Sermon

Redefining Worship

November 20, 2022 Bruntsfield Evangelical Church - Sermons

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Good morning folks, it's great to see you. My name is Graham. For those who are new this morning, it's just so lovely to have you with us.
Folks, let me invite you to grab your Bibles and come to John chapter 4.

John 4 chapter mention
We're back in this story today as Jesus encounters this Samaritan woman.
It was so brilliant to hear last week as we began this chapter, as we were just speaking after the service,
hearing how God has been moving in people's lives as we've encountered His Son in the pages of His Word.
And let's just keep that momentum up. We want to create just a good space for us to have spiritual conversations as God's people.
So this is incredible until we get back into John chapter 4 today.

John 4 chapter mention
So here's a question for you as we begin. How's your Spanish?
Okay, if it's as good as mine, it's com si com sa.
I've got one word. You can figure that out later, okay?
I've got one word in my lingual locker in Spanish.
And it's the word adoración.
Now, I probably butchered that, but I checked how Google Translate this morning.
And that's what it came back with.
Any Spanish speakers this morning, your native tongue, what does adoración mean?
It means worship.
Okay?
So it's the one word I know in Spanish. Here's how I know it.
I went to a conference in the States over the summer.
500 people were in attendance at this conference.
Half of them had Spanish as their mother tongue.
The other half had English as their mother tongue.
So the organizers of this conference, what they did is every song that we sang,
every alternate verse of the song was either in English or Spanish.
And they did it deliberately to help us understand two things.
Firstly, that in our different languages, as one, we were worshiping the same God.
And secondly, they were helping us anticipate what it will be like one day in heaven.
Because the scene at the end of the Bible story is a quite remarkable one.
Revelation 7.
There are all of God's people, a great multitude that no one can count,
that God has gathered together in the name of his Son,
in the new heavens and in the new earth,
that God will bring about a place where righteousness reigns,
where death is no more, where pain is no more,
and when God has defeated his enemies.
Where are those people from?
They're from all over the world.
They're from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.
I think it's one of the most distinctive features about Christianity
when you compare it to the other major religions of the world today.
Generally speaking, Christianity is not geographically tied.
The scene at the end of the Bible is these people are,
God has gathered them from all places of the world,
all ends of the globe, down through the ages.
He's gathered them together.
He's made them one.
This God is in the business of making and gathering worshippers.
And this is why this passage is so exciting.
Because John 4 is the wonderful star of the river
that leads to the ocean that is the scene in Revelation 7.
How is this God going to unite his people from all around the world
under the banner of his Son?
How is he going to do it?
And Jesus continues this conversation with this Samaritan woman.
And as we're to get the earth-shattering worldview changing enormity of this,
we need to get back in her world.
Her world is a world of pain.
Her world is a world of regret.
Her world is a world of hostility.
Her world is a world of division.
Her world is a world of shame.
And as I've mulled on it a bit more this week,
in light of last week,
I wonder whether that's why we don't even know her name.
Okay?
John chapter 3, Nicodemus.

John 3 chapter mention
Everybody knows that guy's name.
But could it be that no one has bothered to learn hers,
such as society's disgusted who she is?
Well, into her dusty and thirsty world,
Jesus has stepped.
And speaking is the one who knows her better than she knows herself.
He has just offered her, verse 10, come with me in the text.
He has offered her living water.
He has offered her an inner spring of life
that flows from his spirit living inside of her.
This is what Jesus has stepped into her world.
And this is what Jesus has offered her.
And I reckon she perceives something
of what Jesus is offering her.
And she twigs that it's got something to do
with worship.
But in her mind, she thinks,
well, that's all well and good for you and yours.
Right?
Go back down south and offer that to the Jewish people.
Right?
Maybe it's for them.
But it's not for my people.
And it's certainly not for me.
And what Jesus does this morning
is that he redefines what worship is.
The kind that God has both made possible
and delights in.
Folks, we need to get this this morning.
It's brilliant.
Okay?
Here is one thing that Jesus says,
one thing that worship isn't about.
Come with me to verse 20.
Do you see?
It's not about a place.
Here's what she says.
Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain.
But you Jews claim that the place
where we must worship is in Jerusalem.
So the Samaritans go to this place
called Mount Gerizim to offer their worship.
That's the monument, sorry,
the mountain that she's referring to.
So as well as many other religious things,
the Samaritans recognised the Pentateuch.
So pent meaning five.
Pentateuch is the first five books
that are in our Old Testaments, right?
