INWARD PRAYER

GROUP QUESTIONS

1. As you listened to the message today, was there anything that struck you or that you found interesting? Explain.
2. This is a multiple choice question with letters, but you may not like the definite letters, so feel free to say “between this letter and this letter” if it is helpful… These last few weeks we’ve talked about being known by Jesus and knowing Jesus. Where are you at with knowing Jesus?
   1. I have not started a relationship with Jesus and I don’t have any interest in having one
   2. I don’t have a relationship with Jesus but I am somewhat interested in finding out more
   3. I’d like to start a relationship with Jesus, how do I do it?
   4. I have a relationship with Jesus, but it’s still very new to me
   5. I have had a relationship with Jesus for a long time

Leaders: On each of the responses from students, ask more about them. If a student or students in your group say(s) “C” or something near that letter, then you have a great opportunity to lead them into a relationship with Jesus. You can put the group on pause and explain what it is to start a relationship with Jesus and then lead them in prayer. Here are 3 important truths to communicate to a student and then if they are willing to lead them in praying:

1. I realize and admit that I’m not perfect, that I’ve done things that don’t line up with the way God wants me to live my life. (ie. lying, being mean to others, sexual mess-ups, not respecting parents or authorities, selfishness and pride, etc.)
2. I believe that Jesus paid the price in His death on the cross to forgive my wrongdoings, past, present and future so that I can have a friendship with God
3. I invite Jesus to be my saviour and leader and welcome His Holy Spirit into my life to lead me 

Alternatively, You could also use the bridge drawing below (found on asianroughrider.com) to explain this:

3. When we closed our eyes today and thought of people around us, who did you think about? Are you surprised that you thought of them?
4. If Jesus was sitting in your group today and he said, “Let’s do this,” what specifically do you think he would want you to do? (Some examples: Write out my story of what Jesus has done in me and share with someone. Help lead a Youth Alpha in my school. Invite X, my friend, to youth)
5. Like Joel’s friend who helped him build a basement, do you think Jesus could help you do what he may be asking you to do?
6. What are some barriers to that?
7. What would be the benefits of you doing that? For you? For others? 
8. What would you like prayer for in regard to this topic?

OUTWARD PRAYER

INTRODUCTION (REVIEWING LAST 2 WEEKS)

These past few weeks we’ve been on a journey together. We’ve been reading through parts of the book of John and we’ve been encountering the person of Jesus. The first week back to youth we heard Jesus say to a guy named Nathanael and by extension to us, “I see you,” or the phrase we used, “I know you.” Many of us walk around in our lives, surrounded by crowds of people or difficult situations or our own failings and we feel unknown in that. The truth from that first week is, you are not unknown, Jesus knows you, he sees you. Some of you really resonated with that and it is my prayer and hope that you can still hear Jesus saying, two weeks later, “I know you,” in the middle of your situation.

Last week, we went from Jesus saying “I know you” to Jesus saying “Come know me.” Chris talked about how Jesus offers us this amazing opportunity to be Jesus’ best friend. He wants to have a close relationship with us. There were a number of you who physically hit the cymbal last week and made that decision to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation and I am so excited for you, because I know that’s the best decision you can ever make with your life. Others of you in the room, hit the cymbal in your hearts and made that decision or remade that decision last week.

This week, we’re continuing that journey as we are again in the book of John. We will watch and hear as we walk through another story of Jesus encountering someone with three things. When we dive into the story, look for the three things that Jesus communicates. “I know you. Come know me. And, “Let’s do this!” We’re going to spend a bunch of our time focusing on that last one. Before we dive into the Scripture, let me tell you a story about myself.

STORY (HIGHLIGHTING “LET’S DO THIS”)

Something you may not know about me is I like to build stuff. I like to cut things with saws and take glue and screws and clamps and my nail gun and build stuff. Anyone else like to build things? One project I’d like to do, but I don’t have the marital permission to do yet is build a 4 player arcade cabinet, wire it with buttons and joysticks from Japan (because they make the best ones) and program a raspberry pie computer with old school arcade games. Sounds like a fun project right? There’s all sorts of games I’d have on there from Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles to Gauntlet.

But I’m a pastor right? How does someone even get a desire to do that kind of stuff, when a lot of their job revolves around church services, desk work and going for coffees? Well, it starts with friendships. Over a decade ago I had a few friends that knew how to do stuff with construction and wood and tools and I really caught the desire from them.

One of my friends, we’ll call him Charles, cause that’s his name, spent the time to get to know me. It helped that Michelle offered him free food and he was living on his own, but he took the time to share coffee and talk with me about my life. At the same time, I got to know him. I found out about his life, struggles, work, hobbies etc. The next step in our friendship is natural, and maybe you’ve experienced this with friends. It goes from I know you, to come know me… to LET’S DO THIS. One of the “Let’s Do This” moments for us was around the renovation of my new home’s basement. 

