WORSHIPING IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

John 4:23-24

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. Isa. 29:13-14
      1. The Jewish people were worshiping God, but there was no
         real love in their hearts for Him.
      2. God was sorely displeased with them because of this.
   B. Lev. 10:1-3
      1. As we worship God, He must be regarded as holy. He must
         be revered and respected.
      2. To worship Him after our own devising shows disrespect for
         Him.
   C. As Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman at the well, he gave a
      simple and comprehensive statement regarding worship. John
      4:24
      1. Thus, worshiping God acceptably involves worshiping "in
         spirit and truth."

I. TO WORSHIP GOD "IN SPIRIT" INVOLVES AT LEAST TWO THINGS.
   A. It involves "spiritual worship."
      1. Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must
         worship in spirit..."; therefore, the worship of Him should 
         be "spiritual" in keeping with His nature.
      2. In context (John 4:19-23), Jesus made a contrast between
         that which is physical and the coming true worship.
      3. This principle is taught elsewhere in the New Testament.
         Rom. 12:1
         a. "A living sacrifice" - Dead sacrifices were offered in   
            the O.T. (dead animals).
            (1) In the N.T. we give our living, breathing bodies.
                We keep our bodies pure (free from sin) and we
                give bodies in service (wholly committed to the
                Lord).
         b. "Reasonable service" ("spiritual" ASV) Vine -
            "...Pertaining to the reasoning facilities; the sacrifice
            is to be intelligent in contrast to those offered by     
            ritual and compulsion."
         c. In Heb. 9:1-10, the writer gives a contrast between O.T.
            and N.T. worship.
            (1) The O.T. worship consisted of: A physical structure
                (the tabernacle), special clothing for priests,
                lampstands, burning of incense, instruments of
                music, and animal sacrifices. All of these had to do
                with the physical.
            (2) The New Testament worship, however, has to do
                with the inward part of man, his spiritual makeup.
         d. God's temple is spiritual, made up of individuals.
            (1) All Christians are priests who offer up spiritual
                sacrifices.
            (2) Our prayers are as sweet incense rising up to God.
            (3) Our music is making melody in the heart.
   B. Secondly, worshiping God "in spirit" involves worshiping with
      the right disposition.
      1. The worship of God must come from the heart, with genuine
         love in our hearts for God.
      2. We need to think of God as a person. He is not some
         mysterious force somewhere out there in the universe, but is
         a real living Being who seeks our love and adoration. John
         4:23
      3. The Jews, as well as many today, had no problem with
         worshiping, but not with true concern for God.
         a. Their worship became a tool by which they exalted
            themselves. Matt. 6:2
         b. Thus, all their works were a means to be noticed and
            praised by men. Matt. 23:5
         c. They continued to comply with all the outward
            ordinances, but not for the right purpose, to glorify and
            praise God.
         d. The prophets boldly condemned such practices. Amos
            5:21-24; Ezek. 33:31
            (1) When performed without the heart, even the "savored" 
                festivals and offerings were despised by the Lord.
      4. We need to be careful lest we give only an outward worship.
         a. As Christians we need to be aware of the danger of just
            going through the mere mechanics of worship.
         b. This can be well illustrated as we partake of the Lord's
            Supper. 1 Cor. 11:27-29
         c. We need strong motivation to make our worship to God
            what it ought to be.
         d. A frog was caught in a deep rut on a muddy road, so the
            fable goes. In spite of the help of his friends, he      
            couldn't get out. They finally left him there in despair.
            The next day one of his friends saw him hopping about    
            outside the rut as chipper as could be. "What are you    
            doing here? I thought you couldn't get out" said the     
            friend. "I couldn't," the frog replied, "but when I saw a
            big truck coming down the road, I was powerfully         
            motivated to get out."
         e. The reason we often don't act properly is because we
            lack the will and motivation to do so. Consider these
            strong motivating forces:
            (1) Love - The love of Christ constrains us. 2 Cor.
                5:14; Eph. 3:19
            (2) Fear - The fear of going to hell motivates us. Luke
                12:4-5; Matt. 5:29-30

