The Beginning of Worship

About this sermon

Introduction: The account of our Lord’s meeting with the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, represents a great lesson in evangelism. This is a sovereign visitation for the purpose of deliverance. But this was also a conversation about worship. These two things go together. The ministry of reconciliation, the offer of forgiveness and a right standing with God, is all about worship. Existence outside of the realm of salvation is existence in a false worship zone. Reconciliation is about approach to God. To be reconciled to God is stand in a place of acceptance, and therefore a place where one can offer acceptable worship. The very confession of salvation is a worship confession. Salvation’s confession is that Jesus is Lord. Outside of Christ, there is no acceptable offering. ESV Romans 10:9 because, if ayou confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and bbelieve in your heart cthat God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ESV 1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that a"an idol has no real existence," and that b"there is no God but one." 5 For although there may be aso-called gods in heaven or on earth-- as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"-- 6 yet afor us there is one God, the Father, bfrom whom are all things and for whom we exist, and cone Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and dthrough whom we exist. There it is. There is world engulfed in the deception of idolatry, and then there are those who know the one God and Father, because they know the one Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have been reconciled to God, in Christ, now form a worshipping community. ESV 1 Peter 2:5 ayou yourselves like living stones are being built up as ba spiritual house, to be ca holy priesthood, dto offer spiritual sacrifices eacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. It should not surprise us, then, to find a worship conversation in the midst of an evangelism conversation. 10 times in fives verses there is a reference to worship (vs.20-24). This is where true worship begins. It begins with rescue. It begins with deliverance. It begins with an enlightenment as to who God really is, and therefore who you really are. Reconciliation with God through faith in Christ requires a right view of God and a right view of you. WORSHIP IS ABOUT WORTH. Worship is an acknowledgement of the worth of God. It’s not just singing. Or preaching. Or giving. Or any other single act that could be an act of worship. Worship is about the entire life. It is the creature responding to His Creator with love, and honor, and praise, and devotion. That won’t happen with the transformation of salvation. Worshippers aren’t born, they’re made. What we see in this chapter of John is the MAKING OF A WORSHIPPER. Now before we examine this conversation about worship, let’s remind ourselves about where we are in the narrative. Jesus is on his way to Galilee and HAD to pass through Samaria. He didn’t have to from a geographical point of view, but He had to for the purpose of salvation. He engages this woman in a conversation that began with a request for water. He spoke to her about the greatness of His own person, and the greatness of the gift that He has come to give to people just like her. Indeed, if she knew the greatness of the gift of God and who it is that had her for a drink, she would have asked Him, and He would have given her living water.

Topics

• Worship