Living Water Part 2

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

There are a lot of people who like to argue about religion, but they don’t want to live it. I believe that there are many people in the church today who burn up a great deal of energy to cover up their sin. There are super-duper churchgoers that pat the preacher on the back on Sunday and tear him apart the rest of the week. Jesus called that type of superficial person a hypocrite. But there are ministers today that are afraid to preach about sin, because if people feel bad, they may go to another church. It is easy to leave one church and go to another, and many people do that. They want to feel good about themselves, so they find a church where the preacher doesn’t step on their toes.

Jesus never sidestepped the issue of personal sin. He is Truth, as well as the Way and the Life, so I believe that if you have some honest questions or doubts and take them to the Lord, that He will reveal the answers to you. And He will answer the questions that this woman has raised.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:21-22)
The important thing to this woman was where you worship. She worshiped with the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim, but the Jews worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem. It is the same today; some believe that their church is the only church. But, the church that is important is the one that does not have a building. Its name is The Church of Jesus Christ and all its members have been born again. This church doesn’t have a preacher, but its head is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a day coming when He will take His church out of this world.

Jesus explained to the woman that the day was coming when He would not be worshiped in either Jerusalem or in Mount Gerizim. He explains why, as he continues to talk with her. Jesus said,
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

It is not important where you worship God. The important thing is how you worship Him. God is not confined to a building because He is spirit. We are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. In other words, our worship should acknowledge His holiness and His sovereign power. We should be thankful and we should love Him, and our joy should be in Him.