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
The Samaritans recognise and follow the Pentateuch.
And if you read there,
Shechem is the first place
that Abraham offered worship
when he entered the promised land.
So if you're going to drop a pin anywhere,
if you're going to build a temple somewhere,
then that's the place that makes sense to do it.
So they worship at Mount Gerizim.
That's the place where they head.
Meanwhile, talking of temples,
the Jews believe in the rest of the Old Testament.
So they recognise Jerusalem as the place
where God's king would reign
and where God's presence would be.
And we get the story there of David's son Solomon
building the temple.
That's where they worship.
So this is two tribes going to war, right?
She is asking who is right.
Which horse are you backing?
Where is the place where we need to go
to worship on your terms?
And to be honest,
I think this is how we naturally think
as human beings, is it not?
That we have to go to special places
to worship.
The special places hold some kind
of religious significance.
You know, there's been one of the newest trends
in the UK right now
is this thing called champing.
Camping in churches.
So instead of booking a night away on Airbnb,
you can now stay overnight in a church building.
Right?
What's the appeal?
Well, the traditions and surroundings
combined with the silence and solitude
come together,
meaning that you can have a religious experience
as you stay overnight somewhere.
Right?
We think there are special places
where we go to worship.
I remember there was a guy called Rory
who used to come to Basics Bank
back in the days
where we used to have breakfast
in this corner when people used to come.
Came in wearing his flat cap
every time he came on a Friday.
Took off his flat cap when he came in.
Told his mate off every time that he swore
because in his words,
we are in the house of God.
Right?
We think places of worship.
How many of us grew up
coming to church on a Sunday
wearing our Sunday best?
Why?
Because we need to dress smart
if we're going to come into the presence
of a king.
We think places of worship.
And so she's asking Jesus to pick a winner
and surely we and John's readers
would fully expect him
as a devout Jew to pick what?
Pick where?
Jerusalem.
Yeah?
That that would be the horse
that he would back.
And add to that the fact
that this encounter happens where?
Back at verse 5.
If you look at it there,
in fact verse 5,
where is it happening?
It's happening.
This encounter
at Sychar.
Which is literally
the place.
I didn't realize this until Friday
and it's always good to look up
the geography of what the Bible
is telling us.
That place is literally
at the bottom of Mount Gerizim.
So Jesus has walked up
to this place
which is in effect
the very epicenter
of Samaritan religious activity.
What he's done here
is the equivalent
of walking right into Mecca
and saying this is not the place
where you worship.
You can imagine
the local Jews reading this
thinking to themselves
that's right Jesus
you go right over there
and you tell them
that they're wrong.
Right?
We love our boy.
You go and tell them
that's not the place
where they worship.
You tell them
they've got to get down here.
But he says
verse 21
place?
Question mark?
Neither.
And to get
how
he can say
neither
and why
there's one thing
that true worship
isn't about.
We have to listen
to him
tell us
about the two things
that true worship
is about.
And here's the first one.
What is it about
according to Jesus?
It's about
truth.
Now here
Jesus right here
despite not citing
Jerusalem
as the place
of worship
see how he is clear
in his validation
of Jewish
teaching.
Verse 22
what does he say?
He says salvation
is from the Jews.
We worship
what we know.
They are
the Jews
God's chosen vehicle
by which
he would drive
his promised
blessing
to the peoples
of the world.
It's why we need
our Old Testament.
really matters.
All of scripture
is God breathed.
It's why we need
our Old Testament.
And getting into
our systems
the intentions
the promises
and the character
of the God
who has revealed
himself there.
And we need
the Old Testament
to make sense
of Jesus
and flip
we need
Jesus to make sense
of the Old Testament.
He validates
the Jews
and their
heritage
and their teaching.
But notice
when it comes
to worship
what does
Jesus say
verse 24
that God is?
God
is
spirit.
spirit.
I was chatting
to my mum
earlier this week
and she was
telling me
that she went
last week
on her first
ever art class.
Right?
Loving retirement
life is my mum.
And here's what
happened at that
art class
that she found
a bit strange.
She thought
they do
what they normally
do at one of
these classes
you've ever been
to them.
People come
they sit in a
circle
with their
canvases
and the thing
you're meant
to draw
is right in
the middle.
It's kind of
how it goes.
You can see
the object
that you're
painting.
But she said
what was strange
is that when I
got there
there wasn't
anything physical
for me to look
at in the middle.
And the teacher
comes on board
and asks him
to draw a river.
