Let's Define True Worship
John 4:9-10 Then saith the woman from Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:13-24 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband.
For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
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.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
I. Questions asked of Jesus by the woman at the well
A. Why would you, a Jewish man ask me, a Samaritan woman to draw water for you?
B. How do you want me to draw the water?
C. Where should we worship; on this mountain or Mount Zion in Jerusalem?
II. In response to the Samaritan woman's questions, Jesus gave the simple plan of salvation
A. Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water from this well will thirst again."
B. Jesus said, "Whoever drinks of the water I have to give will never thirst because it will be a well of water on the inside, springing up into everlasting life."
C. In telling her to go get her husband, one thing Jesus was saying to her was that salvation was for her entire household
1. Rahab and her family were saved (Joshua 7:25)
2. Lydia and her family were saved (Acts 16:15)
3. The Philippian jailer and his family were saved (Acts 16:32)
III. Jesus was in a transition time between the Old and New Covenants
John 4:23 But the hour comes, and NOW IS…
IV. The woman asked Jesus "Where should we worship?" She was looking for a method of worship
V. Mountains
A. Mount Zion was in Jerusalem
1. It was the place of worship established under David's ministry
2. It was the place where the ark rested
3. It was the place where the tabernacle had been built
4. It was the place where Abraham offered Isaac to the Lord
5. Throughout the Word of God, this was the place of worship and dedication to the Lord
B. Mountains were a place to get close to God
1. Often people end up worshipping that which was intended to bring them closer to God
2. Often people will change from looking up to God in worship to looking down on people because of their differences in worshipping God
VI. The woman was talking about mountains while Jesus was talking about wells
A. Jesus wanted the woman to know that true worship was no longer found in a place
B. Jesus wanted the woman to know that true worship comes from the heart
John 4:23 …the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
VII. Ways that we can worship the Lord
A. Shouting
B. Clapping our hands
C. Raising our hands
D. Dancing
E. Singing
F. Bowing before Him
G. Kneeling before Him
H. With instruments
VIII. If the way we worship is not from the heart then the methods do not matter
A. Unbelievers shout
B. Unbelievers clap their hands
C. Unbelievers raise their hands
D. Unbelievers can dance
E. Unbelievers can sing
F. Unbelievers can bow
G. Unbelievers can kneel
H. Unbelievers play instruments
I. Unbelievers cannot worship God from their hearts
IX. Giving thanks is directed to the Father and starts from the heart
Ephesians 5:18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
X. People under the Old Covenant could not worship God from the heart
A. They did not have the new birth
B. The Holy Spirit did not live in them
C. They did not know what "…a well of water springing up into everlasting life" was
XI. "Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus"
Colossians 3:16-17Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
A. When your heart is right with God, the way you worship will be acceptable to Him
B. As long as worship is from the heart, the form of worship does not matter (ie-raising hands, clapping hands, dancing etc.)
XII. The spiritually dead cannot praise the Lord
Psalm 115:17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
A. Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is considered dead
B. If the world can do it, it is not praise and worship (ie-clapping hands, raising hands, shouting, singing etc.)
C. The world imitates the Body of Christ
XIII. Praise and worship should never draw attention to you
A. Your heart is not right with God if praise and worship draws attention to you
B. Man looks on the outward appearance during praise and worship but God looks at the heart
