Bold Steps with Dr. Mark JobeToday on BOLD STEPS, with Pastor Mark Jobe … how Jesus pulls back the layers of our excuses … to bring about change. On this final day of the year, we are going to be talking about change. Every New Year’s Day, people around the country decide to make resolutions with the hopes that this year will be different … and they’ll actually make the changes they set out to make. And as we look at John Chapter 4, we’re going to see an encounter with a woman at the well who isn’t all that much different from us.
Today's Bold Steps Gift: The Case for Christ
Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. How Jesus pulls back the layers of our excuses to bring about change.
God is not asking you to fix your life, transform your life. Get your thing all together. The woman at the well was in the middle of her mess and Jesus said, I am here. Not tomorrow, not in several years. Today I am present. This is a divine appointment to change and transform the destiny.
Of your life.
Welcome to this New Year's Eve edition of Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. Today on the program, Mark is going to be talking about change, which is an appropriate message for today. Every New Year's Day, people around the country decide to make resolutions with the hopes that this year will be different, and they'll actually make the changes they set out to make. And as we look at John chapter four, we're going to see an encounter with a woman at the well who isn't all that much different from us. So let's jump into today's message. We're learning how Jesus was the one to rewrite her story. Here's Mark Jobe.
You may be sitting asking yourself, why in the world am I here this morning? How did I let my cousin talk me into coming today? I feel uncomfortable in a church. Maybe you haven't been to a church in a long time. Maybe you're wondering what you're doing on a Sunday morning instead of sleeping in in this place. I happen to believe that God is not the God of coincidences. But I believe that God has brought you here for this time, at this moment, for this message. So I want you to listen, because I believe that God has a word for you. So she went to the well in the middle of the day, driven by her failures and her challenging circumstances, and I believe that sometimes it's our failure and our circumstances that lead us to the place where we're finally ready to change. Many of us would not be ready for change, would not be ready for God to do a work in our life if it were not for a a history of failure or disappointment. If everything were going well in our life, many of us would not be at the well where Jesus shows up. The very things that you look in the past at your life and say, these are the things that I feel like I wish would have never happened. These are the things that I'm most disappointed about, the things that I'm most angry about, the things that I wish I could erase, some of those very things that you feel are your greatest disappointments may be exactly what God has used to bring you to an encounter at the well, to experience and encounter his presence in a way that you would never have experienced it without your failures. Number two, if you want to change the emptiness of your bucket? I want you not only to recognize that there's a divine timing for dramatic change, but you need to stop avoiding and start looking honestly at your root issues. So this woman finally responds to Jesus request that he asked her for something to drink. And so it says in verse nine, the Samaritan woman said to him, You're a Jew and I'm a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? For the Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, if you knew the gift of God and who it was that asked you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. Sir, the woman said, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as it also his sons and his livestock? Jesus answered, everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Now, what I want you to notice about this conversation is that Jesus changes a conversation about water into a conversation about the soul. I love how he does that. This woman is just talking about water, and Jesus turns this conversation into a conversation about the meaning of life. But I want you to notice also that this woman does what a lot of us do when God starts getting close to our life. She starts to deflect and be defensive. She starts to redirect because if you have hurts and issues in your life, if you have shame and a spirit of rejection in your life, you really don't want anybody to get too close to you because you feel if they really saw who you were, they may reject you again and you don't want to be hurt again. So Jesus starts talking to this woman, and you can tell that she's got a chip on her shoulder right away. She's defensive right away. Jesus says, can I get a drink of water? She's defensive and says, you shouldn't be asking me. Jesus says, hey, if you knew who I was, you'd ask me. And she's defensive and says, I doubt it very much. Jesus says, I can fill your. I can fill your bucket with