Jesus’ Worship Guidelines
John 4
Pastor Jerry Koller

Setting the Stage:
· While in Jerusalem, Jesus had a meeting with a man named Nicodemus.
· He leaves Jerusalem for the land of Judea where He taught the people many things regarding the kingdom of God.
· John the Baptist was also in the vicinity doing the same thing.
· The Pharisees, who didn’t like Jesus to begin with, caught wind of what was happening.
· Jesus chooses to leave the area before any trouble started with the Pharisees and traveled to Galilee.
· He chose a route that would pass through Samaria.

When Israel was taken into captivity, their Assyrian captors dispersed them throughout their Gentile kingdoms in order to keep them from forming into an opposing military force. Following the captivity, some of these colonists remained in their new homes and intermarried outside their race producing a half-breed of Jew and Gentile. Because of their intermarriage, they were hated by their fellow Jews.

As Jesus and His disciples passed through Samaria, they came to a city named Sychar (associated with ancient Shechem).

Jesus tells her to go call her husband and then come back. She tells Jesus she has no husband which made it impossible for her to comply. He tells her that while she has no husband, she has had five previous husbands. He also tells her that her current significant other is not her husband.

A specific physical location is not one of the guidelines for true worship.

Jesus is drawing a contrast between Samaritan and Jewish worship.

The Samaritans may have been enthusiastic worshippers, but they worshipped in ignorance.
· They rejected all the books of the Old Testament except the Pentateuch.
· They considered themselves as the keepers of the Torah.
· They felt that they alone preserved the original Mosaic religion.
· They went so far as to consider the Jerusalem temple and the Levitical priesthood illegitimate.

The Jews, on the other hand, accepted all the books of the Old Testament.
· The Jews prayed.
· They fasted.
· They tithed.
· They kept the Law.
· Even the Messiah was to come from the line of David.
· Salvation will come from Jewish bloodlines.

For a second time, Jesus tells the woman a time is coming.
· In verse 21, He said a time is coming when the Father will be worshipped neither in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim.

These two parameters, spirit and truth, must guide our worship much like the banks of a river guide the water flow. These guidelines apply to private worship. They apply to corporate worship. And they apply to public worship.

But what became of the woman? She went back to town and told the people what had transpired. She told them that it is quite possible she had just met the Messiah. Apparently, she was convincing enough that they went to see Jesus for themselves. (See John 4:39-42)

As believers in Christ, out worship experience may not be very new. Some of us have been engaging in worship for quite some time.

Let us do so in spirit and in truth.

· Donna Jinkins (neighbor of Jean Robinson) continues to decline and the only hope for her is if she can have a liver transplant and there is concern that she'd be strong enough for surgery if one even becomes available. Please keep her and her family in prayer.
· Cookie (Gena Poole's aunt) who is recovering from surgery to remove blood from the outside of her brain. Pray for Gena as this has added more to an already full plate for her!
· Lennon McKamey (son of Kyle & Sarah) needs surgery on his shoulder due to two tears on his left labrum. He has an appointment on 6/18 and hopes to have surgery soon after.
· Jean Pietrzak (Sandi Starland's sister) is recovering from a fall in which she injured her neck. She's in trauma care with orthopedic and neurology care.
· Bruce & Vasha Ferguson and their family upon the loss of their granddaughter, Felicia, on 5/3.
· Bruce Ferguson had his medications adjusted and is continuing with his doctors for further treatment.
· Nolan Marshall has sporadic, intense behavioral issues due to diagnosis and continues treatment to manage symptoms.
· Miriam Bryant has begun therapy for hip issues.
· Vincent Bryant (son of Miriam Bryant) is dealing with multiple health issues: blood clots which are interfering with his dialysis treatments; continues to recover from a 2nd surgery on his left hand which resulted in one finger being amputated; issues with an ankle that prevents him from driving.
· Anna Bocock has Epstein Barr in addition to one strain of Lyme. She is waiting for next month’s treatment to be done, will then take another blood test to see how the treatment performed, and once the tests come back, she will hopefully be able to move forward with the Lyme disease treatments.
· Caroline Bocock is having some symptoms resurface so she will need to have more treatments. They are waiting for her most recent test results to come back so they can determine which strain of Lyme’s needs to be treated next.
· Joyce Bocock continues to do well. Prayers for continued improvement and relief from pain are appreciated.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com