In Spirit and Truth

In Spirit and Truth

2005023

Topic # 1642 Worship

Introduction:

A. John 4:1-6

1. Jesus leaves Judea – goes to Galilee. Has to pass through Samaria.

2. Comes to Sychar (4:5) – sits down at Jacob’s well.

B. Just going through Samaria was a major thing when considering the cultural differences.

1. Samaria included a city & the region around it.

2. Assyrian captivity & after – Israelites in Samaria intermarried w/foreigners and adopted many forms & expressions of pagan religion.

3. In Jesus’ day – Samartians were regarded as racial half breeds & religious apostates. They were viewed as unclean people.

C. A woman meets Him at the well. In a bad situation morally & socially.

1. a woman; a Samaritan woman; a sexually immoral Samaritan woman. An outcast.

2. She & Jesus begin a conversation about drinking water.

3. but it quickly moves to the spiritual & many Samartians come to believe.

D. 4:16-20 – woman beings to realize there is something very unique about the person she is talking to.

1. 4:19 – a prophet?

2. 4:20 – moves the discussion to the proper place of worship.

3. from reading these verses, she understood one of the most obvious differences between Samartians and Jews centered around worship.

I. Why the Jews and Samaritans did not worship together:

A. Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch as the word of God.

1. Jews – all of OT as the authoritative word of God.

2. Samaritans believed the proper place to worship on top of Mt. Gerazim. (Deut. 11:28-29; 27:2-7; 12) The mount of the blessing of God.

3. Jews acknowledged God’s instruction to build the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Kings 11:13

4. Thus, a several centuries debate b/t Jews/Samaritans on the proper place to worship.

B. After the Assyrian captivity – the Samaritans built a temple on top of Mt. Gerazim and offered worship that blended Mosaic & pagan practices.

C. 4:20-24 – Jesus responds in a tactful way.

1. He capitalizes on a way to further discuss spiritual truth.

2. 4:21-22 – He says this long running debate between Samaritans/Jews would soon be over.

3. this would be a moot point to the true worshipper of God.

D. Jews & Samaritans were focused on the wrong question.

1. Ex: Instead of focusing on where to worship – Samaritans should have been focused on Who to worship!

2. 4:22 – Jesus says there is a relationship between knowledge & worship.

3. it is impossible to worship God in any age, under any covenant, w/o first having proper knowledge of God.

4. If you do not know God – you do not know truth, & it is impossible to worship acceptably.

E. Why?

1. It is in worship that we reflect our acknowledgement of who He is & what He has done.

F. 4:23-24 – in worship – God demands both feeling & form, both the heart & mind.

1. Our worship should reflect back to Him our understanding of His nature.

2. God IS Spirit – 4:24 – the worship we offer must be truly spiritual, i.e., our mental disposition must be focused on God & who He is.

3. God IS truth – 4:24 – we worship Him with spiritual sacrifices of praise and service.

II. The concept of worship.

A. 4:24 – worship means:

1. to prostrate oneself in homage; to do reverence; to adore.

B. Days of Shakespear: worship was actually spoken as worth-ship.

1. Conveyed the idea of assigning someone to his true worth.

2. to glorify God is to acknowledge the worth of God.

C. Isn’t this what we do when we praise Him for His

1. attributes; character; mighty works?

2. Psa. 96:8 - we are worth-ifying Him.

D. For worship to be sincere & meaningful:

1. our knowledge of the One being worshipped must be consistent with the worth we are ascribing Him.

2. Knowledge of God is essential to the worship of God!

E. When we worship…we rationally respond by:

1. acknowledging His goodness & greatness & graciousness.

2. praising Him for what He is.

3. thanking Him for what He has done.

III. God cares about how we worship Him.

A. Lev 10:1-3 – Nadab/Abihu.

1. passage teaches us that God really cares about the mechanics of our worship.

2. punished those who dared to do it their own way.

3. Nadab/Abihu committed a capital offense.

a) but..fire is fire….what’s the big deal? Wrong question.

4. God’s explanation is simple – 10:3

5. God wanted those worshipping Him to understand WHO He was God was not treated with reverence or respect.

B. 2 Sam. 6:6-7 – Uzzah.

1. Why did God kill Uzzah? It was just an accident. Good intentions.

2. 6:7 – Uzzah did not respect God for what He said.

3. None of God’s commands are trivial. None of them may be violated with impunity.

IV. But…the mechanics are not enough.

A. The correct form of worship was never intended to be an end w/in itself.

1. OT writers constantly rebuked the Jews for this.

2. their worship often little more than dead ritual; heartless service; and anything but passionate worship.

B. 1 Sam. 15:22

C. Malachi 1:

1. God severly rebukes the Jews for their vain & futile worship.

2. doing the church thing but acts amounted to nothing. As long as they:

a) went to the right place; said the right words

b) did the right activities…God would be pleased.

3. 1:6 – no respect for God.

