It's Not Where You Worship It's The One You Worship

This is the manuscript for the sermon preached at Christ Church Los Angeles January 21, 2024. This is the third sermon in the series on worship based on Psalms‬ ‭95:6‬ ‭NKJV‬ [6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

The chief end of man is to worship God and to enjoy him forever. Genuine worship is a dynamic experience that brings about dramatic changes in the life of the worshiper. We need to improve the quality of both our public worship and our private worship activities.

It's not where you worship, how you worship, or when you worship it’s who you worship. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but our blessings are not determined by the place we worship. Our blessings are determined by who we worship. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit so everywhere you are is Holy Ground.

Scripture Reading: 

Matthew 23:16-22 (NKJV)16  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'17  Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?18  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'19  Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?20  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.21  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.22  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

Introduction

The chief end of man is to worship God and to enjoy him forever. Genuine worship is a dynamic experience that brings about dramatic changes in the life of the worshiper. We need to improve the quality of both our public worship and our private worship activities. That’s why I started this year with a series of sermons based on 

‭Psalms‬ ‭95:6‬ ‭NKJV‬ [6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

We often hear people saying come to my church to be blessed; you can really get blessed if you come to my church; come to my church and get healed; come to my church and you will prosper; come to my church;  God does things in my church that He doesn't do in others so come to my church because we are a special place, my church is Holy Ground.  I have at one time or another said most if not all of those things. When most of the people who say those things say them what they are really saying is that my church is special, my pastor is special, my choir is special. 

Now we should think that the place where we worship is great because of the love of the members for each other.  We should think that the place we worship is great because the word when preached is what we need in order to live and function in a fallen world. Yes we should think our church is great but not special.  

It's not where you worship, how you worship, or when you worship it’s who you worship.  We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together,  but  our blessings are not determined by the place we worship.   Our blessings are determined by who we worship.   Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit so every where you are is Holy Ground.

There is a song “We are Standing on Holy Ground” often sung during praise and worship at a lot of churches. The church is holy ground because those filled with the Holy Spirit are standing or sitting there. 

One time Jesus had a conversation with the Pharisees about the place and the trappings of the place they considered Holy Ground.  

We read some  of conversation today in our scripture Matthew 23:16-22 (NKJV)

I'm going to take two verses for my text today

Matthew 23:21-2221  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.22  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

For us this means that the place where we worship, or the one that teaches us, or lays hands on us while important in the kingdom of God are not as important as God.  It is God who blesses through the gifts that He has placed in the Church .  

Let’s first look at a definition for worship; it’s “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity”.  To Worship then, is to show reverence and adoration for (a deity); to honor them with religious rites.  Of course the deity we are talking about is God.

We worship when we come into God’s presence. God’s presence makes us who we are. His presence sets us apart from others. And every time we draw near to Him, He draws near to us.

I said last week that God seeks people. In other words, when we come privately or when we come together in our worship together, God is waiting, eager to meet us! He is seeking us in order to enter into the worship experience with us.

John‬ ‭4:23‭ NIV‬ [23] 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. 

We don’t have to be in a church or any specific place to feel God’s presence and worship Him.  

Psalm 139 says that God's presence can be wherever we are.

Psalms 139:1-10 NKJV O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord , You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If  I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

We know that God isn’t confined to a church building or only available at certain times of day. So we don’t have to wait until we come to church or a certain time of day to worship Him.  We don’t even have to wait until we feel spiritual. There is no where we can go, no situation, no challenge, no relationship, no conversation where God isn’t present. 

We all remember the story of the conversation that Jesus had with the woman at a well in Samaria which was recorded in John chapter 4.  We talked about it last week.  Remember that Jesus told her that a day was coming when it didn’t matter WHERE a person worshiped God.  What mattered was HOW they worshiped Him. He said they must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

  

John 4:23-24 (NKJV) 23  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Sometimes people walk out of church saying things like, “I didn’t really like the songs today,” or “I just wasn’t really feeling worship today,” It kinda took me out of it.”  Pastor wasn’t on it today that sermon was flat.  The Spirit wasn’t here today.  

