Today's scripture is John chapter 4 verses 16 through 23 Jesus said to her go call your husband and come here the Women answered him I have no husband Jesus said to her you are right in saying I have no husband where you have had five husband And the one you now have is not your husband what you have said is true The woman said to him sir. I perceive that you are a prophet Our father's worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people opt to worship Jesus said to her woman Believe me the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem Will you worship the father you worship what you do not know? We worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews But the hour is coming and it's now here when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and in truth For the father is seeking such people to worship him. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his words So one thing is for sure Love it Americans have a love affair with with movies There is no doubt about it. We love the big screen We enjoy Major motion pictures. We enjoy them so much That many of them become more than just movies They do They become events that define generations
Movies influence us They influence culture They influence language They influence thought And they often Give us they give us bigger than light characters unforgettable songs And scenes They become iconic they define generations Gone with the wind Star Wars Titanic I still haven't figured out what that's all about
Lion King one of the most epic And generation defining films ever however beloved was this will be the Mills The tin command the tin commandment Now there used to be a time That I can ask a room decide have you seen the tin commandment and everybody Would have seen it multiple times over I'm pretty sure that's not safe anymore But you should but you should Because at the time of his making it was a masterful piece of film making even today when you watch it You almost forget past the field that it was made in 1956 Amazing amazing And the thing about the movie I'm going somewhere with this to hang on the thing about the move I told you we got time for The thing about the movie is that it is so big That it practically shaped a Generations understanding of what the Bible said about Moses What the Bible said about Pharaoh About what the Bible taught about the burning bush About the red sea about God bringing his children out of Egypt I mean to this day to this day you say Moses and I think Charlton Heston if you say Pharaoh There is only one Your Brenner There is no other one There is no other one It's your Brenner When I see Pharaoh in the Bible, I see his face I can't you not I see his face the movie was great I love it But the movie missed the point as they mostly do the movie missed the point and all the theatrics Of the class that is between Moses and Pharaoh between Charlton Heston and your Brenner Between the nation of Egypt and the children of Israel Of all of the atrix and all the grand drama that he is that fine Fim the movie over looked and dismissed the central point of The drama what was it?
worship why did God save Moses Having placed in the basket and put in the river worship worship why did God speak to Moses out of a bush that was on fire But it wasn't burning worship why did God send Moses to Pharaoh worship Why did Moses tell Pharaoh God said Let my people go To go and do what Moses hang out at the beach To go and do what Play golf To go and do what? Watch movies no beloved let my people go So that they might worship because they're not free they're not free to worship and Exodus chapter 3 and verse 11 and 12 Bible says but Moses said to God Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt and God said I Will be with you and This will be the sign to you That it is I who have sent you When you have brought the people out of Egypt you will worship God on this mountain Why because the point of it all Is worship and so when Moses goes into Pharaoh and Exodus chapter 7 and verse 16 then say to him The Lord the God of the Hebrews has sent me to say to you Let my people go so that they may worship me in the world and Exodus chapter 8 and verse 1 The Bible says and the Lord said to Moses Go to Pharaoh and say to him This is what the Lord says Let my people go why So that they may worship me
redeemed To worship that's what it was all about That's why God put that baby Moses in that basket That's why he called him up the mountain to the bush that's why he sent him back into Egypt worship That's why he parted the red sea worship God brought Israel out of bondage and slavery to Egypt and set them free So that a wood worship him. That's what it's about. That's the point That was the point then That is the point now You and I are no different Israel in Egypt in fact Pictures you and me You and I have been redeemed by God out of bondage and slavery to sin and Satan and we have been set free So that you and I might worship him first Peter chapter 2 Verse 9 Which you are a children people a royal priesthood a holy nation got special possession That you made declared the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light That's why he called you out of darkness He called you out of darkness so that you might declare the praises of the one who called you Redeemed to worship God sent Moses to set free the children of Israel So that they might worship him, but you know an interesting thing about it It wasn't a simple freedom It wasn't a simple freedom. It wasn't it wasn't simple for love it There was plays There was frogs and lights and Fly and