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Sermon #1183

Bound to Share

A Sermon on John 4:28-30

Originally preached Jan. 28, 1968

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Scripture

John 4:28-30 ESV KJV
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. (ESV)

Sermon Description

The Christian is bound to share the good news that has changed their life. In his sermon on John 4:28–30 titled “Bound to Share,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones paints a vivid picture of the Christian and their compassion for the souls of the lost. The Christian knows the feeling of being both freed and forgiven from enslaving sin. If they have been saved, they know that they were only a great sinner in need of a great Savior. Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrates that conversion is like a sick person who is given a prescription that gives health and vitality again. When that person sees someone with that same ailment, they cannot help but speak of what made them well again with the hope that the other person will be healed. Similarly, someone who has been brought new life by the gospel cannot help but share it with others in need. Jesus does not only have compassion on His people and forgive them; He also gives them compassionate and forgiving hearts.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The woman of Samaria left her waterpot and went to tell others about Jesus after realizing who he was. This is the instinctive response of a Christian upon encountering Christ.
  2. We should examine ourselves to see if we behave like the woman of Samaria in spontaneously telling others about Jesus. This is the best way to test the genuineness of our faith.

  3. The woman was motivated by several reasons to tell others about Jesus:

  4. She had something to say and give, not just seeking salvation for herself. Christians have a message to share, not just seeking truth for themselves.

  5. She was fascinated by Jesus and wanted others to know him too.

  6. Jesus had done much for her - given her authority, rest for her mind, peace for her conscience, new life and power, hope and joy. Realizing this creates a desire to tell others.

  7. The woman was concerned for the people of her city, seeing the superficiality and futility of their lives without Christ. Christians should have a concern for those without Christ.

  8. The woman wanted others to share in the benefits she had received from Christ. Christians should want to share the "good news" with others so they can enjoy it too, not keep it to themselves.

  9. The story of the lepers who found food and treasure illustrates this - they couldn't keep it to themselves but had to tell the starving people of the city.

  10. Romans 1:16 illustrates this further - the gospel is the "prescription of God" for salvation. If we have the cure for what others suffer from, we must share it with them.

The Book of John

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.