WORSHIPERS WANTED: Apply in Person
John 4:17-26
Review: 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him 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 fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, 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 spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in 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 who speak to you am he."
Prop: God is seeking out worshipers who will worship Him the way He desires.
Interrogative: How do we know whether we qualify or not as worshipers of God?
TS: We will look at 4 marks of a genuine worshiper that will help us evaluate ourselves.
I. Genuine Worshipers Come Clean With God (17-18)
-“I have no husband.” While the woman did not reveal her own past, Jesus tactfully did so, while affirming her own statement. He uncovers her past and identifies her present. He awakens her conscience, revealing the true state of her life. The fact that she tries to change the subject with a theological question does not disturb the Lord. Rather, He simply responds to her, speaking the truth in love. She did not defend herself or deny the Lord’s correct diagnosis of her past and present life. In fact, she also affirms what Jesus has said by saying, “Sir, I can tell You are a prophet.” In that sense, she came clean with Jesus regarding the state of her life.
-When is the last time you came clean with God? He knows our past. He knows our present. However, when we confess our sins to Him and come clean with Him, He does not remember our sins against us any longer. All genuine worshipers must come clean with God. This is part of worshiping in truth. We must have nothing to hide from the One who knows all about us, but loves us just the same.
-This woman was on her way there. She knew she had been living in sin, and no doubt wanted to come clean and be restored. However, she still needed to have some questions answered for her. It was not enough for someone to know about her life. She had some questions about Who God was & how and where people should worship Him.
TS: She was aware of the differences in the way Jews & Gentiles viewed worship. That leads us to the next point.
II. Genuine Worshipers Know Who They Worship (19-26)
-Worshiping in truth requires an accurate knowledge of who God is, and what He expects from mankind. If we try to make God into what we think He should be, then we become guilty of spiritual idolatry – making God in our own image, rather than allowing Him to reshape us into His image.
-Mt. Gerizim was in full view of Jacob’s Well. So, you can see how easy it was for it to enter into the conversation. Mt. Gerizim was the mountain that the Israelites were to pronounce the blessings from, when they entered the Promise Land (Deut. 11:29). So, the Samaritans adopted this Mt. as the place where God would make His name to dwell. The Jews had already identified Jerusalem as that place. Some traditions say that Sanballat built the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim after trying to hinder Nehemiah from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Some of this is speculation, and the sources are scarce and sometimes questionable.
-Regardless, the question of where to worship was an important one to both Jews and Samaritans. Both claimed to worship Yahweh, the one true God. Both groups embraced the Torah (at least the 1st 5 books) as inspired Scriptures from God. However, the Samaritans had changed some of it, and rewrote the 10th Commandment to validate their existence as true people of God.
-Jesus informs the Samaritan woman that the place of worship is not really the issue. What is most important is that the worshipers know who it is they are worshipping. Those who would claim that a certain geographical location is more holy than another or is the only place where someone can really worship are mistaken. Jesus said that true worshipers of the Father would not be limited to worship in Jerusalem or on Mt. Gerizim. The place was not nearly so important as the person they worshipped.
-Jesus then shows that the Samaritans have missed the point somewhere along the line. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know.” Jesus is implying, “You do not know the Father, and therefore are not worshipping Him in truth.” Sincerity does not cancel out ignorance when it comes to worship. A person or group might be sincere in how they approach worship, but if they do not know God, then they are not true worshipers. Worship is based on knowing the person and character of God.
-Jesus continued, “We [Jews] worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” Jesus certainly was not saying that Jews had a corner on the market of worshipping God, nor was He condoning the lifestyle and theology of all Jews. However, He was indicating that the Jews had received God’s revelation and had kept the integrity of the Torah (OT) intact. They knew who God was and what He expected from mankind. They had received the covenant from God and were in relationship with Him.
-What does this mean to us today? I think it simply means that if want to be true worshipers who worship God from our hearts, then we must be engaged in the pursuit of getting to know who God is, as revealed in the Bible. Furthermore, we must be getting to know who God is, through a personal relationship with Him. It is not enough just to worship. The Samaritans worshipped, but in ignorance. Genuine worshipers do not worship in ignorance. They know the one they worship, and they worship Him sincerely with all their hearts.
