In Pastor Rick Lentz's sermon 'A Call to Testify,' the message is centered on the account of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well from the Book of John, chapter 4. The sermon underscores the power of personal testimony in leading others to faith, as illustrated by the woman's boldness in sharing her encounter with Jesus, which led many Samaritans to believe in Him. Pastor Rick highlights that, despite not having every detail of Jesus' life recorded in the Gospels, there is enough evidence to affirm His identity as the Christ and Savior. The sermon stresses the importance of adhering to the Word of God without inserting personal opinions, and it calls on believers to testify courageously about their faith. Pastor Rick also discusses the cultural prejudices of the time, noting Jesus' intentional engagement with the Samaritan woman as a model for breaking societal barriers. The sermon concludes with a call to action for believers to seize opportunities to share the Gospel, emphasizing that while believers cannot save anyone, they can share their personal experiences and let God work through their testimonies.

Praise God. We are obviously still in the book of John. We will be in the book of John for the duration. Should the Lord carry, we'll finish. But the text is up there.

I'm going to read it to you. Just John chapter four beginning at verse 39, it says, and many of the Samaritans of the city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified. This is what she said, quote, he told me all that I ever did, unquote. So when the Samaritans that came to him, they urged him to stay with them and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his own word.

Then they said to the woman, now we believe not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Lord, allow us by your grace to hear the challenge, but also, Lord, to see the fruit of a faithful testimony. And let us, Lord, respond to that challenge that we all are called to testify. As reiterated often and as we will continue to reiterate, it's really important to see why the Holy Spirit prompted John to write this. Because it reveals God's heart.

And if we once again refer to John chapter 20 beginning at verse 30. It says, and truly Jesus did many other things in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." What's John saying? John's saying you don't have everything that Jesus did here. You know, we don't have all the conversations. Jerry has looked at in John chapter 4, this woman at the well and Jesus asking for a drink.

We'll talk about that a little bit. But we don't have the whole conversation. We've got part of it. And it's always dangerous to assume that you know and can fill in the blanks because that just gets me in trouble every time I do that. So, and you can't preach from that.

But understand, although we don't have everything, we have enough. If we don't have everything that Jesus did and said written in this Gospel, We have enough to affirm that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and has called to be our Savior and Lord. It tells us in 1 Timothy, God's heart. John wrote it so that people would believe. God's heart revealed once again to us in 1 Timothy, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." So John writes the gospel so that all might believe, revealing the heart of God, revealing the heart of God that he desires all men to be saved. And as we read the Gospel, as we witness and testify and preach with the author's intent, we don't have the luxury of giving our own opinion. We need to stick to what the Word of God says and how he applies it to everything. Scripture teaches us that you and I are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And obviously every word we speak begins with a thought that we have.

This is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday, the day that we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. This is a little political aside. A lot of godless rallies yesterday about no kings. There's a phrase in the Old Testament that's one of the saddest phrases in scripture because it's God's people saying, we will not have this king rule over us People I want you to know there is a king His name is Jesus and he's come to rule And it's not a no Kings rally we're at this morning.

It is a kings rally. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And never forget that. All right, that's my political thing for today. We're done.

But as we understand what God is saying to us in this text, this call to testify, I trust that you understand the principle you can't give away what you don't have. Usually Gary sits over here so we can pick on Gary, but today he's in the back, but I can still pick on him. And I can tell you folks, I'd really love to give Gary a million dollars. Really love to. I don't have a million dollars.

So as much as I'd like to give it to Gary, I don't have it to give away. I can't give away what I don't have. If you have never seen yourself as a sinner, separated from God by your rebellious, willful attitude, been convicted of the power of the Holy Spirit to see your sin and ask Jesus to cleanse you and forgive you by His shed blood that He bore on Calvary's cross that we'll celebrate next Friday. And receive Him into your heart and life and surrender as your Lord and Savior. You can't give the gospel away, people.

