True Worship

John 3 | Alex Huggett | 31.8.2025

Part of a Series on Life to the Full

© Bentley Baptist Church Inc.
www.bentleybaptist.org

Transcript

Hey, we're finishing off this morning. We've been doing this series, Fullness of Life—living the good life or something like that—which has really been about life in the spirit.

And this morning, we're going to turn to John chapter 4, which you will know (and uh, yeah, thank you. I was sitting down thinking, “I've got to remember to turn this on when I get up,” and there you go.) We'll be reading from chapter 4, the story of the woman at the well.

We're not going to go in depth through the whole thing, for the sake of time because of our AGM, but I'll summarize some of it. 

We have a wonderful freedom in worship, don’t we? But worship is not a free‑for‑all. So what sort of worship does God want from His people? That's what we're exploring this morning.

In the story of the woman at the well, it’s the middle of a dry, dusty day, on the verge of harvest season, when Jesus encounters this woman at the public well just outside the village of Sychar, which was in Samaria, in the central‑northern part of Israel. It’s unusual that He meets this woman at this time of day because the village women would normally come out in the cool of the day to draw water. Here’s this woman in the middle of the day, evidently trying to avoid people. As the conversation unfolds, Jesus reveals the spiritual thirst in her heart that only He can quench.

He says, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” The woman says, “Give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to come here to draw water.” At first she takes Jesus literally, but as the conversation continues she begins to understand that something else is going on.

Jesus then lays bare the pain of her heart. He tells her she has had five husbands and that the man she now lives with is not her husband. Living in a de‑facto relationship is fairly normal today, but it was scandalous then. She’d been passed from pillar to post, and in that culture divorce was almost entirely in the hands of men—women had little say. You can imagine the calluses she’s grown on her heart to protect herself from shame, humiliation, and self‑blame.

This isn’t information Jesus could have known otherwise. He hadn’t met this woman before, and He wasn’t even welcome as a Jew in a Samaritan village; Jews and Samaritans despised each other. She thinks, “Oh, this guy must be some kind of prophet.” Yet He talks to her without condemnation, matter‑of‑factly stating, “You’ve had five husbands; the man you now live with isn’t your husband.” There’s no judgment in His tone, and she doesn’t pick up on any.

She replies, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say the place to worship is Jerusalem.” The Jews considered Samaritans a heretical offshoot; they used the same first five books but mixed in Gentile beliefs. So the Jews and Samaritans hated each other. She asks Him, “What is the right way to worship?” It’s a burning question, especially given what’s happening in her life.

Beneath the scandal of her personal history, there’s a deep hunger for God. No wonder Jesus, led by the Spirit, set up this meeting. In verse 21 He declares, “Woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” The Father wants people to worship Him in spirit and truth. Many claim it doesn’t matter how or whom we worship, that all religions lead to God if the heart is sincere. Sincerity, however, can still be wrong—think of pre‑Copernican astronomers who sincerely believed the Earth was the center of the universe.

Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that worship isn’t about Jerusalem versus Samaria; it’s about worshiping God in spirit and truth. When He promises “living water,” He uses language echoing John 7:37–38, where He says anyone who believes in Him will have streams of living water flow from within. Living water is the Holy Spirit. Thus, worship in spirit means being filled with the Spirit—a well that jets forth life.

True worship isn’t just feeling good; it must also be truthful. As the woman’s mind pieces together, she says, “I know the Messiah is coming, called the Christ.” Then Jesus makes a startling revelation: “I am the Messiah.” She leaves her water jar, goes into town, and tells the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.” Many Samaritans believe because of her testimony.

Her encounter transforms her from avoiding people to evangelizing them. She leaves her jar behind because she’s found the source of living water—Jesus. Jesus later says in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and in John 14:16‑17 promises the Spirit of truth to those who keep His commands. Worship, therefore, is not about geography, denomination, or ritual alone; it’s centered on Christ, the Spirit, and the Father.

The Bible gives guidance on worship in spirit and truth. Romans 12:1‑2 urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—true worship. We must not conform to this age but be transformed by the renewal of our minds, discerning God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. A consecrated life—wholly given to God—is essential.

Being a disciple means following Jesus’ words, ways, and works, allowing the Spirit to renew our hearts and minds. Christ‑centered worship is responsive: it flows from love and gratitude, not fear of punishment. Perfect love drives out fear, yet we still have a healthy reverence for God’s holiness—like respecting a bonfire’s heat while enjoying its warmth.

Christ‑centered worship manifests practically: praising God, meditating on Scripture, celebrating communion, singing, encouraging one another. Worship is both personal and corporate. The woman couldn’t keep Jesus to herself; she shared the good news. Christianity is inherently communal—the Trinity itself is a community of three persons, reflected in the church as a family of believers.

The church can look like any number of expressions—Bentley Baptist, a high‑church Mass, a house gathering, or a group under a tree—as long as the Spirit is present. Even when circumstances force solitude, the goal remains fellowship with other believers. The early church met in temples and homes, using spiritual gifts to build up one another, not to puff themselves up.

Spirit‑filled worship involves listening for the Spirit’s voice—through worship leaders, sermons, songs, and the Word. It may include words of knowledge, healings, or the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace). When we experience these, the Spirit is at work, bringing freedom. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom, sometimes manifesting in spontaneous healings or deliverances.

Thus, worship isn’t a free‑for‑all; there is order, but the external forms are merely scaffolding for expressing our hearts. We are set free by the Spirit to worship the Father through the Son, becoming conduits for others to encounter Jesus, just as the woman at the well did.

Let’s pray.
Father, we thank You for the beauty of worship in its simplicity. Lord, as we consider the many ways we worship—alone in a lounge, in grand liturgies, or in humble gatherings—may we remember that without Your Spirit and Jesus at the center, all is empty. Set us free in our worship, be present without hindrance, transform us, and empower us to reach those around us, bringing Your kingdom into the world. May all we do bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.