Here’s a little secret; worship isn’t about you anyway.   It’s about carving out time in our busy lives and responding to who God is and what He’s done for us. It’s about a deep, inner spirit response.  Worship doesn’t always mean singing at the top of your lungs, or dancing or shouting. It’s about just entering into His presence and your response to that.

God doesn’t require some kind of perfect, complicated worship act. He just wants it to be authentic and genuine.

Here’s what the Bible, God's Word says that God wants in worship.  

Isaiah 1:17-18 (NKJV)17  Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.18  "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 

Hosea 6:6 (NKJV)  For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 

Micah 6:8 (NKJV)  He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? 

In other words we are to be completely devoted to him and compassionate toward others, not just giving lip service and empty sacrifices. God wants people to actually know him, not just know about him while, at the same time, ignoring what God considers important which is obedience and love. Living a life of obedience and love is what worship is.  It’s not just going through the motions: outwardly sacrificing and saying the right things, yet inwardly remaining far from God.

We should be so tuned into God that we’re feeling His presence in our lives in big and small ways.  It’s about who He is, what He does, and our response to those things. Worship isn’t about us. It’s about Him.

True worship must be “in spirit,” engaging the whole heart which is the source of our emotions.   Unless there’s a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. 

What did we say last week;

John‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭NIV‬ [23] 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.”

What do we mean when we say that “God is a spirit”? Is he a vague, impersonal, exquisite being, indescribable to man? Not at all! Rather, because he is Spirit, he is free; he is not confined to any one place or time. 

God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.                   

                  

Because God is spirit, his omnipresence makes it possible for me to worship him anytime anywhere. In the privacy of my room, I can worship God; in the midst of the mundane affairs of the everyday world, I can worship God. I can anticipate the blessed privilege of assembling together with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  

At the same time, worship must be “in truth,”.  We have to know who we are worshiping.  Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Jesus said that the truth makes us free.  

Something else we said last week was that Jesus prayed for us and said

John‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NIV‬ [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 

You cannot read God’s Word properly without having a worship experience every time you do. God’s Word, which is the truth of God, is our compass. It keeps both the individual Christian and the church.  

Passion and knowledge are both necessary for God-honoring worship. Spirit without truth leads to a shallow, overly emotional experience.   As soon as the emotion is over, so is the worship. 

On the other hand truth without spirit can result in a dry, passionless encounter that can easily lead to a form of joyless legalism. The best combination of both aspects of worship, spirit and truth, result in a joyous appreciation of God. The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate Him, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.

Let's pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for this time that we have spent together learning more about you and worshiping your name. As we leave this place today, may we be committed to worshiping and serving you in our daily lives. 

The Nature of True Worship

This is the manuscript for the sermon preached at Christ Church Los Angeles January 14, 2024.

Text: 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.”‭(John‬ ‭4:‬24‬ ‭NIV)

Our text is part of Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman during that conversation Jesus revealed the pattern for all true worship. In that conversation Jesus talks about man-made worship, and God centered worship.

If it is a man-made worship, it is bathed in ignorance of the true message of God’s Word, and it is permeated with all kinds of false ideas and superstitions. But if it is God-centered worship, then God always initiates it. It is spiritual experience that goes beyond the earthly, the mundane, the worldly; and it is Bible-centered, because God’s Word is truth.

Scripture Reading:

John‬ ‭4:13‭-‬26‬ ‭NIV‬ [13] Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, [14] but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” [15] The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” [16] He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” [17] “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. [18] The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” [19] “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. [20] Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” [21]  “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [22] You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] 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.”

             

Introduction

               

The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, part of which we read today,  is one of the high points of John’s gospel, and included in this conversation is a priceless revelation concerning true worship. 

Notice that this encounter did not take place in a hushed,  sacred setting, but in Samaria of all places, and to a woman whose life was jaded with moral sin! 

When you read the entire passage, which starts at verse 1 of John 4, it tells  us that Jesus had to pass through Samaria as He was going from Judea to Galilee. This, in and of itself, was uncommon for Jews to do, as Samaritans were part Jew and part Gentile, and greatly disliked by both parties. 

Most times Jews took the long route around so they wouldn't have to go through Samaria. The usual route between Galilee and Judea was along the Jordan River. While longer, it was chosen purposefully in order to not pass through Samaria.

