Sermon
Sharing the Wonder
January 6-7, 2001
Pastor Donald Sheley

Lord Jesus, I thank you for this beautiful time that we can be together as family and friends and guests. We've come to Your house. We've been able to sing the great choruses that express our faith. We've shared the supper together knowing that You do forgive us of all of our sins, and now we come to this moment. We ask that You would teach us. We didn't come to church just to fill a time slot. We came so that we might grow in the grace and in the knowledge of You, because we want to be better people. We want to be better Christians. We want to love You more deeply, Lord Jesus, that's why we are here. So we open our hearts and open our minds, and ask that by Your precious Holy Spirit You teach us; in Jesus' name, amen.

Would you take from your bulletins your notes, and we're going to share together. Because it is missionary Sunday, I have a few moments less to preach and so we'll cover as much of our lesson today as possible. But it's taken from John's gospel and if you'd like to read it from the Scriptures it's on page 716 in your pew Bible, and we're continuing our study from the gospel of John chapter 4 verse 27. It says: "And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or "Why are You talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into this city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and they came to Him. Let's stop there. We're studying a story of a lady, a sinner, who came to a wonderful moment in her life when she met Jesus face to face, and her life was transformed. She is known as the woman of Samaria. It was a great moment, a great day, in her life because everything changed.

Let me tell you a story. This week I was down at one of the places of business in our town and while standing at the counter a lovely lady came over to me, and she said, Pastor Sheley. And I said yes. She said I've been a part of your church for a number of years. She said I've never come forward to greet you so my name is, and she gave me her name, and she said I want to tell you something. She said about four years ago, she said, I was lost. I really was lost. She said nothing really had meaning or direction -- and I'm putting some of my own words here -- but she said, you know, I came to your church and she said something happened. She said after the service a lovely lady, and she gave me her name, spent over an hour and a half with me sharing with me the gospel, and she said that day I found God, and that day I found myself. She said I just want you to know sometimes, she said, surely many people have a testimony like this and we don't ever tell you, but she said, I want you to know that since that day my life has been different. And I thanked her for her lovely comments.

As we talk about that moment that day when our lives were changed, some of you sitting here for you maybe it was this last year that you came to the realization that Jesus Christ really was the answer to your life's needs and your heart's cry, and last year became a glorious day of spiritual discovery. Some of you have been Christians now for a little longer, but it was a precious, precious day in your life. I'm nearly 70 and I can go back 53 years at the age of 17 when a red haired preacher, Canadian, came and preached and his name was Dr. Willard Candelin. I'll never forget him as long as I live because it was then, 53 years ago, my life was changed. It was that kind of the moment for this lady that we're talking about. This was her day of spiritual discovery.

Now let's go to our notes quickly. In the verses just preceding our text that we've just read, Jesus had made a startling announcement to the woman of Samaria. In her response to her admittance that she and her people were awaiting the Messiah who would make all things clear as to this matter about where and how to worship, Jesus said: "I who speak to you am He." In other words, little lady, you and your nation have been awaiting the Messiah. He stands before you. The moment the Samaritan woman expressed her desire for Christ, He answers, "You have Him; He is now speaking to you." Nothing more was needed. The Savior of sinners stood revealed. That was enough. All was settled now. It was not a mountain or a temple; neither Samaria nor Jerusalem. For she had found Jesus a Savior. And a detected sinner and a revealed Savior have met face to face, and all is settled once and forever. That's the day of conversion. Now, I who speak to you am He, is a very interesting phrase. Unfortunately, the full import of Christ's claim is obscured by the English translation. For as we read the words, they seem to express no more than the claim: "Yes, I am the Messiah." Now that's important in itself. We'll come back to it. Nevertheless it's less than the words really imply in the original. Actually, the words are a title. To be precise, Jesus did not really say, "I am He." The "he" has been added by the English translators. He simply said, "I AM." And the purpose or the point of this claim is that the title "I AM" was similar to, if not identical with, the great Old Testament name for God: JEHOVAH.