Locusts and darkness There was even death That accompanies them being brought out of Egypt. There was sacrifice There was a lamb that had to be slain and the blood of the lamb had to be put upon the doorpost and God had to promise that If you saw the blood that he would pass over them. This was not a simple freedom But it wasn't just the plague beloved then there was the red sea Have it get to the red sea and they couldn't get across the red sea God had to part the red sea so that they could get through on dry land So that they could get to the place where they would worship him and then when they get to the place Whatever it worshiped him it wasn't just that simple either They had commandments Ten of them came down not one not two not three ten Ten commandments came down, but not only did ten commandments come down Then came down the command for sacrifices and offerings This was not a simple freedom
Sacrifices burnt offerings grain offerings sin offerings peace offerings But didn't that wasn't all didn't that work feast days
Tabernacle unleavened bread Trumpets pass over that was not enough didn't set up the tabernacle And it's setting up the tabernacle It's set up certain parts of the tabernacle which only certain people could go in At certain times The outer place the holy place and then the holy up holy places and which only the high priest could go and he could only go in there once a year all of this all of this beloved one of this was required When God called them out of Egypt Call them out of Egypt let my people go to the can worship me and then what is required? God jumped through all these hoops Yes Yes, yes, they reminded the people And even though they were God's people and even though he had called them out of Egypt They were still separated from him. They were separated from his holiness They were separated from their because of their sin and every day all day They were reminded of it and if you had asked And as you're alive in the Old Testament Tell me about your relationship with God He could have said well It's complicated. It's complicated But what made it complicated? Love it sin made it complicated God had redeemed his people out of Egypt called them to worship him But they could not get near unto him. They couldn't get near to him That is what caused David to raise the question Thinking about all the hoops one had to jump through and on a worship God on a daily
David wrote a Psalm 24 and 3 asking the question Then who may have sin the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? I know we don't feel The constanation in that question But David did Every day as the sacrifices were being made and the desire to get near to God In other words, who can draw near to God in worship? Who can draw near to him in worship? Who can keep up with all that is required? Who is worthy enough to stand in his presence? This is the great question Worshiping requires This is the great question we shall always be asking Who is worthy? Who is worthy to worship the Lord? Who is worthy? Abraham, nope. Jacob, nope. Moses, nope David, nope. This is the pivotal question in worship who is worthy? This has always been the question. This is the question who is worthy? That's the question. That's raised in Revelation 5 in verse 2 by the angels in heaven And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seal? Who is worthy in other words to stand in the presence of God? Who is worthy to ascend the heel of God? This is the question beloved and it is a serious one And the answer beloved is simple coming straight out of Isaiah 6 and 8 Jesus said, hear my, send me, I'll go up that heel
but send into the presence of the Holy One
to simplify this thing. God, remember we said this before God did not send Jesus to complicate our lives. That is a lie. Jesus came to simplify. He came to simplify our faith. He came to simplify our prayers. He came to simplify our worship. Jesus did not come. Listen beloved. Jesus did not come to add another layer of complexity to worship. No, no, no, he came to make it simple. When Christ came, Christ said, now there's only one. There's only one. Unlike before, Christ has made worship and coming to God simple. There is only one. One Lamb, one sacrifice, one priest, one commandment, one spirit, one Lord, one baptism, one cross, one death, one resurrection. God, there's only one name, one name. So all you need, one name, just one. Don't get any more simple to that. Hebrews chapter 10. In the verse 11, the writer Hebrew says, day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duty. How many times again and again? What is the offer the same sacrifices over and over again and do an over and over again? And you know what the Bible says right there? They can never take away. He's making them over and over again day after day. But when that is until this priest, namely Christ had offered for all time how many sacrifices? One, one sacrifice percent. He sat down at the right hand of God. And it goes on the same for by one sacrifice. He had made perfect forever those who are being made only one. One, one sacrifice, one priest, one time. Why? Because Christ did not come to add layers, but to take them away, to take the layers away. Not to add barriers, but to take away barriers and make only one thing necessary. What's that one thing? Him, him, him and in taking away all of those layers, Jesus makes worship simple. He makes it simple. Ships away the extras. It's the way that he came to remove barriers. Remove barriers. No more sacrifices. No more tabernacles. No more holy holy. No more feast days. No more offerings.
