22 Jun Let’s Take Initiative for Gospel Movement in our City as Jesus Took in Samaria

“And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)

(Scripture References)

(Genesis 1: 26, 3:6 -24, Romans 5: 12, Jeremiah 29:7, John 3:16, Romans 6:23, John 4:1-39)

What is Gospel?

One day, I went to a known place and saw a little girl there. She was around four years old and was playing with a hundred rupee note. During her play, the note got torn all of a sudden. The child got scared thinking about what would happen. She tore that note into smaller pieces and hid them under the pillow. A while later, her mother came and asked her “Where is hundred rupee note? She told a lie saying, “I don’t know where the note is”. Her mother searched for the note and found small pieces of it under the pillow. She asked the child, “who did this?” The child replied that she did not know and that perhaps a rat might have torn it. I was standing there witnessing all these things. I was quite amazed and shocked to see this and this question came to my mind “Who taught her to tell a lie?”. From where did this nature enter? How did these things come to her mind? After studying the Bible for a long time, I came to know from where the seed of sin came into her.

Once upon a time, God created us and we had a wonderful relation with God, (“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1: 26, 2: 7, 3: 8) We sinned against God. God gave a commandment to Adam and Eve to not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6-7); but they disobeyed and ate from that tree and the relationship which we had with God, was broken (Genesis 3: 24). Thus, sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin. Death and sin came to all people, because all sinned (Romans 5: 12). There, I got the answer to the question, “where did the girl learn to tell a lie!”Today, people are dying in their sins; everywhere we hear “bad news” of murder, rape, robbery, exploitation, harassment etc. We have a responsibility towards our city. The Bible says that we should seek the peace and prosperity for the city where we live. (Jeremiah 29:7)

Today, everyone in our city wants to hear the good news. The literal meaning of “Gospel” is “Good News”, the Good News (Gospel) is that God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to save humans from their Sins and eternal separation from God (Hell). For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death (Romans 6: 23). We all were dying in our sins. Our destination was hell and eternal death, but first time in human history a unique thing happened. God Himself came in human body and died on the cross for our sins and rose to life after three days. There was one man whose name was John, when he saw Jesus for the very first time, He said “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1: 29).

Gospel movement in our city as Jesus brought in Samaria.

Jesus was always working hard and travelling from one place to another to share the Good News with people. We need to think; are we working hard and travelling to share the good News in our city?

Once, He (Jesus) wanted to go from Judea to Galilee and the Bible says, “Jesus had to go through Samaria.” John 4:3 4. The Samaritans were people whom the Jews despised and with whom they had a history of dispute Yet Jesus decided to go through Samaria. We need to think; are we making plans and strategies and decide in our hearts that we should go into our city?

The relations with these neighbors had so worsened over the years that the proud Jews would not eat, drink from their hands or talk to them. Today, we also have a worsened relationship with our neighbors in our city. Jesus took the initiative to go through Samaria. (John 4:4, 7) He built a bridge through a woman He met at the well. (John 4:6). We need to think, are we building bridges to provide people the “Life well spring” (Jesus Christ). The Samaritan woman was in need of water that’s why she came to drag water from the well at 12:00 noon and sixth hour according to Jewish time (John 4:6-7). Today, people of the city are also in desperate need of Living Water to fulfil their Spiritual thirst. He laid aside the Jewish pride and went as a person in need and asked for water. Not only did He lay aside His Jewish pride, but He also voluntarily gave up His divine powers and majesty. He is God, He did not need to ask anyone for water. If He gave a command to the well that ‘water should come out’, then water would come out for Him.

We need to think, are we living our lives in pride as the Jews lived at the time of Jesus or are we ready to become humble as Jesus, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” (Philippians 2:5-8). That Samaritan woman was amazed to see that a ‘high class’, ‘superior’ and ‘reputed’ Jew (John 4:9b) was asking for water, (John 4: 9a). Let us talk and share the gospel and amaze the people of our city with whom we have had no relationship or association for a long time.

The Jews lived under a presumption that God, His salvation and His blessings are for them alone. Other people around like Samaritans are despised and have no place in His Kingdom. They knew that the Samaritans were lost and living in error, but they only responded with spiritual pride and apathy towards them.

The society was divided between God’s people and the rest. Jesus crossed the boundaries to break the age-old barriers. He took initiative to build relationship overcoming the existing animosity. He found a person in need and gave her what she needed the most. He built on the commonality of spiritual heritage leading her from the truth she had known, to the discovery of the Gospel, the ultimate desire of all nations.

He led her to a personal encounter with the truth. Her life was immediately transformed to become a living witness to all her community. Through her, the city was opened to the Gospel and many came to meet and accept the Messiah.

Many in our cities are living depressed, unhappy; burdensome lives as all their efforts to have a meaningful happy life have failed. Their only hope is an encounter with Jesus. In God, we are the only ones through whom it can happen. THE CHURCH, the body of Christ through which Jesus, the Christ must go and meet the sheep outside the fold. Unless the body is willing and active, He (Jesus) cannot do it though He desires much. If today, we want to see The Gospel Movement in our city, then we (Church) also have to take initiative as Jesus took, we (Church) have to decide and be determined that I have to move in my city to share the gospel, build relationship with people, keep aside the pride of the so called “titles” and “positions” and become humble as Jesus became, to share the Gospel. Understand the urgency of providing the living water, then we will see the revival movement in our city as the revival came in Samaria that “many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him (Jesus) because of that woman’s Testimony (John 4:39).

Jesus is looking for someone who will walk in His footsteps and do what others won’t and reach out to humanity and bring Gospel movement in city.

May God use you for His Kingdom

Rev. Rahul Kuchekar, A former Computer Networking Engineer and Microsoft Certified System Engineer is a Theological Teacher and a Pastor in Delhi and He equips Bible College Students and Churches in Delhi & Dehradun for Evangelism. He is also committed to sharing the Gospel among Ishmaelite’s group. You can reach Rev. Rahul Kuchekar at rev.rahulkuchekar gmail.com