The Bethany Bullet Sermon Message - Week of November 17, 2019

Sermon: “Worshipping Faithfully”

Read: John 4:1-30

Did you catch it?  Worship is NOT about location!  “The day is coming when you will worship neither this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”  The Samaritans had long roots for their worship address.  Abraham had offered Isaac on an altar there.  It wasn’t like the Jewish community were newcomers to their address either.  David had offered to build God a house and Solomon had completed the construction project.  Yet, Jesus, now declares that address doesn’t grant access; worship is not bound to location but the incarnation.  God is now, in Jesus, tabernacling in the flesh, and this Jesus ushers us into God’s presence.  A presence that is not isolated to here or there propositions.  Of course, the worship conversation came up in a way because the woman was attempting to detour Jesus.  He was in Samaria because He took a detour, if you will; Jesus didn’t “have to” go through Samaria to get to Galilee.  It wasn’t as if it were required of Him in terms of circumnavigation.  Jesus “had to” go through Samaria John tells us; and it appears this is the reason why!  His purposeful meeting of the unexpecting water gathering Samaritan. 

Often we too are caught off guard by divine encounters.  Even when we head to the “location”, “address”, of His presence i.e. church.  It is possible on occasion you’ve come to church like the woman, feeling unwelcome, an outsider among your own.  At times perhaps like her, you’ve viewed heading to church a chore that must be accomplished.  There may even have been moments when somewhat like the disciples, “You’ve wondered what in the world is that person doing talking with Jesus?”   Regardless of how we arrive, Jesus purposefully meets us!  He won’t let us hide our guilt from Him, even if we’ve managed to keep it well concealed from everyone else.  In fact, that is what He “had to do.”  He came to deal with her sin, and ours, on a different Mt. Calvary.  Having done so successfully, having paid the price for our sin, Himself a perfect sacrifice and pure offering, His resurrection assuring us that sin, and death and devil are defeated, He comes to meet us where we are, and opens our hearts and minds to where we go when we enter worship.  

-Pr. Kevin Kritzer