Christ came to remove the obstacles. And the biggest one of all being your Christ comes and removes the auspices. He is taking down the walls that separate. And now you and I in him are free to worship God. So that worship is simple and worship is free. Worship is simple and worship is free. Why? Because Jesus paid it all. All that was needed for us to be able to worship God. Now worship is free. It's free now. It's free. Worship is free now. That's what people need to know. That's what people need to hear. But you need to hear, okay? Worship is free. You are free to worship God. I know we don't believe it. I don't believe it because the woman at the well didn't believe it. But this is what Jesus would instructor. This is what Jesus would teacher. This is what Jesus would have us to know this morning. You are free to worship God. You can lift your hands. You are free. You are free to worship God. You can lift your hands, okay? You can shout, okay? It's not too loud. But you can shout, okay? You can stand, okay? You can sing. And if that's the field run, you can run with him. All right? You are free. You are free. Worship has been paid for. And this is what Jesus would tell a woman at the well. So I tell this morning. In John chapter four, when Jesus met the woman at the well, beloved, she was at the well that morning to get some water. Jesus was there to talk about worship. Jesus was there to let her know that God was doing a new thing. And that worship was going to change forever. Worship was being made simple. Worship was being made free. And she was included. Worship is simple. Worship is free. And you're included. You're included, lady. She would no longer be excluded. She would no longer be ostracized. She would no longer be alienated because of the barriers in her life. The barriers that kept her from free me worshiping her gender, her class, or even her sin. The thing that keeps us from free me worshiping. To be honest this morning, and Jesus no have come to remove all those. You have no obstacles this morning. But she had barriers, beloved. She had barriers, she had obstacles. Her gender was a barrier as a woman. She was excluded from certain parts of the worship of God. As a woman, she was hindered from giving full expression of her relationship with God every day, beloved. The rabbis, at her time, would wake up and they were all for a prayer. And they would say, blessed old God, thank you for not making me a Gentile. Thank you for not making me a slave. Thank you for not making me a woman. For many people, her gender was a barrier. There were certain parts of the temple and when she could not go. There were prayers that she couldn't offer. There were limits to her expression. Not only was her gender barrier, but so too was her ethnicity. Her ethnicity was a barrier. She was a Samaritan. And Samaritans were considered outsiders, heretics, idolaters, traitors. There were an ethnic minority that was excluded from worship and the free expression of worshiping Yahweh. There were ethnic barriers and we know about ethnic barriers, beloved. And discrimination. And often, these barriers have kept people from the freedom of worship. And because of the ethnic barriers, it was not only true in her day, but it is true in our day, these things have led to a splintered church and a divided worship because people have seen certain ethnicities at barriers to full expression and freedom in worship. Her gender was a barrier. Her ethnicity was a barrier. Her sin was a barrier. She was a woman with a sorted path. Not a woman of good reputation. She was looked down upon. She felt it. She knew it. She understood it. She felt the shame of her sin. She understood and felt the eyes of others upon her every time, every time, no doubt when she would walk into the worship of God's people. She was a sinner and she knew it. Everyone else knew it. As far as most of us concerned, she was unworthy, unclean and unimportant. And all of these, all of these, all of these, would have been barriers, beloved obstacles, hinders to her. They would have discouraged her from worshiping. And unfortunately, these are some of the same things that discourage people today.
Why don't people come to church today? Why is church attendance on the divine as some people say? Well, we hear all the lame and the old excuses. We pull out too busy these times. They have no time for religious things. They have no interest. They had to work six days a week. The one day that they have often, I'm going to spend it in old buildings, listening to old people saying old songs. It's not relevant. It's boring. All of these are the old and usual excuses.
Do you know what I find, however, the most interesting reason that some people give for not attending church? Love it is that people don't feel welcome. People feel condemned. People feel judged like the woman at the well. They feel because they feel this because we have made worship about everything but the main thing. Listen, beloved. Listen, listen to me. This is just a sidebar. This is just a sidebar. This is free. Somebody walks in the East Point Church. And you haven't seen them in a while. If the first thing you say to them is, where have you been? We haven't seen you in a while. Just keep it moving. Don't say anything. Okay. Let others feel what the spirit do. That grace is work. Look at the woman at the well this morning and ask yourself the question. What was hindering her and what hinders you from freely worshiping God this morning? I think oftentimes, beloved, most of us are more concerned like her with what other people think or with what other people are saying or will say or could possibly say. Listen to me this morning, beloved. What others think of you has no bearing on what Jesus thinks of you. He is not asking their opinion, but not only that, not only that likewise. What you think of others has no bearing on what Jesus thinks of them. No bearing at all. None at all, beloved. I know we have a high view of our own opinions, but I can rest assured to you that Jesus doesn't share that high view. Never barriers are obstacles. You might think there are to you freely worshiping God this morning. Jesus has taken them down and he says come, come. No matter what others think, you just come. No matter what others say, you just come, come, come. This is what he was saying to her at the well. Her gender would no longer be a barrier. Why? Because in Christ there is neither male or female. They are all one in Christ. Her ethnicity would no longer be a barrier because in Christ there is neither Jew, nor Gentile, or slave, or free, or Samaritan. Her sin would no longer be a barrier because in Christ all sin has been taken away. For the songwriter says, I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, saved and sanctified. I am all my sins have been washed away. I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. None of the barriers. Her gender would no longer be a barrier. Her ethnicity would no longer be a barrier and her sin would no longer be a barrier. And now because of Jesus, not only is worship free but worship is simple. Okay? It's simple. It's simple. He's taken down the barriers. Whatever is hindering you, it should not hinder you anymore. It should not hinder you any longer. Worship is simplified and is simplified and missed. Anybody, anywhere, anytime.
