were the differences between Samari tans and Jews and she would have liked the Lord to talk about who was right. The Lord refused to be side tracked. So, we, too, must stick with the main issues. Finally, after exer cising all these other principles, Christ confronted the woman direct ly with who He was: the Saviour of mankind. No matter how sensi tive we are, who will believe what we say unless our lives are consistent and genuine? If we believe that Christ is the answer, we must prac tice it in our lives daily. There are many people in this world who, while they might not admit it or even realize it, are empty and lacking peace. Christians who are sensitive and empathetic, we have a great obligation. It’s our duty to tell the world about the One who can fill up that empty vacuum. May all of us become increasingly aware of our responsibility to be sensitive to those who are without Christ. The person who does not believe in miracles has some impossible explain ing to do. A Quiet Hour spent with God is worth a whole life time spent with man.
a kind of courage few of us have ever mustered. This is why people go to psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors, paying good money, just because these professional people are willing to listen to their problems. We can’t always talk to people with memorized testimonies or three- point outlines. Every situation is different. Yet each person has the same need to know Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. In verses 9-15, we see the third principle which is that of arousing interest. Christ came to the woman and showed an interest in her con cerns. We should tell the non-Chris tian about the change that Christ has made in our own lives. Point out how this individual can have the joy-filled life that we know. If we’re out of fellowship, we’ll need to get ourselves back into the proper per spective. The fourth idea is in not going too far. Be sensitive in knowing how much people can understand concern ing the Word of God (vv. 16-19). Jesus only presented the bare mini mum of what the woman could un derstand. He didn’t explain all the different aspects of systematic the ology. We have to trust the Holy Spirit to give us insight, poise and knowledge in knowing exactly how much information to present. The fifth principle is found in these same verses. This teaches us that we should not condemn others. Note that Christ didn’t condemn the woman for her sin of adultery. He didn’t have to, for she condemned herself. It won’t help to have a “holier than thou” attitude. This only alienates others. Provide them with an alternative to show our in terest and concern. The last six verses summarize the final two principles of effective wit nessing. The woman was convicted of her sin. She attempted to side track Christ in terms of dealing with her own personal problems. There 22
Ai a Talbot Theological Seminary Awards Chapel, Dr. Charles L. Felnberg, dean, has the privilege of presenting a special honor to his son, John Feinberg.
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog