Barriers
John 4:1-30
Pastor Jerry Koller

Gospel Theme

As Jesus and His disciples were passing through Samaria, they came to the outskirts of a city named Sychar.
• The city had a well that was dug by Jacob.
• This well was still present when Jesus and His followers arrived tired and thirsty.

While Jesus rested by the well, His disciples went into the town to buy food.
• Verse 7 reads:

The reaction of the woman:

Jesus’s interaction with a Samaritan would have crossed ethnic, moral, and gender barriers.
• Ethical—From an ethical perspective, Jews avoided all interaction with the Samaritans. They intermarried outside their race. They worshipped in Samaria.
• Moral—The woman Jesus was talking with did not have a stellar background.
• Gender—Jewish custom would have frowned upon a man talking with a woman he did not know or just met.
• Jesus crossed these barriers because had an appreciation for spirituality and the afterlife.

Addressing Spirituality—Jesus took into consideration where she was at spiritually.
• He did not criticize or try to correct her spiritual beliefs.
• The woman had some kind of understanding about God.
• She knew this God was to be worshipped.
• She knew this God promised to send a Messiah to His people.

He addressed the coming of the Messiah to her. This struck a chord with the woman who them told Jesus she knew the Messiah was coming and that when He comes, He will declare all things to us (to them).

Affecting Afterlife—After talking with Jesus, she went into the town and began inviting people to come check Jesus out.

If we hope to introduce and bring others to Christ, we too must cross ethical, moral, and gender barriers even though the scope of our barriers today are different than the one’s Jesus crossed.

Ethics deal with a set of rules that society establishes as to what is right and what is wrong. It is a set of rules that defines allowable actions or correct behavior.
• When society declares something to be right that God clearly declares to be wrong, kingdom citizens face barriers.

The moral barrier deals with an individual’s or a society’s view of what is basically right or wrong from in inward perspective. In other words, ethics is often the outward manifestation of inward moral standards and are viewed as acceptable as long as the ends justify the means.

Gender barriers today are very different than in Jesus’ day. Back then, and for many years, gender was based on reproductive roles. Today, society equates gender with sexuality or sexual attraction.

Crossing barriers does not mean we surrender to society’s view of what is ethical, moral, or how it views gender.
• It is God who ultimately sets the standards for what is right and wrong—morally and ethically.

Barriers emerge when you and I tend to view people, things, or circumstances as not being the way God intends for them to be. But that doesn’t mean we should never cross barriers to share Jesus with those do not hold to His views or standards.

Don’t be like the Pharisees and Scribes

Remember:

mission café
Sundays | 9:00-10:15am | Mission Cafe

worship
Sundays | 10:30am | Sanctuary
• If you're unable to join us in-person, you can watch live on Facebook or view later in the week on Facebook or YouTube or listen to an audio only version on Archive.

children’s worship
Sundays | 10:30am | Children’s Worship Room
• Ages 5 years old through 5th grade
• Does not meet on the first Sunday of each month.
• Contact Alyssa Newell for questions or more information.

men’s bible study
Tuesdays | 7:00-8:30pm | Mission Café
• Contact Paul Fitton or Larry Dobberstein for questions or more information.

church office open
Wednesdays | 11:00am-4:00pm

theology class
Wednesdays | 7:00-8:00pm | Main Foyer
• Closed course.

bible study
Thursdays | 9:30-11:30am | Online
• New study starting soon; open to new participants at any time.
• Contact Tina Wilburn for questions or more information.

women’s craft group
Thursdays | 6:30pm | Craft Room
• Contact Tracy Marshall for questions or more information.

coming soon
Blood Drive: Thursday, 5/21 | 12:30-5:30pm | Main Foyer

• Mary Buchert is recovering from AFib and water retention.
• Tina Chandler (Brandy Zantello's mom) is consulting with a surgeon for a 7-inch cyst on her liver.
• Vasha Ferguson has an endoscopy scheduled on Monday, 4/27.
• Janet (Julie Zantello & Chris Truer's sister) is having a shoulder replacement surgery on 4/30. She is pretty healthy but is 84 years old.
• Bruce Ferguson is recovering from a procedure to prepare his prostate and bladder for radiation. Pray that everything heals properly.
• Lennon McKamey is recovering from shoulder surgery.
• Stan & Jean Robinson and their family upon the loss of Stan's brother, Jerry, on 4/2.
• Vince Bryant (Miriam's son) is recovering from surgery. He is also continuing to lose his vision and is unable to drive. He is consulting a doctor to see if he can have a cornea transplant.
• Maria Saldana (director of So. Haven Childcare) is recovering from surgery.
• Debbie Foskett (Bill Foskett's mother) is recovering from surgery.
• Bobby Jo Williams is asking for prayers for her uncle Jack.
• John Seitz has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is scheduled for surgery on 5/11.
• Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com