sPIRIT&TRUTH
Presented by Steven Schiller Feb 27, 2022
In Spirit And Truth (4:20-24)
INTRODUCTION
At Jacob's well, Jesus and the Samaritan woman discussed the matter of worship...
Samaritans and Jews differed as to where one should worship - Jn 4:20
Samaritans believed they should worship on Mt. Gerazim
Jews understood that it should be in Jerusalem
Jesus said the time was coming for a different kind of worship - Jn 4:21-24
Where worship would not be defined by its location (though Jews had been right)
Where true worshippers would worship the Father in spirit and truth
What does it mean to worship the Father in spirit and truth? Many say it means...
To worship God from the heart ("in spirit")
To worship God as He directs in His Word ("and truth")
Yet note the contrast made by Jesus...
The Jews had worshipped correctly by going to Jerusalem
But the time was coming when place would not be important
-- A contrast is being made between OT worship and NT worship
Somehow Old Testament (OT) worship had not been "in spirit and truth"...
Yet God required worship from the heart from the Jews - cf. Deut 6:4-7; Isa 1:10-18
And God required worship as directed by His Word - cf. Deut 5:32-33
[If "in spirit and truth" does not mean "from the heart and in harmony with God's Word", then what does it mean? Let's first consider...]
WORSHIPPING GOD IN SPIRIT
MEANS TO OFFER "SPIRITUAL" WORSHIP...
In contrast to that which is mostly physical
This explanation is in keeping with the context - cf. Jn 4:24
Jesus began by saying "God is Spirit..."
The worship of God is to be "in spirit" (i.e., spiritual)
Note these comments:
"...men must offer a worship corresponding with the nature and attributes of God." - J. W. McGarvey
"Since he is Spirit, he must receive spiritual worship..." - B.W. Johnson
"A pure, a holy, a spiritual worship, therefore, is such as he seeks the offering of the soul rather than the formal offering of the body - the homage of the heart rather than that of the lips." - Albert Barnes
-- A worship was coming that was more in keeping with God's nature!
AS OPPOSED TO "CARNAL" ORDINANCES...
OT worship consisted of carnal (fleshly) ordinances - cf. He 9:1-10
A physical structure (tabernacle)
Special priesthood, clothing for priests
Lamp stands, burning incense
Instruments of music
Feast days
Animal and meal sacrifices
-- All which appealed to the carnal or physical senses of man
NT worship is geared more toward the spiritual side of man:
God's temple is now spiritual, made up of Christians - 1Co 3:16; Ep 2:19-22
All Christians are priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices - 1Pe 2:5,9
Our prayers are as sweet incense - Re 5:8
Our music is making melody with the heart, not the harp - Ep 5:19
The Lord's Supper - Ac 20:7; 1Co 10:16-17; 11:17-34
Spiritual sacrifices of praise and service - He 13:15; Ro 12:1-2
-- The emphasis is on the spirit of man, not his physical senses!
[Physical ordinances of the Old Covenant were until "the time of reformation" (He 9:9-10), which occurred with the coming of the New Covenant. As Jesus proclaimed, the new worship is more in keeping with the nature of God ("God is Spirit..."), designed to relate more to the spiritual side of man. Now let's examine...]
WORSHIPPING GOD IN TRUTH
MEANS TO OFFER "TRUE (REAL)" WORSHIP...
To worship according to the commands of God?
Certainly we should do this
But this is no contrast to what God expected in the OT - cf. Deut 5:32-33
Jesus admitted that the Jews were right in their worship - Jn 4:22
What then is the contrast between worship that was and that which "now is"?
Not between true and false worship
But between that which is true (real) and that which had been a shadow
-- A worship was coming that was more in keeping with truth and reality
AS OPPOSED TO "SHADOW (SYMBOL)" WORSHIP...
Many elements of worship in the OT were simply a shadow or figure of that to come
The Tabernacle was a symbol - He 9:8-9
The Law with its worship was only a shadow of that to come - He 10:1
Christ is now in the true tabernacle (heaven)- He 9:11-12,24
We should expect the worship of the true to be different from that of the shadow
We have already seen that to be the case:
Old Covenant worship, which was but a shadow, was physical in nature
New Covenant worship is according to the true realities (God is Spirit, Christ in heaven) and is therefore more spiritual in nature
-- The emphasis is on that which is true (real), not which was a shadowy symbol of things to come
[This explanation of worshipping God "in spirit and truth" is more in keeping with the immediate context. Since God is seeking "true worshippers" who worship Him accordingly (Jn 4:23), some thoughts about our worship today may be appropriate...]
WORSHIPPING GOD TODAY
NOT ALL WORSHIP IS ACCEPTABLE...