II. TO WORSHIP GOD "IN TRUTH" IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
   A. To worship God "in truth" means to worship God "in accord with
      truth, as the truth directs."
      1. The truth (God's Word, John 17:17) is the only authority by
         which we can acceptably worship God.
      2. Many people stumble (utterly fail) in their service to God,
         because they are disobedient to the Word. 1 Pet. 2:6-8
      3. Again, we use the Jews as a classic example of vain worship.
         Matt. 15:7-9
         a. Thus, they failed in both parts of true worship.
         b. When one worships with the traditions and doctrines of
            men, it is an hypocritical worship.
         c. If he truly loved God, he would not use the traditions
            and doctrines of men, and he is only a hypocrite when
            he claims otherwise.
   B. The truth authorized five items of worship in the assemblies.
      1. The Lord's Supper is to be observed every first day of the
         week in memory of the Lord's death. 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts
         20:7
      2. We are to give of our means as we have materially
         prospered. 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 9:7-14
      3. Prayers are to be offered in praise and thanksgiving to God.
         1 Cor. 14:15
      4. We are to glorify God in singing. 1 Cor. 14:15; Col. 3:16;
         Heb. 2:12
      5. The teaching of God's Word is to be done. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.
         14:23-26
   C. All the sincerity in the world will not justify one act in     
      religion unless truth is present.
      1. Today many sincere people are worshiping God without
         truth.
      2. An architect draws up a set of blueprints for a house and
         gives them to one hundred building contractors and asks
         them to build the house according to the blueprints. After  
         the houses are completed, there should be one hundred houses
         exactly alike because all came from the same blueprints. The
         only way the houses could be different is because the
         contractors took liberty with the blueprints. If they took
         liberty with the blueprints, they did not produce what the
         architect desired but what they themselves wanted. We pose
         some simple, but important questions, "Why are there so
         many denominational churches with varying forms of
         worship today?" "Is it not because they have taken liberty
         with God's blueprints? "Have they not added their own
         wishes and desires rather than what God Himself wants?"
   D. The Bible instructs us repeatedly to beware of men. Matt. 7:15;
      Col. 2:8
      1. One of the saddest stories in the Bible is the one found in 
         1 Kings 13:15-24.
         a. The young prophet perished, not by wickedness or lack
            of sincerity, but by believing a lie.
      2. We cannot judge a thing to be true by fellow men. The
         young prophet took the word of another man, a fellow
         prophet.
         a. Elders can be wrong. Acts 20:28-30
         b. Preachers can be wrong. Apollos - Acts 18:24-26
         c. There are many false teachers telling lies today. Satan's
            ministers - 2 Cor. 11:13-14
      3. Believing a lie has terrible consequences. We must make
         personal application:
         a. We, too, can be deceived. Eph. 4:14; Rom. 16:17
         b. Always test what is said. Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1; 1
            Thess. 5:21
         c. Read and study for yourself. 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:14
         d. Never misuse or misapply the word. 2 Pet. 3:16; 2 Cor.
            2:17
      4. This illustration comes from James S. Hewett, in            
         Illustrations Unlimited, p. 159: "The setting was a cold    
         January morning in a little town in Wisconsin, on the       
         southern shore of Lake Superior. It happened to be the      
         Saturday when they had their annual dog sled derby on the   
         ice. A one-mile course had been staked out by sticking      
         little fir trees in the ice. The whole course was easily    
         visible because of the steep slope of the shore. It was a   
         youngsters' meet and the contenders ranged all the way from 
         large boys with several dogs and big sleds, to one little   
         fellow who didn't seem over five, with a little sled and one
         small dog. They took off at the signal, and the little      
         fellow with his one dog was quickly outdistanced--he was    
         hardly in the race. All went well until, about halfway      
         around, the team that was second started to pass the team
         then in the lead. They came too close and the dogs got in a
         fight. And, as each team came up, the dogs joined the fight.
         None seemed to be able to steer clear of it. Soon, from our
         position about a half-mile away, there was just one big,
         black, seething mass of kids and sleds and dogs--all but the
         little fellow with his one dog, who managed to stay clear,
         and the only one to finish the race. As I reflect on the    
         many vexing problems and the stresses of our times that
         complicate their solutions, this simple scene from long ago
         comes vividly to mind. And I draw the obvious moral: No
         matter how difficult the challenge, or how impossible or
         hopeless the task may seem, if you are reasonably sure of
         your course, just keep on going!"

Concl.
   A. Men have many differing ideas as to what constitutes acceptable
      worship.
   B. However, Jesus summed up true worship in one simple sentence.
      John 4:24
      1. Our worship to God must be a spiritual worship from the
         heart and in accord with truth.
      2. Without these, our worship is vain and unacceptable to God.
   C. Let us strive to be the true worshipers of God.
   D. History tells us that during the early days of the Civil War a
      Union soldier was arrested on charges of desertion. Unable to
      prove his innocence, he was condemned and sentenced to die a
      deserter's death. His appeal found its way to the desk of      
      Abraham Lincoln. The president showed mercy for the soldier and
      signed a pardon. The soldier returned to service, fought the   
      entirety of the war, and was killed in the last battle. Found  
      within his shirt pocket was the signed letter of the president.
      Close to the heart of the soldier were his leader's words of   
      pardon.
      1. He found courage in the grace and mercy of his commander-
         in-chief.
      2. Let us find courage in our great King and Savior who has
         pardoned us, and let us remain faithful until the last mile 
         of the way.
      3. May the Eternal God help us toward that end.

Chart #1
Consider these strong motivating forces:

Love - The love of Christ constrains us. 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 3:19

Fear - The fear of going to hell motivates us. Luke 12:4-5; Matt.
5:29-30

Chart #2
The Truth Authorizes Five Items of Worship in the Assemblies:

1. The Lord's Supper is to be observed every first day of the week in
   memory of the Lord's death. 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 20:7

2. We are to give of our means as we have been materially prospered. 
   1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 9:7-14

3. Prayers are to be offered in praise and thanksgiving to God. 1    
   Cor. 14:15

4. We are to glorify God in singing. 1 Cor. 14:15; Col. 3:16; Heb.   
   2:12

5. The teaching of God's Word is to be done. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.        
   14:23-26

Chart #3
We must make personal application:

1. We, too, can be deceived. Eph. 4:14; Rom. 16:17

2. Always test what is said. Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1; 1 Thess.
   5:21

3. Read and study for yourself. 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:14

4. Never misuse or misapply the word. 2 Pet. 3:16; 2 Cor. 2:17