Worship

Introduction

Good morning everyone! Welcome to Valley Church Clinton on this lovely morning.

Back in 2022, I went with a team to a country called Sierra Leone, and to a village called Pele Wala, where we had a village partnership with. Basically, through that partnership, we were able to help get Pele Wala off the ground and help them establish their own church, better school buildings, facilities for gardens and drying floors, and perhaps most importantly, a well.

Behind me, you’ll see a few photos of a team drilling a well near Pele Wala.

Now, I had an idea of how to dig a hole, but I had no idea the massive effort and operation it took to find water and to dig a fully functioning well that never dried up. See, hand dug wells were shallow and often were dry outside the rainy season, and were usually contaminated and bad for drinking.

Drilled wells, on the other hand, stayed full nearly all year long and were much more sanitary. Introducing a drilled well to a community cut infant mortality by something like 80%, so clean water was extremely important.

But, it was expensive.

So, there was a dedicated crew within the missions organization World Hope in Sierra Leone that came out, found water with a geologist, and drilled the well.

And let me tell you, watching the little kids in the village go and play in the running water that sprung out after they hit water with the drill, it was amazing. It’s really funny that all kids in all cultures and ethnicities really have the exact same nature. They all love to play and they’re all mischievous.

When these wells would go into a village, there were three things that happened.

First, the geologist would find the water. I met the geologist in Sierra Leone, an engineer way smarter than me, and he had all the electronics and sonar to find the underground water. It was really funny, because he knew what witching was, and we had a good laugh about it.

Second, the geologist would reveal the information to the drillers, and they would begin the process of adding drill bits until the necessary depth was met.

Third, the well would be left to the villagers, and they would care for it. They would sanitize it, and monitor the water levels as to not run out.

Today, we’re going to explore the Biblical concept of worship, what true worship to Jesus, to Yahweh, is. And were going to look through the lens of John 4, when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well.

I think this passage is a beautiful depiction of Jesus explaining what true worship is to this Samaritan woman. The story has three parts of worship that reminded me so much of well drilling in Sierra Leone.

Revelation, finding the well,

response, choosing to dig and drill

and loyalty, committing to the well and taking care of it.

So, let’s go ahead and read our passage for today. Again, this is John chapter 4, and it’s quite lengthy, so let’s just read the passage to start our morning. We’re going to start in verse 1, and end all the way in verse 26.

Background

Okay, so, Jesus sees his ministry is needed elsewhere, and he is currently in Judean countryside. He decides to go north to Galilee, but he chooses a really weird route.

You can see on the map back here that Jesus is in the southern part of Palestine, and he needs to go north to reach the region of Galilee.

Normally, when a Jew wanted to travel between Judea and Galilee, which would happen often because Jerusalem is in Judea, they would go through Perea, and it would take significantly longer. But, it was worth it to avoid those pesky Samaritans.

Jesus, being the renegade he was, choses to take the most direct, straight route through Samaria. This was already a red flag to the disciples, they would have been absolutely apprehensive.

So, they stopped in this town called Sychar, between two mountains called Mt. Gerizim and Mt Ebal. And the specific place he stopped was at a place called Jacob’s Well, which was a well that Jacob, the patriarch from Genesis, dug.

This was a super important historical place for both the Jews and Samaritans.

It was noon, super hot, after walking for miles and miles, Jesus and the disciples were worn out, thirsty, hungry, maybe angry.

And then, as the disciples went to town to buy food, a singular Samaritan woman comes to the well for water.

Jesus says “Give me a drink”.

Okay, stop right there. We need to address something.

First of all, gathering water at a well was a group activity. Normally, the women of the community would gather in the early morning, in the cool of the day, and go together to get water.

They would catch up and get the latest news from each other. Like the water cooler in the office, I guess.

But here, we encounter a singular woman going to the well in the hottest part of the day.

Almost like she was trying to avoid the crowd, avoiding rejection, intentionally being in isolation.

And then, the craziest thing ever happens. Jesus engages.

He asks for some water.

This was a show stopper. See, the Jews and Samaritans absolutely hated one another. This was a centuries, generations old hatred.

Although both of these groups of people worshipped the same God, Yahweh, they went about it in different ways.

Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible. They also didn’t accept Jerusalem as the central worship of God, instead, it was Mt. Gerizim, which is in view of this woman and Jesus as they meet.

See, Jacob’s Well was at the foot of Mt Gerizim, as you can see in this photo.

About 100 years or so prior to Jesus, the Jews were so angry with this place of worship, they actually destroyed the Samaritan temple that stood on top of Mt. Gerizim. They claimed its existence was a threat to God.

