[1] Pastor Mike Paulson,
Bible Believers Baptist Church, Touchet, Washington
[2] See Mike Paulson’s Sermon, “Hold The Fort,” at http://touchet1611.org/HoldFort.html
Page last updated 11:11 AM 5/24/2007
In Truth?
Text: John 4:23-24.
“But the hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” NKJV).
Introduction
Although Jesus was on His way from Judea
to Galilee, He “needed to go through Samaria.” (John 4:4). The “need” concerned the salvation of the Samaritans. They needed
to hear the gospel from Him.
Jesus had stopped to rest at Jacob’s well outside
the City of Samaria while His Disciples went into the city in search of food.
When a woman approached the well to draw water, Jesus asked her to give him a
drink. She asked Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a
drink from me, A Samaritan Woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (Verse
9). After that
conversation starter, Jesus used the occasion to tell the lady something about
Him and something about her. She had a shady past. He had living water to offer
her.
Background
In case
you didn’t know, Samaria was occupied by a people of mixed descent - from
marriages between Israelites left behind after the exile to Assyria and a
heathen population moved to the cities of Samaria by the King of Syria. (2 Kings 17:22-24). The
Samaritans were taught about Jewish customs by a priest sent there for that
purpose (2 Kings 17:27-41), but some of them mixed heathen
practices with their “religion.”
Resettlement
When
the Jews began to resettle their land, during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah,
Samaritans who wanted to help in the rebuilding process were forbidden to do
so. Afterwards, the Samaritans did everything they could to interfere with the
completion of the city wall and the Temple. But they were not able to stop the
Jews altogether.
As you can tell, from Verse 9, the Jews still
despised the Samaritans in Jesus day, considering them no better than
half-breeds and avoiding them religiously. Since most Jews would not willingly
be caught dead in Samaria, it is all the more remarkable that Jesus went to
that place and spoke so freely with a woman of the city,
The message
The woman to whom Jesus spoke was not a
born-again believer in Him at that time. Undoubtedly she did become one
eventually and she is enjoying Heaven presently. Because Jesus was able to tell
her so much about herself she believed He was the “Messiah,” the One both Jews
and Samaritans hoped to see eventually.
Because
this lady believed Him, she persuaded the men of the city to hear Jesus speak.
At their invitation He remained for two days in their city. Many Samaritans
heard the gospel from Him and accepted it. The new believers told the women who
brought them to Jesus: “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard
for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the
world.”
Remarkable
It seems remarkable; to me at least, that
Jesus’ message was accepted so readily by people considered unacceptable to
even hear it. Perhaps that was true partly because they had not been
conditioned to reject Jesus and His teachings by “the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees?” (Matthew 16:12). Perhaps you haven’t realized it but Christians of today, who
should be familiar with Jesus’ requirements for true worship, have allowed
worldly influences to adulterate theirs.
Sanctuary
God’s presence provides a sanctuary from
the world for those who enter it. Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most
High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘he
is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” Although that refuge (we can call it a sanctuary) is a spiritual
one, abiding there makes us eligible for God’s provision for our physical as
well as our spiritual needs.
Biblical examples
Two Biblical examples of how God
communicates with men indicate a need for solitude in order to hear Him. Moses
was alone in the dessert when God showed him the burning bush. (Exodus
3:2). Elijah was alone on the mountain when God spoke to him in a
“still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:12).
The
churches we attend are sanctuaries where we can shut out the world as it was
shut out for Moses and Elijah. Jesus promised to be present with us when we
meet there in His Name. (Matthew 18:20). Since the world cannot enter
those sanctuaries (our churches) without corrupting them, we cannot expect
Jesus to meet us there while we are engaging in worldly practices. In other
words, Christians who meet in the Name of Jesus should cultivate His presence
by concentrating on activities that please Him rather than on themselves or
other people.
Her question
Before Jesus came to her, the Samaritan
woman seems to have believed true worship was possible only in the mountains of
Samaria. She asked why the Jews insisted on worshipping in Jerusalem.
As
Jesus indicated, the ability of the Samaritans to worship God was limited by
their lack of understanding. They needed to know who God was before they could
begin to worship Him properly anywhere. “God is spirit.” He must be worshipped “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, KJV). Time, place, and physical
expression are only incidental.
