Solving Our Worship Problem

Solving Our Worship Problem John 4:21-24 Hello Everyone, and Welcome to Rocky Springs first video sermon! I want to thank everybody for taking a few minutes to watch this video, and I pray that it blesses you and helps to strengthen your relationship with Christ during these troubling times. These troubling times are what I want to discuss and hopefully not only relieve some concern about not being able to physically come together, but to give you some encouragement during this time of separation. So what are we facing right now? There’s many things we, as a people and a community are facing, but one of the most talked-about is the problem of the church not being able to come together. But I want to shed some new light on this problem and hopefully get you to thinking about our current situation differently. Right now, the light is focused on the problem of churches not being able to meet together. And with Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter right around the corner, the problem of empty sanctuaries only shines brighter in many people’s eyes. But what if I were to ask you: When was the last time you can remember when the church was talked about this much? And when was the last time you saw how hard the church worked at creating new ways to reach the people? You see, right now, we have a problem, but with the problem comes a solution. Out of the many functions of the church, none are more important than intentional worship. But how many people do you think have slipped into the habit of simply going to church instead of being the church? And now that churches can’t meet, the church is finding ways to reach out to their communities. So let’s use this time to be the church and reach others. Where we worship is not as important as Why we worship. It’s Who we worship and how much of ourselves we submit to God. And we have to remember that where we worship is not a new 21st-century concern; it was a 1st-century problem as well. In John 4:21-24, we read about another worship problem. Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman while she draws some water from Jacobs Well. During their conversation, the question of where to worship came up. The Samaritan’s worshiped on the mountain, but the Jews said you could only worship in Jerusalem. So who was right? Jesus answered by laying down some eternal truth that’s still relevant today. Jesus answered the woman and said, “believe Me, a time 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, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” Now let’s break this down so we can apply it to our lives and situation today. In one sentence, Jesus struck down both the Samaritans and the Jew's answer for where and how to worship. Jesus said, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” And only one verse later, Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come.” The time has come because Jesus has come, but the time is coming because we must come to Jesus. When Jesus said, “the Samaritans worshiped what they didn’t know and how the Jews worshiped what they did know, because salvation is from the Jews,” Jesus was telling this Samaritan woman that He is the Messiah. That’s why “the time has now come,” because Jesus has come. And because Jesus has come, “the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.” So Jesus says it doesn’t matter where you worship because the Father seeks those who worship from their spirit in truth. But what does it mean to worship in “spirit and truth?” Well, the first thing we need to remember is that you’re a soul in a temporary body. When the apostle Paul prayed that the Thessalonians would have godly peace, he said, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless.” Your soul is your very self, the core of who you are. And at the core of who you are is your heart. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” (Matthew 22:37). In other words, don’t hold back any part of yourself to God. So to “worship in the spirit” is not about saying the right words. True worship begins in your heart – the center of your very being. Remember what God told Samuel, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). We are a fallen people, and God knows we’ll worship Him imperfectly, but let’s never worship God insincerely, because God knows our heart. Real worship is you glorifying God in “spirit and truth.” The Bible says that “God is Spirit,” and true worship is connecting our spirit with God in His truth. But you have to admit it’s easy to become distracted, especially during these times when we’re not coming together in church. But whether you're inside a church or not, our biggest distraction is ourselves. It’s easy to become consumed by worries, thoughts, and even our own self-image, instead of consuming our hearts and minds with our worship of God. And since we can worship God anywhere, but distractions are everywhere, what do we do in times like these when we can’t come together? First, we use this quite time to better connect our spirit with God. One aspect of this social distancing is it’s produced much more quiet time in our lives. But let’s use this extra quiet time as an opportunity to worship God. We can learn much about ourselves and about God during quiet times. Silent times help us to focus on God and enjoy just being in His presence. Being alone with God helps us mature in our faith and opens our ears to God’s still small voice. Even Jesus “frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray” (Luke 5:16) and “got up early each morning while it was still dark to prayed in a solitary place” (Mark 1:35). Even though we can’t come together, let’s not waste this time God has given us. Let’s be intentional with our faith and become more Christlike. Second, we also grow with God through our trials and times of suffering. Joni Eareckson Tada, the famous Christian author, once wrote, “When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating Him and quoting Him and speaking of Him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” Quiet time helps us to focus upon ourselves and God. But the problems we face force us to look at God and not ourselves. When we face a problem that’s bigger than ourselves, we look towards our God, who is bigger than the problem. Remember, the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice in that verse how God tells us to give thanks “in all circumstances” not “for all circumstances.” Today’s problems don’t stop God’s eternal purposes. And even though we’re not thankful for the Coronavirus and its devastating effects, we can “Rejoice in the Lord always” because we can create purpose from our problems. We can learn patience and persistence by becoming better, not bitter. Use today’s trouble as fuel for tomorrow's joy. Let’s not have a short-term memory but a long-term outlook for God’s eternal rewards. Remember, the church is the ekklesia. You and I, all of us, all followers of Christ, are the church. But right now we can’t be together. That’s ok. Because we are still the Body of Christ. We can still worship. So free yourself from distractions and use this alone time to truly and more deeply connect your spirit with God. Exchange your problems for His promises. Going to church is not the issue; being and remaining the church is! Even though we can’t meet at a church building right now, we have God, and God is what we need and who we worship, which can be done anywhere. We’re fast approaching Resurrection Sunday, and never before has the church been talked about so much then since that first Easter morning. Like the disciples who were scattered in fear at Christ’s crucifixion, we too are scattered. But the focus is on the empty tomb, and with the empty tomb walked out Life Himself. When Christ conquered death, He conquered fear too. And with fearless faith, the disciples once again came together. For anyone who might be listening to this, hoping to walk out of their tomb of fear, I urge you to place your faith in Christ today. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Seeing our sin in the light of Christ’s cross brings fear, but repentance and faith in Christ brings salvation. Brothers and Sisters, let’s begin replacing fear with faith because we will gather together again. Use this time wisely. Let’s be a people of prayer and grow in our faith. Remember, social distancing doesn’t distance us from God nor separate us from being a part of Christ’s Body, the church. So let’s worship God in “spirit and truth” and be the church. AMEN.