By Dr. Iberedem David
Our Lord Jesus when departing the earth did give us a commandment, he said in Mark 16:15, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Even as we look at taking cities for Jesus, I pray he’ll open our eyes to see his word today.
Let us look at the Samaritan woman in John 4:4-42;
‘And he must needs go through Samaria…There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, give me to drink…The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city and saith to the men, come and see a man which told me all things that i ever did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him…And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified…And many more believed because of his own word.
What really does it mean to take a city for Jesus? The story above illustrates this simply. Even as we take a look carefully at the scriptures, I pray God speaks to our hearts that we too may arise from our slumber and take cities for Jesus.
‘He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.’
Our Lord was moving from place to place doing good, touching the lives of men and reaching out to many. He was moving from town to town and the bible tells us in verse 4 ‘And he must needs go through Samaria.’ Just as it was then, so it is in our own times, Jesus must needs pass through different places, our localities, villages, schools, hostels; all creatures must hear of him and see him (living through us). Christ is not going to reach out to some and leave others, he wants to pass through everywhere that many more may come to know, believe and receive this free gift of salvation. This gospel of Christ needs to be told everywhere man is found that they may come and taste of him. He ‘must’, the bible says. It’s only a matter of time and this depends on if he has ready vessels like you and I. Jesus would have still passed through Samaria (He was already in Sychar) but then what if the Samaritan had decided to keep this good news to herself, would that city have come to know the Lord in their numbers at that time? Who would have testified of this stranger, A Jew to them? Who would have gone ahead to prepare the way? Who would have gone away to prepare their hearts? Christ is beckoning on us all again, all who have believed and received saying, I needs go into that school, that church, that hostel, that compound, that village, that class, that town, that city, but who will point men to me that I may draw them to myself? Who will go ahead and testify?
What encounter did this woman have with Christ that warranted such a testimony? How different is it from that which we have in our days that our testimony is hidden from the world or have we not also met with this Christ? She came to the well a sinner and didn’t leave there the same way. She believed in Him that sat by that well and said to her, ‘I that speak to thee, I am He.’ We have had the same experience as this woman , Christ removed the veil from our eyes and we heard him say to us, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man come to the Father except by me, (I am He) and we also have believed. Beloved! That’s a huge step in the right direction, we don’t need special credentials. It’s not in the number of years you’ve been born-again before you can take that city for Jesus, it’s not in the number of bible verses you know offhand, it’s not in your spiritual CV, it’s in your knowing him first, receiving him and being willing to tell others, come and see.
That word that our Lord spoke to her just once was enough to set her going into the city. The great commission given to us by our Lord should thus be enough for us. For many it isn’t, we sit and wait for another commissioning, for our Lord to tell you personally and specially. You wait for it to be preached again and again, it’s as though you’re not convinced and want to hear it many times before you arise and go. Oh, that one word from the master could get your immediate obedience. The bible is filled with so many ‘Go Ye’ from our Lord, shall we not hearken saying, here am I, send me.
Verse 28: The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city, and saith unto the men…….
It’s as though she forgot what brought her to the well in the first place. She deliberately left that which she had carried along. She left that which would have slowed her pace; a pot filled with water and went into the city. She saw the urgency in the matter and knowing that this Messiah will not stay here for long, she rushed to take her city for Jesus. This has to do with the souls of men and no other issue is as important, anything that will want to make it less urgent than it is will and should be left. What are those things you keep carrying and making excuses for your slow pace? Will you not drop them and run, knowing that the ‘night cometh when no man can work’. Has school, work, business, church, family, made you to slow your pace and you no more see the urgency in this matter? Has familiarity with sinners so blinded your eyes that you forget that there’s no repentance in the grave? This is eternal life we speak about. At that point in time that woman cared no longer for herself, for her welfare, she would rather thirst or lack water than allow this opportunity to slip past her city. What cares and comforts do you hang on to that you’ll watch men trod to hell, unperturbed by your slow pace or even lack of it. Is it your leisure time? Is it the discomfort of travelling from place to place? Is it the finances you’ll spend or you think you’ll go hungry. ‘She left her water pot’. Why don’t you lay them down at the feet of Jesus as she did, rest assured that, that which is kept in his care can never be lost but is safe and that he’ll care for you? Our Lord is not a taskmaster; he’s such a loving friend. It is written in Matthew 19:29, ‘And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.’
Leave the water pot and go your way into the city. This woman didn’t just stop at the city gate to shout it to the few she would find there in order to justify her conscience and then turn back so as to get her water pot and go about her business; after all she has had an encounter. At this point she forgot that water pot, what is a water pot to her compared to the lives she knew were doomed. To her this news is a must hear for all men. O that we may see all that is at stake here and know that there’s nothing worth our keeping quiet. Men must hear, they must see this Christ but then that depends on you, willyou go into the city and speak to the men. I can imagine this woman, with urgency in her heart running through the city, telling as many as she could find: Is not this the Christ? What a testimony! Like Jeremiah, It was like fire in her bones, she couldn’t keep shut about it. Men are ready; our Lord says the fields are white already to harvest. What we need are labourers. Men indeed are tired of this life of vanity that has never and will never have anything to offer any man. For many this knowledge is dawning on them, yet they put on a facade as though all is well but then deep down they await the manifestation of the sons of God. If only you could speak to them and say: look at my life, what I used to be and what fullness of life I now have in Christ, come and see the person who told me what I could be, a co-heir with him, a child of the Most High, He who alone can change a man, Is not this the Christ. Men will arise and listen, their hearts will be convicted of the Holy Spirit and they too will want to see and know that Christ. Like rivers of waters he can turn the heart of any man in the direction he pleases. He will draw men unto himself, yours is to tell the good news to all and sundry. The bible tells us that many believed because of the saying of the woman, but that many more believed because of his own word. People say that our lives will bring sinners to Christ, I do not dispute that fact, Apostle Paul calls us living epistles, whose lives are read of men, but then how many just come to Christ, confessing their sins to him because they are watching us live. They still need to hear the gospel of Christ because it is he alone that saves. Let your life speak, that men will see and hear of you but most importantly, point them to him. When they meet the Christ, they will testify again themselves saying ‘Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the saviour of the world.’ This way, many more will come to believe.
What have you done with that city? Have you left it? God is saying; I sought for a man among them that will make up the hedge and stand in the gap. He is seeking for the man he kept for a time such as this. Are you in that city where God is searching? No platform is too small or too big, all fall into this definition. That locality of yours, that place of influence, that residence, that temporary abode, that work place, that place where men are found can pass for a city, go conquer for Christ. Let men see and hear, let your life and lips speak about Christ. Speak about it with all boldness, not as one who is trying to fulfil all righteousness. Men, women and children alike, you shall despise no man. As many lives as you come across, affect them for Christ. O that your eyes may be opened to see God’s mighty hands upon your life, able to sustain you through. You have the back up of heaven and all you need at your disposal, remember the words of our Saviour; Lo, I am with you even to the ends of the earth. As you go into the city, you won’t find all the men just seated in the same place, you’ll have to move from place to place, telling one man at a time. They too once set ablaze will move further into the city or even the outskirts and testify to other men, till many more shall come to hear.
Our Lord has empowered us in our generation for this task; His divine power has given us all we need, trust him for grace, direction and to give increase to the work. You are a debtor to man, arise and labour worthily that many more will believe and be saved.
