The True Worshipers
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn't know what to do. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church. The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us." The council accepted his plan, the church bells rang, and they worshipped the Lord. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.
Today, we will be talking about the most important part of our Christian walk, worship. Let dive into our verses today to see how vital worship is.
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Let’s Pray!
Let me give you a little insight into what I have taught our Advanced Bible Study class. I have told them when studying a passage, to look for words that are repeated. If they are repeated they normally have significance to the message of the scripture.
Today, I am not sure you caught it, but Jesus repeats the word worship or worshipers 8 times in just a few verses.
Now, I know we have discussed worship before, but we do have several new Christians here and worship is the most important part of our walk, it is not bad to go back over it again. And since Jesus said it so many times, who am I to go against his Teachings.
Let’s start of by looking at a definition of worship.
Worship-
is the reverence, praise, and obedience to God, that is expressed with both inner attitudes and outward actions, not in a set of rituals.
Now, this is not an all that worship entails, but it is a good definition to start. In studying these verses and on worship I discovered that true worship has several things is encompassed in it. let’s look at this today.
True Worshipers Worship:
In Spirit and Truth
The glaring obvious one we must talk about is worshiping in Spirit and truth.
But what does that mean.
It is simple, but it is the one that is extremely polarizing in today’s culture.
You can not worship God unless you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and in turn have the Holy Spirit residing in you.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Why is this so polarizing? Seems simple, but as usual, man loves to gum up the system.
People today will say, “There is so many ways to God and so many ways to worship Him?”
No!
Jesus is clear here. God is Spirit and to worship Him, we as His creation, must worship Him in Spirit and truth.
The truth that we must come to understand is that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and once we repent of our sins, then come into a loving relationship with Jesus, our Father sends us the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of each of us, so we can worship the Creator of all things.
Worship, by definition, is where the creature recognizes that he or she is a creature and God alone is the Creator. Worship is an act of submission, of placing oneself under the deity.
Ben Witherington III
We can not worship God through idols or statues that we created. We can not worship God through prophets. We can not worship God any other way then through His Son Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit.
Once we understand this then:
True Worshipers Worship:
In Spirit and Truth
Humility and Reverence
True worshipers understand it is not about us, it is all about God. His awesome and amazing presence in our lives.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Many of you have seen our cat JJ in post on Facebook or other social media platforms. You have seen him when we are working or studying, he is right there to get on top of our books and tablets.
As I was typing this out, he was in my lap, so I can pet his head.
It was all about JJ. What he wanted.
God is the same way. He is in everything we do. He is there saying, Hey I am the creator of heaven and earth, acknowledge me in everything you do.
True worshipers know, it is not just about music, and raising our hands. It is humbly knowing that from the very air we breathe, to the roof over our heads, to the meals we eat, it is acknowledging it is all because of God. His gifts in our lives.
It is acknowledging His love for us by looking to the cross and seeing His Son and what He did for us.
True Worshipers Worship:
In Spirit and Truth
Humility and Reverence
Obedience and Service
How can you call yourself a Christian who worships Our Lord without obeying His commands and serving His Kingdom?
I found this article in the little pamphlet Our Daily Bread
Every conscientious parent recognizes how difficult it is to exercise their God-given authority over their children. The delicate balance of being tough yet tender is not easy to maintain. Many parents intensify a rebellious spirit by being dictatorial and harsh. Others yield when their authority is tested. When a strong-willed child resists, the pressure to give in for the sake of peace and harmony can become overpowering. I am reminded of the mother who wanted to have the last word but couldn't handle the hassle that resulted whenever she said no to her young son. After an especially trying day, she finally flung up her hands and shouted, "All right, Billy, do whatever you want! Now let me see you disobey THAT!"
We serve a God who is loving yet strong. He loves us enough to set forth the moral law that we all should obey, but strong enough to let us suffer the consequences of our own actions.
True worshipers know that they need to read His word and serve His kingdom to the best of their ability.
That means opening your bible and reading it...and following what it says...all of it.
That means when the bible says forgive, you forgive. If it says be a cheerful giver, you give with a cheerful heart. If it says that thy only way to God is through Jesus Christ, that is the only way.
True Worshipers Worship:
In Spirit and Truth
Humility and Reverence
Obedience and Service
Praise and Gratitude
This is where we come to singing, praying, offering thanksgiving, and praise to God.
My wife is not the funniest person to go on car rides with. I say this because, I am a yapper. I love to talk when I am driving. If I am by myself, people probably think I am crazy cause I am having a whole conversation with Jesus, and in typical Cajun fashion, my hands are going a mile a minute.
But riding with Dani, there is hardly any conversation, why cause she got her praise and worship music on, and she is in her own little world over there as the passenger princess.
She is probably worshiping cause she is scared of my driving, but we will not go there.
The bible is very clear on this subject
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his powerful acts;
praise him for his abundant greatness.
I will say this, both how I pray and talk with Jesus, and the way Dani sings and worships are both correct.
Being in prayer is a form of worship. Reading your bible is a form of worship. Singing praises is a form of worship. Lifting your hands in holy reverence is a form of worship.
I say this with a caveat, they are all a form of worship if
True Worshipers Worship:
In Spirit and Truth
Humility and Reverence
Obedience and Service
Praise and Gratitude
Live a Life Holy onto the Lord
True worshipers seek to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. A life that centers on the nature and character of God, not our nature and character.
so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God,
Your life should be the ultimate form of worship to the Lord.
Living a life worthy of the Lord through:
Godly Character: developing virtues like humility, gentleness, and patience, which are essential for building strong relationships and reflecting Christ's character.
Moral Courage:Standing up for what is right, even when it's difficult, and refusing to compromise one's values.
Personal Integrity:Living a life of honesty, trustworthiness, and consistency in all areas of life.
Mature Behavior:Demonstrating wisdom and responsibility in decision-making and actions.
Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work:This means actively serving others, using your gifts and talents for the good of the community, and seeking to glorify God in all you do.
Striving for Unity:Working to overcome division and build bridges with others, even when there are differences of opinion.
Expressing Gratitude for Salvation:Living a life that reflects the transformative power of God's grace and the joy of being a follower of Christ.
Modeling the Life of Jesus:Following Jesus' example of humility, love, and service to others.
We will finish by looking back at a few verses in our text:
The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
Church I want you to know that our Messiah came and showed us through His Word what it means to be a true worshiper.
This Samaritan woman, even though a sinner, even though a Gentile, knew that there would one day be a Savior.
I am here today, we can worship with confidence, He has come, He took our place on that cross, so that we can worship is Spirit and truth.
Can you do that today?
I said at the very beginning, the only way to worship God is through His Son because it is through His Son we get the Holy Spirit living inside of us. And it is only through the Spirit we can truly begin to worship in a fashion that is worthy.
Are you worthy today church?