Paul writes it in a rather unique way. I didn't give you that to put up your chest, sorry. In Romans chapter 1, beginning at verse 15, it says this, So as much as is in me, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. For the Jew first, also for the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, that just shall live by faith. In the King James Version, I love the King James Version because as much as in me is. It's kind of redundant, but what is it saying to us? It's quite simply saying, as much as is in me, in my life, am I living, have I surrendered to Jesus Christ? I'm ready to share.

If it's not reality, it's sounding brass. It's difficult to receive and it's difficult to hear. And so we have to recognize that reality. And I would encourage, urge, whatever the right verb is, that if you've never come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and surrender to him, today is the day. Don't leave here without speaking to somebody who can walk you through and encourage you on your walk.

But as we pick up this account in John we have Jesus obviously leaving Judea, he's traveling through some area, he stops at the place called Jacob's Well, and he begins this conversation with this woman. Now understand the prejudice of the time. Hate is not too strong about what the Samaritans felt for the Jews and the Jews for the Samaritans. I mean, it was contentious. And so first of all, we have Jesus deciding, the Jews would travel around Samaria to get someplace.

They'd go way out of their way, not to go through that country. Jesus walks into that country and stops at the well of Jacob. And he begins this conversation. And I pick it up in verse 19 of John chapter four, I'm just going to briefly read this. The woman, this is after they have this conversation about, I'd like a drink of water, you don't have anything to draw the water out of, the water that I would give you, et cetera.

And he said, call your husband, I'm not living with that husband, I'm living with a man. And the woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you, Jesus, say that in Jerusalem is a place where one ought to worship. But Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know.

We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming and now is important, the hour is coming, now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to Him, I know the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ.

When He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He." Okay? Just the account. But Jesus has now not only revealed to her all that she did, her past, her life, her sin, that He is the promised Christ, the one who has come to forgive the people of their sins. And he tells her, I am Him.

I am the Christ. I am He. And as he reveals himself to her, We have the rest of this story in a sense where the woman then left her water pot, went her way in the city, and said to the men, come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? Well, he told her he was the Christ.

What is she doing? You know, she's kind of salting the oats, if you will. She's proclaiming, maybe you should check this out. Maybe you should come and see. Maybe you should stop for a minute and understand what was going on.

Because even as we just read this, and could this be the Christ, We know from Proverbs, a true witness delivers souls, but the deceitful witness speaks lies. And so in this scenario, in this setting, we have the understanding that you and I have to begin to apply to our lives, Jesus overcame all the prejudices of the culture. And he engaged her in the conversation because he always engages. It's always Jesus who initiates, always. And as he engaged her in this conversation and revealed all that she was and all that she had done in all of her past, we're not told that she repents and asks him to forgive her, but you can assume by her testimony going back into the city that something has happened.

And it's very unusual, first of all, for a woman to speak to the men of the city, highly out of the culture. Even more unusual is a woman who is known as a sinner and everybody in town obviously knew what was going on that she would be even given an ear to speak to the people. And yet we're told she was bold. We're told that she went and began to talk to these men of the city and we asked them the question, could this be the Christ? And our text picks it up when they're responding to her conversation.

But can we picture ourselves for a minute being the woman? I'm not talking about living in the sin. I'm talking about being bold, being confident enough in my confrontation with Jesus, my interaction with Jesus, that I would go and speak when God asked me to go and speak. Because that's our testimony. That's our call.

I remember a time, and I'm just going to stop for a minute, when we go and speak, we need to go with a thought that we're going to be heard. Now we may not be heard, okay, but that's up to God. That's not ours. But you and I want to be found faithful. Many, many years ago, And there's probably very few people who would ever remember this, but there was a bakery across the street from St.

Vincent's Bellin Hospital called Immel's Bakery. Guy's name was Gus Immel. He asked me about bakeries in Dairy Queens, I know about this. But a lady who worked at Immel's Bakery called up Brother Mert and asked him to come and talk to her because she was really struggling. And he invited me to go along.

And didn't know this woman. Nobody had a relationship with any of it. So obviously out of a comfort zone, but out of an opportunity to share the Lord, we went. And in this lady's conversation, she's telling us, my marriage is a mess, finances are a mess. My children are a mess.

