The way loyal football fans reveal their love for their team differs greatly. So too, does the way professing Christ followers worship (acknowledging God’s worth) vary significantly, but not everyone does so properly.
In John chapter 4, while responding to a woman’s spiritual interest, Jesus gave everyone a clearer picture of what constitutes true worship.
True worship is NOT about the right place. The Samaritans worshiped at Mt. Gerazim and the Jews in Jerusalem.Jesus said, “an hour is coming”—when He inaugurated the New Covenant at Calvary— when it won’t matter where “you worship the Father” (John 4:21). Believers can worship God anywhere and should worship everywhere.
True worship is towards the right person—the Father (4:21b).
True worship comes from the right people. Jesus is not a relativist who affirms everyone’s truth as equally valid. “You (Samaritans) worship what you do not know…” (John 4:22). The Samaritans were sincere, but engaged in false—and therefore futile—worship of a god unknown by them. By contrast, prior to the New Covenant, the Jews were correct in their worship of the one true God—“we (Jews) worship what we know…”. Jesus is not a universalist teaching that all religious systems lead to God but declared, “…salvation is from the Jews”. They were first entrusted with God’s message of salvation from mankind’s deserved punishment for our natural rebellion against God (Romans 3:1-2). Undeserved and Unearned salvation available to all people comes “from the Jews” in the person of Jesus Christ, Abraham’s descendant (Galatians 3:8).
True worship has the right parts.“But the hour…is now here”—with the arrival of the Messiah—to worship the Fatherin human spirit and in God’s truth (John 4:23) . True worship is not superficial external demonstration but sincere internal (spirit) devotion towards the Father (Psalm 51:16-17).“In truth” is worship consistent with God’s character and written word.
“True worshipers” engage insincere adoration of and sacrificial action for God, whose love in rescuing all who believe in Christ from eternal damnation controls our lives(2 Corinthians 5:14-15). In response to God’s mercy we give generously, share Christ boldly, serve in our church faithfully, pray sincerely and love others selflessly.
True worship is only possible through faith in the right person—Jesus Christ.The woman to whom Jesus spoke knew “that Messiah (Savior) is coming” (John 4:25). Jesus said, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26) Only if she or anyone else believes in Him sincerely will they be forgiven and live eternally (John 3:36) enabling them to worship God truly.
True worship matters because the Father seeks and requires it (John 4:23-24).