If you'd like to turn in your Bible it's page 39, but if you'd like to read along with me it comes from the story in Exodus. Remember, God is going to call Moses to go down to Egypt to deliver His people. Verse 10 says, this is God speaking,"Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of the Egypt?"
So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
Let's stop there. God gives a prophecy. He saying, Moses, this in essence is a promise we talk here at this mountain today, but after you have finished your task of delivering the children of Israel from Egypt you and I will meet here again at this mountain. And that was the moment that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. This was the prophecy. It was a sign.
Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and I say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they say to me, "What is His name? what shall I say to them?"
And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."
Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: "The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations."
An interesting name, title, I AM.

Some years ago I listened to a great preacher who was a Hebrew scholar. For the old Testament, as you know, was written in Hebrew. And he preached from this text; what does the title "I AM" really stand for? And if we were to comprehend that in the Hebrew setting it means I am everything you need any time you need it; I am the all-sufficient one. That's what it means. What God is simply saying -- you tell those folks I am everything they need when they need it and I am the all-sufficient one for this task. Just tell them I AM. Now that's interesting because at this moment when Christ uses that title He shows that He is deity. Now He doesn't use this title only here, He uses it throughout the gospel. And would you take your Bible and just quickly go with me I'll show you how many times John records Jesus using this title -- I AM -- identifying with deity. Go with me to John 6:34-35, They said to Him, "The Lord, give us this bread always." Remember to Jesus is discussing, He's saying in the ancient days manna fell from heaven, but I am now the bread that comes from heaven. And they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always. And Jesus said to them, I am bread. I am the bread of life. And he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. When He uses the title, I AM, He's saying to the little lady every human heart has a hunger for God, and I am the bread that satisfies that spiritual hunger.

Notice John 8:12. Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Little lady, you've walked in darkness. Remember Jesus said you don't know what you worship nor why, and He takes her from darkness to the glorious light of His kingdom. Jesus said I am light for those who walk in darkness. Go with me now to John 8:53. Here's an interesting one. His critics are really criticizing Jesus and they say, are you greater than our father Abraham who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be? To Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I have known Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I should be a liar like you; but I do know Him and I keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." The eternal deity.

Go with me to John 10:7, Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door." And again, in the original the title would be the same as we see in our text. He identifies Himself as deity. I am the door. Paul says there's only one way to salvation and that's through Jesus Christ. No man cometh unto the Father except by Me. and Jesus said I'm that door. Go with me to John the same chapter verse 11. He said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for His sheep. When you and I think of that, of course, our minds go back to the great Psalm where David writes, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. So what He's saying to this little lady when He uses that title "I AM" not only am I that bread that will satisfy your spiritual hunger, I am the light that will bring you out of your darkness. I am the shepherd that will lead you home and I'll take care you. Go with me to John 11:21. Remember Lazarus has died and it says, Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." The day will come when this mortal shall put on immortality and this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and we shall rise to meet Him in the skies to spend eternity with Him. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection."

Go with me to John 14:5-6. You see, what I'm showing you is He uses this identifying title over and over again. Look at what He says in John 14:5-6, Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to Him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." So in this wonderful title He is telling this lovely lady He's everything she needs when she needs it. May I say this: if you're searching in life and your here today, Jesus Christ really is the all-sufficient one. He'll bring you out of your darkness. He'll give you a heart filled with peace and His joy. He'll give you a hope beyond the grave, and He'll be your shepherd. Just trust Him and believe in Him.

Let's come back to our notes quickly. You'll notice at the middle of page 2 I write, it's at this point we can understand why it's possible to call this title--"I AM"--the greatest of all names for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's possible to understand now why Paul wrote: Therefore God has exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." The name which is above all other names is "Lord" which means JEHOVAH. And this is in its turn an exact equivalent of the words "I AM." Obviously, not all of this was known to the woman or even could be known. Yet, the use of God's name--JEHOVAH--could not fail to be striking. Can this be the Messiah? Is He a spokesman for God? Is He one who is so close to God that He can use God's name for Himself?

