Worship

John 4:19-26 (NIV)

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, 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 spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Scripture...Prayer...Worship...Relationships...Giving...Serving

At SOTH, we believe that these 6 gifts from God are some of the most powerful paths He uses to reach us, to touch our lives, and to move us further down the path of discipleship.

That's not a new idea...but it is a powerful one.

Two Sundays ago, we talked about the role of scripture in our Christian lives. This past Sunday was all about prayer and worship.

The encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well carries within it some of the most powerful commentary on scripture that we find in Jesus' teachings.

The woman knew all the things that should have divided her from this Jewish rabbi:

She was a Samaritan.

She was a woman.

She had led a "disgraceful" life of many marriages and unhealthy relationships with men.

She may well have been ostracized by others in the community.

She wanted water, and this man wanted to talk philosophy.

But in spite of all those differences, Jesus saw the things that united them. Worship isn't about "where," and not even about "how." It's about the posture of the heart toward God.

"God is spirit," Jesus says, "and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth."

People across time and place...with pipe organs or electric guitars...in cathedrals or gymnasiums or storefronts...can be united by worship filled with "spirit and truth."

The Samaritan woman's life changed forever because of her conversation with Jesus. I bet her worship changed forever, too.

If we know that God is delivering us...moving us from death to life, from sin to salvation, from brokenness to redemption...our worship will surely show it.

Our faces will too.

Prayer: Like the woman at the well, we too have questions about redemption and "living water." With all our hearts, we pray that you will teach us what it means to worship in "spirit and in truth." May we know that you will deliver us from spiritual death to life, and may we respond with joyful worship.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

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Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 22