POINT:  Changing our practices to become true worshippers.

INTRO: The Woman at the Well, part 5, is about how to connect with God. 

The woman at the well has already had a phenomenal conversation with Jesus even when she is an segregated from society.

• She was socially-incorrect, racially incorrect, and her marriages were incorrect, too.
• She has heard about “living water”, and the man she is talking with is the source of that water.
• The man has made her uncomfortable, talking with her about her 5 husbands and the man she is just living with now.
• And her discomfort has prompted her to change the subject.

This is what happened next. 

John 4:20-24  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”  (21)  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  (22)  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  (23)  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  (24)  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

She changed it to the controversial subject of where to worship.

• Both her and Jesus are at the foot of Mount Gerizim, where are the Samaritans had been worshiping for centuries.
  • A corrupt and devious leader of the Northern Israelite kingdom and established that mountain as an improper substitute for going south to Judea to worship in Jerusalem, as God had instructed. 
• She says that this is the place where we are supposed to worship and you Jews think that Jerusalem is the only place to worship. 

Jesus Began by letting her learn it’s not about the place. 

• he said that both the Samaritans and the Jews have it wrong. 
• It is wrong because it forces God to be in either one place or the other. 
• it’s wrong because it limits God.
• It’s wrong because it doesn’t connect with God. 

Jesus does gently correct her by telling her that real salvation comes out from the Jewish  lineage. 

• and yes we know that that salvation is in Jesus himself. 
• that Jesus was the Messiah. 
• But she has not come to that understanding yet.

It is at this point Jesus delivers his two building blocks, not only to her but to you and I as well.

The first building block is defining what a true worshipper is And how they worship. 

• He said there are true worshippers, emphasis on true. the word for true can also be translated genuine. we might call it real.
• So he says that genuine worshipers use two tools.
  • One is to Worship in spirit. 
  • The other is to Worship in truth. 
• When Jesus used the phrase “In Spirit” he is calling her attention to the fact that it’s not about place, or form, or any kind of sensual experience.
  • it has nothing to do with how we feel. 
  • It has nothing to do with our enjoyment of the service, As in whether you like it or not .
    • Worshiping in spirit is not entertainment.
  • Anything you can feel must be physical, not spirit.
• When Jesus uses the phrase “in truth”, he is trying to bring her out of her false conceptions based on imperfect knowledge.
  • knowledge that is founded on a place. 
  • Knowledge that is restricted by form. 
  • a worship that does not comprehend the nature of the object worshipped.

At this point Jesus gives her the second building block for true worship.

• That second block is that God is Spirit. 
• The phrase God is spirit is addressing the nature of God himself, not his personality. 

Everyone including you and I and the woman at the well are blessed with having a spirit.

• It is this part a man that has the ability to connect with God himself.
•  we may use all five parts of worship each week (make slide of 5 parts of worship), based on Bible information, as our spirits attempt to connect with God as spirit.

This Samaritan woman ,with all her issues —  that she could have blamed on God — has just been shown how anyone can connect with God himself. 

• She was just told that it’s not about Mount gerizim or Jerusalem just like we should pick up that it’s not about having a beautiful church building or having no church building at all. it’s not about the place.
  • Places are physical not spirit 
• It is not about how eloquent sounding the prayer leader is or his selection of words.
  •   Sound is physical not spirit
  •  You can change to expressing that longing in your heart to praise God and ask him for help is Spirit. 
• You’re giving it’s not about how much or by what method.
  •  It can become about  your attitude of sacrificing for God like He sacrificed his Son for you. 
• You can improve your listening to God’s word being spoken and you’re willingness to be molded by God’s message.
• You can commune with God around the Lord’s table
  • Being humble and thankful that Jesus took your place and died in your place for your sins. 
• It is about using the five tools God has authorized in my effort to connect with God himself. 

If you need to make adjustments in your worship to God

• Does your place of worship entertain, and give you a good feeling for having been there?
• This can be changed.
  • I would be glad to help you if you like.
  • Just contact us.  

I also asked you to help us with this video ministry. Prayers and Donations are helpful. 

 Thank you for letting us try to help you today. Until next time, goodbye for now