This is what
my mum ended up
drawing,
a river.
She was showing
me it.
But the teacher
said draw a river
but go off
what that river
looks like
in your
imagination.
What does it
look like
in your mind?
How do you
picture it?
You see
friends
when Jesus
is talking
about God
the Father
as spirit
he's saying
that you
cannot visibly
see him.
He has
no form.
You cannot
hope to
contain him.
You cannot
hope to
control him.
You cannot
paint him
because he's
so different
from us.
He's so
high above
the things
of this
earth.
How often
I think
of God
as just
a kind
of me
on my
best day.
No,
no,
no.
He's so
far above
the things
of this
earth.
So far
above
the things
of me.
As the
old hymn
says,
immortal,
invisible,
God only
wise,
in light
and accessible,
hid from
our eyes.
God is
spirit.
spirit.
Which means
that if
God had
not taken
the initiative
in disclosing
himself to
us,
we would
be like
my mum
delving
into our
imaginations,
trying to
understand who
he is,
what he
looks like.
And left
on our
own,
not only
would we
worship him
wrongly,
which is
what the
Bible calls
idolatry,
worshipping a
God in our
image,
according to
our tastes,
which play
out in our
times.
Friends,
we would
never begin
to imagine
how gracious
and good
this God
is left
to our
own
devices.
But it's
as if
Jesus,
as the
one who
is the
image of
the
invisible
God,
has walked
into the
art class,
taken a
seat in
the middle
and said,
do you
want to
know what
God is
like?
Look at
me.
Because
John has
just unveiled
him,
hasn't he?
Right at the
beginning of
the gospel,
Jesus Christ
full of
grace and
truth.
Look at
me,
says Jesus,
and listen
and live
your life
according to
what I
say is
true.
And so
when Jesus
says that
we must
worship the
Father in
truth,
it means
that the
only true
worship of
the Father
is the
worship that
is done
in and
through
him.
He is
back at
chapter 2
verse 21.
He is,
Alistair took
us there a
few weeks
ago,
the new
temple,
the place
where God
dwells.
He is
God come
to dwell
on earth.
It's after
his death
that the
curtain of
the temple
tears in
two,
meaning that
access to
God
where before
denied to
sinful human
beings is
now open
for all
who trust
in him.
Through
what Jesus
has done,
we can
have the
audacity
to address
this holy
God who
is invisible,
but we do
it by trusting
in his son,
looking to
him,
we can call
him
father.
And that's
not just a
theological
hang-up,
okay?
Let me tell
you why that
was really
practically true
for me this
week.
On Thursday
night we
met to
pray for
the McLaren
family on
Zoom and
to pray for
them what
they're going
through just
now.
Friends,
let me ask
you what
came to my
mind with
this passage.
What confidence
do I have?
Do we have
as we met
on that call?
What confidence
do we have
that God
hears our
prayers?
who am I
speaking to
a computer
thinking that
the God of
the universe
who created
all things
would hear
my cry?
What confidence
do we have
that this God
knows?
When you pray
to him,
what confidence
do you have
that he hears?
What confidence
do you have
today that he
loves you?
And however it
plays out
according to
his sovereign
will,
that he
has their
lives in
his good
and sovereign
hands?
What confidence
do we have?
It comes in
that line
that we say
just before
we say
amen at the
end of our
prayers.
What do we
say?
We say
in Jesus
name.
Now that
is not a
spiritual
abracadabra.
That is not
you say those
words and you
will get heard.
It's not that,
okay?
It captures
the very
essence of
the very
reason that
you and
I have
the brass
neck to
say this
God,
I know
that you
hear me
and you
love me
because we
pray in
Jesus'
name.
We pray
in his
name and
he stands
there at
the right
hand of
the Father
holding our
lives in
his hands.
And that's
why this
matters.
We worship
him in
truth.
You know
the friend
Dean at
university
always leant
into this
truth and
I love
that he
always said
he used
the picture
as he
prayed
God
reaching
down from
heaven with
a massive
ear to
hear his
cry and
he was
the little
mouse whispering
into the
ear.
That's a bit
cheesy but it
makes the
point, yeah?
God hears
our prayers.
Why does he
hear our
prayers?
Because we
pray them
in Jesus'
name.
We worship
this God
in truth.
When it
comes to
worshipping the
Father truly,
Jesus is
saying don't
think place
God
because that
place was
always meant
to find
its
fulfilment
as the
place where
God lives
and where
you go to
worship him
in me.
