January 25, 2004The Sensitive SeekerSetting: It was an odd setting for the theological discussion.
She was an unlikely candidate for a pronouncement of theory of worship. The divine Lord granting one of his profound disclosures
to a person lacking culture, godliness and education ... this is the mystery
of humans meeting God. Here a woman of mixed blood and life bondage, with little
or no education, in a hostile district, meets a weary Jew in neutral territory
on a non-specified weekday afternoon, and together they write a high lesson
for the church of God. She comes out of the necessities of the body and
the duties life assigns her. He comes in spite of her insults as God to
lift her life. I. Introduction A. Jesus came to Samaria in the heat of the noonday and
the fatigue of the journey 1. He was at the well when she arrived 2. Little did she know how much he already knew about her 3. She could not grasp the gift of God and who it was who
was waiting for her B. One was watching her who could understand 1. Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like
gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 2. She was judging him – but he was discerning her C. The conversation began in the woman’s world 1. “Give me a drink” a. With slurs and insults she reminds him of all her suffering b. “Do you a Jew speak to me a Samaritan – and
a woman?” (1) “Woman, if you knew ...” (2) “You would ask of him (the gift of God) and he
would give.” 2. Christ the seeker now reversed roles and made her the
seeker D. She initiates the conversation of theology 1. Where shall we worship? 2. I have a different tradition from you 3. In Jerusalem or in Samaria – on my mountain or on
yours? II. Fresh from Worship in Jerusalem A. He had just left the holy city and the Temple: 1. He called it “My Father’s House” 2. Where he had been at home as a boy Luke 2:49 He said
to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I
must be in my Father's house?" 3. Here he had spent the first Passover of his ministry a. Every eye was upon him. b. He was now about his Father’s business c. “It stands written: ‘My Father’s House
shall be a House of Prayer but you have made it a “House of Merchandise”.’” B. Hebrew worship 1. In the midst of grandeur a. 446 priests and Levites served on any given day b. The priests were organized into 12 orders of service
c. Silver orchestras and brass (flute and lyre) played across
the courts of the Gentiles (1) The smell of incense filled the air (2) The odors of the sacrifices and burning flesh were smelled
daily 2. There was no lacking: a. Of ritual (see Edersheim’s book – The Temple) b. Of tradition c. Nor of prayer (1) The Atrocity of Performed Prayer (2) Jesus clearly taught that there was a difference between
authentic, or spiritual prayer, and the ritual, or saying of prayers 3. The bazaar of Annas’ sons a. Every year beginning on the 15th until the 25th of Adar,
booths were set up in the provinces, such as Galilee, to collect the taxes (1) The sheep gate of the Temple had a permanent collecting
place (2) The Temple half-shekel was required of every Jew annually
(3) 4 booths were set up on Olivet b. The booths of the high priest’s sons also traded
money for Temple usage (1) There could be no secular coins on God’s holy mountain (2) Caesar’s coins with corrupt images had to be replaced
with the pure coins according to the Law (without images) (3) For a fee … 4. A house of merchandise (religiosity) a. A mart – a place to traffic b. Proselytes – foreign Jews – provincials Mark
7:13 “... thus making void the word of God through your tradition
that you have handed on. And you do many things like this." C. Their worship was proper, according to tradition, in
keeping with the Law - but according to Christ, void of the Spirit 1. A theologian was watching 2. Fresh from this scene, Jesus had arrived at the well III. By Jacob’s Well A. She believed that she was the seeker 1. Her question was honest even if her intent was not 2. It grew out of her new revelation a) “Sir, I perceive you are a prophet.” b) She had made great progress (1) She originally saw a man (2) Now he was a prophet (3) Before the conversation was over he would be the Messiah B. His response will be her epiphany - John 4:21-24 1. Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour
is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor
in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know,
for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." 2. His revelation is that God is the true seeker a) The hour and goal of worship is changing b) Geography is giving way to Spirit (1) No longer will God have a select people (2) No longer will there be a select nation (3) No longer will there be a select location C. You may worship in ignorance 1. Since Eden- as in the story of Cain and Abel a) Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable
sacrifice than Cain's. Through this he received approval as righteous,
God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith
he still speaks. b) Both sacrificed and both brought their best but the spirit
of one was the source of approval c) This is true of the history of Israel (1) 2 Kings 17:16 They rejected all the commandments of
the LORD their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves;
they made a sacred pole, worshiped all the host of heaven, and served
Baal. (2) Israel’s forms were not always accompanied by truthful
worship 2. This is even to be true in the latter times a) 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later
times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits
and teachings of demons. b) Our forms of worship are validated only by the presence
of the Spirit D. Worship must be two-fold 1. It is centered in God – who is Spirit a) He is Spirit and the Father of all Spirits b) He is the Spirit and he is truth John 16:13 When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will
not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare
to you the things that are to come. c) 1 John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens
to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we
know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 2. Worship is not only Spirit but it is truth – reality a) John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide
you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak
whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. b) This is the Spirit of truth through which we are sanctified E. Paul will tell the Greeks of Athens that they had religion
but did not have truth 1. Acts 17:23 For as I went through the city and looked
carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar
with the inscription,'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as
unknown, this I proclaim to you. 2. Acts 17:30 While God has overlooked the times of human
ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent. IV. God the Seeker A. Jesus redefines the woman’s concept of worship to
that which God is inaugurating in his own ministry 1. God is seeking worshipers everywhere a) Who will worship in the presentation of themselves b) In the Spirit of the God who seeks them 2. Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that
you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable
and perfect. B. Spirituality is the living union of the nature of God
with the nature of the one who worships 1. God calls us to a continued sacrifice in the presentation
of ourselves 2. Beginning by the well in Samaria he lifts our vision
of higher praise 3. He calls us all to know and to discern his will C. Worship brings the believer to the will of God 1. Not to a place 2. Not to a specific tradition 3. Into the fullness of the Spirit of the One who calls V. Conclusion A. We have come into this house of worship today in the
midst of Epiphany B. God is here to reveal himself 1. It is God that is seeking us, and not we him 2. We only need to know what it is that he seeks and to
respond 3. The issue is – have you worshiped? James 4:5 Do you believe that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? |