Hiding in the City
September 22, 2019
The thought of impacting the city can seem overwhelming. Rather than allowing the size of the task paralyze us, we must recognize that the city begins when we cross the threshold of our house. We change the city by doing for one what we wish we could do for all. The person you stand behind in the line at the coffee shop or the cashier who serves you at the grocery store may be a person in whom God is doing a deep and important work. Following Jesus means joining Him in the work He is already doing. In part seven of For the City, we will see how Jesus applied this principle and how His simple encounter with one person changed an entire community.
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
John 4:1-30
What to expect from a person of peace:
- They will be open to the message of the Gospel
- They will connect you to other people in their world
How to Interact with a person of peace:
- Engage at a point of need
- Acknowledge what is broken
- Share the hope of the Gospel
How to find a person of peace:
Three Characteristics:
- They welcome you
- They are open and interested in your life as a follower of Jesus
- They assist or serve you in some way
Three Warnings:
- The encounter may not be convenient
- The encounter may not be with the person you expect
- You must be willing to risk meeting a “person of unpeace”
Daily Readings:
Sunday: John 4:1-30
Monday: Luke 7:1-10
Tuesday: Acts 8:26-40
Wednesday: Acts 10:9-11:1
Thursday: Acts 16:13-15 & 22-38
Friday: Luke 9
Saturday: Luke 10
Suggested Resources:
Beautiful Feet (2014)
30 Words (2018)