All this to say, the hatred between the two was more than just passive racism, it was violence, aggression, and murder. They were enemies.

ON TOP of all this, she was a woman. Single Jewish men almost never spoke to women, let alone interacted.

And now Jesus is asking her, and unclean woman, to serve him water.

The depth of how out of place this is is enormous.

But, this was all on purpose, because Jesus came to reveal himself. Because the first step of worship is revelation.

Revelation

Jesus revealed himself to this woman. Intentionally, and in a completley unorthodox way.

She questions Jesus in response. She’s like “I am not supposed to be giving you a drink, let alone speaking to you!”

John 4:10–14 CSB

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” 13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

At this point, she’s just trying to figure out what in the world Jesus is talking about. Because Jacob’s Well isn’t spring fed. See, springs were “living” water. It moved, and rarely dried up.

Jacob’s Well, on the other hand, was still. It dried up without rain.

Jesus then points out the reason this woman came to the well alone. He says “go get your husband”.

She says “I don’t have one”. This of course is confirmed by Jesus, in which it’s revealed that she is on her 6th man/husband, she’s had 5 before.

And there’s two possible reasons this may be the case.

The first is the traditional evangelical reason - she’s sleeping around and is some kind of prostitute or promiscuous woman. This could be correct, but the chances of a woman sleeping around in that day was pretty slim, because they would be completley cast out of the community, which she kind of was.

The second possibility is that she’s been passed around, divorced, or that some of her husbands have died, making her the town widow. She is the victim of a society that doesn’t value women, and now she’s living with a man, who has a wife to literally survive. She’s become the second wife, essentially and indentured servant.

Either way, the point is clear - Jesus is revealing himself to the weakest, to the lowest possible member of society. She, according to the world, is garbage. The lowly street woman who no one associates with.

And now, the God of the world, God made flesh, perfect divine being made human, is leaning against her well, visibly hungry, thirsty, tired, revealing himself to her.

This is who revealed himself to this Samaritan woman:

John 1:1–5 CSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

Colossians 1:15–20 CSB

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

This is the guy that went a different route to intentionally interact with what the world considered human trash.

They continue their conversation, the woman says “you must be a prophet, but Samaritans worship on this mountain” pointing up at Mt. Gerizim. She says “we don’t worship in the same place, we can’t be reconciled how you’re saying”

Listen to how Jesus responds:

John 4:21–24 CSB

21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour 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, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 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. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Then, finally, the big revelation:

John 4:25–26 CSB

25 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.” 26 Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

An amazing conclusion to the conversation. John doesn’t write anymore dialogue, that’s just the end of the conversation.

And now, the Samaritan woman, she has a choice. Now, we see her response.

Response

This brings us to our second aspect and step of worship - our response.

Jesus revealed exactly who he was - God. And he revealed that worship would soon be in Spirit and in Truth - not in a centralized location.

This was an incredible statement to this woman.

In every point in history, throughout the ages, every deity was connected primarily to a piece of land, or a geographical area.

The people of any land worshipped that particular god. There wasn’t really a choice in the matter - whatever your family worshipped, and whatever temple that deity dwelled, was your religion. That’s who you worshiped.

Jesus, then, is making a claim that Yahweh, God, which is himself, is bigger than that.

He’s not a deity that needs a temple. He is the God, He is everywhere his people are.

The Kingdom of God belonged to all people, and Jesus was the connecting factor. The one, true religion and God, Yahweh, Jesus Christ.

This is why it was such a huge deal for Abram, later Abraham, to leave his home in Ur and go to the land of Cannan that God prescribed. Abrahams family wasn’t just leaving their home and land, they were leaving a god, lower case g, that presided over that land. They were leaving their pagan diety for a far better, creator God, Yahweh Elohim.

And Jesus is making this same connection for this Samaritan woman.

Now, the disciples arrive on the scene, and are far too concerned with getting Jesus to eat, and are amazed that he’s speaking with a woman.

And they’ve witnessed now Jesus claim to be the Messiah. Yet they’re response is much different, it was much slower.

Here’s what the woman did in response to what Jesus said:

John 4:28–30 CSB

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They left the town and made their way to him.

She left her jar, which was the only reason she came to the well, because she was so excited to tell everyone about this Messiah she just met.

Her response to this revelation was amazement, hope, joy. She went to the community that rejected her. The community she was hiding from at high noon alone, she runs to them with the best news she’s ever heard.

Finally, there’s a way out of her situation. Of her doomed life. There’s a God that wants her, in her brokenness.