Friends,
the first
thing that
true worship
is about
is truth
and the
second thing
that Jesus
says it's
about is
the spirit
and that's
a direct
reference,
I think we've
got to read
it this way,
to the
conversation that
Jesus has
just had with
Nicodemus back
at chapter 3.
You want to
flick there,
you can do
that.
You must be
born again
the spirit
of God
needs to
move in
your life
and make
you alive.
He needs
to awaken
your soul
to the
all-surpassing
greatness
and sweetness
of Jesus
because it's
not us who
came up with
that,
it's the
spirit of
God who
puts that
desire in
our hearts.
He needs
to take
out our
dead heart
of stone
and he
needs to
put in
its place
a heart
that beats
for him.
He needs
to reach in
there and
give us
new desires
new loves
new passions
that want
to follow
after Jesus.
Oh friends,
our affections
matter greatly
to God.
All the way
through the
Old Testament,
God's people
are consistently
rebuked for
doing the
religious thing,
saying the
words,
going to the
place,
all the while
lacking the
reverent heart
that should
have accompanied
it.
Isaiah 29,
here's just
one example,
these people
come near to
me with
their mouth
and honour
me with
their lips
but their
hearts are
far from
me.
In other
words,
here's the
subtext to
that,
God will
not be
mocked,
he will
not be
fobbed off
by some
pious words,
he will
not pull
the wool
over his
eyes by
some kind
of religious
performance.
Friends,
bring those
two things
together and
I'm going
to stop
saying the
word friends,
okay?
Truth that
has no
impact on
the affections,
emotions that
aren't informed
and led by
the truth of
God's word.
By declaring
that true
worshippers are
those who
worship in
spirit and
in truth,
Jesus is
saying that
when it
comes to
worshipping
God truly,
it's only
possible with
both.
Spirit and
truth and
there ain't
no dichotomy
between the
two.
And I
know so
many of
us are
growing up
and we're
students in
particular,
I think those
churches that
worship in
spirit and
those churches
that worship
in truth,
they're really
into the
Bible,
these guys
are really
into singing,
it's not
a choice.
Jesus says
the true
worshippers
of him will
worship him
in spirit and
in truth in
the words of
my friend Bob
Coughlin in
his book
True
Worshippers.
Every church
or Christian
who claims to
be spirit led
must be
word fed.
If we want
to know more
of the spirit's
power in our
lives we would
be wise to
fill ourselves
with the riches
of his word.
Light in the
mind leading
to heat in the
heart.
And two things
for us just to
think about as we
wind this up this
morning.
Two things I
think we need to
do is we embrace
what Jesus is
saying here.
Here's the first
one.
Let's embrace
this as an
all of life
thing.
Subtext.
Let's think
bigger than
singing.
Now please
don't hear what
I'm not saying.
I'm just looking
at the text and
I'm thinking isn't
it interesting that
Jesus in his most
clear teaching about
the nature of
true worship
doesn't reference
music once.
Now friends I
love to sing.
I love to sing.
Do you not love
it when you come
in here on a
Sunday and just
declare God's
praise.
His music is just
the wonderful
vehicle through
which we can
express our
thanksgiving to
him for who he
is and what he's
done.
And do you not
find the more,
I find this more
in life the more
I come here on a
Sunday.
I need this more
not less as I go
on in life.
I need the songs
that we sing
because they
remind so often
my weary and
tired.
and sleepy
and guilty
soul of the
gospel and why
we've got something
to sing about and
celebrate.
And they're so so
good for that.
Love to sing.
We should love to
sing as a church
and we just want to
honour those who
lead us up the
front not just on a
Sunday but all the
work that goes in
behind the scenes to
pick the songs that
are the best songs
for today.
There's real thinking
that's gone into the
songs that we're
singing to help us
meditate more on
God's words.
Just thank the
guys that serve up
the front today for
what they do.
Thank the tech guys
as well.
They put it all
together on the
slides for us to
sing.
So good at it that
we just take it for
granted sometimes.
We should love to
sing as a church.
Got a friend CJ
in America.
Pastor he would
always say in the
Monday morning oh
how many sleeps to
Sunday.
How many sleep.
Oh I wish it were
Sunday.
Because Sunday is a
big deal when we get
together as God's
people.
It is a massive
thing that we're
doing.
The aim is to get
the song of the
gospel in our
hearts.
But that and this is
my point this should
spill out into every
area of our lives.
work, home, gym,
family gatherings,
drinks with friends.
