When speaking to the woman at the well, Jesus brings up a topic still debated today in churches… worship. Worship wars have been going on my entire church life. To some the war is over, to others it’s just begun. War or not, it’s just Satan seeking to distract from the core of the message… what is real worship?
John 4.23-24 says— “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Many pieces to this have to be dissected and delineated correctly, but time prohibits it in this format. First and foremost: it’s not the place—it’s the Savior. Too much focus is placed on a place and time, rather than the object of our worship— Jesus! If you are a believer, then you must know by now that you are the temple of God. As Ephesians relates, when we gather together in our assemblies, we are the temple of God, together. It is not the place, but the gathering of spiritual people, worshiping the ONLY one worthy of our worship.
Our Savior tells us that the Father “seeketh” such to worship Him; and the grave question for us all is whether He ever bends over us, as we kneel. Does He receive our worshiping love? Is our worship worthy? Is it what He desires? Some may think to themselves— ‘Well, I mean we sing and play and give and listen attentively and even pray.’ Those are elements… not worship. Just as one may have all the ingredients for an omelet: we have three eggs, precisely; bell pepper, diced perfectly; onions, sweet only, diced as well, finely; salt, kosher of course; pepper, fresh cracked as prescribed; non-stick pan, copper infused; and a wooden spatula, because that’s what is required. This is what a so-called ‘worship service’ has turned into today. Once it’s all put together, do we even think if it tastes good to the one who ordered it? God help us, are we the object of our own worship? I like it a certain way, therefore I believe God does too?! Lord help!
He hears us babble (mumble as well) in our prayers, which we may have uttered for years, the same way, with no regard to them actually being heard or not. He hears our intercession for others, which are on occasion agonized, and on other occasions, agendized. But does He often hear the spontaneous outburst of worship and praise from hearts? The psalmist in Psalm 95.1 says— “
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” There is a universal chant arising from those ‘made by’ a “Maker”. This is one of His identifying names… He is owed our praise, as our Creator and God, much less our Savior.
John did this spontaneous outburst when visioned of the Heaven to come— “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5.13-14). Can you imagine that scene? Jesus said— “the Father seeketh such to worship him”. This is a place where He gets exactly what He wants. Do you see the praise here, the worship, the adoration, the circle of the redeemed, and reaching out to every created thing, which is in the heaven, and on earth, and the sea? Amazing! What’s holding us back here and now?
Let your heart catch fire as you listen, as Isaiah did, to the chant of the seraphim—“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6.3). Or how about when Mary was encountered by God— “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1.46-47).
Does your heart feel sluggish? Why? What has happened? What needs to change? Draw close. Seek His face. Be near and know He is still God! Just as Jesus said in our text— “God is a Spirit”. He is not like us, at all! He is as Rahab knew Him to be— “And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Joshua 2.11). Or as David prayed in his thanksgiving prayer— “Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29.11) This same David said—
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” (Psalm 103.11). Or as the Apostle Paul mentioned— “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4.10). Yes sir… He is God! We ought to recognize Him as such when we assemble and attempt worship.
In order to incite our sluggish souls to worship, we— “must worship him in spirit and in truth”, Jesus said. Spirit (lower case) is our internal expressive self. Our soul pours through our spirit from our body to express itself. The spirit within man is essential. Worship is not about the instruments, timing, volume, repetitions, etc. These are mechanics of voice and noise. But, the spirit is from within. It is required by Jesus for the soul to pour out its adoring gratitude and love its own self, via its body. Words are great, but without spirit, it falls flat. To the point, its offensive words. Offensive to the One whom is our audience. He said clearly that we “must” worship in spirit and truth! Both. Both are required.
Last, Jesus said— “…now…when the true worshippers shall worship…” It’s go time! Now or never. Be a true worshipper, by obeying this simple command. A command given to a non-Jew, related out in the open at a well, to a person who desperately needed this. I do too. I need not only His answers and presence in my life; I need to worship Him. I feel it, don’t you? Do you not feel the need to bow down, to cry out, to stand in awe, and to shout out glory?! Every disciple of Jesus is required to obey…
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”