The Intended Flow

Gary V Carter ~~~ 905-601-2110 ~~~ gary@SeeYouNextWeek.info ~~~ www.SeeYouNextWeek.info
Gary V Carter
John 4:35
I tell you, open your eyes and look at
the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

The Big Idea – Jesus
The
Statement
The Mood
The
Authority
The Power The Scope
The
Message
The
Activities
Mt. 28:18-20 they worshiped
him; but some
doubted
All authority in
heaven and on
earth
surely I am with
you always
all nations everything I
have
commanded
you
make disciples,
baptizing,
Teaching to
obey
Mk. 16:15 into all the world, to
all creation
the gospel Go, preach
Lk. 24:46-49 he opened their
minds so they
could
understand the
Scriptures.;
I am going to
send you what
my Father has
promised
power from on
high
to all nations,
beginning at
Jerusalem
repentance
for the
forgiveness
of sins
preached
Jn. 20:21 The disciples
were overjoyed
when they saw
the Lord.
As the Father
has sent me I am
sending you
Ac. 1:8 you will be my
witnesses
you will receive
power when the
Holy Spirit
comes on you
in Jerusalem and in
all Judea and
Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth
witnesses

John 4
 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria
called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat
down by the well. It was about noon.
 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will
you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan
woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with
Samaritans.)
 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks
you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you
living water.”
 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is
deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our
father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his
sons and his livestock?”

John 4
 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water 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.”
 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty
and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
 17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
 Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The
fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your
husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors
worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we
must worship is in Jerusalem.”

John 4
 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know,
for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for
they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his
worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When
he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

John 4
 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with
a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking
with her?”
 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to
the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could
this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way
toward him.
 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him
food?”

John 4
 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish
his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I
tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for
eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus
the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what
you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have
reaped the benefits of their labor.”

John 4
 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the
woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the
Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed
two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you
said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is
the Savior of the world.”

Situation Review
Jesus
Vs. 6 “tired as he was from the journey”
Vs. 6 “sat down by the well”
Thirsty Vs. 7 “Will you give me a drink?”

Situation Review
Jesus
Vs. 6 “tired as he was from the journey”
Vs. 6 “sat down by the well”
Thirsty Vs. 7 “Will you give me a drink?”
Perfect humanity but needy

Situation Review
12 Disciples
“His disciples had gone into the town to buy food”

Situation Review
A Woman
Samaritan
Vs. 9 “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”

Situation Review
A Man
Vs. 17-18 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus
said to her, “You are right when you say you have no
husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands,
and the man you now have is not your husband. What
you have just said is quite true.”

Situation Review
The People
Vs. 30 “They came out of the town and made their
way toward him.”

The Contrasts
She came for water
The 12 went for food
She didn’t have a clear identity
The 12 had a commission
She did the fishing
The 12 bought the fish

The Conversation
Longer than recorded

The Conversation
In depth – everything – “He told me everything I
ever did.”

The Conversation
ever did.”
Perfect humanity or supernatural knowledge?

The Conversation
ever did.”
Perfect humanity or supernatural knowledge?
Spiritual impact

The Network
Jesus
12
People
Woman Man

Preexisting Relationships
Jesus
12
People
Woman Man

New Relationships
Jesus
12
People
Woman Man

Intended Flow
Jesus
12
People
Woman Man

What Do People Do?
1. People cover the truth
2. People deflect the reasoning
3. People ask the wrong questions
4. People encourage the wrong activity
5. People don’t always get it

What Do Harvesters Do?
1. Harvesters take initiative
2. Harvesters cross barriers
3. Harvesters speak up
4. Harvesters speak to the issue
5. Harvesters talk to new friends
6. Harvesters set their pots aside
7. Harvesters care most about the eternal
8. Harvesters talk to old friends
9. Harvesters form a chain
10.Harvesters lead people to Jesus

