Worship – Pt 3

JESUS EXPLAINS WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF ST. JOHN 4: 1-26

THE TRUE NATURE OF WORSHIP (1-10)

In the time of Jesus, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along too well – which is why the Samaritan woman was so astounded when Jesus asked for a drink of water. When Jesus put His finger on an area of personal need in her life, she realized that He was a prophet and began to engage Him in a religious discussion. We do not know whether she asked her questions out of curiousity or genuine interest, but we do know that Jesus’ answer tell us what worship is really all about.

WORSHIP IS NOT LIMITED TO A PLACE! (V.20-21)

The woman wanted to know where people should go to worship God. At that time the Samaritans and Jews both followed the Law of Moses but disagreed about where to worship. The Samaritans said that true worship should take place on Mount Gerizim near Shechem, whereas the Jews favoured Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There was a certain amount of logic in both arguments. God had revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Gerizim but He had spoken a bit later about worship on Mount Zion. So there was tension between the two nations.

The focus on a place for worship was an old covenant idea. When Jesus told the woman, ‘It is not important where you worship’, He was pointing to a New Covenant arrangement which superseded the Old. Sometimes we can get sentimental about places. Maybe we remember the building where our Church first started, or where God met with us powerfully. We must be careful not to build a shrine to it. Rather, we must remember that we can worship God anywhere.

WORSHIP IS NOT BASED ON TRADITION! (V.20-21)

The Samaritan woman commented, “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain…” (v. 20).

In the Amplified Bible, it reads, “Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain…”

The fact that the Samaritan woman mentioned that at Mount Gerizim is where their fathers and forefathers worshipped and that is the reason they worshipped there, tells us that it they had made it had become a tradition for them.

The Oxford Student’s Dictionary defines tradition 1. the passing down of beliefs or customs from one generation to another. 2. a belief or custom that has been handed down in this way, especially an established custom or way of doing things.

In the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, tradition is defined as customs and practices from the past which are passed on as accepted standards of behavior for the present.

Jesus had to point out that it was not important what happened in the past because God was doing something new. It is very easy to start up a worship tradition and to end up being bound by it. We think, “We start with three (3) praise songs – all linked by a particular key, then someone reads a scripture, we have a tongue and an interpretation, a prophecy, a quieter song, a bit of singing in the Spirit and another quiet song.” We must not get locked into this kind of thing because God wants us to worship Him in fresh, creative ways. We must pray about this and open to the new thing that the Spirit is doing.

WORSHIP COMES FROM KNOWING GOD! (V.22)

In verse 22 of St. John chapter 4, Jesus told the Samaritan woman “Ye worship ye know not: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”

The Amplified Bible reads, “Ye [Samaritans] do not know what you are worshipping [you worship what you do not comprehend]. We do know what we are worshipping [we worship what we have knowledge of and understand], for [after all] salvation comes from [among] the Jews.”

To know here, according to the Oxford Student’s Dictionary means: 1. to have something in mind or memory as a result of experience, learning or information. 2. to be absolutely sure about something.

If we know and understand the character of God, we will worship Him as He desires us to.

The Bible describes God as:

Loving – John 3:16; 13:1; 15:9
Righteous – Ps. 145:17
Holy – Lev. 11:44, Rev. 4:8
Patient – 2 Pet 3:9
Full of Goodness – Ex. 33:19, Ps. 144:2, Rom. 11:22
Just – Is. 45:21, Rev. 15:3
Wrathful – Ps. 69:24, and yet
Merciful – 2 Ch. 30:9, Luke 6:36

He is complete in Himself:

All powerful (the Omnipotence of God) – Heb. 1:3
All knowing (the Omniscience of God) – Ps. 147:5
Present everywhere (the Omnipresence of God) – Ps. 139:7-10

His Names represent different aspects of His character. He is:

El Elyon – God Most High (Gen. 14:18)
El Olam – The Everlasting God (Gen. 21:33)
El Shaddai – God Almighty (Ex. 6:3, 17:1)
El Elohe Israel – Lord-God-of-Israel (Gen. 32:28-30; 33:20), and
El Elohim – which is the plural of El. However, some Bible scholars believe that El Elohim means God of Creation and Providence. (Gen. 1:1)
Adonai – Lord, Master (Gen. 15:2)
Yahweh – Lord Jehovah (Gen. 2:4)
Qanna – Jealous (Ex. 20:5)

The most common Name for God is “Yahweh or “Jehovah”. This Name expresses His self-existence and His external unchangeable [Immutable] character. See Ps. 102:25-27.

There are also several covenant Names for God. They are:

Jehovah – Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6)
Jehovah – M’Kaddesh The Lord who Santifies (Ex. 31:13)
Jehovah – Shalom The Lord is Peace (Judg. 6:24)
Jehovah – Shammah The Lord is There (Ezek. 48:35)
Jehovah – Raphe The Lord Who Heals (Ex. 15:26)
Jehovah – Jireh The Lord’s Provision shall be seen (Gen. 22:14)
Jehovah – Nissi The Lord’s my Banner (Ex. 17:15)
Jehovah – Rohi The Lord’s my Sheperd (Ps. 23:1)
Jehovah – Sabaoth The Lord – of – Hosts (1 Sam. 1:3)
Jehovan – Gibbor The Mighty Man of War (Is. 42:13, Psalm 24:8)

Whenever God dealt with people in the Old Testament, he acted consistently with His character. When we praise and worship the Lord, we should remember His character as it is expressed in His different Names.

THE FATHER SEEKS WORSHIPPERS! (V. 23-24)

In verse 23 of St. John chapter 4, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshippers.”

According to the Oxford Student’s Dictionary, to seek here means 1. to try to find something or someone. 2. to try to obtain or do something, to seek something or someone out. In other words, to look specially for them.

God is looking specially for true worshippers. He is not so much concern with the sound we make but with our heart. He is looking for worshippers who will worship him in spirit and truth. See verses 23 and 24

To worship God as Father implies a relationship based on love. We enter this relationship through knowing and identifying with Jesus. The Father’s special relationship with Jesus became ours the moment that we are in Christ. Through His death, Jesus reconciles us to God and gives us a new nature. God writes His laws on our hearts and pours out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). No longer do we try to please Him by our performance, we respond to His Fatherhood – our chief preoccupation is now to fulfill the first and greatest commandment found in Mark 12:30 – to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength. That was God’s original intention – a harmonious relationship between Himself and His people.

REFERRENCES

Lockyer, Herbert, Sr., Bruce, F.F. and Harrison, R.K. (1986). Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers Inc., Nashville, Tennessee.

Oxford Student’s Dictionary (2002). Oxford University Press.

Pope, Dave (1991). Giving the Best in Worship: A Heart Response to the Love of God. CWR, Waverley Abbey House, England.

The Amplified Bible (1987). Zondervan Publishing House, U.S.A.

The First Scofield Study Bible, King James Version (1986). Barbour and Company, Inc.