“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” John 4:23
What did Jesus mean when He was speaking these words to the Samaritan woman at the well?
First, we must worship in spirit. That means worship needs to come from the heart. Like love, in 1 Corinthians 13, it must be genuine and real. It must come from a place of authentic faith. Does that mean we still worship even when we aren’t “feeling it”? Yes..and that’s because of what Jesus said next.
We worship God “in truth.” That means we exhalt God for Who He Is, and what He’s done for us. We humbly bow before Him because He is above every ruler, authority, and every other name that is on or under the earth. (Colossians 3). We worship Jesus, the image of the invisible God, who now sits at the right hand of God ever living to make intercession for us as our Great High Priest. (Hebrews ) And we worship the Spirit, who indwells believers, making us a holy dwelling, just as God the Father previously dwelled in a tent among the Israelite camp. We now have the Holy Spirit within us as believers, who, with many groanings, prays on our behalf to Jesus (Romans 4.)
So does that mean we worship even when we don’t feel like it? Yes. Does that mean we read the Bible when we don’t feel like it? Yes - searching the Scriptures is a form of worship.
Do we get together for worship just because it’s something to do? No. It’s not an emotional experience we’re seeking out. We are not looking for God to give US something - He’s already done that through Jesus. (Although yes, we also come to Him as our Heavenly Father for prayers of protection, peace, assurance, and more). But worship is something - really, it’s the only thing - that we can bring to our Heavenly Father. Just like the little drummer boy says: “I have no gifts to bring, that’s fit to give a king…” We don’t have anything to bring. Nothing but our sinful, broken selves. But being humbled by the grace we have been given, and amazed at the mercy we’ve been shown, we humbly approach the throne of Grace to life the name of the Lord. Like David says in Psalm 13, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love, my heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me.”
We, like David, have to be continually amazed at our salvation. We will all go through trials in life - Jesus promised us that. But what else did He promise - that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age.
When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, after communing with God, his face shown with the glory of God so that a veil had to cover his face, for the Israelites were afraid. The glory of God is something to be feared; but not in a way that we’re afraid, like the Israelites. Isaiah also fell on his face when he was transported in the temple where the angels were singing “Holy Holy Holy.” We revere God for His Glory. Not in a fearful way, but because we know that as our loving Father, He will “graciously give us all things.”
True worship is costly. The person who perhaps demonstrates this the most is Mary, the sister of Martha, who broke a jar of expensive ointment and washes Jesus’ feet with it in John 12. The disciples protest, asking why the perfume wasn’t sold (it cost about $20,000 in today’s money) and given to the poor. Jesus replied, “the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” Mary understood the gravity, the weight of glory, of Who Jesus Was. His disciples didn’t yet realize. But Mary knew, and her worship reflected that. Her adoration cost her something. What is my worship costing me? Jesus said His followers must take up their cross, and follow Him. If I live my life pretty much how I please, and worship only when I feel like it, is that costing me anything?
On the contrary, what happens when we do give up something to follow Jesus and worship Him in spirit and in truth? We are blessed - with His presence, with His love, with His all-enveloping grace. We know that we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Hebrews). That’s already been done through Christ. We have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4), that’s already been done. The exchange has been made, and it wasn’t a fair trade (john Piper). None of us has ever sought righteousness or the things of God (Romans 3); none of us have looked for God; as a result, our lives are full of misery and pain. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. But God, who is both Just and the Justifier, showed His righteousness at the present time by sending us Jesus (Romans 3:26). By doing this, He calls dead people to be made alive again (Romans 4:17) and those people, whom He calls into faith, will be justified, sanctified, and glorified (Romans 8:30).
This is Good News! Just as Lazarus was brought back to life physically, our spiritual lives are brought back from the dead when God chooses to “Make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22).
We praise God for this outpouring of generosity and offer Him all that we have through worship. When we come before Him to praise Him in spirit and in truth, we offer our lives to be a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:2).
When we do this, our lives will reflect the glory of God, and we will be effective ambassadors of the gospel, because our lives will carry the aroma of Christ.