Worship in Spirit!

For Friday, May 12, 2023:

John 4:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.”

Jesus is wrapping up his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Traditionally, Jews did not speak with “unclean” Samaritans, although they’re distant cousins who worshiped the same God. Samaritans didn’t know as much about the Lord, but nowadays we would call them “seekers,” eager to learn more. Jews, on the other hand, knew more about God, but had construed worship as obeying a series of commands. They ignored the scripture about loving the Lord and loving their neighbor. They weren’t counting on God’s extreme love for mankind, so much so that he would send his Son to personally redeem us!

Jesus further explains: “God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” We too are spirit; our human bodies are temporary. When our bodies decay, it is our soul, our eternal spirit that lives on to worship God-the-spirit. So program your spirit to worship God’s spirit!

The Samaritan woman inquires about a coming Messiah, to which Jesus responds, “I am.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship