Page 1 of 5

Silverdale Baptist5 THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO GROW • WORSHIP • JOHN 4:20-24 • 10/3-4/2020

Leader: The goal of the lesson is to discuss the truths in the passage and make application ofthe truths to our lives. The goal is NOT to answer each question. The questions are designed tofacilitate the discussion. Please do not feel obligated to ask each question, but instead, use thequestions to help the group think through what the text says, what the text means, and how thetext applies to us today.

Key TruthWorship of the living God is serious business.

Getting StartedAs your group time begins, use this section to introduce the topic of discussion.

When you hear the word worship, what comes to mind?

Everyone worships something. What are some of the most common things thatpeople in our community worship today?

What are some things that keep us from worshiping God wholeheartedly?

Learn

1. Worship must be your priority.

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EXODUS 20:3.

What is the first of the ten commandments?

Why is this one first?

Page 2 of 5

As R. C. Sproul pointed out in 5 Things (page 63), the Hebrew word translated before means inthe presence of. You might translate Ex 20:3, "You shall have no other gods in My presence."Since God is everywhere present, you and I are always in the presence of God. Since we arealways in the presence of God, we shall have no other god at all, ever.

To worship God, wholeheartedly begins with worshiping Him alone.

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 4:1--24.

In verse 19, what is the question the Samaritan woman is asking?

From her question, what do you suppose the Samaritan women's priority is inworship?

How does Jesus answer her, "Where do we worship?" question?

What is the Father's priority in worship?

The Father is seeking worshipers. God is seeking us! You and I were created to worship. "Leteverything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). If worship is what we were made for,then worship should be our priority. Worship is a matter of the heart and mind, not a matter oftraditions and locations.

2. Worship must be done properly.

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 4:19-24.

Where had the Samaritans traditionally worshiped?

Where had the Jews traditionally worshiped?

What kind of worshipers is the Father looking for?

What is the difference between worship based on location and worshiping in spiritand truth?

When worship is focused on traditions, such as where we worship, the songs we sing, the orderof service, and the clothes we wear, our worship is out of focus. When our focus is Jesus Christ,then we are worshiping in spirit and truth. 

3. Worship must be done passionately. 

Page 3 of 5

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 4:19-24.

Just so we don't miss it, what kind of worshipers is the Father looking for?

What does it mean to worship with my spirit?

What does it mean to worship in truth?

Worship, though expressed in a variety of forms, will always be a matter of the heart—theresponse of our hearts to God's revelation of Himself. Put another way; true worship is our spirit'sresponse to God's Spirit. 

Apply

Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives.

When you think of worship, what comes to mind? 

How does your vision of worship fit the model of worshiping in spirit and truth?

How vital are church traditions (building, music, and sermon styles) in your approachto worship?

If we are to worship in spirit, how do you prepare your heart for worship?

If we are to worship in truth, how do you prepare your mind for worship?

Whether our worship is at church, in our group, or at home, what are ways to prepareourselves daily and weekly to meet with God in worship?

 

PrayLead your group in prayer, thanking God for His work on the cross and for the joy found inresponding in worship to His work. Ask Him for forgiveness if you have placed your focus onanything other than Him. And ask Him to make Silverdale even more powerful for the gospel aswe become more passionate spiritual worshipers.

 

Dig Deeper

Page 4 of 5

JOHN 4:19-26

4:19. The woman recognized that Jesus knew her life circumstances without apparently havingbeen told by anyone—hence He must be a prophet (cp. Luke 7:39).

4:20-21. The fathers who worshiped on this mountain—a reference to Mount Gerizim (Deut.11:29; 27:12), the OT setting for the pronouncement of blessings for keeping the covenant, andthe mountain on which Moses commanded an altar to be built (Deut. 27:4-6)—included Abraham(Gen. 12:7) and Jacob (Gen. 33:20), who built altars in this region.

4:22. Jesus indicated that the Samaritans were wrong: "You Samaritans worship what you donot know." After all, this must be the case since salvation is from the Jews. Significantly though,Jesus swept the entire argument aside: "an hour is coming when you will worship the Fatherneither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem." The Father intended both the tabernacle and thetemple to be temporary arrangements in His redemptive plan. His manifested presence in asanctuary was a privilege Israel enjoyed under the old covenant, but it would eventually bereplaced with His personal presence in His people as a provision of the new covenant—theindwelling Holy Spirit who would come after Christ's ascension. In fact, as Jesus explained to thewoman, that time had arrived: "an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers willworship the Father in spirit and truth." The old covenant and its provisions were coming to anend and a new covenant was being inaugurated. Under the new covenant, there is no sacredplace or sacred space. We can and should worship our Father anytime and anywhere, for theFather wants such people to worship Him.

4:24. God is not a physical being. God is spirit, so the physical realm is not of primary concernfor Him. Since God is spirit, those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Answeringan altar call by kneeling on the steps at the front of the church worship center does notcommend us to the Father; it does not make us more spiritual or our prayers more powerful. TheFather always looks at our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7). If our hearts are not in tune with Him and do notrespond to Him according to the truth of His Word, then we are not really worshiping Him. Trueworship flows from hearts that are right with God and lives that are consistent with the truth ofthe Scriptures.

4:25. In response to Jesus' words about genuine worship, the Samaritan woman said: "I knowthat Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). Her response perhaps was another attempt toevade acknowledging her sins and her need for forgiveness. On the other hand, her commentmay have expressed her anticipation of the Messianic Age. Some Jews looked for a priestlyMessiah, but most expected one from David's line—a conqueror. They awaited a Messiah who

Page 5 of 5

would be a political/military leader similar to David. This deliverer would drive out the Romansand restore the Jewish nation to power and prominence.

Based on their understanding of Deuteronomy 18:18, the Samaritans also looked for a Messiah,a prophet like Moses. They believed this prophet would restore the worship system on MountGerizim and convert Jews and pagans. The woman wistfully anticipated this long-awaitedprophet. Jesus' response no doubt stunned the woman: "I am He." In Jewish territory, Jesusavoided the title Messiah, preferring instead the designation Son of man, which did not carry thebaggage of a political/ military deliverer. He was not the kind of Messiah either the Jews or theSamaritans anticipated. He was the Suffering Servant who would sacrifice Himself willingly toprovide forgiveness for people's sins. In Samaria among non-Jews, Jesus asserted His identityas God's anointed one.

The words I am are significant because in John's Gospel they convey deity, reflecting God'srevealing His name to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus was God incarnate, "the Word became flesh"(John 1:14) to provide redemption for sinners. To emphasize His identity, Jesus added that theOne speaking to the Samaritan woman was the Messiah. She was in the presence of the Onewho could forgive her sins and give her new life. She faced a decision about Him. As the rest ofthe account reveals, she made the right choice. Not only that, but the woman influenced manyothers to trust Christ (4:39-42). [1]

[1] Stephen J. Wellum, "Incarnation and Christology," in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blumand Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1673.