Now because of time I did like you to go over to page 3, in the middle of the page. I note here, Please note with me this little phrase: "And at this point His disciples came..." So frequently when we read that I think we just quickly cross over it, but that is marvelous little phrase, and what it is saying is this, that history, religious history, is taking a dramatic change at this point. And here's the reasoning, Jewish people did not listen to their prophets even though the prophets over and over again included all the Gentiles in God's redemptive plan. Somehow that nation believed that only they would be saved. They were the only objects of God's grace and all Gentiles were born just to become fuel for the fires of hell. That was our destiny. They believed that. That's why they wouldn't eat with Gentiles, wouldn't go to their houses. I mean, they ostracized everybody that was apart from their race. No something is taking place. Jesus has chosen to take a Gentile, a Samaritan woman, share with her the gospel and reveal Himself to her, and what is happening now the barriers are being taken down and the gospel of Jesus Christ is for whosoever will. It was a momentous moment when He shares with this Samaritan, this Gentile lady. And I think of that in terms of God's providential time. It says, and after this then the disciples came. Can you imagine? Here's Jesus and this little lady is saying, Sir, I know we should worship but we're all confused. I worship up on this mountain and You Jewish people say we're supposed to go down in Jerusalem. Sir? And this discussion is very intense, and Jesus is getting the truth across. Little lady, the day will come when it's not in Jerusalem nor in Samaria when men will worship Me in spirit and in truth.

Can you imagine if those disciples would have come back right in the middle of that intense conversation? It could have disrupted the whole thing. And I'm sure that God in His providential dealings so detained at times those disciples in their return so that moment in history could be complete. This life could be changed and the Gentiles would hear the gospel. When the great act is complete it says then the disciples came. Let me pause here and think with you for a moment on God's timing, not only in history, but also in the events of our own lives. Some of you can remember back when something happened and you didn't have anything to do with it, and yet, in God's timing for your life and incident took place and your life was changed in a new direction started. God's timing. I've looked at that time and time again in terms of the ministry of our church where unbeknownst to me and unplanned by me would be an event or would be an introduction to someone, and that introduction changed the course of what we were doing and put our ministry in another direction. And I've looked back over these, God's providential timing, and I've said, God I thank you for Your timetable.

Paul understood this. In Galatians 4:4 this is what Paul says, Paul says, in the fullness of the times God sent His Son. A tremendous statement, and what Paul is saying is that in God's providential timing, in the history of the world, just precisely when God wanted it to happen to, it happened. One of the great historians, James Stewart, says if you'll analyze all the events of human history you will come to one conclusion. There was no better time in human history for God to send His Son Jesus to Bethlehem. And he goes on in his commentary to say that Shakespeare once said there comes a tide in the affairs of men. And he says there comes a tide in the affairs of God in human history when the timing is precise. Paul says, in the fullness of the times God sent His Son. Something very interesting, when you analyze the world at the time of Christ's coming, politically, it was prepared for a great event.

Prior to the Roman Empire all the little nations of the world had their barriers, had their little armies, they were fighting, squabbling little nations, but once the Roman Empire began to spread with the Roman forces all the way from Great Britain down to Cairo, all the way from Spain to the Euphrates Rivers -- here was this massive Empire held together and known as the Roman Empire. Held together by an iron hand, yes. But this was the first time in human history where these nations were under one leader and it was known as the Pax Romana or the peace of Rome. Secondly, those who led the Roman Empire knew that if you're going to keep an empire that vast together you've got to have communication lines open, and so you had the building of what became one of the great miracles of history -- the building of the Roman roads. And they tied that vast empire from one end to the other with roads made by the Romans so that when a message needed to leave Rome it could be over in Baghdad because they had a system of communication and they had the roads to travel on. The first time in human history where a world had been tied together with a network of highways. Amazing.

