HOW TO LOOSE WEIGHT IN THE COMING YEAR
John 4


The Importance of Self-Denial & Priorities

(John 4:31) In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.


INTRO:

Jesus DID get hungry, and He DID eat:
(Matthew 21:18) Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
(Matthew 4:2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.
(Matthew 26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples . . . 
(Mark 2:16) And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
(Luke 7:36) And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
(Luke 24:42-43) And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.

BUT - Jesus DID NOT eat here in our text, not because he had already ate, as his disciples had supposed, or because he was on a diet, as you and I will be at the end of this week, but because he had more important things to attend to. He denied himself something that was good thing to obtain something that was better!


MESSAGE:

I - GOD'S WILL FIRST 
-Jesus' top priority was doing his Father's will. It was more important than eating!
- Job had a similar view - Job 23:12
- God's will at this particular moment was this sinner from Samaria
- (Luke 19:10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
- (2 Peter 3:9) The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
- Is God's will our top priority? Church? Bible? Prayer? Witness? Giving? 
- (Luke 22:42) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
- (Acts 13:22) I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
- (Matthew 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.


II - GOD'S WORK FINISHED 
-Jesus' priority was not just to do his Father's will . . . but, to FINISH the work. Bring it to completion. Which he did.
- (John 17:4) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
- (John 19:30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
- Someone has said - It's not how you start, but how you finish!
- What have you started . . . but not finished because your priorities got out of whack? Bible reading? Prayer time? Church services? Tithing & Missions? Witnessing?
- Paul was able to say: (2 Timothy 4:7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith


III - GOD'S WHITE FIELDS 
- Jesus saw, and was trying to get his disciples to see - the white fields.
- Jesus did not eat, because there was much to do, and the time was short.
- When the field is ready there is only so much time to harvest.
- The problem is: (Matthew 9:37) The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few;
- Do we not see the NEED that is before us? The OPPORTUNITY? The OPEN DOOR? The DESPERATE SITUATION?
- Are we . . . like the disciples . . . giving excuses? They said - "four months and then cometh harvest"


IV - GOD'S WAGES - FRUIT 
- Jesus' wages or REWARD for skipping this meal and putting God's will above his own desires was "fruit unto life eternal".
- The Samaritan woman was born-again, as well as many others. John 4:39-41
- Imagine the "fruit" you and I would reap if we would only put God's will 1st, finish what we started, and stop making excuses?
- The fruit of Church attendance? The fruit of Bible reading? The fruit of Witnessing? The fruit of Giving? The fruit of Obedience? The fruit of Prayer time?


* And who knows . . . you might even lose some weight!