My life is a mess. And Mert shared, perhaps, Jesus Christ is the answer to a new life. Would you be interested? And we shared the Gospel about the sin, repentance. So would you be interested in surrendering?

She said no. I'd like to tell you that I know the end of that story. I don't. But I know that we went, as you and I are sent to go with the thought that we're going to be heard. That the message we share is truth and that by the message we share as truth, God will use it.

Back to our story. Here's this woman creating this interest in the men of the city. Could this be the Christ? And the evidence that she gives them is that he told me everything I did. That's everything.

I had to stop when I was reading this text over and over again to realize God knows everything I've done and you. Sin, rebellion, independence. I mean, the whole gamut. And this was all revealed to her by Christ. And as Jesus revealed this to her, obviously she felt ashamed knowing that this was the Christ, this was the one.

But We pick it up and it says in verse 39, many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified. He told me that all I did. So by her very testimony of this interaction with the Lord Jesus Christ, It says many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him. That's important. Because you begin to see what's going to happen.

You begin to see how this testimony of one sinful woman to a group of men began to affect the whole community. And When the Bible says all, it means all. So when it says, He told me all that I did, it means all that I ever did. From the psalm it says, Oh, give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples." He knows all that we did. It's our testimony to declare what He has done.

It's our testimony to declare what God has done. And by an active response to what this woman told them, they went out and talked to Jesus. And it says, when the Samaritans had come to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. So what a response. Here we have a woman testifying to the men.

They gave her an ear. They listened to what she had to say, they went out, they heard him, and then they urged him to stay for a while. We know from previous scriptures and from sermons that there were many opportunities where the scribes and the Pharisees began to confront Jesus and tried to trick him, tried to trap him. This was not their motivation. They wanted to know more about who this was.

They wanted to know Him. And He stayed there two days. Matthew instructs us along the way, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled. These men of the city coming out to interview, to interrogate, to commune with Jesus were hungering and thirsting for what he had to say. And if you've been born again by the Spirit of God, that hunger and thirst should be in you and in me.

That we would spend time with him in his word, that we would recognize what God is trying to do in my life and in your life in transforming us, that you and I would become the people God has called us to become, that we would embrace, Lord, the truth of 2 Corinthians 5, if any man be in crisis a new creation, all things are passed away. That whole process of sanctification, which is difficult, which is painful at times, and yet it's so God-honoring because he's transforming you and I to become who he's called us to be and function as he's called us to function. And it tells us this, and further on in the text, it says, many more believed because of his own word. Many more believed because of his own word. The fruit of righteousness is the tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." So we have this picture, if you will, begins with a personal intervention of Jesus Christ in a life.

And she's courageous enough, as you and I are to be courageous enough, to go and tell. This is what happened to me. He told me everything. He knows my thoughts, all my deeds, just like he knows everything that you and I did. And the men of the city received that, they went out and it's as many more believed.

So now there was this expanding circle of influence that this one person had on this whole community. Acts chapter one verse eight tells us you and I are to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, the othermost parts of the world. That's our call to witness, just as it was this woman's opportunity. And in verse 42, it says, they said to the woman, now we believe not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him and know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the world. It became personal with them.

They heard from Jesus. You can hear, people hear from Jesus through the Word of God. And we have this to share with them. And it wasn't just because of this person's opinion, it was because they heard from Jesus. There's a story about D.L.

Moody walking down the street with a man in Chicago and there was a rather inebriated man sitting on the sidewalk and as D.L. Moody passed the man said D.L. Moody I'm one of your converts and he said you must be because Christ hasn't gotten a hold of you yet. People they need to hear God's Word. And they need to hear it from as you and I not only can speak it, but live it.

But I don't want to minimize her effect. I don't want to minimize her effort. I don't want to minimize the influence that she had because they were motivated by her conversation with Jesus and then ultimately her testimony to them to go for themselves and find out. You and I don't have the power to save anybody, but we do have opportunity to share with them what Christ has done for me and for you. Just like this woman.

And to go and tell. And she motivated these people. And so as I'm pondering this text for myself and I'm asking you to ponder it again, I'm asking the question, are we motivating people to come to Christ? Are we motivating people to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior like we know Him? Because that's our call.