water that will never run dry. And she's defensive and says, yeah, right. Magic water. Jesus says, go tell your husband to come and and and and join you. And she says, she redirects it and says, I don't have a husband. And what I love about this is that Jesus goes right to the root of her issue. The deep root of this woman's issue was that she was unable to stay in a committed relationship. She had gotten married one time, and another and another, and another and another, and finally given up. And she was just living with a guy because she no longer felt like I can trust or be in a marriage. Jesus was pulling back the layers of her defensiveness and getting at the root of her issue. I'm just wondering here today if you've been coming to church for a while or you're sitting in this auditorium today, if God is trying to peel back some of the issues in your life and get to the root of what really, really is bothering you and keeps you empty. The closer Jesus got to the root, the more this woman started to get defensive. The closer Jesus got to the key issue, the more this woman started to deflect. I imagine that this woman, the first time that she got married, got married with excitement and illusion thinking, this will be a great time. This man will love me forever. And she got married. And I don't know exactly what happened in their marriage, but I've never seen someone that's gone through a divorce. That's happy. That's happy. During the divorce, it's always painful, difficult, disappointing. And it tears a piece of your heart out. And if you've been through a divorce, you understand that. And she probably thought, like most people I talked to, it was the wrong guy. I'm going to marry someone opposite my first husband Because I know it will work that time. Do you realize that 70% of the people that get married a second time get a divorce? Oftentimes, because we really haven't dealt with the real issue. We think it's the wrong person, but oftentimes it's not. We haven't dealt with the issues of our heart. And so she gets married a second time thinking this guy will finally be the guy that will love me. That way I'll finally be able to be married to this guy the way I envisioned. And whatever happens, it ends in disappointment. And so she finds herself getting married a third time thinking, well, maybe the third is the charm, and I'll stay together. And it also ends up bad. And she gets married a fourth time. By the time she's getting married a fifth time, she's probably just saying, do you have money or not, dude? And she no longer has this dream and illusion. It's just like, I'm pretty sure that you're going to disappoint me again. And finally, that ends up bad, too. And so this time she shacks up with the guy. She doesn't even want to marry him. He may ask her and she said, no, I'm done with marriage. You'll hurt me like everybody else has hurt me. Um. When men get close to me, there's something about me and men that end up exploding. And I don't trust you anymore. There's a emptiness, a hurt, a rejection. Deep inside of my soul. And I'm living with that. This woman had issues. Like all of us have issues. I don't know what your issues are, but I know you have issues because deep inside, we're all broken. Deep inside, there's part of us that only God can fill and only God can fix. And I believe it's our very issues that drive us to the presence of God and help us understand that we need God. The truth of it is that we all have legitimate needs. This woman, I'm sure that the need that she had in her life is. I just want to be happy. I just want to be loved. I just don't want to be angry anymore. I don't want to be hurt anymore. Hey, that's a legitimate need. The problem is, we have legitimate needs that oftentimes we try to fill in illegitimate ways. And when we try to fill our needs in illegitimate ways, we always end up more empty than when we were in the beginning. And so Jesus peels back the roots and finally tells her, go talk to your husband. Bring your husband. She says to him, I don't have a husband. And he says to her, he said, you're right. You've had five husbands, and the man that you are now with is not your husband. You have just said what is quite true. That's a shock.
You're listening to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe. Today's message is titled How Full is Your Bucket? And we're thankful for each and every member of our listening family. If you've been encouraged by Mark's teaching this year, let me encourage you to reach out and connect with us. We're praying that God will do mighty things in your life in the coming year, and you can find us online at Bold steps.org, or connect with us on our social media platforms. Just log in to your Instagram or Facebook account and search for bold steps. We look forward to hearing from you today. Now let's return to the second half of this message. Mark is addressing the final two points on peeling back the layers regarding change.
Number three, I'm talking about filling your bucket. You need to refuse to let excuses hold you back from major change. So Jesus has just told her.
Hey.
