kingdom discipleship

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KINGDOM DISCIPLESHIP John 4:31-38

Michael Lacobee, LifeSpring Church 05.29.16

Overview: All throughout this wonderful account of Jesus, John's chief end, his main objective, by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit of God, is to reveal Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the world. How are His followers today to live? BE KINGDOM MINDED John 4:31-34

ON KINGDOM MISSION John 4:35-37

Charles Spurgeon wrote: "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for."

BE KINGDOM MOTIVATED John 4:38

Conclusion:

Jesus Christ is God's only provision for your sin condition. You have to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Read for next Sunday: John 4:43-54

LifeGroup Study Guide - Page 1 of 3 John 4:31-38 Ripe Harvest LifeGroup Study Guide Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”(NIV) Recap: This passage follows the story of Nicodemus and is in the middle of the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan Woman. Ask someone to retell the story of Nicodemus. What was the main metaphor for gaining eternal life? Being born again Ask someone to retell the story of the Samaritan Woman What was the main metaphor for gaining eternal life? Water Emphasize the points of gaining eternal and the Gospel One must be born into the God’s family by believing in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17) One must drink from the water of Life (believe in Jesus) to have eternal life [4:31 In the preceding passages the discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan women occurred. During their conversation, the disciples had gone into the city of Sychar to buy food. As they were returning, Jesus and the woman had finished talking and she went back into the town to tell the people of Sychar who she had just talked to. The comment “Rabbi, eat something (4:31).” is an expected question that the disciples ask because they had gone to get food and apparently had brought some back for Jesus] What does Jesus mean when he answered His disciples? “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”(v32)

LifeGroup Study Guide - Page 2 of 3

Jesus lays out for His disciples that He has an appetite beyond this world. His appetite is not for mere food, but to accomplish God’s will. He defines his mission “My food is to do the will of him who sent me…”(v34) What must we do to develop an appetite like Jesus? In light of this context, what is God’s will for us? What are the obstacles to accomplishing God’s will in our lives? Jesus knew His mission on earth was to do God’s work and accomplish the work His Father gave Him (see John 17:3). He invites and calls us to the same mission by commanding us to look at the harvest. What is the point Jesus makes by comparing his priority to the proverb of the harvest 4 months away? What does Jesus mean by the harvest? (See also Luke 10:2) How does he describe the harvest? What does this say about the urgency of reaping? Why? How can we develop our spiritual eyes to see the world as Jesus sees the world, as a harvest? What are the obstacles to this vision (upon what else are we focusing our eyes?) [The proverb ‘Four months more and then the harvest’ is considered to be of Semitic origin. The records of the sowing and harvesting time show that the latest time with sowing and the regular harvest time would have an interval of about four months. Barrett suggests that it could be a rural proverb but no records have ever been able to substantiate such a claim. Other scholars interpreted the verse literally and believe that this event was taking place during the sowing time in Samaria. If that was the case then the identification of the “you” would be the disciples and the “harvest” would refer to the Samaritans that may have been coming out to see Jesus as that discourse was taking place] [“They are ripe for harvest.” This is a call to the mission of Christ, which was to do the will of the Father. This is a contradiction to the proverb that has already been stated in the scripture because Jesus seemed to be stating that the crops are ready to harvest at the time of sowing. The harvest refers to that of the souls that are ready to receive the truth of who Jesus of Nazareth is

LifeGroup Study Guide - Page 3 of 3 and thus we see that Christ is telling the disciples that unlike in the real world the readiness of a soul to be brought to the knowledge of the Son of God does not take four months like the growth of a crop but the planting of the seed of truth and the harvesting of the belief in Jesus the Christ happens at the same time. This verse is using the harvest language that is common to the Synoptic Gospels which also define the harvest as people coming to truly believe that Jesus is the Christ] [4:36 “Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” This verse is best understood when it is placed with the previous verse and then interpreted like a parable. The parabolic interpretation brings out the fact that there was no identification of the people to whom Jesus was referring. He did point to the fact that it was important to get started on reaping. His message had a sense of urgency and in this passage he makes it known to the disciples that it was already taking place and that they need to hurry up and get involved in it.] What things are common and different about those who sow and those who reap? [The proverb brings about the fact that in the work of Christianity there is a need for not just one In the previous passage of Scripture, Jesus has gone through a lesson with the disciples calling them to be a part of his mission and work. He expressed to them the urgency of the work that needs to be done and that people are already about it. It was a call to get involved with ministering, not just to wait for your time after you have prepared. It is a call that has continued to be made throughout the generations.] Read Luke 10:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 What principles of planting, watering, and harvesting do we see that parallel John 4?

Application Since harvesting souls and making disciples is God’s will, and since we can see harvest is ripe for harvest, and since God uses men to sow, water, and reap, what can we as individuals do to be effective in the harvest field? (Be creative) What can we as a LifeGroup do? (Be Creative as a Group) Share this with your LG Each LifeGroup has been challenged to work together (doing LIFE together) to see at least 2 adults per year trust Christ, get baptized, and become part of LSC. If every LG did this, we would see a conversion growth of at least 50 people per year)