I had recently bought a townhouse that my family was living in. Maci was a few months old and I was talking to Charles saying “It would be nice” if I could see my basement finished. I didn’t have a lot of money, I didn’t know much about finishing a basement, and I didn’t know where to start. That’s when my friend, Charles said, Let’s do this! Charles had all the tools, all the skills, and apparently the time to work with me and take my basement from concrete floors and walls to a new space that my family and the youth at the church could use for the next number of years. Michelle fed Charles, and over 6 months of nights he worked with me and taught me how to finish a basement. I learned how to put up straight walls, I learned electrical, I learned drywalling a bit, although Michelle has a better skill for it, and another guy from my church showed me plumbing and did that work for me. There were many trips to Home Depot and many coffees with my friend. We accomplished something that I never thought would be possible, saved a whole bunch of money and built a basement. Like Jesus, my friend exemplified both grace and truth. There were several times when I was learning that I would mess things up and we’d have to redo the work I did. It was probably frustrating for him, but he just kept teaching me. There were other times where I would say “that’s good enough” and my friend would politely tell me to lose that phrase “it’s good enough” from my daily use. In the end I spent about $5000 on my townhouse and probably added about $15000 to $20000 of value to our house.

Can you see the journey of my friendship with Charles?… I know you… Come know me… Let’s do this. Maybe as I say this, you can see that pattern in some of your relationships. It’s kind of similar with Jesus. See if you can identify this pattern in his encounter with the woman at well. If you’ve grown up in church you may have heard this story several times before, but maybe you’ve haven’t seen this pattern. Let’s dive into John 4:1-42

SCRIPTURE JOHN 4:1-42

Main Story Points – Verses 1-26

• Jesus encountering a woman who is not used to being valued

“Will you give me a drink?”

“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?”

• Jesus, let me tell you what is in front of you
• Talk over water and greatness
• Jesus calls woman on her past (5 husbands, and live in guy)
• Prophet, spiritual, let’s talk about worship
• Jesus declares who he is

Have you seen any I know you, come know me or let’s do this? Where? Tell me. (Response from crowd, hopefully about the first two “I know you” and “Come know me”)

Verses 27-42

I’m going to read these verses, because here is where Jesus invites the Samaritan woman, his disciples and us into the “Let’s Do This” portion. Listen for the Let’s Do This. John 4:27-42:

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 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. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a 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.” Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”

EXPLANATION OF THE BIBLE PASSAGE

Did you see it? Did you see the let’s do this? Right from the beginning the woman caught Jesus invitation. She left her water behind. She finally realized from her conversation that there was more to Jesus than just a guy who wanted water and she knew the let’s do this portion. She needed to share her experience with Jesus with everyone she could. 

While this is all happening, the disciples are saying, hey Jesus. Have some bread, so you don’t die from starvation. Jesus basically says, I’m not dying, I’m fully living. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, and you should join me. You almost get the impression he’s visibly seeing the crowds of people come to him from the Samaritan town in the distance and he’s telling the disciples look out there. Here they come. Let’s do this. “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” He is inviting his disciples sharing Himself with the lost people of this Samaritan town. The woman has already responded to that invitation. These verses were written for Christ followers to read and respond too, for the last 2000+ years. This is an invitation to you and to me.

CONCLUSION & CHALLENGE

When I’m reading a story in the Bible, I like to put myself in the story. I like to think, what person am I? What is God trying to say to me through the eyes of this person? 

Accepting Jesus Challenge

Maybe you feel, you’re the Samaritan woman. You are just encountering Jesus for the first time or the idea of Jesus for the first time. If that’s you, I want to invite you as we have the last couple of weeks to this Living Water, to letting go of living life on your own terms and apart from God. Jesus is inviting you into relationship with Him. You can start that tonight. If you want to start that relationship with Jesus, who knows you and wants you to know Him, then when we break for small groups and your small group leader asks the question, “Where are you at with knowing Jesus?”, get the courage to pipe up and say “I’d like to start a relationship with Him.” They will stop what the group is doing and pray with you and introduce you to Him. 

Saying Yes, let’s Do This Challenge

Other than Jesus and the woman, there are two other groups of people in this story. Maybe you see yourself like the disciples. Jesus has given you an invitation to “Let’s do this.” What are you going to do with that invitation? If you have received Jesus and started a relationship with Him, so of you, even last week, this invitation is to you. I want everyone in the room to close your eyes and picture something with me. Don’t fall asleep, try not to get distracted, and picture some faces with me. Picture people and friends at school. See their faces. Picture family members, grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, friends from your neighbourhood. Now hear Jesus’ words “look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” What are you going to do? Who will tell these people about Jesus? How will they know about the amazing relationship they can have with Him? They can know and be transformed by the Creator of the Universe. 

Ok, open your eyes. What are you going to do?

Are you going to lead or help lead, help make happen a youth alpha in your school?
(Talk to Chris)

Are you going to bring friends out to Wednesday or Friday events or weekend? Or maybe you’re going to get baptized and invite friends out to that?

Are you going to share your own story, like the Samaritan woman? If you want to learn how to share your story, talk to me, I’d love to teach you a really simple method to do so.

Are you going to respond to Jesus’ invitation of Let’s Do This! ?

PRAYER