"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth"
(John 4:24 NKJV)

focus on spiritual issues

John 4 demonstrates Jesus’s incredible ability to turn a conversation from the common to the uncommon, from the secular to the spiritual. Though Jesus opens the dialogue by asking for water, the woman indignantly replies that most Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans (John 4:7-9). Jesus skillfully shifts the conversation to spiritual issues. His insight leads her to recognize that He is a prophet (at least), John 4:18.

She then brings up the hotly debated topic of the correct location for worship —this mountain or Jerusalem (John 4:20)? Twice Jesus says, “the hour is coming” (John 4:21 and John 4:23). The old covenant taught Jews to worship in Jerusalem. Samaritans worshipped in Mount Gerizim. But “the hour is coming” when place will not matter (John 4:21). This is one of the changes that is featured in the new covenant.

In John 4:23, Jesus says, “the hour is coming, and now is.” Though worship in Jerusalem would remain for a while longer (John 4:21), worship “in spirit and in truth” must be done “now” and always.

John 4:24 affirms three important facts that affect our ability to worship as God requires —

1. God is Spirit. The place of worship is immaterial; true worship must harmonize with God’s nature, which is spirit. It is irreverent and disrespectful to refer to God as “the old man upstairs” as some do.
2. God is strict. He does not accept just any worship. Not all worshippers are “true worshippers” (John 4:23). This means that some are false worshippers. Our worship must be according to His will. Our worship must be done right —in truth. Jesus said so. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).
3. God is specific. He wants worship that is in spirit. This is the opposite of carnal, earthly, and secular worship. “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son…” (Romans 1:9). Instead of holy ground (Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem) God wants holy hearts.
   
   He wants worship that is in truth. But His word is truth. In the Lord’s prayer Jesus asked His Father to “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Those who follow their own creeds are engaging in worship that is based on the doctrines of men. Those who pursue “popular” worship may please worldly people, but they do not worship in truth. Some have turned worship into entertainment that features mechanical music, secular songs, and carnal appeals that cater to worldly appetites. All such worship is vain, and is directed toward the worshippers themselves, not God.

Roman soldiers offered the Lord mock worship: “Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him” (Mark 15:19).

Beware of counterfeit worship. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Avoid worship fads. “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind … These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:18, 23). Popular worship is not the same as proper worship.

Proud worship (Matthew 6:1-18), ignorant worship (Acts 17:23) and other counterfeits dishonor God. He deserves the best.

– Rick Duggin