It was about noon when this woman came to the well.  It was

the heat of the day and most people during that time would have been resting. Most women would come early in the morning or late in the evening to collect water. 

She has been married 5 times, and is currently living in sin, by living with her boyfriend.

‭John‬ ‭4:16‭-‬18‬ ‭NIV‬ [16] He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” [17] “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. [18] The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

These circumstances, of her personal life, point to her desire to avoid the shame that would come by coming to draw water when other women were present.  And yet, Jesus, in His divine intentionality sought to meet this specific woman at this specific time, even though it was culturally unacceptable for a man to speak with a woman privately.

But Jesus didn’t follow the prejudices of his day regarding gender and ethnicity. Surely this was part of his appeal. People used to being dismissed, ridiculed, and rejected were suddenly talking with someone who both saw them and loved them.

This is the glory and beauty of God’s truth: It knows no limit of time or place or person. It is revealed to those who are ready to receive it, whoever they are and wherever they are. So by God’s Spirit the truth was revealed to this Samaritan woman. 

Actually, she tried to change the subject as Jesus began to probe deeply into her life.  To try to change the subject she asked “Where is the proper place to worship—in Jerusalem or on this sacred mountain in Samaria?” Jesus did not ignore the question. He used it as a springboard from which to reveal to her the classic Christian definition of worship, the pattern for all true worship and our  text for today 

‭John‬ ‭4:23‭-‬24‬ ‭NIV‬ [23] 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.”

Jesus was talking about the difference between man made worship and God-centered worship. 

I. First of all, Jesus talks about man made worship. 

                  

A. Three basic weaknesses of man made worship are revealed in Jesus’ words to the woman. First, man made worship is contrived. It is the result of people adding a little here and taking away a little there until they have turned the Scriptures into a monstrosity.

                     

This is what the Samaritans had done in their insistence that true worship must be conducted on that particular mountain which a study of Scripture will identify as Mount Gerizim, which is the biblical Mount Moriah.

‭John‬ ‭4:20‬ ‭NIV‬ [20] Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Mount Gerizim is important because  According to Genesis 12:6–7, Abraham built an altar there, 

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:6‭-‬7‬ ‭NIV‬[6] Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. [7] The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

and in Genesis 33:18–20 it indicates Jacob constructed an altar there as well. 

‭Genesis‬ ‭33:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NIV‬ [18] After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. [19] For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. [20] There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

For the Samaritans, Mount Gerizim had been a sacred site for the worship of God for centuries. On this mountain the Samaritans had built a temple to rival the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. 

They had also adjusted history to suit themselves by insisting that it was on this mountain that Abraham had been willing to sacrifice Isaac, and that it was here that Abraham had paid tithes to Melchizedek. 

Furthermore, they tampered with the Scriptures themselves when they taught that it was on this mountain that Moses first built an altar and sacrificed to God in preparation for the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 27:4 clearly states that it was Mount Ebal, not Mount Gerizim. 

‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭27:4‬ ‭NIV‬ [4] And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. 

Every cult has done this same thing in twisting and distorting the Scriptures. A contrived gospel is a false gospel and will lead people to destruction. We've been talking about that in our Bible studies. 

                     

B. Not only is man made worship contrived; it is also ignorant of the truth. 

Jesus said to this woman, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know” (John 4:22 NIV). 

The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch. That’s the first five books of the bible Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They rejected all of the great messages of the prophets and all of the beauty and inspiration of the Psalms. They had a partial revelation of the truth.  A fuller revelation was available to them, but they would not accept it. 

There is no excuse today for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to be ignorant of what they believe or of the basic teachings of God’s Word. There was a time when people were ignorant of spiritual things because they did not have the full revelation of God.  But that time is no more;

                     

Jesus has come and has revealed God’s true nature to us. We have the completed Word of God with the ministry of the Holy Spirit available to interpret it to us. 

‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:1‭-‬3‬ ‭NIV‬ [1] In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 

‭John‬ ‭14:26‬ ‭NIV‬ [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 

                  

C. Man made worship is also superstitious. The Samaritans had adulterated the pure worship of Jehovah by recognizing the pagan gods of the foreigners who had come to dwell among them. They had mixed in with their worship of Jehovah all of the superstitions of the pagans. 