There is vain worship - Mt 15:7-9
Based on traditions of men, while ignoring the commands of God
Offered without involving our "hearts" (spirits)
There is ignorant worship - Ac 17:22-23
Ignorant of the true nature of God
Ignorant of the worship He desires
There is will worship - Col 2:20-23 (KJV)
Self-imposed, not God-directed
What we like, what we think is good
-- Just because we worship God, does not mean He is pleased with our worship!
MANY OFFER CARNAL WORSHIP...
When they appeal to the OT for their authority for how they worship
For instrumental music, burning incense, clapping, etc.
They seek to justify that which appeals to the flesh (senses), not the spirit
When they offer that which appeals to their fleshly nature
Preferring what is based on how it sounds
Preferring what is based on how it feels
-- Striving to be more spiritual, some revert to becoming more carnal, a reason to be concerned (cf. Ga 4:9-11)!
GOD SEEKS TRUE WORSHIPPERS...
Who worship God "...with their spirits" - Matthew Poole
Seeking to engage the spirit (mind) more than the organs of the body
Content with the simplicity of worship that stresses the spiritual side of man
Who worship God "...according to the rule that he hath prescribed, in truth and reality." - ibid.
Not desiring to return to the carnal ordinances imposed until a time of reformation
Content with the worship ordained in the New Covenant
Who can worship God anywhere, anytime, with true spiritual worship - e.g., Ac 16:25
-- God seeks such worshippers, who seek to worship Him in spirit and truth!
CONCLUSION
Matthew Poole offered this explanation of our text in his commentary... "God...is a spiritual Being, the Father of spirits, and requires a spiritual service proportioned to His being; and therefore those that pay a religious homage to him, must do it with their spirits, and according to the rule that he hath prescribed, in truth and reality."
How can we be sure to offer spiritual and true worship acceptable to God...?
Look to the New Testament for our authority in worship!
Worship in ways ordained by Christ and His apostles! - cf. Ac 2:42
As God is Spirit...
Our worship should be spiritual and not limited to special places
The emphasis should be on the spiritual (e.g., meaning of the words), and not the physical (e.g., how it looks, sounds, feels)
Remember...
"...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." (Jn 4:23)
HEAR
BELIEVE
REPENT
CONFESS
BE BAPTIZED
LIVE FAITHFULLY
- Home
- (ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN) STAYING SAVED DB
- Abortion (forced termination)
- All authority
- All have sinned
- Are you a Christian
- A place for God`s name(this is it)
- Abounding hope
- Are you the enemy of God
- Amazing grace
- Awesome Father,Son,Holy spirit
- Audio Bible (KJV)
- Authority
- Abomination
- Accuser of GOD`S people
- Accuser
- AUDIO RIVERSIDE CHURCHOFCHRIST
- Adversary
- Apologetics press
- Born again
- Baptizm search for truth
- Acts conversion chart
- Baptizm immersion not sprinkle, pouring
- Baptizm NT
- Baptizm
- Bible read & listen
- Brand new creation
- Belief more than knowing there is a GOD
- Bethel
- Baptizm (antitype)
- Brain washed (believing lies)
- BAPTIZM POINT OF SALVATION
- Bible inspiration
- Being mistreated for doing good.
- Bible charts Donnie Barnes
- Bible verse of the day
- Be not many masters.
- Beyond the logos
- Baptizm forgiveness of sin, washed in the blood of JESUS
- Bible book outlines
- Bless your enemies curse not
- Bible`s scientific foreknowledge
- Children giving glory to GOD
- Can GOD`S house be established today?
- CONTACT US
- Condemn your brother with your tongue
- Church built by GOD
- Church built on Christ
- Christianity 101
- Childrens video
- Childrens : Digger Doug
- Christ
- CONTACT
- Church of Jesus Christ
- Church of CHRIST Romans 16:16
- Committed to GOD
- Cast the first stone
- Creation
- Dictionary
- Deception of false teachers
- Christs
- Did Jesus build more than 1 church?
- Divorce and remarriage
- Day of the Lord
- Denominationlism
- Drinking alcohol
- Diotrephes
- Falling away
- Does doctrine matter
- Filthy rags
- Forgiveness
- False preaching can keep u from heaven
- Faith the substance of all things
- Fake preachers
- False Teaching
- False teacher, False preacher DS
- Faith
- False Preachers
- Fabricated truth
- First gospel sermon
- Forget God?
- Give account for yourself
- GOD is righteous
- GOD`S PLAN IS NOT MAN`S DESIGN
- God`s will for you
- GOD
- Gossip David Schmidt
- GOD built true church not man
- GOD`S calling, the good new`s
- False brethren
- Gospel broadcasting network
- How do you obey the gospel?
- How beautiful are the feet that preach
- Gospel Enacted
- Homosexuality
- Heaven/Hell
- How to get to heaven?
