I. Introduction
A. Quad God
1. One of our best chances for a gold medal at the Winter Olympics last month was supposed to be a young ice skater nicknamed The Quad God.
2. I wasn’t too keen on the nickname simply because anyone who refers to themselves as a god is skating on thin ice. I would guess that he meant no disrespect to the One true God, but it still doesn’t sit well with me. Reportedly, he gave himself the nickname.
3. Unfortunately, that’s the age in which we live. We often elevate famous people, movements, things, and even ideologies to the point we “worship” them.
4. This morning, we’ll begin a series on focusing on the different aspects of worship.
5. My hope is that it will serve as a reminder to us of why we worship the way we do here at West End. We seek to worship God according to His will, His way, which we find in His Word.
B. Origins of the Word
1. The origins of the English word worship derive from the Old English word meaning “worthy,” “glory,” “distinction,” “honor,” and “renown.”
2. The Greek word for worship in John 4 is προσκυνέω (proskyneō), which means to do reverence or homage by kissing the hand or bowing oneself in adoration.
3. This Greek word appears 10 times in verses 20-24. That’s probably why this passage comes up so much in discussions about worship.
C. Background
1. This morning, we return to John 4 and Jesus’s discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well.
2. As their conversation turns to worship, we learn important lessons about what God desires and what the true heart of worship should be.
II. The Heart of Worship
A.
1. Worship is a act.
a. In our passage, the Samaritan woman was fixated on a place; Jesus tells her that true worship of God is more about God’s presence.
b. Too often, we focus on the physical aspects of worship and miss the spiritual blessing it is meant to be. It’s not that these things are unimportant, but they are secondary.
2. Worshipping in spirit means understanding that our worship is about being in God’s presence.
3. In Revelation 4:9-11, we have a scene of heavenly worship where the 24 elders worship God on His throne. The scene is one of (casting crowns), (worthy are you Lord), and (you created all things). These same expressions should be present in our worship of God today.
B.
1. Worship is our to God.
a. It is a sacrifice offered in humility before God.
b. Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
2. So little is asked of us in sacrifice today that we often miss this concept in worship. The sacrifice is more conceptual for the worshipper, and so it is easy to become complacent.
a. For some, the sacrifice is time; some activity is set aside to offer themselves before God. For others, it may be pride, so that they can receive the message of the sermon that day and repent of their stubbornness before God.
b. The sacrifice from you that God desires most is (Romans 12:1-2).
3. Since it is an offering to God, it should be offered in a way that pleases Him.
C.
1. God is the object of our worship. If we want to offer worship that is sincere, we must offer worship to Him that is according to His and , not our own.
2. Sincerity is intentional, not accidental.
3. When Jesus speaks to the woman about truth, He notes that the Samaritans had long dismissed parts of God’s Word and followed bad leaders, leading to their errors in worship.
4. Even though we are under a new covenant today, there are God-given commands for worship that we should not dismiss.
5. Worship offered to God that is pleasing to Him is offered in . That’s what we’ll explore in the next few weeks.
III. Conclusion
A. HE>me
1. In John’s gospel account, he records an incident that reveals John the Baptist’s humility.
a. Many of John’s disciples have started to desert him to follow Jesus.
b. When one of John’s disciples approaches him, concerned about it, he says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
2. Worship is about humbling ourselves before God to lift Him up. I think that’s why we struggle so much to simply follow what He says about it.
3. Today, has worship really been all about you? Did you pay attention to the quality of the singing more than the words of the song? Did you hold back your contribution because you spent too much on yourself this week? Did you truly pause to think about the sacrifice that makes hope possible while we observed the Lord’s Supper?
B. Invitation
1. Another statement made by John in John’s gospel is, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
2. Worship is designed to remind us of the One who is “…the way, the truth, and the life…” because He is the only way to the Father.