"Tonight's menu is..."

John 4:31-38
“Tonight’s Menu is…”

Background about this text. Jesus just got finished talking with the Samaritan Women at the well. He told her the truth about salvation and that He was the Messiah, the savior. She believed and went and told others

Back track to verses 7-9 Jesus was thirsty and obviously hungry because His disciples went into the city to buy food. So what happened? They came back

Verse 31-34 Jesus’ disciples had a desire to take care of Jesus and His needs so they wanted to bring Him food. They were confused they though someone else brought Him food.

Jesus then taught them a deep spiritual truth, where does you satisfaction come from? What is on the menu of your life? Something the disciples needed to learn and we today need to learn is where true satisfaction comes from. What type of life do you want to order. As a believer in Jesus you will not be satisfied living for only your self.


Verse 34 Jesus here is getting more specific about what this food is, it is spreading the good news of God’s love and salvation to sinners.

Food brings us energy, strength, rejuvenation and satisfaction, Jesus is telling us here that what He was just doing brings energy, strength, rejuvenation and satisfaction spiritually.

Kingman Brewster said, "There is a tremendous satisfaction in losing your own identity in something that is much more important than you are."

Verses 35-38 Jesus then makes an application of farming like He does much of the time to use the media of His day to teach the people.

Verses 35 Look at the fields they are white which was a reference to corn ready to be harvested. You wait until the time of harvest and then you reap the harvest or gather the corn, you would not put if off because you will lose the crop and it is something that you have been waiting for. And it is something of value and you would live off of. They picked the corn.

In the same way there are always people around us that are of value need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and experience the love of God through us. and we should not put that off, when we put that first it is satisfying. It is urgent, pressing and necessary. Like food is necessary for us to live, spreading the Word and sharing God’s Love is necessary for others to have eternal life.

Verses 36 It is profitable, obviously farming and harvesting the crop is profitable for a farmer, to make money and eat.

We profit from spreading the Word, as we talked about a few weeks ago there is reward for the works we do, especially for preaching the Gospel.

What is the Gospel??

Verses 37-38 Jesus was saying a few things here…One is that we all have different functions and play a different role in spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Some are gifted with speaking, some with behind the scenes work, some with arts and music, some with praying with people, some with being there in a time of trouble but all are striving toward a common goal spreading God’s love.

The “others” He is talking about are the OT prophets set the ground work for people to come to faith in Christ. Verse 25 The women knew the Messiah was coming.

Jesus was telling His followers this is something that people know about.

When I was in New York a Jewish guy came up to me and asked me why Jesus was called the Lamb of God. So when I connected that to Exodus and the Passover he understood why John the Baptist called Him the Lamb of God.

Living in a biblically illiterate society, what is the ground work set before us? The bible talks about how the creation of this world and everything in it displays the works of God Romans 1:20 also Psalm 19 that was read.

That is why teaching kids that the world was not created is actually a sneak attack on the Christian faith and undermines the Word of God. The fact of the creation is what we call general revelation from God, that means that everyone can realize it and see there is a creator.
Where are all the Christians? When we go to work or school, out into the community spending time with family and friends, what are you thinking about, are you praying that God will give you opportunities to share His love and message with them? Col 4:2-6 says to pray for opportunities

Howard Hendricks
In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.
Which reminds me that Wednesday May 7th we are starting or Doctrine, Theology and Apologetics class. In this class you will learn the main doctrines of the Bible and we will have a class one Wednesday night a month.
It is important for us to know what we believe and why
As many of you know last week I was away with a team from our high school group in NYC doing mission work, I want to tell you what happened with the sole purpose of encouraging you.
We worked with Larry Stamm with Jew for Jesus and passed out 7,500 tracts

Fed 477 less fortunate people breakfast in lower Manhattan with Fathers Heart Ministry

Sorted clothes that partners with 180 ministries in the city with the World Vision Store House. Brand new women’s clothes donated by the Dress Barn so many poor less fortunate moms can have some dignity restored for Mothers Day

Went out with two relief busses that give out soup and connect people with resources so they can clean their lives up.

I would say each bus met the needs of 50-100 people each in Newark NJ and Elizabeth NJ.

So just a few days of work for 30 people impacted roughly 9,000 people, divided by 30 people is 300 people each divided by 3 days is 100 people per-day. Image having an impact for Jesus Christ on 100 per day?

I have to say I was so proud of the high school students and the leaders because they were doing all the work and everyone served a different function and helped in different ways for the greater purpose of spreading the Word

It is nearly impossible for us in everyday life to impact 100 lives a day but I would like to encourage us to have an impact on one person a day. Maybe you will not share the Good news about Jesus with them but maybe you can just be an example of God’s love to them. It can be the same person everyday.

Just imagine if we asked the Lord everyday to bring one person in our paths to share with or help in the name of Jesus. If 100 us even impacted one person a week that would be 52 people a year each which would probably every unbeliever that you know.
Luke 10:1-3 Ask the Lord for the workers so they are filled. And Jesus warns them you are among wolves it will not be easy but it will be satisfying.

The challenge for each believer is what is on the menu of your daily life. What are you doing to promote the greater cause of bringing people into a saving relationship with Jesus.

If we put working for the Lord specifically having an impact on other people for Jesus on that menu it will bring satisfaction, purpose and rewards for doing so.

This Week’s Menu

List all the things that you have to do this week.

Are there any things on your menu that promote the Good News about Jesus?


What are some things on your menu that you can use as opportunities to promote the Good News of Jesus?


What are things you should add to your menu?


Pray that God would use you to spread the Good News