Okay? They don't give more simple than that. Anybody, anywhere, anytime. Her gender would have kept her back. Jesus comes and says, not anymore, not anymore. Man or woman, boy or girl, Jew or Gentile, black or white. Everyone is welcome in Jesus' sight. Jesus not only loves all the little children of the world, but he welcomes them. He welcomes them into worship. He says, come, come all, come all, the poor and the needy. Come the weak and the humble come, the lame and the sick come, the helpless and the hopeless come. Before Christ, all of those would have been barriers. But now in Christ, all of them come. You just come just as I am without one plea. But that thy blood was shed for me. That thou bidest me come to the old lamb of God, whoever you are, you just come. All of these in Jesus are free to come and worship him. Come, come anybody.
You don't go old.
Who can worship anybody? Can I worship anybody? Are you included in anybody? Are you included in the old? Not just anybody, anywhere, anywhere. You know, she wanted to make it about a place. You see that, John 4 and 20. Jesus approaches her. She wants to make worship about a place. Well, they had segregated. They had, you know, they had segregated like the Baptist in the Presbyterian. They had segregated, you know, the Samaritan and the Jews. They had segregated. The Samaritan's worship in Mount Gareth, the Jews and Jerusalem. Jesus told her chapter 4 verse 21. Her worship is not a place. Worship is not a place. It's not mountains. It's not impulse.
If you've been around, if you see for any time, or have heard the stories and the testimonies, then you know that we have had our share of worship location. We have been in the house. We have been in school chapel. We have been a community center. We have been in the middle school. We have been in ball buildings. We have been in the building of our own. One thing we have learned, at least I hope we have learned, is that it's not about the place. Now the place is nice. And thank God for the place. But it's not the place that makes works or possible. It's the power. It is not the place that makes worship possible. Beloved, it's the power. The power where the spirit is. There is worship. Where the word of God is proclaimed. There God's people worship. Where the power of the Holy Spirit is pointing people to Jesus. And the power of the word proclaim is pointing people to Jesus. There is worship. And that's simple. You don't need fancy lights or cameras. You don't need expensive mics or amps. You don't even need heat or air. All you need is Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. In the morning when I arrived, it's all needed Jesus. Jesus. When I come to die, that's all I need. It's Jesus. We complicated. What all of the peripheral in the extras and we spend all week. Fussing over the extras. Trying to get all the extras right when really. All we need to worship is Jesus. That's not about a place. It's about the power of the spirit of God and the word of God. Pointing us the Jesus and that happens. Anywhere. Anywhere. Anybody. Anywhere. Anytime. Anytime. That woman at the well, I understood. Like most of us understand that there were set times and places for worship. And in her mind, it was not right then at the well. Hey, I know, but there are times for worship. There are times, there are places for worship and it was not right then at the well. And Jesus says to her, oh no, young lady, you got it all wrong. In verse 23, he says, the time is coming or in fact better yet. The time is now. The time is now when true worship is going to be in spirit and in truth. It is not only any one anywhere, but young lady. It is anytime, anytime, anytime, because simple worship is not just what we do on Sunday. It's what we do every day. It's not just what we do when we come into the sanctuary. It's what we do wherever we are. It's what the Psalmist says, Psalm 34 verse 1. I will bless the Lord at all times. And his praise shall continually be in my mark. All times continually be in my mark. Christ came at that well and even now today to show us and remind us and remind us that he has torn down the veil. He has opened up the way to show us that you don't have to wait for Sunday to worship. We worship every day. Someone asked the question, they like to ask questions. Should we worship on Saturday or should we worship on Sunday? And others like to ask, is it right to have worship services on Friday? Well, the Christian answer to this beloved is that we worship every day. We worship every day. We worship anytime. We can worship anywhere. This is what Christ has done.
He has opened worship. This is why you have been redeemed.
Christ. In one moment, what it took Moses forever to do, deem God's people and bring them to God so that they could freely worship him. That's what he has done in anybody now, anywhere, anytime, anywhere, anytime. I know, I know, I know life is filled with complex questions. And some of them are more complicated than others, but I want to suggest you this morning that you don't let worship be one of them. Worship is simple. We worship anytime. We worship anywhere because Jesus is worthy and he has made it simple. Someone asked the question on what day should I worship? Hey, I'm going to make it simple for you. On what day is God good? Everyday on what day is the spirit of the Lord working in your life? Everyday on what day is the Word of God alive? Every day on what day is Jesus Lord? Every day what day should you worship? Every day and someone asked the question, do I have to go to church on Sunday? Well, I don't have to go to church on Sunday. I get to go to church on Sunday. I get to go to church on Sunday because on Sunday I get to do with my brothers and sisters what I've been doing by myself all week worship. That's why I come on Sunday. I'm tired of doing it by myself.
Someone asked the question, why do we say when we lift our hands to Jesus? What do we really mean? Someone may be wondering. When we sing, I sing. Times we may cry and nothing's even louder because I sing because he has made me happy. I sing because he has made worship free. I sing because his eye is on the sparrow and I sing because I know that he is watching over me and that's why I sing. Beloved, it is as simple as that.
It's not complicated at all. It's very simple.