Because as we'll see
next week the song in
this woman's heart
it leads to her
telling people about
Jesus.
It's like a worship
in a big picture.
Oh I've heard stories
of and I won't name
you two students this
week taking bold steps
to share their faith
with their peers.
That is worship.
Others respectfully
resisting the pressure
to wear a rainbow
lanyard at work.
Loving the people
that you're working
with but because you
value being faithful
to Jesus more.
You're willing to
take the hit of their
raised eyebrows while
you're not joining in.
That's worship.
Others checking in on
and seeking to care
for brothers and
sisters in this church
who are going through
or have gone through
hard times.
That is worship.
We've got to understand
this is a bigger thing
spirit and truth
worshippers of God.
When we do this for
his glory it brings him
praise and it delights
him.
Let's embrace this as an
all of our life's thing
and let's embrace this
as an all of the world
thing.
Subtext.
Let's think bigger than
where we're living.
You don't find it so
difficult in your life
at times to raise your
eyes to what God is
doing over the world.
You see when Jesus
declares that he is
the Messiah, the
long awaited king
right at the end
there.
Verse 25 that God
would raise up to
save his people.
This moment isn't it
glorious and isn't it
wonderful that the
first person he
declares that to.
And the first person
invited to become
to him and become a
spirit and truth
worshipper of the
living God is this
shamed outcast
Samaritan woman.
That is Jesus to a
T.
See the word that
Jesus uses to
describe the heart of
the father at verse
23.
What's this God doing?
Have a look.
He's seeking his
people.
It's an active
word.
And Jesus is there
not only to tell her
about the father
seeking such
worshippers.
This gospel ends
with Jesus going to
the cross to shed
his blood in her
place for her sin
taking her guilt and
condemnation and
shame on himself
to make her into a
worshipper spirit and
truth worshipper of the
living God.
See the divine groom
has come to win
gather and give life
to his bride which is
all his people.
And Jesus will not
have his bride
inanimate.
Rather by the work
of his spirit
opening the eyes
of his people to
his all surpassing
glory she will
radiate with
affection for him.
Now as we close
do you want to
bring this together?
Do you want to hear
a really encouraging
stat I heard this
week?
Yeah?
And it will shine
even more blightly
when we consider
what is quite
literally kicking off
in about two hours
time.
FIFA seeking to
harness the power
of football to
unite and bring
the nations of the
world together
in Qatar.
And yet are we
not acutely aware
that the whole
build up to this
World Cup has been
dominated by
spotlighting the
huge and hostile
differences and
worldviews that
still exist between
the peoples and
nations of this
world.
As FIFA and I
was reading the
BBC yesterday as
FIFA try and
dance with a
Muslim state.
And in contrast
to that according
to research done
by a church
pastor in Miami
let me ask you
who do you think
the average
Christian is in
the world today?
You know what I
mean by average
okay?
Who do you think
that person is?
The average
Christian in the
world today.
This church
research that
went on.
And I love
this.
She is a 22
year old black
female who's
living her life
in the third
world.
That is the
average Christian
in the world
today.
Now as we sit
here I guess
as a predominantly
white middle
class people living
our lives in the
first world.
what is that
telling us about
what God is
doing in our
midst?
See the invitation
to lift our
eyes to what
God is doing
around the globe
down the ages
is telling us
that this God
is gathering
making and
uniting
worshippers
from everywhere.
Everywhere.
People that we
will never meet
but we will be
sharing glory with
them one day.
For what are the
different peoples of
the world doing
together in that
scene at the end
of the Bible
in God's very
presence?
What are they
doing?
They're worshipping
him as one.
Salvation belongs
to our God who
sits on the throne
and to the Lamb.
The invitation this
morning is to
come and become
a spirit and
truth worshipper
of the living God.
God.
Let's pray,
will we?
Perhaps in the
silence now,
maybe bring your
own prayers to
God.
As we think
about what the
Lord Jesus has
taught us this
morning and that
we can address
this God through
him and his
work on the cross
for us and his
resurrection, we
can know and
address this God
as our Father.
Father, we ask
that by your
spirit moving
amongst us just
now, that he
would be doing
his work in our
hearts of
transforming us
more into the
likeness of Jesus.
Lord, we pray
that you would put
new affections for
him and what he's
done into our
hearts.
And Father, may
it just overflow
into every area
of our lives.
Thank you, God,
that this tells us
what kind of God
that you are.
You are a God
who is seeking
such people
to worship you.
Father, thank you
for this time.
In Jesus' name we
pray.
Amen.