Many Christians have allowed superstition to become a basic part of their worship. Some will attend church not out of a genuine sense of need, nor out of any real desire to meet God in a worship experience, but because they are afraid not to! 

They feel that if they do not go through the motions of worship, something bad will happen to them. They may even contribute to the church and pay tithes because they are afraid some calamity will befall them if they don’t. This is worship out of fear, and such an attitude is synonymous with superstition. A true worship experience is motivated by love for God and by gratitude for what God has done in one’s life and family. 

                  

 II. Those are characteristics of man made worship addressed by Jesus in His conversation with this woman. Then Jesus talked about a God-centered worship. 

                  

In telling the Samaritan woman about a God-centered worship, Jesus gave her the eternal formula for true worship,  which is our 

text:

‭John‬ ‭4:23‭-‬24‬ ‭NIV‬ [23] 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.”

                  

A. The first thing Jesus said about God-centered worship is that it is God-initiated. God makes the first move toward people in establishing a true worship experience.  People do not have to seek after God or beg and plead with him to meet them in worship.

                     

This is what the prophets of Baal did on Mount Carmel in that famous contest with Elijah. They begged and cried and worked themselves up into a hysterical state—finally cutting themselves and shedding their own blood in their fanatical frenzy—trying to attract and coerce Baal to hear them and answer their call.

‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:25‭-‬29‬ ‭NIV‬ [25] Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” [26] So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. [27] At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” [28] So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. [29] Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

But what did Jesus say?

John‬ ‭4:23‭ NIV‬ [23] 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. 

                     

People do not seek God; God seeks people. In other words, when we come privately or when we come together in our worship assemblies, God is waiting, eager to meet us! He is seeking us in order to enter into the worship experience with us.

                     

 B. But not only is God-centered worship initiated by God, it is a spiritual experience. 

John‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭NIV‬ [23] 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.”

What do we mean when we say that “God is a spirit”? Is he a vague, impersonal, exquisite being, indescribable to man? Not at all! Rather, because he is Spirit, he is free; he is not confined to any one place or time. 

For thirty-three years, in a union humans cannot comprehend, God entered human flesh in the person of his sinless Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, in an even greater miracle, God died in the person of his Son and rose again the third day. But even during that amazing time of identification with man, God was still omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.                   

                  

Because God is spirit, his omnipresence makes it possible for me to worship him anytime anywhere. In the privacy of my room, I can worship God; in the midst of the mundane affairs of the everyday world, I can worship God. I can anticipate the blessed privilege of assembling together with my brothers and sisters in Christ at the appointed times, as we are exhorted to do in the Scriptures, and enter into an experience of corporate worship. 

I can blend my voice both audibly and silently in the midst of the congregation! Yes, God-centered worship is a spiritual experience that is expressed both privately and publicly within the blessed togetherness of God’s people. 

C. Not only are we to worship in spirit, but also in truth. 

Jesus invoked the Father on our behalf when he prayed His prayer which encompasses the entire 17th chapter of John

‭John‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NIV‬ [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 

I cannot read God’s Word properly without having a worship experience every time I do. God’s Word, which is the truth of God, is the compass of the church. It keeps both the individual Christian and the church as a whole in the pathway of righteousness, always attuned to the leadership of its head, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:22‭-‬23‬ ‭NIV‬ [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

And not only this, but when I neglect God’s Word, I find that I grope through my days,  here and faltering there, unsure at this point, blundering at that decision. Only as I make my way back to the Book and to the altar of prayer in sincere worship doI find my life once more on an even keel.                 

                  

Conclusion 

What is the worship of the church? If it is a man made worship, it is bathed in ignorance of the true message of God’s Word, and it is permeated with all kinds of false ideas and superstitions. But if it is God-centered worship, then it is always initiated by God. He is ever seeking his children to enter into a worship experience with them.

                     

It is a spiritual experience that transcends the earthly, the mundane, the worldly; and it is Bible-centered, because God’s Word is truth. Worship is genuine when God’s people find a friendship and an intimacy with him, who ever seeks us and longs to have fellowship with his redeemed people.

Sermon Audio