-TS: Another dimension of genuine worship involves the nature of worship. It isn’t about worshipping at the right place or going through the right motions or even singing the right songs. Our next point is that…
III. Genuine Worshipers Worship God on a Spiritual Level (24)
-Since God is Spirit, He must be worshiped on a spiritual level. Man’s spirit must connect with God’s Spirit in a meaningful, relational way. Are we bodies with a spirit, or spirits with a body?
-The actions of worship alone do not connect us with God. Going to the right church, saying the right words, reciting the right creeds, or even doing all the right activities will not bring us into God’s presence, or secure His favor. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
-That is not to say that our actions have no effect on our worship. On the contrary, our actions can become natural, wonderful expressions of worship to God. However, worship flows from our heart or our spirit first, then is expressed through our bodies. How do our bodies express worship? Some of the Biblical examples of worship expression include lifting up hands to God, clapping hands, bowing and/or kneeling before God, singing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, rejoicing, even dancing or twirling before the Lord, shouting to the Lord, and so on. These are expressions of praise & worship that flow from a heart of worship. Let me clarify that alone they do not constitute worship. Worship is generated in the spirit, but often expressed in these and other ways.
-Remember what Jesus said to the woman about living water. In v.14 He said, “The water I give … will become in [you] a spring of water welling up to eternal life." It is from this spring of the Holy Spirit that we are able to overflow with worship. The HS lives within us (if we have invited Christ to be our forgiver and leader). The HS energizes our human spirit and enables us to worship the Lord on a spiritual level. It is more than just singing songs or repeating words. It is close interaction between our hearts and the heart of God. At times, the tone of our worship may be quiet and serene, as we contemplate God’s holiness and how great He is. Other times may be times of celebration as we thank Him for working in our lives, forgiving us and healing us.
-At its most basic level, spiritual worship only occurs within the context of a living relationship between man and God. Only spiritual people can worship in spirit. Only spiritual people can connect on a spiritual level with a spiritual God.
-The exciting thing is that we can all be spiritual people by accepting God’s gift to us. Jesus told the woman, "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." We need His living water in order to be true worshipers who worship in spirit.
TS: We’ve talked about coming clean with God, knowing the One we worship, and worshipping on a spiritual level. The final point I’d like to talk about deals with really accepting who Jesus is and doing something about it. I’d call it getting real with God.
IV. Genuine Worshipers Get Real in Their Worship (24)
-Again, this deals with being a true worshiper and worshiping in truth. How do we worship in truth? Part of that means getting real with God. Coming clean with Him is part of that, which we’ve already talked about. Coming clean means coming to terms with who we are in light of who He is. If we really believe that Jesus is who He claims to be, then we will embrace Him for who He is and commit our lives to Him whole-heartedly.
-No theological argument about how we should worship, or where we should worship will keep us from true worship – if we embrace Jesus for who He claims to be. Neither will we try to evade reality by saying that God will show us what is right and reveal all things to us in time. The good news for us is that God has already revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ, the Messiah – ruler over all the kingdoms of this world.
-Jesus told the woman, “I who speak to you am He.” “I am the One you have been waiting for. The truth is before you. What will you do with it?”
-Jesus may well be asking the same question of you and me today. What will you do with Jesus? Will you receive who He is and become a genuine worshiper? Will you get real with God, and invite Him to be your Lord – the leader of your life?
Conclusion: As we prepare to close our time together, the Father is seeking out genuine worshipers who will worship Him the way He desires to be worshipped. He deserves nothing less. Genuine worshipers are willing to come clean with God, giving Him their past and present lives, so that He may give them a future full of life and hope. Genuine worshipers are on a journey, getting to know and love the One they worship. Genuine worshipers worship on a spiritual level, because they have received the gift of God – the living water of the Holy Spirit. Their hearts have been changed so that they can function on a spiritual level, connecting with the One who made them. Finally, Genuine worshipers are willing to get real with God. With nothing hidden from God, they give Him all they are so they might receive all that He is. “I who speak to you am He.”
-Are you a Genuine worshiper today? Do you know who you are worshipping? Have you surrendered your life to Him? If not, you can do that today. You can start a relationship with the One who is the way, the truth, and the life, and He will change your life in many incredible ways.
-Christian, are you a Genuine worshiper? Is it your daily custom to come clean with God? Are you getting to know Him better everyday? Are you connecting with Him regularly on a spiritual level? Are you being real with Him, with nothing to hide or withhold from Him? If not, maybe you need to cry out to Him again today and ask Him to change your heart and help you to worship Him in spirit and truth!