You've had five divorces, and the man that you're living with is not your husband. And she doesn't say, wow. Whoa. You really got to the core of my issue. She doesn't say, yeah, I'm being really empty. Let's talk about that. She doesn't say, wow, you've exposed something deep. You're right. I have a lot of hurt and feeling. Guess what she says? She says you're right. Now let's argue about religion. She says you're right, sir. You must be a prophet. Duh. You must be a prophet, she says. Look what it says in verse 19. I can see that you are a prophet. And then in verse 20 she says, our ancestors worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place that we should worship is on this other mountain. And she gets into this religious argument with Jesus about where they should worship. And Jesus says to her, listen, that's a lot of nonsense here, because ultimately God wants people to worship him in spirit and in truth. Because God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Let me say this a lot of people, when God starts dealing with your core issues, you just want to argue about petty issues to distract from the real issues of your life. I've had these conversations over and over with people that refuse to make major changes in their life, while making petty excuses about why they shouldn't make those major changes. It's like the bride that knows that she should get married, but she she's not sure she really trusts the guy or wants to get married, and she's kind of backpedaling out of it, but she just says, well, I know we've been engaged for three years, but I need to leave. I need to lose £10 before I get into that wedding dress. And so, you know, I'm just I'm not ready to get married yet because these £10 have to go off. Seriously, you're going to let £10 keep you from your marriage? I mean, this is a huge step to take. Get married. Yet you let petty issues keep you away from major mega changes in your life. How many of you know that we do that? Sometimes we let petty issues keep us from major things. I've seen it. This woman wants to argue about religion. Can I tell you something about people that argue about religion? I believe that when people want to argue about religion, instead of talking about their personal life and really what God is doing in their life, oftentimes it's just a deflection because they really don't want to deal with their issues. They feel more comfortable arguing about religion than they do talking about the emptiness of their own soul. I've had people that come here and they'll come to this church and they'll come up after and talk to me and they'll say, hey, I've been coming here for a month or two. And they'll say, But I'm. And they'll tell me what religion, religious background they're from. And sometimes they'll say, I go to my church first and then I come here. But they say, I feel the presence of God here, and I understand the Word of God here. But, but but my background is that. And they'll tell me what their background is, and then I'll say, well, does it really matter? And then they'll want to argue about, well, yeah, you know, I like this place, but you know, you don't have stained glass windows. Like, seriously, we're talking about your relationship with God and you're worried about stained glass windows or you don't have a crucifix anywhere. And it really, I don't know, it's the crucifix. I don't see a crucifix. And is that what you want to argue about? You know, I really like this place, pastor, but you don't wear a robe. You know, I'm used to a robe, and you wear blue jeans. I don't even know. Is that allowed in church? Is that is the pastor allowed to wear that? Sometimes we let little petty issues keep us from a dynamic, powerful, transformative relationship with the living God that can turn our life in from the inside out. And we let little petty religious arguments keep us from that. I'll have people come and talk to me and say, pastor, the question I have for you is the question that Jesus had. Stop arguing about religion and ask yourself this question is there truth in that place? And is the Spirit of God truly present in that place? Because where there is spirit and in truth, and there's truth, that's the place that you need to be worshiping at. You could go into a Gothic cathedral with all the trappings of a historic church. And if if you don't sense the presence of the Spirit of God there and the truth is not preached, then I would rather meet in a park on a bench and hear spirit and in truth, than meet in a beautiful Gothic cathedral, because that is where the true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth. And I know, by the way, that sometimes people get caught up in, um, you know, they get caught up in labels. And I want to tell you, and I have this conversation on a regular basis. You can read the book, you can read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. And of course, you'll never you'll never hear the word Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Assembly of God, Pentecostal. You'll see no denominations. You'll see no emphasis on labels there. What you'll see is a strong emphasis on having a relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ that changes you from the inside out, where His Spirit comes inside of you and transforms you. Some of you are stuck on religion, but you've totally missed the relationship part of God, which is the centerpiece of the Bible. And so I want to encourage you and challenge you. If you haven't made a step to follow God because you're stuck on the label that you came from, then you're letting a petty, small religious thing keep you from a major decision to change your life. Number four. And lastly. You need to open your eyes to the presence and stop postponing change. Verse 25 this woman said, I know that Messiah called Christ is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. She says. I know the day is going to come when it's all going to make sense to me. Later, later, sometime in the future, when he comes, he's going to explain everything. And Jesus said, hello, I'm here already. I am the Messiah. We say, that woman was so dumb. Oh, no no, no. I see it all the time. There are some people in this auditorium that you're saying one day when I. When I get a lightning from heaven, or when I have this mountaintop experience or something happens, then I will give my life to God in the future. In the future, maybe it'll happen, but now I'm just waiting for God to show up in some way, and I want to say hello. The presence of the living Jesus is right here today amongst us. You don't have to wait for another day. He is here today. You see, what this woman did not understand is that the solution to her life was right in front of her. She was waiting for a perfect timing. And yet Jesus was saying, this is the perfect timing. I'm not. It's not a time to wait. I know it's a well, I know your bucket's not even full yet. I know you're living with a man. I know you're disappointed with life, but God is not asking you to fix your life. Transform your life. Get your thing all together. God is saying at the well. Now is the time. You have issues. You have dysfunction. You have brokenness. You have bitterness. The woman at the well was in the middle of her mess. And Jesus said, I am here today. Now here. Not tomorrow. Not in several years. Today I am present. This is a divine appointment to change and transform the destiny of your life. And I believe that that same message is for us here today.
