Worship In Spirit and In Truth, Part 1
Notes
Transcript
The woman at the well was looking for the proper method of worship, but she saw only two options:
The Samaritan Method & The Jewish Method
The Samaritan Method & The Jewish Method
Jesus set her up to find the true way to worship when He told her both of these methods were wrong.
The Samaritan Method
The Samaritan Method
It was done in ignorance.
They rejected the Old Testament except for the Pentateuch.
Their worship was enthusiastic, but they didn’t have the proper background.
They wanted to worship in spirit, but not in truth.
They wanted to worship in spirit, but not in truth.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
The Jewish Method
The Jewish Method
They accepted all of the books of the Old Testament.
When they prayed and gave alms, their hearts weren’t into what they were doing.
They had truth, but lacked spirit.
They had truth, but lacked spirit.
And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
Another way to look at it:
The Samaritan worship was enthusiastic heresy.
The Samaritan worship was enthusiastic heresy.
The Jewish worship was barren, lifeless orthodoxy.
The Jewish worship was barren, lifeless orthodoxy.
Jesus rebuked both styles of worship.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The two enemies of worship are demonstrated at these two locations.
The type of worship offered at Gerizim needed to be based on truth.
The type of worship offered in Jerusalem needed the excitement and enthusiasm that was offered by the Samaritans.
“Enthusiastic heresy is heat without light. Barren orthodoxy is light without heat.”
“Enthusiastic heresy is heat without light. Barren orthodoxy is light without heat.”
These two extremes are still with us today.
There are many religions and cults who have enthusiastic worship, but no the truth to back it up.
However, there are also forms of religions and denominations who have very strong doctrine, but have lost the joy of their faith. They know the truth, but have forgotten how to find joy in it.
Our Father seeks both enthusiasm and orthodoxy, spirit and truth.
Our Father seeks both enthusiasm and orthodoxy, spirit and truth.
Worship In Spirit
Worship In Spirit
What does this mean?
In verse 24 which we read previously, the spirit the verse is referring to is our inner person. Worship is not something which has to have external things to have it happen. It doesn’t need the right place, the right time, the right words, the right demeanor, the right clothes, the right formalities, the right music, nor the right mood. Worship should flow from the inside out.
Paul understood this.
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
David also understood this.
My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
David even understood what God needed from our worship when he was repenting to God.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
David understood that God wasn’t wrapped up in all the external signs of what some people would consider a worshiping church. He knew God was more concerned the person or the church’s heart. In these verses, David describes a man who is filled with contrition, gratitude, and praise. The person is so filled with it, that is just pours out of his mouth. This type of worshiper exudes these things.
Authentic worship is a function of the heart.
Authentic worship is a function of the heart.
It’s not about the rituals, costumes, atmospheres, special locations, or any of the external things we want to make it all about.
Praise isn’t true praise unless it comes from the very depths of our being.
In this sin stained world, we try to do our best that we can to worship our holy and righteous God. But we fall short because of our sinful nature. However, for us to allow worship to fall into a routine or to look at our worship services as something we do from rote would be an insult to the God we want to praise and thank for all He has done for us.
How To Have a Worshiping Spirit
How To Have a Worshiping Spirit
Have you ever been in a service where you felt an overwhelming nearness to the presence of God?
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
If we are to have a heart of worship towards God that is so full that it just flows out of us, we must strive for the following things.
First, we must be yielded to the Holy Spirit.
First, we must be yielded to the Holy Spirit.
For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
If we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to move and work through us during a service, we cannot worship God. The Holy Spirit is the One who truly knows God. How can we worship someone we can’t understand. We must have the help of the Spirit who does.
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
This affirms that true worship comes from salvation. As Christians, we should be stirred to worship by the Holy Spirit. We can only have the Holy Spirit once we have accepted the gift of salvation.
Second, our thoughts must be centered on God.
Second, our thoughts must be centered on God.
Meditation. This is a word I had stolen from me until this study. There are so many of the New Age religion/cults which use this word, and I have balked at anyone or anything which has used this word.
Mentor training in Charleston
Meditation is just focusing the whole mind on one subject, concentrating reason, imagination, and emotion on one reality.
Meditation is just focusing the whole mind on one subject, concentrating reason, imagination, and emotion on one reality.
This is hard for us to do with the way media has crept into our lives. To focus on one thing for an extended amount of time is a hard thing.
We must train ourselves to meditate on the Word of God and it’s preaching.
The heart of meditation is the discovery of insight from God’s truth.
The heart of meditation is the discovery of insight from God’s truth.
We find these truths when we study and meditate on God’s Word.
A quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon will lead us into the third thing we need.
“Why is it that some people are always in a place of worship, and yet they are not holy, though they make some slight advances in the divine life? It is because they neglect their closets. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows, but they will not stoop to drink of it.
“Why is it that some people are always in a place of worship, and yet they are not holy, though they make some slight advances in the divine life? It is because they neglect their closets. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows, but they will not stoop to drink of it.
Third, to worship, we must have an undivided heart.
Third, to worship, we must have an undivided heart.
Without it, worship is impossible. I don’t think there is one of us in here that would have a problem relating to this area. We sit down to pray, we come into worship, and as we are there, there are a thousand things which will come rushing into our minds distracting us from doing that which we meant to come to church and do.
David, who was king, offered this:
Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
Fear your name is equivalent to the word worship.
My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Worship will come from a heart the is totally focused and aimed at God.
Lastly, we must be repentant
Lastly, we must be repentant
We must deal with our sin.
We cannot come into the presence of our holy, righteous God if there is sin in our lives.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
We often are aware of sin in our lives we need to confess before God, but there are also times when we are unaware of sin that has crept into our lives. This is why David prayed
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
We all have areas in our lives which we are unaware of sin. It is our nature. This is why we need to pray this prayer openly and honestly. When we do, this is when God will really start dealing with us individually and as a church.
ARE YOU WILLING TO PRAY PSALM 139:23-24?
ARE YOU WILLING TO PRAY PSALM 139:23-24?