Same problem
So how much has changed over the years?
Is the question of how and where God wants to be worshipped still a problem for
anyone? Of course it is. In fact, many “Christians” who understand and accept the message of salvation cannot
agree on where to worship the Savior.
Some
don’t seem to understand that God dwells in them. They think He is available
for worship only within their church buildings. Others are even more confused,
being convinced they should not attend services of other denominations, even
though the promise of Jesus’ presence applies to all who gather in His Name. (Matthew
18:20)
Do you understand?
I imagine the majority of those I address
here are familiar with the words of John 4:23 and 24 because of having heard
the story of Jesus at the well in Samaria several times earlier. I am not sure
everyone understands what Jesus said. I imagine many of you are similarly
concerned with how, where, and with whom you should attempt to worship God.
It’s
certainly true that some Baptists, for instance, would not dream of attending
the worship services of the Methodists or the Presbyterians. However, no matter
where we attempt to worship God, unless we do so as “true believers,” “in
spirit and truth,” we miss both the heart of Jesus’ message and the blessings
that attend obedience to it. Our “holy” God “inhabits the praises of” His people (Psalms 22:3), no matter their
denomination. He wants to “show us the path of life.” In
His “presence is fullness of joy.” At His “right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalms 16:11).
How?
So how do we get to the place of true
worship? We begin by believing what
Jesus said and by acting accordingly. When we worship God “in spirit and truth” (in
spiritu et veritate) we are not hampered by time,
by place, or by our own physical limitations.
Barring
some aggravating circumstances, Spirit filled Christians should be able to
worship God, privately at least, wherever they are, at any given time. Those
who experience Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), and receive His gift of a prayer language (1
Corinthians 14:1-19), are uniquely equipped to worship God by praying “with the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 14:15).
You?
Are you a member of His “chosen generation,”
His “royal priesthood,”
His “holy nation,”
His “own special people,
that you may proclaim the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light? (1 Peter 2:9). Then
you can
“Enter into his gates with
thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise,” being “thankful unto him,”
blessing “his name,” as an act of your will. (Psalms
100:4). You can do so, wherever you are,
whether you are alone or in any group of believers where our Lord Jesus Christ
is the object of worship.
Explanation
“God is Spirit,” Jesus said. We “must worship Him in spirit
and truth.” The Greek word translated to “truth” in this passage is “aletheia,” which also means “truly.” (John 4:24).
“Aletheia” simply emphasizes the truth of the
first part of Jesus’ statement. Because born-again Christians are alive
spiritually they can worship God spiritually.
In
other words, we are not only required to worship God “in truth,” or
“truthfully” but, as born-again Christians we are truly able to worship
Him spiritually, or in spirit. We do not have to see Him in the flesh. We need
no priests, no icons, no spells or incantations. We can communicate directly
with Him from within our own spirits.
God
does dwell within His own. He lives in
our spirits in the person of His own Holy Spirit. He is our “spiritual life.”
We can communicate with Him on a spiritual level. (Romans 8:9b). As a matter of fact,
spiritual communication is the only kind we can have with God. As Romans
8:10 says, “And
if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is live
because of righteousness.”
Problem
One unhappy fact, concerning formal
worship services in many organized churches today, involves the lack of the
kind of worship Jesus called for in John 4:23-24. Those worship services are
often physically oriented, rather than spiritually oriented. In other words, we
try to worship God with our flesh when that isn’t even possible.
Some
of us have not learned to “be still and know that” He “is God.” (Psalms 46:10a). We think we need to make a lot of noise before He can hear us. Others
settle for exercises of one kind or another that do not lead to real worship.
In fact, because they are worldly orientated, they often lead people away from
God.
Forms & ceremonies
Forms and ceremonies, however meaningful
to the participants that fail to lead born-again Christians to worship God “in spirit and truth” rob Him of His due. Some “ceremonies” go so far a field as to
interfere with any possibility of enjoying the true worship the worship leaders
might actually desire. Although the noise they refer to as “music” certainly
entertains some people it only serves to drive others away. How, do you
suppose, does God feel about that?
