Saved and Sent

6 · Pivots from the theological framing to the narrative context in which the parable appears

But where does this parable come to us?

7 · Recounts the narrative context of John 4—Jesus' countercultural journey through Samaria, the ethnic hostility between Jews and Samaritans, the woman's marginalized status, Jesus' revelatory knowledge of her life, and her immediate evangelistic response

If you have read your Bible and you know this story, you know that that Jesus and his disciples were on a journey, right? And they ended up going crazy through Samaria. Okay, Jews did not go through Samaria. Okay, they actually took the long way around and went around Samaria. Why?

Well, there was a little bit of beef, if you will, between the Samaritans and the Jews. Part of it was because the Jews looked at the Samaritans as kind of half-breeds. They were from interbreeding with those who had conquered them, right? And they were like, "Oh, no." And they also didn't worship in Jerusalem like they were supposed to. They worshiped in Samaria.

And because of those things, they would go around.

And Jesus is like, "Hey, we're going through." through there. And once they get to the well, he sits down at the well and his disciples head into town to go get some food, right? And then this lady comes, this lady that would have been labeled even in Samaritan society an immoral woman. She's been married multiple times.

And she's coming in the middle of the day where she wouldn't be bothered by the stares and the points and the whispers.

And Jesus starts talking to her, and she says, "Why are you, a Jew, talking to me, a Samaritan?" A Samaritan.

And then they have a conversation about the different things that they— how they worship differently.

And then Jesus tells her something, right? He says, "Hey, go get your husband." She says, I don't have one.

He said, you're right, you've had 5, and the man you're living with now is not your husband.

She said, huh? Okay, she probably didn't say that. I don't know, it doesn't say that in Scripture. I would have been like, huh?

And she goes. And she tells everyone that she comes across, "Hey, you gotta come see this guy. He told me everything I ever did."

8 · Announces the sermon's three-part structure (who, where, how) and states the central thesis that Jesus saves people and then sends them

So in this story of— we call it, you know, the woman at the well or Jesus with the Samaritan woman— we see 3 things about mission emerge from this story. Okay, we see who is sent, we see where they are sent, and we see how they are sent. And these 3 things combine to show us that Jesus saves people and then sends them into the harvest of salvation.

9 · Refutes individualistic and passive understandings of salvation, asserting that Jesus saves individuals, incorporates them into a community, and sends that community to others

You see, Jesus doesn't just save people for the sake of saving them and then they sit around with their bongos and they sing Kumbaya, my Lord, or like, you know, whatever. None of that. It's not just, hey, it's me and my Bible and Jesus. No, Jesus saves a person and then he joins them to a people and then he He sends that people to other people.

10 · Traces the biblical-theological arc from Israel's failed mission to bring the nations, to Jesus' successful gathering of the nations, to the church's participation in that ongoing mission

You see, Israel was to bring the nations to the Lord.

And they failed. If you haven't read that part, they failed. And then Jesus comes. Succeeds in bringing the nations to himself because he is the Lord. And this woman, this woman is one of the firstfruits of that.

But he doesn't stop there.

He then saves other people out of other nations That's us. We're not Jews here.

And he brings them into a church together. Then he sends them to others and he enables them to do likewise and to bring the nations to Jesus.

11 · Reiterates the sermon's thesis and transitions into the first major section on who is sent

So while we're looking at this, let's just remember Jesus saves people and then sends them into the harvest of salvation. Okay? So first thing.

12 · Begins answering the first question—who is sent—by examining both the immediate audience (the twelve disciples) and the broader pattern (anyone who encounters Jesus and recognizes Him as Messiah)

Who is sent? Who is sent? We see both in just the short 35 through 41, the short text, and also in the whole story of the woman at the well that people are sent. But which ones? Well, let's look at it.

Jesus is telling this parable to whom?

His disciples. His disciples, the 12 guys.

So who's sent? Well, not just them.

I think the woman is sent too. But let's say everyone who has an encounter with Jesus and is convinced that he's the Messiah. That's who is sent.

