March 6, 2022
Well, I’m really excited that we are starting our message series, “Walking with God.” What does it mean to walk with God? I have gone for a walk with a lot of people in my life. It seems to me if you walk with someone, you know them a little better by the end of that walk. God wants us to walk with him.
Walking with God means spending time with God in conversation and prayer, listening and getting to know Him. It’s a real relationship. So today and the next five Sundays we’re learning how to have that close relationship with God where he walks with me, and he talks with me. Where God is not a stranger. God becomes someone you know. You discover how much he loves you, and you love to spend time with Him. We’re going to talk about five spiritual practices Jesus modeled for us in his relationship with God the Father. That’s how Jesus walked with God.
Next week we’ll talk about studying the Bible, the following week about serving, the next week about giving, then about sharing the good news. And on Palm Sunday we see how Jesus modelled all these practices on the cross! Today we’re talking about true worshippers.
There’s a moment in the gospel of John, which is our reading today. And Jesus is having a conversation with the woman at a well. She’s warming up to him, she can tell Jesus is a prophet. But Jesus is from a different religion. She says, we Samaritans worship on the mountain. But you Jews say we’re wrong, and that you have to worship God in Jerusalem. Jesus tells her, a time is coming when you won’t worship on a mountain or in Jerusalem. Jesus is saying worship isn’t about the right place for worship or the right words. Jesus tells her a time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
If Jesus says there are true worshipers, there must be false worshipers, right? You might say, I follow Jesus, but I may not be an amazing worshipper. Well, I say, you are an amazing worshiper. Worshipping means to you show what you value. We give worth to something when we worship. I have a friend, Nick, who loves the NY Giants. Well, when they won the Superbowl, he was SO excited! In the living room he yelled and celebrated and threw his stepdaughter up in the air, she was about 10. And he caught her. But the dog didn’t know what was going on, and he pinned Nick down so he couldn’t get up! He had to call his wife for help! Nick’s celebrating: that was real worship. You might show your excitement at a concert, or a game, or when you win the lottery. Or when there’s a snow day at school! That’s worship, really good worship. So, we know what worship is, we’ve all gotten really excited about something before. It’s good worship, but worship of a bad God. Because a sports team is great, a lottery ticket is great. But they aren’t God. It’s good worship of a bad God. Well, sometimes in the church world we have bad worship of a good God.
Jesus says true worshipers will worship in Spirit and truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Jesus was a worshipper. He lived a life of worship. He took time for personal worship and prayer: going off to be by himself with God. He also worshipped with others in the synagogue and in the temple. He worshiped and prayed to God with his disciples. He was drawn to God. For Jesus, worship didn’t have to be in a certain place. It just had to be in relationship with God.
Jesus warned that people who seem to be worshippers of God, can get really off track. In John 16:2 Jesus warns his followers a time will come when, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” Why would someone do that? Jesus gives the reason in verse three: They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
People get off track, because they don’t really know God. They aren’t in relationship with God. They keep God at arm’s length. They don’t want God to get close. But if you don’t get close to God, then you don’t really know God, and you’re not intimate with God.
False worshipers prefer to keep God at a distance. Have you ever had a relationship like that? Where you would like to be closer to someone, but they keep you at arm’s length. Don’t get too close. I don’t want to spend time with you. I don’t want you to really get to know me. It could be you have a family member. And where you used to be close and you want to be close, but now you’re just like ships passing in the night.
Well, if we keep God at arm’s length, we aren’t true worshipers. False worship keeps God at a distance, true worship is when you desire to enter into God’s loving presence.
There’s a difference between religion and true worshipping of God. In religion you don’t want to get too close to God. Religion says, I’ll do something once in a while to keep God happy. I’ll say a prayer. I’ll go to church or give a donation, so God will keep me healthy, keep me wealthy, keep my kids healthy, so God will help them get jobs and move out. I want God to do things for me. Religion is harnessing the power of God for me. It’s self-centered.
You know, I don’t want to be used by my children. I don’t want them to only want to spend time with me in order to get something. But my heart lights us when they ask, “Do you want to watch a movie with me?” Even when they say, “I have a problem.” Part of me says, oh no, what now? But part of me is just so glad they are in relationship with me and still want my help. Why does that light up my heart? Because it’s not about what they can get. It’s just about, I love you, and I know you love me.
We want the people close to us to stay close. We don’t want them to just use us and keep us at a distance. The same goes for God he wants to be close to you. False worship keeps God at a distance, true worship brings you into God’s loving presence
In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in … and beat the living daylights out of you for making me stay out here for so long!”
No that’s not what he says. He says, “I will come in…and eat with that person, and they with me.” It’s intimacy with God. But we’re afraid if we get closer to God, he’ll take stuff from us: take my money, take my time, take my happiness: he’ll take and take and take. But God’s not waiting to take stuff from you.
Do you know why God stands outside the door of your heart and knocks? It’s not because he cannot get in. He can get in. But he waits. It’s because he wants something more than to be in. He wants you to invite him in. He waits for you to say, come on in God, can I sit with you awhile? How about we go for a walk together, just you and me, God?
Jesus stands at the door to your heart and says, “Here I am. It’s your move.” And you say, Well Jesus, I believe in you. I went to church.” Jesus says no, “I don’t want the ritual. I want you. I want intimacy with you.” It will change your life. You’ll become the most freed up person on earth. You won’t be always in a rush. You’ll be ready to sit with God and be cared for and be restored. You’ll be challenged, but you’ll be glad to say, “Let me sit with you awhile God.”
My challenge for you this week is to invite God in. Give God a few minutes. Maybe you take a walk and talk to God. Or read the bible and listen for what God is saying. Or listen to a song and how God speaks to you through it. Give God an invitation to be with you. That’s worship: when you give God your time and yourself.
We all worship, and we’re all great at worshipping. But are we worshipping a good God? And is our worship inviting God into our life? God loves us and wants a relationship with us. He stands at the door to your heart and knocks. He waits for you to invite him in. Amen.
Maureen Duffy-Guy's blog 