As I contemplate the gift of the cross, I am completely and totally awed by the enormity of God’s love. I am drawn to my knees in worship and adoration.
The Bible says this: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13-14 NKJV). But let’s think about it a bit. You might sacrifice your time or money for a friend, but would you give up your life?
God did. And He went beyond! He not only sacrificed His life for a friend, but for ALL of mankind, including his sworn enemies! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16-17 NKJV)
This is love, friends! Love pure and simple! Can we do anything except fall down on our knees and worship?
But just what kind of worship do we offer our Lord and Savior, our King, our Redeemer, our Loving Father? What kind of worship is acceptable to Him?
This question is answered by Jesus the day He encountered the woman at the well. The woman states: “. . . Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” (John 4:20 NKJV)
If you read this statement in context, it is interesting to note that it was likely nothing more than the woman’s attempt at changing the subject.
Why?
Because she says this immediately after Jesus, a total stranger, breaks open her dark secret: She has had five husbands, and the man she is living with is NOT her husband. Said a little differently, she is a harlot!
What would you and I be tempted to do when brought face to face with our sin?
I don’t know about you, but I might look around and see if anyone was listening, and then I would evade the topic!
And this is just what this woman does: “I see you are a prophet! Well then . . .”
Hum! She really isn’t interested in His answer, is she? She just wanted to stop talking about her own weaknesses!
But Jesus uses this woman’s attempt to evade his revelation by driving home an important point: “…the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.” (John 4:21) In other words, where we worship isn’t important to God!
But if where isn’t important, than what is?
Jesus’ response is poignant: “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. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24 NKJV)
Said differently, the quality of our worship is based on how we worship: In Spirit; and who we worship: In Truth!
An email correspondent recently sent me the following a powerful statement: “There are three kinds of servants of God: 1) Those who worship God for what they can get out of it; 2) Those who worship God because they are afraid not to; and 3) Those who truly worship God.”
Friends, as we enter this Easter Season, will you join me in my desire to worship Him truly and completely, will you join me in giving Him the honor and glory and worship that He truly deserves? If so, then let’s start by asking ourselves the following questions:
1. What kind of a worshipper am I?
2. Do I worship God for what I can get out of it? Do I worship Him because I’m afraid not to?
3. Or do I truly worship Him in Spirit and in Truth?
Please join us next Saturday for part 2 of this series, as we look at the reality and the folly of worshiping God for what we can get out of it: THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, Part 2: Worshiping for Personal Gain.
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.
(To access the entire “The Woman at the Well” mini-series, please click here.)