Something else about the Romans. When they put their Empire together they said that we must all speak the same language. You can keep yours wherever you live, and what you learn from history is that in the Roman Empire everybody was bilingual. They spoke their language, but everybody spoke Greek. That was the language of the Empire. The first time in the history of the world where it was tied together with one language, roads, rapid communication, and in the fullness of time God sent Jesus Christ. And it was across those roads that Paul and the early missionaries traveled taking the gospel, and they could preach the same language to every nation and they all understood it. It was the golden moment of history, God's providential timing, in the fullness of time God created the great adventure of the coming of the gospel. And I take that verse and parallel it with this little phrase at beginning of our lesson; after this the disciples came. After Jesus had taken the sinner, revealed Himself to her, opened up all the gates to the Gentile world, because shortly thereafter he went to the city of Samaria and spent two days. That great event of gospel history -- God's timing.

You know, one of the things all of us wrestle with and I do, I have over the years, is with impatience. And I will use rationalization to justify, giving God all the glory, yet all the time I knew I did everything I could to make it happen. And I have found in life that when I force God's timetable I always regret it. When we can learn in our faith that all things will work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose, if I can really believe that and let that truth guide my life, I have found that His timetables are better than mine. You say, illustrate that Pastor. Well for some, you know, we have mates that are not Christians. I have folks come up and say, Pastor, I want so much, I want so much for my mate to become a Christian and I'm putting tracts here and I'm turning on the radio here. (Congregation chuckles) And I say just relax. You live your life before them. Don't force it because all you do is when you force a decision from a nonbeliever, you polarize them and it's harder to bring that together. Just let God's timetable take care of it. In the fullness of time He'll bring it to pass.

Young people, this is a truth for you. Sometimes as we watch the calendar of our life crawl up and the years tack on we become nervous; will he ever come in my life? Will I ever find her, the one I want as my princess? And sometimes in our eagerness we will bring something to pass violating God's word. I've had many times young people come and say, Pastor, they're not Christians now but I'll lead them to Christ. You know, when were all married everything will all become Christian. Forcing God's timetable -- if they had only waited God's select would have come into their lives. I've watched it over and over again, young people, where we try to force God's timetable and the best of life gets shoved to the side because of our impatience. You say, what does that have to do with the story we're studying? Well it's just a thought that in my mind, it's an avenue my mind started studying, if those disciples would have come back fifteen minutes earlier they could have wrecked that beautiful conversation, but when God had finished it through Christ then they came.

Now these are words of introduction because I was going to talk to you about sharing the wonder, but the Lord willing, we'll go on with that next week. When you leave today leave with these two thoughts: the Christ that his mine is the all-sufficient One who has all capabilities to meet all my needs whenever I need Him. He's my great I AM and He's mine. And secondly, just let God set the timetable for life. I'm not talking about being a pacifist. I think we use great energy to make life rich and full, but when God puts up the roadblocks stop kicking them down. I've kicked over roadblocks. God puts this and I kicked that out of the way, and I kicked this one, and I kicked that one out of the way, and I get there but it's not God's will. Just remember He has a will for your life. Be patient with Him.

Father, these stories are -- the Word is so filled with truths. Today, we as Christians sit here realizing that we have found in You the all-sufficient One. We came to You hungry in our soul and You fed us from heaven. Thank you. We were wandering and now You're our shepherd and You lead us. Thank you. Some of us are sitting here today worrying about life's timetable. Help us just to trust You that You do all things well, and help us to submit to Your timing. I thank you for this wonderful congregation, dear God, and may this be a year where all of us grow deep in You and mature in You as we seek to understand Your Word. Now may Your rich and wonderful benediction be upon this congregation and may we go in peace, and everybody said, amen. God bless you.