TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES: TRUE WORSHIP

Happy Father’s Day!  We continue our sermon series Truth or Consequences with the sermon True Worship. We like to think, in our modern society, that we do not need worship, but worship is part of the human spirit. We can fill the void of worship with all sorts of things: sports, hobbies, recreation, and even work. The problem with filling the void of worship with these things is that we are left empty and in despair. The despair, anger, fear, and frustration of our present society can partially be traced to a failure of true worship.  We have exchanged worship of a living God for the worship “self” or idols of our own making. This is not new.  In John 4:23-37, these verses seem to be a disjointed series of events. It starts with the end of the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, but then the disciples return. They are astonished that Jesus is talking to her, but they do not ask him why! It is odd because the Samaritan woman has a lively and meaningful conversation with Jesus in which he tells her about true worship and the disciples will not even ask him a question! Despite the seemingly disjointed nature of these events, John retells them to help us understand worshipping in “Spirit and in truth.” This is the type of worship our heavenly Father desires.  When we turn our hearts to true worship we find, as the Samaritans did, a love, fullness, and strength of a Father who loves us like no other and is worthy of our worship!  As you read John 4:23-37, we pray that you find this loving, heavenly Father holding you close and reassuring you of his love.  John 4:23:37:  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you– I am he.” 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. (NIV)