John chapter 17 says, I've given to them the words which you've given to me. They have received them and have known surely that I came forth from you and that they believe that you sent me. We have a place to testify. We have an opportunity to testify. Paul says in Romans 1 as I shared with you, it says, as much as is in me, I'm ready to preach, because I'm not ashamed of the Gospel.

The work isn't completed in any of us, But oftentimes we're given an opportunity to share what Christ has done to influence many. Right after Jesus showed me my sin and my need for a Savior. And I shared with the minister of our church, and this was in the spring and early summer, Thanksgiving time was coming around. And he said to me, Rick, would you share at the Thanksgiving service? Now, this was Not a huge denominational church in Wausau, but there were 150, 200 people.

Very influential people in that city. President of Wausau Homes, President of Marathon Electric, president of Marathon Press. I mean, a lot of people. And he said, would you share Thanksgiving? And I said, I'd be happy to share, but you know what I'm going to share.

And he said, yeah, I want you to. Thanksgiving service came around and I was given an opportunity and I shared my testimony of how I was a sinner that needed a savior and Jesus Christ revealed himself to me and Because of his shed blood on Calvary's cross, I could be forgiven. I asked him to come into my heart to rule and to reign as my Lord and Savior. It was obviously as like I'm preaching today as I'm sharing then. You can see the effect on people's faces.

You could begin to see the convicting power. You could see what God was trying to do. And these very influential men, I'll just never forget, were sitting right in this front pew, and tears began to come in his eyes. And I'm thinking, this is God moving in this congregation. And the man, the pastor, minister got up behind me and he said, well people I just want you to know this was good for Rick, but it's not good for everybody.

And it crushed my heart. Because God had opened up a door, and with no glory to myself at all, God began to speak and create a desire and a hunger and thirst in the people there, and it was quickly squashed. But it didn't stop the reality that there was an opportunity. And my point in sharing that account is that not that we want any honor or glory or ye me, but that God will open up a door. That's our prayer.

That's our prayer in our mission statement, that God would open up a door of opportunity to speak the mysteries of Christ. And when he opens that door, people be faithful. Be faithful to respond. Because He's given us spheres of influence, if you will. Our neighborhood, our family, our jobs, wherever it might be.

And it said, They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk of your power, to make known the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. In Colossians chapter 1 it says, He's delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. That's the kingdom. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk about your power to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

Your king is an everlasting, that's the kingdom that you and I, if you've been born again, have been translated to. We've got something to share. I've been given a new life. There was a book written by a President's adopted son who gave his life to Jesus Christ as a Savior and Lord. The title of the book was Twice Adopted.

He was adopted by his family, adopted now into the family of God. You and I have been adopted. You and I have been translated, transported, transferred from the power of darkness, delivered into the kingdom of His love. Share that. The woman shared it.

Many believed. You and I share it. And let God have the results. But we're given testimony in scripture of the results. I want you to read one.

One of the two who heard John speak, followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. And he first found his own brother Simon and said to him, we have found the Messiah which is translated to Christ, and he brought him to Jesus. Let's think of that for a minute. Who did Andrew bring to Jesus? Peter.

You and I, one day, perhaps we'll have an opportunity to see those who God has used us. Josh talked about a ministry fair, And some of the opportunities in that ministry fair will be to bear testimony of who Jesus Christ is in your heart and life. Whether it's just by serving, whether it's by reaching out at the county fairs, outreaches, whether it's just being an example and encouragement one to another, it's important that we seize these opportunities that we're called to testify. Because however it all ends up, people, it's all God's amazing grace. And you and I have a part in sharing it.

Lord, I thank you for this morning. Just thank you for the opportunity we have to just see this little glimpse of the influence a sinful woman had on a community. And to get a vision, Lord, in my mind and all of our minds, a vision of how we might be used to extend your kingdom by a life lived for your honor and glory. Lord, we recognize the work is yours. The forgiveness is only through your shed blood.

That we can never earn, Lord, a right relationship with you. But Lord, that we can share what you have done in our lives courageously, that others might come to know you as well. We just ask this this morning in your name. Amen.