13 · Establishes that those who are harvested become harvesters—they are first saved and then sent—and connects this to the vision in Revelation of a multiethnic people before the Lamb

Everyone who has an encounter with Jesus and is convinced that he's the Messiah, that's who's sent. And the disciples, they know it. They know he's the Messiah, and he's directly addressing them with this parable. They're the ones sent to the harvest. They're the ones who were first harvested and then sent out to others.

Jesus sends his people out to harvest his people. So who are his people? Well, you know, we've been looking at Revelation lately. Oh, it's the number. No, it's not the number.

But we've seen over and over, right, this multiethnic people of God gathered before the Lamb on the throne.

14 · Identifies the Samaritan woman as the second example of one who is sent, showing that Jesus sent her immediately after her encounter with Him

And there's another one sent in this story, and it's the woman.

She was sent to go get her husband. See, she had an encounter with Jesus. That encounter was such that she saw that he was the Messiah, and then he sent her to get others.

15 · Argues that God sends ordinary sinful people, not spiritual elites—both the disciples and the adulterous woman were sinners who encountered Jesus and were sent

All who have had an encounter And look, guys, it's not just the perfect people either who are sent. It's not the special people. It's not the disciples who, you know, we look at as this like special class of people. Well, they became apostles. Yeah, that just means— you know what apostles means?

It means one who is sent.

Now sure, there was the office of apostle and there's something different about these guys and their authority in the early church. But you know what? Before that, they were just regular folks, probably quite sinful as well. Maybe not as sinful as this woman, but they were they still had sin that needed to be paid for. This woman was known as an adulterer.

She had a number of husbands and was now living with a guy.

If you're from the South, you've heard the term "shacked up." They were shacked up. But she had an encounter with Jesus, and then Jesus said, "Go get the man you're living with." But why?

16 · Interprets Jesus' instruction to the woman to get her husband as motivated by His desire for shared joy in the harvest—both His joy and hers

Why would Jesus specifically go through Samaria to meet this woman and then tell her to go get her husband when he knew she wasn't married?

He tells us why. That sower and reaper might rejoice together. See, he's the sower. He's the sower. He's the one who's been throwing these seeds out since the beginning, I would say.

And now he's saying, hey, hey, you who have just had an encounter with me, go get "Go get your man and bring him here." Why? I think it was Jesus' intent to do something with that man as well. Why? So that Jesus might rejoice in another being saved and this woman would rejoice as well. See, there's joy in this sending, and Jesus is the one who's the sower ultimately.

17 · Traces the line of sowers from the Old Testament prophets through John the Baptist to Jesus, showing the disciples (and by extension the church) enter into the harvest work begun by these earlier laborers

But there were others as well. I'd say the Old Testament prophets.

From Adam to Moses to David to Jeremiah to Malachi, finally to John the Baptist, and ultimately in Jesus.

And then he says, "Hey, you're going to enter into their work and begin reaping."

18 · Applies the theological claim to the congregation by asking them to recognize themselves as part of the harvest who were brought in by someone who was sent, establishing the pattern they are now to continue

But church, the thing that we've got to realize here, the question I have for you: Do you see yourself as part of the harvest? See, we must see that we are a part of the harvest before we can see ourselves as harvesters. We must understand the grace of the Lord Jesus as extending to us before it extends through us. If we don't see that someone was harvested before us and then sent to us, we will never go to others. So who was sent to you?

Who did the Lord use to preach the gospel to you in both word and deed? You see, Jesus saves people and then he sends them into the harvest of salvation. So who was sent to you?

Because he sends people to other people for the sake of the harvest.

19 · Signals the transition from the first major section (who is sent) to the second (where they are sent)

So now our second section here: where are they sent?

20 · Introduces the two categories of sending—general and specific—and begins with the first: general sending, which is simply being sent wherever you already are

So from this passage we can see that people are sent in two different ways. I'd say two kind of categories, all right? The first category is a general sending. This is where the church is sent.

The church is sent into the harvest where they are.

Nothing special about being a missionary or being commissioned to do a certain work. The disciples, that's the entire church at the time, was sent out to the harvest.

