The Woman at the Well

In John 4 lies one of the most famous encounters that Jesus has in all of scripture.  On his journey through Samaria Jesus sits down with a woman at a well.  His kindness to her and her change is an example for all of us to follow.

But to me, out of all the amazing things the Bible talks about, one of them is right there in John 4

1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. - Jhn 4:1-8 

Did you catch that?  The disciples and Jesus were on a long journey, probably 50 miles or more to Galilee.  And Jesus sat down, because he was tired from walking.  Jesus!  This amazes me that this man who could walk on water, feed 5,000 and bring the dead back to life.  He sat down because He was tired.

I don't know about you, but I get tired on mission for God as well.  Not tired of the mission, but tired from the mission.  And that's okay!  I find comfort in the fact that Jesus was physically worn out from the journey.  

Our mission from God is difficult, and will make us weary. But the mission of God must always be done in the strength of God.  For without His strength, our works will fail.  

The Forbidden Plan

After Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, he quickly began telling all he met about Jesus.  He went on his first missionary journey with Barnabas, traveling many miles while sharing the gospel.

In Acts 15, after a potential crisis in the early church is avoided and there is much unity, Paul and Barnabas agree to go back and visit the churches they saw on their first trip.  Just one problem.

They had a fight.  Did you know Christians do that sometimes?  This was a big fight, not so much over how but over who.  Barnabas wanted to bring young John Mark with them, Paul disagreed becuase of his actions before.  This was such a serious fight that they split up, and headed seperate ways.

Acts 16 then tells the story of how God brought unity after the disagreement between two godly men.  

In his first stop, Paul meets a young man Timothy.  He begins traveling with Paul and becomes a great friend and like a son to him.  God brings other people to partner with Paul as well. 

We are not meant to do God's mission alone. Even after conflict, God brings us who we need to travel with us to spread His good news.  

Later in the chapter, God forbids Paul to spread the gospel in China.  God always has a plan, and we have to follow His plan as we go out on mission to be witnesses in the world.  

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. 6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  Acts 16:1-11