This is bold steps. You're listening to Mark Jobe, and you can find us right here in your local radio station and online 24 over seven. You can even listen to this daily program through your smart speakers at home or in the office, or on the Bold Steps app to learn what's available wherever you are. Just go to Bold Steps. Org. Well, as the year ends, we just want to take a moment to say we're grateful for your support over these past 12 months. And if you'd like to partner with us in the new Year, we'd love for you to join our team of bold partners. A bold partner is someone who commits to giving a monthly gift, so that Mark's bold and authentic teaching can be heard all across the country and even the world. And we'd be grateful for your monthly gift of any amount to make a bold commitment and join the Gospel mission in the new Year, just go to our website. Bold S.org. Now, when you sign up today or simply give a one time donation, we'll be sure to send you a very special book, one that seems more relevant every year. And that's Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ. It offers an honest, fact based approach to Christianity, making it an all powerful read for any skeptic or seeker. Using his skills as an award winning legal journalist. Lee investigates the claims about Jesus with the precision of a detective, presenting evidence for Jesus in a clear, compelling way. So request this bestseller, our bold step gift, and spend the New year deepening the foundations of your faith or encouraging someone you know to do the same. We'll send you a copy of The Case for Christ when you donate to the Ministry of Bold Steps. Just go online to Bold steps.org, or pick up the phone and call us at 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. Well, Mark, tomorrow begins a new year. And is there something you'd like to say to those who might be wanting to head into the New Year with purpose and determination to change.
That's right. So I want to say, first of all, Happy New Year. It's almost here. As you get into the final hours, we're in the final hours of 2024. For some of you, you are saying good riddance. Glad I'm done with this year. Others of you, it's been a great year and but I want to say that we here at Bold Steps really, really do appreciate the year end gifts that come in and many of you have jumped in and given year end gifts. It's important for us to enter into the new year as well. So I want to challenge you if you still have the opportunity to give before the final hours of the year, this would be a great time to give. We're impacting so many lives really around the world. I love the testimonies. We just got one from a listener in Zambia. I was lost without Jesus. I thought I was on track with God not knowing that I was going astray. Many in the village discouraged me from listening to Bold Steps program via little FM radio, since it has the message right for my fellow Muslims in the village. Then when I started listening to little FM streaming online, I am now changed my heart. Now is impacted simply because of the Bold Steps program. Moreover, right now I'm mobilizing many to join me. I thank God for taking me out of Islam. Your listener. And then they give their name.
Oh beautiful from Zambia.
Love it. And I just want to say those testimonies, by the way, just encourage my heart because there are people all around the world from different countries and different places that are saying, I finally understand who Jesus is, and some of these listeners are really paying a price to follow Jesus. And I want you to know that your gifts help us get into countries that there's a lot less churches and help us reach people like our listener in Zambia. So I want to say thank you for helping us spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, since this is our last program of the year Mark, I normally close things out. Do you want to close it today?
I want to say as you end up the year, I hope in the final minutes in Spain, we we had the tradition of trying to stuff 12 grapes in our mouth. I'm not sure.
We're not going to do that. That's a health.
Hazard. So, um, but I have a better tradition. Why don't you make sure that as people prepare to party, that you also celebrate, but consecrate the final moments of the year, consecrate the New Year to God in Jesus name.
And join us next time on Bold Steps with Mark John. Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