You
have probably heard the old saying, “Music soothes the savage beast?” I’m sure that’s true. But I’m equally sure
that “noise” only irritates him. One instance to illustrate that notion
involved meetings I attended recently at a convention. What I observed led me
to believe the people in charge had taken leave of their senses. The noise was
nearly unbearable; not only to me but also to other people who were overheard
voicing their objections afterward. I left that place feeling as if I had been
physically and mentally abused.
For God or people?
Does God accept activities that risk
damage to our physical bodies as “worship?” My “horse sense” tells me
otherwise; 1 Corinthians 6:19 appears to agree. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your
own?”
I’ve
heard the arguments in favor of loud music in churches, and I know God is
neither deaf nor nervous. But Jesus said God wants to be worshipped “in
spirit,” which does not require any sound at all.
It’s
certainly all right to offer up praises to him orally. And it isn’t difficult
to find Biblical examples where that was done in an exuberant manner. However,
when you make a lot of noise in your “worship” activities, is the
noise for God’s benefit, for yours, or for some human audience you are trying
to please? If the aim of your worship activities is to please you, or some
other human being, you have missed the point. Man’s worship of God is either for
God’s benefit or it isn’t worship.
Sin, perhaps?
An article
in the Denver Post, on 9/25/2000, said noises of today (including noisy music)
cause people to go deaf at very early ages.
How
sad that Christians have been conditioned to accept destructive sounds as
worship when those noises are so apt to destroy their ability to hear. I can appreciate the need to be careful because
of my own hearing loss, even though I could not have avoided the circumstances
that caused it - since I was involved in a war for freedom. (Unfortunately, it
looks like I lost. You are free to intrude on my space with unacceptable
noises; I am free only to try isolating myself from them).
Many Christians are endangering their future willfully
today as surely as if they were hooked on nicotine or alcohol. Although they
might enjoy the effects of those excessive decibels, prolonged exposure will
eventually rob them of the ability to hear anything, good or bad.
If
smoking and drinking are sins against the body, as I’ve heard lots of preachers
say, isn’t submitting oneself to unnecessarily excessive noise sinful too? Christians
once thought so. They readily condemned noises emanating from taverns as evil.
Today it isn’t easy to distinguish tavern music from church music.
Choruses vs. hymns
I hesitate to complain about the use of
choruses in churches, since some of them are excellent for singing praises to
God and others can actually lead people to spiritual worship. But it’s shameful
when the great hymns of the church are neglected altogether in favor of noisy
substitutes, especially those repeated over and over, seemingly to “pump up”
the crowd.
Another
preacher said it like this: “the devil continues to rob God of His praises with
modern Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs . . . being offered up to God as
polluted offerings and incense.”[1]
The same preacher complained, justifiably, of the
influence over the church by “modern CCM rock groups” and “musical families
full of Hamite-styled musical arrangements.[2]
Perhaps
it wouldn’t hurt to add a few of the words Amos’ used to denounce unsuitable
worship in his day: “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear
the melody of your stringed instruments.” (Amos 5:23).
Hype?
Hype isn’t worship. It usually doesn’t
lead people to real worship either. Men don’t usually worship God with their
souls; they worship Him with their spirits. Ordinarily, at least, they must
quiet the flesh before real worship can take place. Have you ever noticed how
the noise subsides when the worship leader thinks it’s time to hear from the
Lord, or when the preacher is about to serve communion? Hype certainly doesn’t
cut it for me. In fact, I refuse to listen to noises in the church that I avoid
religiously in my home.
Wrap
Do you believe God is satisfied with the
type of worship He receives in the church you attend? Do you believe He even approves of it? My text indicates God
cannot condone any type of worship activity that does not lead men to commune
with Him on a spiritual level.
Let
me repeat that text: “But the hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the
Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24, NKJV). If you want to worship God you must do so as an individual,
even when you are in a crowd of people attempting the same thing, and you must
do so on a spiritual level.
The flesh cannot contribute much, if anything, to
real worship, just as the unregenerate Samaritans could not participate in
building God’s Temple. Real worship requires subduing the flesh. Hyping it is
an unacceptable substitute. It’s like beating a dead horse. No matter how hard
you try to force it, that dead animal is simply not equipped to get you where
you want to go.
- - - -
David E. Beneze, 1006 Fairview Ave., Canon City,
CO. 12 August 2002. Latest revision 05/18/07.