21 · Expounds Jesus' instruction to the disciples to lift up their eyes and see the ready harvest, interpreting it as a call not to be distracted from the evangelistic opportunity right in front of them

He said to the disciples, "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white white for harvest, he's saying if you just look, you will see people around you who are part of that harvest. Don't get distracted. Don't get too busy. Don't be spending your energy and effort in other places. The fields are white with harvest.

22 · Illustrates modern distractions from the harvest mission using contemporary cultural and political concerns—gas prices, the economy, and government reform

And there's a lot of things. We can get distracted with today, right? I mean, man, have you seen the price of gas?

Crazy, right? Like, dadgummit, man.

So we could get distracted with like, hey, we got to fix the economy. I don't know if everyone who wants to fix the economy speaks like that. I'm sorry, that was Maybe a little harsh. Whether you're on the left or the right side of the aisle, you can look at our government and say, "We gotta fix our government." There's all sorts of things that we can get involved in that could be distracting, that might not be bad things, but they're not the main thing.

23 · Asserts that cultural and political engagement is secondary to the harvest mission and introduces the concept of an exile's mindset as the required perspective

You see, the main thing is that the fields are white with harvest.

These things are all secondary to reaching Jesus' people. And it requires a mindset, a mindset shift that many of us don't have. Okay? It requires an exile's mindset. All right?

24 · Develops the exile mindset concept through two pieces: (1) seeing your saved purpose as being sent into the harvest, not political intervention, and (2) recognizing your allegiance belongs to Christ's kingdom, not to America or political parties

The first piece of this mindset shift is seeing that you were saved for a purpose, and that purpose is not governmental intervention. Okay? There are very few Christians who are called to participate in government, I think. Okay, I'm not the Lord. Okay.

This is me talking. I think very few.

There are very few Christians who I think are positioned and equipped to impact the economy in any meaningful way.

But you know what every Christian is equipped to do? They're equipped to be sent to those around them. Every Christian is. And your first purpose, if indeed the Lord has saved you, is one who is sent into the harvest. You must see that as priority number one.

The second piece of this mindset shift to an exile mindset is seeing that you do not belong to this world. I see that in the temptation of being an American. 'Murica! I love 'Murica.

But you're— the temptation of being an American or a Democrat or a Republican, or if you're a libertarian, you're saying, 'Even better, a libertarian.' I know who you are. I see you.

Love you guys.

Or a worker in a firm, in a big company. You know, all of that stuff takes a back seat when you realize you belong to a different kingdom. Your allegiance is not owed to America or to Democrats or Republicans or your company. No, your allegiance, it lies to the kingdom of Christ. It's where it belongs.

And we're called to impact worldly kingdoms for the better. But how do we do that?

How can we impact the kingdoms of the world for better? It's with an exile mindset. You see, when God sent his people into exile in Babylon, I'm sure that there were a lot of things they could have looked at and said, "You know what? This place is godless. You know what we need to do?

We need to go and protest the idol worship that's going on at the temple of Marduk. That's what we need to do. We need to lobby the government to change their idolatrous practices so that things would change and we could live a better life here." I'm sure there were a lot of things that they could have gotten involved in, even work-wise, and kind of infiltrated some things and made it a little bit different, right? But what did God tell them? He said in Jeremiah 29:7, not 11, 7.

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.

Seek the welfare of this godless pagan nation who just came and conquered you brutally. Pray for them.

And pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

25 · Argues that the gospel, not economic or political systems, is the greatest catalyst for human flourishing in history, and therefore the way to make the world better is to preach the gospel where you are sent

Now look, guys, when you examine the history of the world, the greatest tool of human flourishing is not economic prosperity.

It's not a free and democratic society. It is not freedom for the sake of freedom. What is the single biggest cause of human flourishing Every time it has come to a society, it's the gospel. The gospel and the change at a small level, the level of individuals being saved and brought together to create a new community and culture down here, not up here. That is the greatest tool of human flourishing.

You want to see the world made a better place?

And see where the Lord has sent you and preach the gospel there.