John 4 Revisited
35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months
until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look
at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even
now the one who reaps draws a wage and
harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower
and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus
the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.
38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked
for. Others have done the hard work, and you
have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Its About the Harvest
1. Harvest is short
2. Harvest is teamwork
3. Harvest is happy
4. Harvest is ripe
5. Harvest is now
•35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open
your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one
who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower
and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another
reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have
done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Harvest and Me
1. My wages are in the reaping
2. My wages are the eternal crop
3. My job is to reap what others sowed
4. My reaping is easier than my sowing
5. My gladness is in sowing and reaping
6. I am called to sow and reap
•35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open
your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one
who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower
and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another
reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have
done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

My Service Hours
1. Worship
2. Instruction
3. Fellowship
4. Outreach
Official Unofficial

Pause and Reflect

Gary V Carter
If all were just like me,
where would this church be?

The Myths
It can’t be done, at least not by me!
You have to have a pre-existing relationship
before you start.
Nobody is interested.

The Realities
To sow is to win
To reap is to win
You control activities not results
Four STOPS
The God STOP (Acts 16:6-10)
The Satan STOP (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18)
The People STOP (Matthew 23:37)
The I STOP (Titus 1:16)

Which Comes First?
See You Next Week
Church welcoming system
Official
Unofficial
Drop By Sometime
Old friends … FRANs
Two Steps
Step #1: Nine Words
Step #2: Three Words

Which Comes First?
Have You Heard It Yet?
New Friends
Intense effort (500 to 800 hours)
Personal (1 household at a time)
Effective (50-100 attendance increase)
Cost Effective

• What is the single
most important
thing you can do
to grow your
church?
The Big
Question

Take proper care of
the newcomers who
walk through your
door for the first time!

The Big Idea

4 Sources IN
Biological – birth rate
Conversion – non-believer >>> believer
Reclamation – drop out >>> re-believer
Transfer – Other place/church >>> Your church

4 Sources OUT
Biological – death rate
Denial – believer >>> non-believer
Drop Out – believer >>> backslider
Transfer – Your church >>> Other place/church

Grow!

Gary V Carter
When I work at my church job He fills up my cup.
When I slack on my church job I stand Jesus up.

Why?
I come to the meeting with the right attitude.
I help create a positive warm family atmosphere.
I get practice talking to new friends.
I enjoy knowing I am doing important work.
I have more courage to invite my FRANs
knowing others will befriend them

What Are They Looking For?
Friendliness and warmth of the church
Electric atmosphere
Most important time is the 10 minutes after.
Second most important time is the 10 minutes before.
Official greeting gets points.
Unofficial greeting gets double points!
General nature of the meeting
Attention to children
Church meeting place

What Are They Looking For?
Public anonymity
Never put a spotlight on a newcomer!
Always learn and use their name.
Never tell your regulars publicly to greet new people.
Always encourage insiders to welcome outsiders at
other times.
“Real” People
A Place to Belong

What They Ask Themselves
Do I fit in this church?
Can I make friends in this church?
Does this church really want me?
(Is there love in the house?)
A few months later they ask ...
Are my new friends as good as my old ones?
Is the benefit of being involved worth the cost?
Is my contribution important?

What Are They Not Looking For?
People don’t want to be “processed” in church
They appreciate “official greeters” to a degree
They appreciate warm people much more
They appreciate friendly follow up over the phone or
in person
At best half won’t like what you do or who you
are no matter what
They don’t want to be bored.
Questions they would rather not answer.

Do They Stay?
Newcomers over
6 week period
Non-growing Churches Growing Churches
1st Visit
2nd Visit
3rd Visit
9% 21%
17%
36%
38%
57%
Source: Charles Arn Research

Do They Stay?
Friends in the church.
An appropriate role or task.
Involved in a small group.
Closeness 3 - 8
Task Achievement 9 - 15
Fellowship 16 - 25
Regular in worship attendance.
They don’t ask themselves, “Will I or won’t I?”
Give financially to the church.

The Intended Flow

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The Intended Flow