- Heart
- Hypocrites
- Hymns
- Have you obeyed the gospel?
- Hope
- How is the church organized?
- Inspiration what is it?
- Interview with satan(father of lies)
- In Christ
- Influence of evil
- In Jesus Christ
- In Christ the fullness of the Godhead
- Is there more than 1 church? no
- JESUS
- Jesus the way
- In Christ (what is it being in Christ)
- Jesus is Lord
- Inspired word of GOD
- Jesus Jesus Jesus
- Jesus is our faith to our beloved
- JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
- Jesus has come in the flesh
- Kenya gallery1
- Kingdom come ?
- Lying wonder
- Jesus is Lord (Kurios)
- Lord`s church
- LOCATION OF ONE TRUE CHURCH
- Light at Riverside Church of CHRIST
- Lost
- LINKS
- Lying preachers
- LORDS church part 1
- Looking for things to get better
- Leaders of this world should be ashamed
- Lying Christians is their any without
- Lord`s supper
- Law of Liberty inCHRIST
- Light of the world
- Leading to Christ
- Lesson`s books of the bible gbn
- Love God, the creator of Love.
- Ladies videos
- Meddling & Gossip is sin
- Man`s device (not GOD`S)
- MURMURINGS, MURMURERS, MURMUR
- Lying 1
- None righteous no not one
- Making the change
- Man`s tradition or God`s word
- Moral issues
- New Creation
- Overcome evil with good
- No change
- Our GOD is a awesome GOD
- Preachers leading w/ no authority from GOD
- Obey the gospel
- Only 1 church (church of CHRIST)
- Pleasing God
- Pride of men hinder the advancement of the gospel
- Power of the tongue
- Persecution and Oppression
- Prayer
- Persecution
- Preaching Jesus
- Root of all evil
- practicing SIN
- REPENT!
- Riverside gallery
- Perverting the gospel
- Pray without ceasing
- Religious error
- Reject God
- Repent
- RESPONDING TO THE CALL OF GOD
- References on request
- Sober
- Scriptually organized w/o deacons?
- Stairway to heaven
- Searching for truth
- Sinners prayer 4min video
- Serving GOD or Self serving
- Salvation
- Sheet music
- Submit and we will pray for you
- Scripual and unscriptually organized churches
- Safe in the arms of GOD
- Service to GOD
- Such were some of you
- Searching for truth(book)
- Sincere,True Ministry
- STOP
- Spirit to the churches
- Speak evil of a Christian is sin against Christ
- SHEPHERD
- SERMONS
- SUNDAY APRIL 17 2022
- Slave of the creator
- Same sex marriage
- Thanks to GOD
- Truth about
- The holy spirit
- The dog has returned to his vomit
- The Church
- Truth
- Truth for the world
- The way we were
- The devil
- 2 Reasons to believe ap
- Those who persecute you
- U HAVE AN ENEMY!
- Unscriptual organization of the church
- Time for truth
- Unless the Lord build the house
- Vengeance
- What is the Gospel?
- WOE WOE WOE
- The Lord`s Supper
- When you die
- What must i do to be saves (transcript)
- James Watkins
- U WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR IDLE WORDS
- Why so many churches (Transcript)
- Withdrawal fellowship
- World Video Bible School (WVBS)
- What names on your sign
- What GOD has cleansed
- Wonderful Grace
- What must i do to be saved?
- Worship
- Walking with GOD
- Where in the bible is your church mentioned
- Your unbelief
- Home
- (ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN) STAYING SAVED DB
- Abortion (forced termination)
- All authority
- All have sinned
- Are you a Christian
- A place for God`s name(this is it)
- Abounding hope
- Are you the enemy of God
- Amazing grace
- Awesome Father,Son,Holy spirit
- Audio Bible (KJV)
- Authority
- Abomination
- Accuser of GOD`S people
- Accuser
- AUDIO RIVERSIDE CHURCHOFCHRIST
- Adversary
- Apologetics press
- Born again
- Baptizm search for truth
- Acts conversion chart
- Baptizm immersion not sprinkle, pouring
- Baptizm NT
- Baptizm
- Bible read & listen
- Brand new creation
- Belief more than knowing there is a GOD
- Bethel
- Baptizm (antitype)
- Brain washed (believing lies)
- BAPTIZM POINT OF SALVATION
- Bible inspiration
- Being mistreated for doing good.
- Bible charts Donnie Barnes
- Bible verse of the day
- Be not many masters.
- Beyond the logos
- Baptizm forgiveness of sin, washed in the blood of JESUS
- Bible book outlines
- Bless your enemies curse not
- Bible`s scientific foreknowledge
- Children giving glory to GOD
- Can GOD`S house be established today?