And it’s important to note that Jesus doesn’t just tell her everything is daises and roses. Jesus confronts her problems directly and head on. I think this gave her a new freedom - finally her problems were out in the open, acknowledged.

You can see the new life in her, the living water flowing out of here in response.

Revelation 3:20 CSB

20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus stood at this woman’s proverbial door and knocked.

And her response was to answer. She may not have answered the call if Jesus had come in a different way.

But Jesus came in full humility, and humanity. Not judgmental, but firm in the truth.

Not as a superior, but as as an equal, although he wasn’t.

So, the Samaritan’s that heard this lady’s story, they were absolutely stunned. And here’s what happened in that community:

John 4:39–42 CSB

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of what he said. 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

The response in the community was astounding. Like the woman at the well, they had hope. The community was transformed.

And that brings us to our third aspect and step of worship,

Loyalty

I know we often think of the word “worship” as a musical way to express our gratitude and attitude toward God. But Biblical worship is so much more than that.

The greek behind that word “worship” is defined as this: to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure.

Worship in Biblical times meant submission. It meant prostrating oneself. You gave up your possesions to this diety. You went to temple and sacrificed your earnings, usually in animals. Sometimes, you even gave up your own children on the altar which was absolute evil worship.

That was worship. It was absolute loyalty.

That’s what transforms communities and people. The Samaritan woman could have easily heard Jesus’s revelation, responded with no, and moved about her life.

She could’ve accepted Jesus at face value, but just went on without telling anyone or devoted her life to Christ.

Anyone can hear and believe, but it takes a transformed person to become loyal to Jesus.

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

In view of the mercies of God, which is his revelation to us, and ultimately sending Jesus to die on a cross for us, in view of that, we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice.

That means, our lives belong on the altar. It’s not the things we give up, it’s not an offering every month, it’s not a slaughtered animal, or a good stent of attending church.

Our lives, every part of us, belongs on the altar to God. That means he gets to choose whether we live of die, how our lives are directed, every decision, every aspect of our lives - we are living sacrifices to God. This is our true worship.

This is what prompts Paul to write

Romans 14:8 CSB

8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

This is loyalty, this is true worship.

So, what is worship?

Three aspect - revelation, response, loyalty.

Revelation

Christ revealed himself to us. Just like the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, we do not deserve to be approached by Jesus.

Isaiah 64:6 CSB

6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

We can offer nothing to God, we have no intrinsic value on our own.

But God gives us our value. Jesus revealed himself to be the Messiah.

He’s revealed Himself to you. Maybe you haven’t caught on, or noticed.

But Jesus is standing in front of you. Like the woman at the well, he goes out of his way to encounter you. An enemy of the gospel.

To encounter me, a sinner in desperate need of a savior.

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

If you’re a fellow believer in Christ, in this message, it’s our job to carry this revelation to the ends of the earth. And listen to me, to borrow a line from the great Jackie Hill Perry, people don’t need you, or your gifts. They need Jesus, so preach and reveal him. Leverage everything you have to be a light for the gospel of Christ.

Revel the gospel like Jesus - as an equal. He was hungry, thirsty and tired. Stay humble, because prideful spirits have much father to fall than broken hearts.

Response

Our response, then, should be life change. A repentant life. A turning to a better life in Christ. Overflowing with living water that is a limitless supply of life.

You have to decide whether or not you’re in. No one else can do it for you.

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

You have to act on the news. You must repent, you must confess, you must turn to Jesus as the source of life.

You must deny your worship of anything else. Kill your darlings, kill your idols. Or they will kill you.

Finally,

Claim Allegiance

You must be loyal to Christ as King. He will not accept any less.

True worship is not split. You cannot be laying on two altars. We need to worship the right God.

Adoration, humility, submission, obedience - this is true worship.

And this isn’t out of a legalistic obedience. It’s a binding obedience centered on the messiah, Jesus Christ.

Don’t fool yourself - I go to church sometimes, I live a conservative life and I take care of my family financially, I have “Christian values”. Don’t get me wrong, none of those are bad my any means.

But true, Biblical worship happens because of adoration and loyalty to Jesus, not a book. It comes from the outpouring of our love to God, not a fear of missing a check box on the list.

We worship God because He first came to us.

We worship God because:

Romans 5:8–10 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

I urge you, this morning, to go all in. What other choice do we have?

God encountered us, let us kill him, and still offered grace.

In the midst of our sin, God came to us. He knew we needed him, but we were oblivious.

Hear the revelation from God, respond to him today, and claim your allegiance to the one true God who washes the sins away from the world.

Let’s pray.