4. 1:8 – sacrtificed lame & broken animals

5. 1:13 – dreaded worship

D. They failed to see God as Who He is. Their worship was an abomination!

V. Emotionalism is NOT spirituality.

A. Lest we be tempted to throw away the mechanics and move solely by emotion – we need to know that emotion isn’t everything.

1. must not base someone’s spirituality on the basis of emotion.

a) is kneeling more spiritual than standing?

b) Is crying more spiritual than serious reflection during the LS?

c) Is being emotionally swayed by sermon more spiritual than by being stirred by the truth?

2. But emotions are part of true spirituality.

a) NT Christians must understand that truth leads & feelings follow.

b) In worship: God cares about our feelings and actions.

B. Feeling in worship is appropriate.

1. But it must be based upon belief.

2. it must be based upon a response to our understanding of truth.

3. the truth about God; His law; His righteousness; His mercy; His love

C. Psa. 100:4 - When we approach God it should bring out emotion: intense feelings of joy; gratitude; awe; and reverence.

1. it is truth that gives birth to this feeling.

VI. Encounters with God are no casual thing.

A. Ex. 20:18-19 – God’s presence at Sinai. Israel feared for their lives.

B. Isa 6:1-5 - Isaiah

1. When Isaiah saw the holiness; righteousness; and majesty of God – he was overwhelmed w/emotion.

2. feelings of awe as he stood in presence of absolute holiness.

3. aware of his uncleanness; his unworthiness.

4. no one can see the holiness of God w/o immediately being overwhelmed w/a sense of personal uncleanness and unrighteousness.

C. When we come to worship we encounter God.

1. A serious occasion!

2. How do we approach it?

a) walk in late wk after wk? sing half heartedly?

b) Listen lethargically to public prayer?

c) Allow kids to rob us of our attention by what’s being said?

d) Forget to focus during LS?

e) What is our attitude toward Sunday evening worship?

3. How do those leading in worship approach it?

a) songs picked out in advance?

b) Use the list to know where/when serving? Absent? Get someone to fill in?

c) Dressed for the occasion? Take our responsibility seriously?

D. We need to get on our toes with our worship!

1. take it in a more serious manner.

E. Rev. 1:10-20 See 1:10-16 – look at John’s reaction to Jesus.

1. 1:17 – so awesome was this encounter, so tremendous were his feelings – he fell down like a dead man.

2. Do we get it? Do we understand WHO we are approaching in worship?

Conclusion:

