresh start, a new life - then get on your knees and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sin. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." It is lovely to know our past sin is forgiven. Where would we be if the Lord hadn't forgiven us? People can bring up our past but if God has forgiven us then we are forgiven. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." The bible says we are called to be witnesses in these last days. That is why we have a mission - to reach others with the good news. The majority of people converted at a mission are because Christians have brought them to it - 90% of conversions are that way. It is hard for people to walk into a church on their own so it is good to bring a person in with you. Our past is forgiven.

The place she was from didn't hinder her - verses 4 and 5. Sychar was in the region of Samaria. Commentators don't know a lot about Sychar.  The Samaritans built their own temple to Yahweh on Mount Gerizim, but the Jews burned it around 128 B.C. This obviously made relations between the Jews and the Samaritans even worse. Read 2 Kings 17 verses 24 to 33 and you will find out more about Samaria. The Samaritans married into the Gentile nations and this woman knew something about this - verse 20. She was not totally ignorant. Jerusalem is the place where they ought to worship and she knew that the Messiah would come one day - verse 25 "when he is come he will tell us all things." Here she was with the Messiah himself. Verse 9 reminds the Lord of the division between the Jews and Samaritans. Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim - Jesus is the friend of sinners. The Lord welcome everyone no matter their background. We can invite people in from all parts of our community. The Lord taught about the Samaritan man in Luke 10. In Luke 17 we read the story of the 10 lepers, the one who came back was a Samaritan. In Acts 1 verse 8 Jesus told his disciples to go into Samaria. In Acts 8 Philip saw revival in Samaria. No doubt the disciples felt uncomfortable in Samaria as Jews among the Gentiles. They believed there was strength in numbers - that is why in verse 8 they didn't go alone to find food. The gospel makes people uncomfortable and I have felt uncomfortable at times sharing the gospel. I remember once going to Dublin and sharing the gospel on the streets. I met many from Mountjoy prison - they stood on the streets with tears coming down their cheeks when they heard the gospel. The Lord can work anywhere. He can work in unimaginable ways. Remember what Nathaniel asked "can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Samaria had no bible colleges, no churches, no mission conventions yet the Lord walked through this area and many of the Samaritans believed on him because of one woman's testimony. We all have this knowledge, could debate theology and doctrine, we have the best bible commentators and can listen to find preachers but are our lives making an impact? Are you doing anything for the Lord? When you see this woman giving her testimony and there are many believers as a result do we think - is my life making such an impact? We are only here for a short time. Hudson Taylor said "I have but one candle of life to burn and would rather burn it out where people are dying in darkness than in a land that is flooded with light."  We need to burn out for God. Nicky Cruz was brought up in a devil worship home but he met David Wilkerson on the streets of New York. His life was changed and he came to know the gospel. Don't let the place where you come from hinder you from preaching the gospel.

The waterpot didn't hinder her - verses 28 and 29. Soul winners can have hindrances. This was her hindrance. She was determined to travel light and had to leave her water pot behind her. The water pot may have slowed her down. She was wise to leave it behind. The Lord's work requests haste. John Wesley was out of breath chasing after souls. He was part of the Methodist movement - they fasted all day on a Wednesday and a Friday. They held prayer meetings at 4 am. John rode on horse back and went everywhere. If we are winning souls we will not have time to gossip. We will not be able to sit about criticising others. It is good to leave the water pot behind. She was determined to get to Samaria. No doubt the disciples and Jesus would have loved her water pot. They were thirsty. It was valuable to her. Sometimes we need to leave a water pot behind to win a soul for Jesus. It can be a sinful habit that mars our testimony. Maybe you have some sinful habit that is burdening you. Why not ask the Lord to give you victory over it? A certain job takes up all our time. We work, work, work. Our job demands every part of our lives. The taste of money can be a hindrance. A friendship can hinder us. Or a relationship - we are not equally yoked. A certain church can hinder us - no burden for the lost. We get into a rut and don't grow spiritually. A business partner, a worldly desire, ambition - what water pot do you need to leave behind? The devil will always ensure there is a water pot that we need to leave behind. There are many gifted young people today who just cannot leave home. For W P Nicholson it was what others thought of him that caused him a hindrance. One day in Bangor he met 2 Salvation Army women and he admitted to them his fear of others. He got down on his knees and asked God to take this fear away. For blind Bartimaeus in the bible it was an old garment that he had to cast aside in order to come to Jesus. 

The people of Samaria didn't hinder her. She was bold, courageous, showed no fear. She just wanted the people to know about this man who changed her.  Verse 29 "come see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" Then look at verse 30 "Then they went out of the city and came unto him." This woman was now making an impact. The men must have seen a change in her. Many believed. She just gave her testimony. No theological debate. She pointed people to Jesus. Do you know any Christians who have that glow about them? You know they have met the Lord. Dr Bill Woods served the Lord for 60 years in the Amazon jungle. He swam up rivers filled with crocodiles just to share the gospel and treat people with leprosy. He had a burden for precious souls. His life has made a tremendous impact around the Amazon. Leonard Ravenhill said "The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it."  Not promoting a denomination or a religion but Jesus. The kingdom of God is all about those who are saved and born again.

Her predicament didn't hinder her. She was living with a man who was not her husband. She probably thought to herself "I have to go home and face this man." She knew she couldn't continue to live in sin. She goes and tells the people about Jesus then sorted out her home. Verses 17 and 18. She knew the Lord would sort out the situation for her. The Lord can solve impossible situations. Jesus became her perfect man, her seventh man. When this woman went into Samaria do you think the man she was living with was among the men she told? Maybe he got saved. Maybe the man she lived with was among the men who believed. God does amazing things and has a wonderful way of working in individual lives. We all face issues and battles. None of us have the perfect life. We still need to be soul winners. We still need to keep pressing on. We have talents and gifts we need to use for the Lord. The Lord will give the strength we need. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. He asked for it to be removed but the Lord told him "my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  We need to keep our eyes on the prize before us.