Do You Want to Be Filled with Real Joy?

The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.’” JOHN 4:19-23

 

PONDER THIS

Do you know what’s wrong with the Church today? We have forgotten how to worship. Some people today say if you want to build a great church, talk to the people about their needs on Sunday morning. Then, help meet those needs. When they talk about their needs, they’re talking about their emotional, psychological, and physical needs.

So many of our worship services across America have left theology and gone to me-ology. Rather than worshiping God, we come and turn our eyes inward, seeking to find life. But Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). If you want to be miserable, turn your life inward. If you want to be filled with joy, turn your life upward. Look into the face of God and learn to worship.

Now, we’ve studied and read this morning about a woman at a well who was miserable. She was miserable because she had never learned to worship. She was self-centered. She was a slave to sin. She was a religious woman, but religion had never helped her. This is why Jesus taught this woman about worship. Whether you are up and out or down and out, you need to learn to worship God.

What does it look like to worship God?

What are some ways you can be self-centered instead of Christ-centered? How does this affect the way you worship God?

PRACTICE THIS

Go outside and worship God for who He is and what He has done.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers