John 4:19-24 is a passage of Scripture that speaks about worship in the middle of a larger story. Jesus is speaking with a Samaritan woman by Jacob's well near the city of Sychar in Samaria, while His disciples are in town buying food. Their conversation soon turns to worship when the woman said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship" (vs. 19-20).
Jesus responded, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (vs. 21-24).
There are two parts to Jesus' answer: First, He tellls this woman that she can worship the Father any where and at any time, even right there while sitting on the side of the well. We talked about that aspect last week. The second part of His answer has to do with how we worship. We are to "worship the Father in spirit and truth" (v. 23). Let's explore that thought today.
What is true worship? Jesus said, "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews" (v. 22). Because they rejected most of the Old Testament, the Samaritans lacked the full revelation that it contained. There is a two-fold sense in which "salvation is from the Jews:" first, the revelation of salvation came to them first and then to the rest of the world; and second, the source of salvation—namely, the Messiah, Jesus Christ—was Himself a Jew.
The point is that under the new covenant, the place of worship will not be an issue, but rather the nature of worship. "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (v. 23a). "Spirit" does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit. Worship must be internal, not external conformity to ceremonies and rituals. It must be from the heart. "Truth" calls for this heart worship to be consistent with what Scripture teaches and to be centered on Christ.
The worship of neither the Samaritans nor the Jews could be characterized as being "in spirit and truth," even though the Jews had a more complete understanding of the truth. Both groups focused on external factors. They conformed outwardly to regulations, observed rituals, and offered sacrifices. But the time had arrived, since the Messiah had come, when true worshipers would no longer be identified by where they worshiped. True worshipers are those who "worship the Father in spirit and truth" (v. 23a). Paul calls them "the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3, NASB). It is "such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" (v. 23b, NASB).
The phrase, "'God is spirit" (v. 24a), is the classic biblical definition of the nature of God. Despite the heretical teaching of false cults, God is not an exalted man "for a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39). He is "the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), who "dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see" (1 Tim. 6:16, NASB). Had He not revealed Himself in Scripture and in Jesus Christ, God would be utterly incomprehensible.
We have come to know God personally through Christ who indwells us. So He is the One we are to worship. When you know Christ you will know God and be able to worship Him properly, "in spirit and truth" (v. 24b). And that means being at liberty when you worship, not legalistic. Glorify God with all of your being.
To worship in spirit means to worship God as He is—to keep the focus on Him. Worship is something we raise up to God. To worship in spirit, means being open to looking to God and lifting up our songs of praise, our prayers, and our reading of Scripture to Him. God is the One who should be standing before us, and the only One who is in view as we worship. That is true spiritual worship.
The late Dr. Bruce Shelley of Denver Seminary said, "The question is not, 'What did I get out of it?' It is, 'What did God get out of it?'" (from seminary class notes)
Think of worship as if it were a theatrical play: The Pastor and worship leaders are not the actors and the congregation is not the audience (as some may think). Rather, it should be in worship that the Pastor and worship leaders are the prompters, the congregation is made up of the actors, and God is the audience and critic. (Dr. Bruce Shelley; from seminary class notes)
To worship God in truth means to glorify God, who is True, and to praise Him. William Temple said, "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God" (Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2000, 808). That is what it means to worship in truth.
It takes a prepared heart. If you are not prepared to meet God, worship will not take place. Be prepared when you come to worship. Take part and worship God. Glorify God and exalt only Him in your worship.
Take time to prepare your heart for worship each Sunday morning. Don’t come just to see what you can get out of it. Oh, you may well gain a great deal, but only when you come for all the right reasons, and only when you come prepared to meet God and to glorify Him.
This is the kind of worship that changes lives, because it is true worship in spirit and truth. It will change your life! You can count on it! So prepare your heart to meet God every day. Glorify the Lord every day. Praise the Lord every day, wherever you are, wherever you go. And when we come together to worship, you will surely meet God. Amen.
The point is that under the new covenant, the place of worship will not be an issue, but rather the nature of worship. "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (v. 23a). "Spirit" does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit. Worship must be internal, not external conformity to ceremonies and rituals. It must be from the heart. "Truth" calls for this heart worship to be consistent with what Scripture teaches and to be centered on Christ.
The worship of neither the Samaritans nor the Jews could be characterized as being "in spirit and truth," even though the Jews had a more complete understanding of the truth. Both groups focused on external factors. They conformed outwardly to regulations, observed rituals, and offered sacrifices. But the time had arrived, since the Messiah had come, when true worshipers would no longer be identified by where they worshiped. True worshipers are those who "worship the Father in spirit and truth" (v. 23a). Paul calls them "the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3, NASB). It is "such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" (v. 23b, NASB).
The phrase, "'God is spirit" (v. 24a), is the classic biblical definition of the nature of God. Despite the heretical teaching of false cults, God is not an exalted man "for a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39). He is "the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), who "dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see" (1 Tim. 6:16, NASB). Had He not revealed Himself in Scripture and in Jesus Christ, God would be utterly incomprehensible.
We have come to know God personally through Christ who indwells us. So He is the One we are to worship. When you know Christ you will know God and be able to worship Him properly, "in spirit and truth" (v. 24b). And that means being at liberty when you worship, not legalistic. Glorify God with all of your being.
To worship in spirit means to worship God as He is—to keep the focus on Him. Worship is something we raise up to God. To worship in spirit, means being open to looking to God and lifting up our songs of praise, our prayers, and our reading of Scripture to Him. God is the One who should be standing before us, and the only One who is in view as we worship. That is true spiritual worship.
The late Dr. Bruce Shelley of Denver Seminary said, "The question is not, 'What did I get out of it?' It is, 'What did God get out of it?'" (from seminary class notes)
Think of worship as if it were a theatrical play: The Pastor and worship leaders are not the actors and the congregation is not the audience (as some may think). Rather, it should be in worship that the Pastor and worship leaders are the prompters, the congregation is made up of the actors, and God is the audience and critic. (Dr. Bruce Shelley; from seminary class notes)
To worship God in truth means to glorify God, who is True, and to praise Him. William Temple said, "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God" (Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2000, 808). That is what it means to worship in truth.
It takes a prepared heart. If you are not prepared to meet God, worship will not take place. Be prepared when you come to worship. Take part and worship God. Glorify God and exalt only Him in your worship.
Take time to prepare your heart for worship each Sunday morning. Don’t come just to see what you can get out of it. Oh, you may well gain a great deal, but only when you come for all the right reasons, and only when you come prepared to meet God and to glorify Him.
This is the kind of worship that changes lives, because it is true worship in spirit and truth. It will change your life! You can count on it! So prepare your heart to meet God every day. Glorify the Lord every day. Praise the Lord every day, wherever you are, wherever you go. And when we come together to worship, you will surely meet God. Amen.
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