26 · Explains the weekly dismissal practice and corrects the translation of Matthew 28, showing that 'going' is assumed and the command is to make disciples wherever you are going

Notice he tells his disciples that they are sent not to a certain place, but just sent. That's why we end our service every week with what words?

Come on, say it together. Cross of grace, you are sent.

There is a commissioning that happens every week, and it's you're sent to wherever you're going, sent by him. You know, in Matthew 28, we often translate that word "go" as if it were an imperative, but it's not. It's not. It's participle. And so it's more like going.

Okay, so, hey, going. Oh, I'm going already. As you go, everywhere you're going, then comes the imperative, the command: Make disciples. So there's a general sending into the harvest.

27 · Introduces the second category of sending—specific sending to particular places—using the Samaritan woman as the example of someone sent where she would be uniquely effective

But there are some also sent to specific places.

This is the woman from the well. You see, she was sent to get her husband, which she didn't have. She was sent to get him, and as she went, she got others as well. She couldn't help telling people, "Come see the man who told me all I ever did." See, she had an encounter with Jesus and was changed and told told people about it and brought them along with her.

She was sent to a place she would be more effective than the other disciples were.

28 · Uses the pastor's own upcoming move to Prague as a personal illustration of specific sending—going to a place where they experienced fruitfulness, not because of special status

You know, this is a part of the call that the Lord has on our lives to go back to Prague. You know, there are very few Christians there. You heard me say that earlier. And it's not like we're going there to do something special. We're going there to do the exact same thing we're doing here.

I'm going to go and be a pastor. My wife's going to go and be a teacher. Okay, there's no like special seasoning that gets sprinkled on us when we go somewhere. No, we're going back there because we experienced a level of effectiveness and fruitfulness that was like, okay, yeah, we can be effective there and they just need more people. And, you know, it doesn't mean we're special.

It doesn't mean the Lord loves us differently or especially. He sent this woman to where she would be more effective than the disciples were. It's just that simple.

29 · Reiterates that whether generally or specifically, all disciples are sent into the harvest, and the Christian's responsibility is obedience to that sending

But he sends us all.

Every single disciple he sends into the harvest because Jesus saves people.

And then sends them into the harvest of salvation. He's the one who sends, and our call is to be obedient to the sending.

30 · Begins applying the teaching about where we are sent by introducing the strategy of targeting 'people of peace'—a term borrowed from a writer

So how can you be more effective in the place that the Lord has sent you? Well, I would say the first thing is to target what one writer calls people of peace.

31 · Establishes that the 'people of peace' concept is not merely pragmatic strategy but has biblical warrant

And we see this as being a biblical thing.

32 · Cites Jesus' instruction in Matthew 10 about finding worthy houses as biblical precedent for the 'people of peace' strategy

You know, when Jesus sends the 12 out in Matthew 10, he says, "As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you."

33 · Applies the 'people of peace' principle by instructing the congregation to look for people who are not openly hostile to the gospel, acknowledging that all are naturally at enmity with God

Look for people who are not overtly hostile to the gospel. Why do I say overtly?

Well, Scripture's clear that all of us are at enmity with God. Outside of his gracious saving work. There are those who are not overtly hostile. Look for them. Look for them.

34 · Instructs believers to be known as Christians through both words and deeds, but emphasizes that words are essential—living a good life alone will rarely prompt questions about faith

And then you just have to be known as a Christian in both word and deed. Why do I say word and deed? Well, words are important.

The deeds help give credence to the words, but the words have to be there. You know, we get it twisted sometimes, right? We're like, "Oh, if I just live a good life, like, they're going to ask." They don't care. I've been walking with the Lord since '07. I've had 3 people ask.

3 people. Maybe your life's different and you've had a lot of people ask. I've had 3.

You've got to be speaking, speaking the words of life.

35 · Exhorts boldness in gospel proclamation and assures the congregation that harvest work done with God's Word as the instrument cannot fail

Be bold when the opportunity arises to speak the gospel to those who need it, remembering that Jesus saves people and then sends them into the salvation. Look, your harvesting will be effective. If you're using God's Word as your sickle, your harvesting instrument, cannot— that harvest cannot be frustrated.

