1) IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
A. JESUS EXPLAINED TO THE WOMAN AT THE WELL ABOUT WORSHIP - JN 4: 23-24 - WHAT DOES HE MEAN?
B. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IN THE CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE "CONTINUE STEADFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES' DOCTRINE". OUR WORSHIP MUST BE IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE EARLY CHRISTIANS UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES..
C. WHAT IS JESUS REFERRING TO IN THE CONTEXT OF JOHN 4?
2) WORSHIP CAN BE...
A. COL 2:20-23 - SELF-IMPOSED - WHAT WE LIKE, WHAT WE THINK
B. ACTS 17: 22-23 - IN IGNORANCE - AN ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S WILL ON HOW HE WANTS TO BE WORSHIPED.
C. MT 15: 7-9 - VAIN - WORSHIP THAT IS NOT FROM THE HEART, ALSO FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONS OF MEN.
3) "IN SPIRIT"
A. IS THIS TO WORSHIP IN A SINCERE WAY, FROM THE HEART? OF COURSE IT NEEDS TO BE SINCERE, BUT IS THAT WHAT THE REFERENCE IS HERE?
1. SINCERITY WAS REQUIRED IN THE OT - DEUT 6: 4-7; ISA 1: 10-18; CONTRAST MADE - JN 4: 19-24
B. IN THIS CONTEXT (JN 4) THE WORSHIP SHOULD BE SPIRITUAL, NOT PHYSICAL.
C. SPIRITUAL WORSHIP WOULD BE IN KEEPING WITH THE NATURE OF GOD
D. CONTRAST THE WORSHIP OF THE OT WITH WHAT JESUS IS NOW TEACHING
1. HE 9: 1-10 - WORSHIP CONSISTED OF FLESHLY, PHYSICAL ORDINANCES - PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, SPECIAL CLOTHING, ETC. ALL WHICH APPEALED TO THE PHYSICAL SENSES.
2. WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE NT?-
A. SPIRITUAL TEMPLE - 1 CO 3:16; EPH 2: 19-22; ALL CHRISTIANS ARE PRIESTS, OFFERING UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES - 1 PET 2:5-9; OUR PRAYERS OFFER UP AN INCENSE - REV 5:8;
MUSIC FROM THE HEART - EPH 5:19
3. THE PHYSICAL ORDINANCES WERE TO LAST UNTIL A NEW TIME IS USHERED IN - HEB 9:9-10
4) "IN TRUTH" - IN THIS CONTEXT WAS IS TRUE/REAL
A. DOES TRUTH HERE MEAN THE COMMANDS OF GOD? CERTAINLY OUR WORSHIP SHOULD ALWAYS BE ACCORDING TO WHAT THE WORD TEACHES. THAT WAS ALSO THE CASE IN THE OT. DEUT 5: 22-23. THE CONTRAST IS NOT IN TRUE AND FALSE WORSHIP.
B .IN THIS CONTEXT IS IT THAT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THAT WHICH IS TRUE (REAL) AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS A SHADOW OR TYPE POINTING TOWARD THE TRUE?
1. MANY THINGS IN THE OT WERE A SYMBOL OR TYPE SUCH AS THE TABERNACLE - HEB 9:8-9; THE LAW WITH IT'S WORSHIP WAS ONLY A SHADOW OF WHAT WAS TO COME. HEB 10:1
2. CHRIST IS NOW IN THE TRUE TABERNACLE - HEAVEN - HEB 9: 11-12, 24
3. OUR WORSHIP TODAY FROM "TRUE" WORSHIPERS IS ACCORDING TO TRUE REALITIES - GOD IS SPIRIT, CHRIST IS IN THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE - THEREFORE IT IS SPIRITUAL IN NATURE.
C. OUR WORSHIP SHOULD BE TRUE AS OPPOSED TO SYMBOL/SHADOW WORSHIP.
5) DON'T OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT GOD WANTS TRUE WORSHIPERS TODAY
A. WHO WORSHIP GOD AT ANYTIME WITH TRUE, SPIRITUAL WORSHIP - ACTS 16:25
B. WORSHIP THAT IS ACCORDING TO "THE BOOK" , FROM THE HEART AND NOT EMPTY.