True Worshipers

Scripture – John 4:20-26: Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) Worship is the heart of the church. It is an eternal activity in which we consciously participate every so often. As Jesus told this woman, the constant in worship is “spirit and truth.” The places and styles and forms are all up for grabs. The time for those changes “has now come.” In this new day – in this ever-changing culture – we are running well behind the leading edge of change. How can we be “true worshipers” today?

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will do something quite different in my experience of Sunday morning worship today. In addition, I will invite some other people to help understand and plan worship experiences for the congregation.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)