- CONTACT US
- Condemn your brother with your tongue
- Church built by GOD
- Church built on Christ
- Christianity 101
- Childrens video
- Childrens : Digger Doug
- Christ
- CONTACT
- Church of Jesus Christ
- Church of CHRIST Romans 16:16
- Committed to GOD
- Cast the first stone
- Creation
- Dictionary
- Deception of false teachers
- Christs
- Did Jesus build more than 1 church?
- Divorce and remarriage
- Day of the Lord
- Denominationlism
- Drinking alcohol
- Diotrephes
- Falling away
- Does doctrine matter
- Filthy rags
- Forgiveness
- False preaching can keep u from heaven
- Faith the substance of all things
- Fake preachers
- False Teaching
- False teacher, False preacher DS
- Faith
- False Preachers
- Fabricated truth
- First gospel sermon
- Forget God?
- Give account for yourself
- GOD is righteous
- GOD`S PLAN IS NOT MAN`S DESIGN
- God`s will for you
- GOD
- Gossip David Schmidt
- GOD built true church not man
- GOD`S calling, the good new`s
- False brethren
- Gospel broadcasting network
- How do you obey the gospel?
- How beautiful are the feet that preach
- Gospel Enacted
- Homosexuality
- Heaven/Hell
- How to get to heaven?
- Heart
- Hypocrites
- Hymns
- Have you obeyed the gospel?
- Hope
- How is the church organized?
- Inspiration what is it?
- Interview with satan(father of lies)
- In Christ
- Influence of evil
- In Jesus Christ
- In Christ the fullness of the Godhead
- Is there more than 1 church? no
- JESUS
- Jesus the way
- In Christ (what is it being in Christ)
- Jesus is Lord
- Inspired word of GOD
- Jesus Jesus Jesus
- Jesus is our faith to our beloved
- JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
- Jesus has come in the flesh
- Kenya gallery1
- Kingdom come ?
- Lying wonder
- Jesus is Lord (Kurios)
- Lord`s church
- LOCATION OF ONE TRUE CHURCH
- Light at Riverside Church of CHRIST
- Lost
- LINKS
- Lying preachers
- LORDS church part 1
- Looking for things to get better
- Leaders of this world should be ashamed
- Lying Christians is their any without
- Lord`s supper
- Law of Liberty inCHRIST
- Light of the world
- Leading to Christ
- Lesson`s books of the bible gbn
- Love God, the creator of Love.
- Ladies videos
- Meddling & Gossip is sin
- Man`s device (not GOD`S)
- MURMURINGS, MURMURERS, MURMUR
- Lying 1
- None righteous no not one
- Making the change
- Man`s tradition or God`s word
- Moral issues
- New Creation
- Overcome evil with good
- No change
- Our GOD is a awesome GOD
- Preachers leading w/ no authority from GOD
- Obey the gospel
- Only 1 church (church of CHRIST)
- Pleasing God
- Pride of men hinder the advancement of the gospel
- Power of the tongue
- Persecution and Oppression
- Prayer
- Persecution
- Preaching Jesus
- Root of all evil
- practicing SIN
- REPENT!
- Riverside gallery
- Perverting the gospel
- Pray without ceasing
- Religious error
- Reject God
- Repent
- RESPONDING TO THE CALL OF GOD
- References on request
- Sober
- Scriptually organized w/o deacons?
- Stairway to heaven
- Searching for truth
- Sinners prayer 4min video
- Serving GOD or Self serving
- Salvation
- Sheet music
- Submit and we will pray for you
- Scripual and unscriptually organized churches
- Safe in the arms of GOD
- Service to GOD
- Such were some of you
- Searching for truth(book)
- Sincere,True Ministry
- STOP
- Spirit to the churches
- Speak evil of a Christian is sin against Christ
- SHEPHERD
- SERMONS
- SUNDAY APRIL 17 2022
- Slave of the creator
- Same sex marriage
- Thanks to GOD
- Truth about
- The holy spirit
- The dog has returned to his vomit
- The Church
- Truth
- Truth for the world
- The way we were
- The devil
- 2 Reasons to believe ap
- Those who persecute you
- U HAVE AN ENEMY!
- Unscriptual organization of the church
- Time for truth
- Unless the Lord build the house
- Vengeance
- What is the Gospel?
- WOE WOE WOE
- The Lord`s Supper
- When you die
- What must i do to be saves (transcript)
- James Watkins
- U WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR IDLE WORDS
- Why so many churches (Transcript)
- Withdrawal fellowship
- World Video Bible School (WVBS)
- What names on your sign
- What GOD has cleansed
- Wonderful Grace
- What must i do to be saved?
- Worship
- Walking with GOD
- Where in the bible is your church mentioned
- Your unbelief