On the Move: From Idolator to Worshiper
John 4:23
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
One of my favorite stories from the life of Jesus is found in John 4 where Jesus had an encounter with the woman from Samaria. In John 3, Jesus confronted Nicodemus, a deeply religious man, about sin and showed him the true meaning of salvation. Nicodemus learned that salvation is a work of the Spirit of God and that no amount of religious knowledge or commitment is a substitute for true salvation. In John 4 the woman of Samaria learned, too, that the place of religious worship is not the issue. When you put John 3 and John 4 together, we can see something incredibly important: all people need to be saved, both religious and non-religious.
But from John 4 we find something else. The woman of Samaria learned that when we are saved, we are moved from being an idolator to being a true worshiper. For the last few weeks we’ve seen that when God saved us, He moved us. He didn’t simply leave us where we were, He moved us from a life of sin and unrighteousness to a life of salvation and holiness. That means we are ON THE MOVE from what we used to be to what we are now.
Did you know that before Christ, we were idolaters? We learn this from several of Paul’s letters to the churches where he ministered. One of those churches was in the city of Corinth. Corinth was a place of vast idolatry and the church had allowed that idolatry to slip in. Both in 1 Corinthians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6 Paul characterizes those without Christ as idolaters. That simply means they were idol worshipers. Another one of those churches was the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote these words in Ephesians 5:5, “For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Did you see that word, those committing such sins were idolaters.
Before Christ, we were idolaters and the primary idol we worshiped was self. But then God saved us, and when He did He moved us to being true worshipers. That is the very thing Jesus told the woman of Samaria. He told her that a day was coming when God would look for true worshipers, that is people who know Jesus personally and worship Jesus alone.
But what does a true worshiper look like?
True Worshipers Understand Spiritual Truth
This very thing happened to the Samaritan woman. When Jesus confronted her about her sin, she attempted to change the subject. Why? She was blind to spiritual truth. But when Jesus opened her eyes, her life was forever changed. She understood spiritual truth and her need for a savior. Her life was radically changed from being an idolater to being a true worshiper. True worshipers have come to understand the spiritual truth that we are lost in our sin and cannot save ourselves.
True Worshipers Grieve Over Their Sin
True worshipers have come to a place in life where they understand the impact of sin and grieve over it. True worshipers know that sin is the very thing for which Jesus gave His life and true worshipers want to run in repentance from sin into the loving arms of a forgiving Savior.
True Worshipers Live a Life of Authentic Worship
The Bible says it this way in John 4:23, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
To “worship in spirit” means we worship from a heart that has been moved by God. True worshipers have come face to face with the living Lord Jesus Christ, have seen their sin, and are forever changed. And here is the important truth:
They know this intellectually, but they also know it in their spirit. True worshipers have had a heart change as well as a mind change.
To “worship in truth” means we worship from a mind that has been awakened to the truth of Jesus Christ. The Samaritan woman recognized her sin and felt conviction but she also recognized Jesus to be the Savior. Her worship was from her heart and her mind.
What About You?
As we come to a close today, I want to leave you with a question. Are you authentically worshiping Jesus both from your heart and from your mind?
God has moved you from a life of being an idolater to being a true worshiper. I encourage you to live out the life of a true worshiper, laying down anything that takes priority over your worship of your Savior and fully worshiping Him in spirit and truth.
Want to Share?
I’d love to hear about your journey of how God has moved you! Reach out to me with your story at david@davidsmithministry.com!
Beginning Next Week: What are the Signs of Gratitude?
Look for a new series next week that will help us get prepared for Thanksgiving.