I’m preaching tomorrow at a friend’s church, Steve McCoy, Doxa Fellowship in Woodstock, IL. Steve asked if we would come up, share our vision for The church in DeKalb, and preach this week at Doxa.

So, the sermon is done, and I’m looking forward to preaching it. I think the title I’m going to put on this sermon is “Leaving Behind the Travel Mug” (for you Puritan types it would be: Leaving Behind the Travel Mug: Building a Missionary Mindset From the Example of Our Lord – … – Who is Himself the Christ and the Giver of Everlasting Water – … – And Who, Therefore, Allowed the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well to Herself, being in need of Everlasting Water, Leave Her Jar at The Well – … – Leaving Her Jar, having no Spiritual need for it now, and thus forgetting it altogether in her excitement to join the Lord on Mission – … – Herself, therefore becoming a Modeled Missionary after Christ – … – Who, in Himself, is the Great Missionary. (I love the Puritans!)

As I’ve prepared John 4.1-42 I’ve broken down my sermon into three parts:

1. Our needing to be willing to be in the world, as Jesus was in the world

2. Our needing to be willing to engage real sin and non-biblical worldviews, as Jesus engaged real sin and non-biblical worldviews

3. Our needing to be willing to be satisfied with God’s work, and doing God’s work, as Jesus was satisfied with doing God’s work

I’m really captivated this afternoon as I meditate on this third point. It’s reminded me of a line in a sermon from the Puritan Thomas Adams who said, “He is too covetous, whom Jesus Christ cannot satisfy.”

This makes even food and drink and material possessions in my life conviction and motivation to repent as the “formula” in Matthew 6.33 is “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you,” though I have not, as I should, sought first the Kingdom, as I need to!

I’m captivated too by v. 28 of John 4 where the Samaritan woman “leaves her water jar behind.” In my mind, being more excited about Christ’s working in her life and it being, in one part, the motivation for her becoming a missionary to her city on the spot!

The parallel between the woman’s jar and the lunch that Jesus’ disciples bring him are astonishing for me and it makes me wonder, “if we were really being the missionaries in our communities that we ought to be being, obeying the command of God who wills for worshipers (John 2.23) and motivated by the Gospel in our own lives, how many travel mugs would be left behind at Starbucks?”

Psalm 19.7-11

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.