A. We need to take an honest look at our present situation and see if the problem of indifference truly exists among us.

B. I N V I T A T I O N



In Spirit and Truth 2005023 Topic # 1642 Worship Introduction: A. John 4:1-6 1. Jesus leaves Judea – goes to Galilee. Has to pass through Samaria. 2. Comes to Sychar (4:5) – sits down at Jacob’s well. B. Just going through Samaria was a major thing when considering the cultural differences. 1. Samaria included a city & the region around it. 2. Assyrian captivity & after – Israelites in Samaria intermarried w/foreigners and adopted many forms & expressions of pagan religion. 3. In Jesus’ day – Samartians were regarded as racial half breeds & religious apostates. They were viewed as unclean people. C. A woman meets Him at the well. In a bad situation morally & socially. 1. a woman; a Samaritan woman; a sexually immoral Samaritan woman. An outcast. 2. She & Jesus begin a conversation about drinking water. 3. but it quickly moves to the spiritual & many Samartians come to believe. D. 4:16-20 – woman beings to realize there is something very unique about the person she is talking to. 1. 4:19 – a prophet? 2. 4:20 – moves the discussion to the proper place of worship. 3. from reading these verses, she understood one of the most obvious differences between Samartians and Jews centered around worship. I. Why the Jews and Samaritans did not worship together: A. Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch as the word of God. 1. Jews – all of OT as the authoritative word of God. 2. Samaritans believed the proper place to worship on top of Mt. Gerazim. (Deut. 11:28-29; 27:2-7; 12) The mount of the blessing of God. 3. Jews acknowledged God’s instruction to build the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Kings 11:13 4. Thus, a several centuries debate b/t Jews/Samaritans on the proper place to worship. B. After the Assyrian captivity – the Samaritans built a temple on top of Mt. Gerazim and offered worship that blended Mosaic & pagan practices. C. 4:20-24 – Jesus responds in a tactful way. 1. He capitalizes on a way to further discuss spiritual truth. 2. 4:21-22 – He says this long running debate between Samaritans/Jews would soon be over. 3. this would be a moot point to the true worshipper of God. D. Jews & Samaritans were focused on the wrong question. 1. Ex: Instead of focusing on where to worship – Samaritans should have been focused on Who to worship! 2. 4:22 – Jesus says there is a relationship between knowledge & worship. 3. it is impossible to worship God in any age, under any covenant, w/o first having proper knowledge of God. 4. If you do not know God – you do not know truth, & it is impossible to worship acceptably. E. Why? 1. It is in worship that we reflect our acknowledgement of who He is & what He has done. F. 4:23-24 – in worship – God demands both feeling & form, both the heart & mind. 1. Our worship should reflect back to Him our understanding of His nature. 2. God IS Spirit – 4:24 – the worship we offer must be truly spiritual, i.e., our mental disposition must be focused on God & who He is. 3. God IS truth – 4:24 – we worship Him with spiritual sacrifices of praise and service. II. The concept of worship. A. 4:24 – worship means: 1. to prostrate oneself in homage; to do reverence; to adore. B. Days of Shakespear: worship was actually spoken as worth-ship. 1. Conveyed the idea of assigning someone to his true worth. 2. to glorify God is to acknowledge the worth of God. C. Isn’t this what we do when we praise Him for His 1. attributes; character; mighty works? 2. Psa. 96:8 - we are worth-ifying Him. D. For worship to be sincere & meaningful: 1. our knowledge of the One being worshipped must be consistent with the worth we are ascribing Him. 2. Knowledge of God is essential to the worship of God! E. When we worship…we rationally respond by: 1. acknowledging His goodness & greatness & graciousness. 2. praising Him for what He is. 3. thanking Him for what He has done. III. God cares about how we worship Him. A. Lev 10:1-3 – Nadab/Abihu. 1. passage teaches us that God really cares about the mechanics of our worship. 2. punished those who dared to do it their own way. 3. Nadab/Abihu committed a capital offense. a) but..fire is fire….what’s the big deal? Wrong question. 4. God’s explanation is simple – 10:3 5. God wanted those worshipping Him to understand WHO He was God was not treated with reverence or respect. B. 2 Sam. 6:6-7 – Uzzah. 1. Why did God kill Uzzah? It was just an accident. Good intentions. 2. 6:7 – Uzzah did not respect God for what He said. 3. None of God’s commands are trivial. None of them may be violated with impunity. IV. But…the mechanics are not enough. A. The correct form of worship was never intended to be an end w/in itself. 1. OT writers constantly rebuked the Jews for this. 2. their worship often little more than dead ritual; heartless service; and anything but passionate worship. B. 1 Sam. 15:22 C. Malachi 1: 1. God severly rebukes the Jews for their vain & futile worship. 2. doing the church thing but acts amounted to nothing. As long as they: a) went to the right place; said the right words b) did the right activities…God would be pleased. 3. 1:6 – no respect for God. 4. 1:8 – sacrtificed lame & broken animals 5. 1:13 – dreaded worship D. They failed to see God as Who He is. Their worship was an abomination! V. Emotionalism is NOT spirituality. A. Lest we be tempted to throw away the mechanics and move solely by emotion – we need to know that emotion isn’t everything. 1. must not base someone’s spirituality on the basis of emotion. a) is kneeling more spiritual than standing? b) Is crying more spiritual than serious reflection during the LS? c) Is being emotionally swayed by sermon more spiritual than by being stirred by the truth? 2. But emotions are part of true spirituality. a) NT Christians must understand that truth leads & feelings follow. b) In worship: God cares about our feelings and actions. B. Feeling in worship is appropriate. 1. But it must be based upon belief. 2. it must be based upon a response to our understanding of truth. 3. the truth about God; His law; His righteousness; His mercy; His love C. Psa. 100:4 - When we approach God it should bring out emotion: intense feelings of joy; gratitude; awe; and reverence. 1. it is truth that gives birth to this feeling. VI. Encounters with God are no casual thing. A. Ex. 20:18-19 – God’s presence at Sinai. Israel feared for their lives. B. Isa 6:1-5 - Isaiah 1. When Isaiah saw the holiness; righteousness; and majesty of God – he was overwhelmed w/emotion. 2. feelings of awe as he stood in presence of absolute holiness. 3. aware of his uncleanness; his unworthiness. 4. no one can see the holiness of God w/o immediately being overwhelmed w/a sense of personal uncleanness and unrighteousness. C. When we come to worship we encounter God. 1. A serious occasion! 2. How do we approach it? a) walk in late wk after wk? sing half heartedly? b) Listen lethargically to public prayer? c) Allow kids to rob us of our attention by what’s being said? d) Forget to focus during LS? e) What is our attitude toward Sunday evening worship? 3. How do those leading in worship approach it? a) songs picked out in advance? b) Use the list to know where/when serving? Absent? Get someone to fill in? c) Dressed for the occasion? Take our responsibility seriously? D. We need to get on our toes with our worship! 1. take it in a more serious manner. E. Rev. 1:10-20 See 1:10-16 – look at John’s reaction to Jesus. 1. 1:17 – so awesome was this encounter, so tremendous were his feelings – he fell down like a dead man. 2. Do we get it? Do we understand WHO we are approaching in worship? Conclusion: A. We need to take an honest look at our present situation and see if the problem of indifference truly exists among us. B. I N V I T A T I O N