Father Seeketh Such to Worship Him

John 4:20-26

Introduction: There is a strange statement at the end of verse 23 that we read about what God is seeking. We are told to seek God though many of the time we are found guilty of seeking God, not for Him but for what He can give us. It seems our seeking Him is so He can give us what we want. We want God to give us money or better relationships or a better car or a different job.

Notice here,God is seeking us to worship Him. He is wanting us to give adoration and praise to Him. It boils down to in our modern terms: God wants our attention. God wants us to spend time with Him. He wants us to love Him. He wants us to enjoy being in His presence loving Him for who He is.

The context gives insight into the reason Jesus made the statement.

The Samaritans were a mixed race, part Jew and part Gentile, that grew out of the Assyrian captivity of the ten northern tribes in 727 b.c[.

Rejected by the Jews because they could not prove their genealogy, the Samaritans established their own temple and religious services on Mt. Gerizim

The woman here at the well was a part of a mixed group who felt rejected by most except their own. They had created their own religion and their god was not the God of the Bible. Here in these verses Jesus is witnessing to this Samaritan woman about living water which He is. There are two reasons why He seeks such to worship Him.

I. Because of who we are

A. She thought of religion-men ought-there are many people today think you ought to do this or do that in order to be a Christian. She was living based on what she thought she ought to do, but it wasn’t working out for her. She was still a sinner. We are just sinners going our path.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Jesus is reminding us that we are nothing without Him We need Him and He reminds us He is seeking us.

B. She needed a compassionate Savior-she did not know what she was worshipping v.22-Jesus is showing her that she is a sinner and in need of a Savior. He wanted her to know she needed a Savior not a religion. She is a person in need of a Savior. She needed a relationship with God in heaven.

II. Because of who He is

A. He is the Father-notice here Jesus is pointing her to the Father-she was focusing on a place Too often we limit God to a place thinking-I worship God only at church where we should, but we should worship Him at home by our actions Psalm 101:2 “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

Wherever we go, we should worship and honor God 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

As the Father He is is with us in every place and in every situation. The reason why God seeks worshippers is because of who He is and not because of who we are.

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

B. He is the truth

He is the truth as we know which means knowing Him means we walk with the truth. Good works and religious activity is not truth. Without truth, we are subject to the whims of worldly deception and supposed pleasure Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

The truth of Jesus sets this woman free from those entanglements John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

C. He is the Messiah-this means anointed One, the chosen of God as foretold in the OT. She recognized Him as the Messiah and turned to Him.

God wants to be the Lord of everyone of us. This means He not only seeks her attention but yours as well.

We must repudiate this great, modern wave of seeking God for His benefits. The sovereign God wants to be loved for Himself and honored for Himself, but that is only part of what He wants. The other part is that He wants us to know that when we have Him, we have everything—we have all therest.34

A. W. Tozer

God also gives us a freewill. Spending time with God means we make a choice. It may be an early morning time before the day begins or maybe a late night after all goes to bed or it may mean a special quiet place you can retreat to away from all distractions God is seeking you to worship HIm.

I have read about athletes who spend hours and hours practicing their athletic skill to get better. It might be football or basketball or baseball or golf none of which will have eternal value. It is lived only for this life. However, when you spend time with God, you are not only investing in your life here but also in your eternity.

I am convinced today, the problem with the world is not its unbelief and sin, though that is a problem to be sure. The problem is with the Christian today who says they know God but they really don’t. They claim to worship a Savior they don’t. They claim to love Jesus but they don’t as they ought.

Tonight, God is still seeking such to worship Him. I am talking about an individual, sold out relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants you in the quiet prayer closet where you would rather go to pray than to go to play. When is the last time you spent an extended time with God? One hour? Two hours? Half a day? A whole day? This is where revival begins. This is where it really matters. This is where we can make an impact on the world.

2 Timothy 2:19–22 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Conclusion: Perhaps tonight is God time here at the altar. It is start time, surrender time, a time to give up our ways, our thoughts and yield to Him. It is most interesting what happens to this Samaritan woman: v. 28-what she comes for to satisfy herself with, she leaves the well dfferently. Ho do we know? v28 she leaves her waterpot. Her thirst is quenched by Living Water. He will quench your spiritual thirst when you decide it is God and nothing else.