36 · Signals the transition to the third major section on how people are sent

Finally, very quickly, how are they sent?

37 · Introduces the four-part answer to how we are sent and begins with the first: we are sent with Jesus' authority, which overrides all other authorities

I think we're sent in 4 ways. We're sent with Jesus's authority, with his empowering, with his word, and finally with his presence. All right, so Jesus tells the disciples, which includes us as disciples here today, "I sent you to reap for that which you did not labor." Jesus sends us his authority. Overrides everything, the one who has all authority in heaven and earth, he says, "I sent you." We go in that authority.

38 · Develops the remaining three ways we are sent: (2) with Jesus' empowering because the hard work of atonement is done, (3) with Jesus' word which is effective for salvation, and (4) with Jesus' presence promised until the end of the age

We're sent with Jesus empowering. He says, "I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you have entered into their labor." He's saying, hey, the The hard work is already done. Hard work is done.

You get to do the easy part. You get to do the part that brings joy when you see people respond to the gospel. You don't have to do the hard toil. You don't have to do the thing that you can't do, which is provide a sacrifice for cleansing from their sins. No, you just go.

Hard work's done. Enter into this labor. And we go with Jesus' word. At the end of this, verse 41 tells us about the response of the Samaritans, right? And many more believed.

Why? Why did they believe? Because of his word.

The word The Word of God contains a record of God's dealing with mankind.

The Word of God contains the revelation of God to man. The Word of God contains the Gospel, which it says is the power of God for salvation for all who believe. The Word is what we are sent with. The word is effective. And finally, we're sent with Jesus' presence.

At the end of Matthew 28, what's the last thing he says to the disciples?

"Surely I am with you to the end of the age." And what's that age? The gospel age. It is the age from the time that Jesus was ascended until Jesus comes back. That's the age. So he's with us through it all.

39 · Concludes the sermon's argument by affirming that we are not sent alone but with Jesus, and that He will accomplish the harvest of every tribe and nation through His Word and Spirit working through His people

And he sends us out not alone. Not alone.

We go with him because Jesus saves people and then sends them. Into the harvest of salvation. And He will bring about that harvest. He will bring about the glorious salvation of His people through His Word which conquers every tribe and people and nation. And He will do it through His Word by His people taking that Word under His authority, empowered by His By my Spirit.

That's how we go. That's how we're sent, in his presence.

40 · Transitions from the sermon to communion with instructions for participants and non-participants, citing Paul's warning about unworthy partaking

And now we join him at his table, enjoying his presence through a feast of the elements symbolizing his body broken for us and his blood poured out for us. If you're not a believer, we would just ask you to not partake of the elements of the Lord's table. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord." This is a meal for the gathered family of the Lord.

Therefore, if you're not part of that family, just observe.

If, however, you've come to faith and repentance for the forgiveness of sins in, in the blood of Jesus shed for us, this meal is for you.

41 · Leads the congregation in the bread portion of communion with the reading of Paul's institution narrative from 1 Corinthians 11

So, church, let's open up our bread.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11, for I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Church, let's eat the bread.

Amen.

42 · Brief transition instruction for the cup portion of communion

Let's open the juice.

43 · Leads the congregation in the cup portion of communion with the reading of Paul's continuation of the institution narrative

The apostle continues in verse 25: In the same way also he took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." Let's take the cup and drink.

44 · Poses a rhetorical question to connect the communion liturgy back to the sermon's theme

Maybe you're asking the question, Hey, there are a lot of communion passages. Why did we read that one today?

45 · Connects communion to the sermon's mission theme by showing that taking communion itself is a proclamation of Christ's death until He comes—which is the message we are sent to proclaim

Paul tells us in verse 26, for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. That is what we are sent into the harvest to proclaim, that Jesus saves people through His death and resurrection, and then He sends them into the harvest to tell about His glorious coming again and to see His kingdom expand.

46 · Final dismissal commissioning the congregation as sent people with the church's characteristic benediction

And now, Cross of Grace Church, We're going to end our service by saying you are sent to proclaim that.