Revival and worship are intrinsically linked, with God's presence descending to visit His people as the essence of true revival. This divine visitation cultivates genuine worship, which is not man-made but drawn out by the Holy Spirit. The sermon emphasizes that the Father seeks true worshipers who engage in worship in spirit and in truth, highlighting that acceptable worship is rational, spiritual, and active, requiring a conscious mental engagement with God's character and works. Ultimately, the purpose of salvation and revival is to bring God's people into a state of worship, glorifying Him forever.
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I'm certainly thankful tonight that I'm going to be in that throne that's going to sing his mighty power to save, and we'll sing around the holy throne of God. William Copper wrote that hymn. His pastor was quite a man. When he died, the Parliament of England shut down. They put straw in the street so that when he was ill that the horses and the wagons going outside would not disturb that man. His name was John Newton, the man who wrote to him, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
John Newton was one of the vilest men that could be found, and God graciously saved him. day during the week William copper met John Newton and he said what are you going to speak on on the Lord's day said I'm going to speak on the blood of Christ and John Newton wrote to him there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins my those were a man of God of course John Newton had his emotional problems he tried to commit suicide one night from jumping off the by jumping off the great London bridge. And just when he was ready to jump, a fog set in, or when he was going to the bridge, a fog set in, those London fogs, you know, and he couldn't find the bridge.
And he wondered all night, when he awoke, he awoke in front of his house. And he wrote to him, God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to form he plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm and then that verse blind unbelief is sure to err and scan his work in vain god is his own interpreter and he will make it plain i couldn't help but tell you about that having sung that great hymn there is a fountain filled with blood i invite you to turn tonight to john chapter 4 what we want to do tonight is link the great subject of revival with a great subject of worship.
John chapter 4 verse 19. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. This is our Lord speaking to the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. Then she adds in verse 20, Our father is worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is a place where men ought to worship, jesus says 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 worship for salvation is of the jews but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him god is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and the Lord bless the reading of his word let's pray together our father open unto us our understanding that we may realize afresh that our chief end in life
as people is to glorify God and enjoy him forever and thou hast saved us by thy grace when we were dead in trespasses and sins and therefore you've made it possible for us to indeed glorify you and we pray that through thy word tonight you will be glorified and that our hearts will be warmed and thy name will be honored and we will know the purpose for which you redeemed us. Blessed God receive our thanks for the privilege of asking In John 4, our Lord is speaking to the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well.
And he reveals to her the truth of worship coupled with evangelism. Now we pray for revival. The psalmist cried out in Psalm 85, Lord, go thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee. And then we pray for revival. need to know and have a grasp of what revival is what is revival if you were asked that question and given the piece of paper write an answer to this what do you think the Word of God teaches revival is what would you say well this is what I said revival is God coming down to visit his people in accordance with Isaiah 64 and verse 1 where we read all that thou would surrender heavens and come down that the mountains would tremble before thee all that thou would surrender heavens and come down when you read of the revivals that took place whether they're in
the Old Testament the revival under Josiah or whether it is a revival in the New Testament it is God coming down and visiting his people with his awesome presence now God visiting his people creates true worship and true worship is the essence of true revival. They go together. Now, we discover not the unusual phenomena of the manifestation of God in awesome glory, but the outcome of revival is always God created worship.
Wherein, worship is not something that is contrived by man, but that the worship is drawn out of men and of women, by the Holy Spirit himself. That is true revival. In our text we have first of all the seeking Father. Did you notice verse 23 but the hour cometh, and now is when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him. It's the hour when our word Jesus spoke was then, it is coming, and it now is, he says, and that the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Then the woman could know that the seeking Father is revealing himself to her in order that she may worship. And it's interesting, when we think of revival, we usually think of the salvation of the lost. And in revival we usually think of genuine evangelism. And it's interesting to note in this passage, the longest passage in the Bible that's spoken of in relation to worship. Our Lord outlines what true worship is in this passage. And you have to notice in this passage how Jesus faced this woman with her need for repentance.
And yet worship was the very essence of what God was seeking in the woman's life. This is the purpose for which God saves men. When the Spirit of God comes down to awaken sinners to their need of Christ, behind the seeking Savior is always the Father seeking worshipers. When you put the Father and the Son together, in John chapter 6 and verse 44, The Son of God says, no man can come unto me, except the Father which sent me draw him. It is the Father who draws us to Christ.
And then in John 14, verse 6, the word Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me, and it is the Son who takes us to the Father. The Father brings us to the Son, and the Son brings us to the Father. Now, when the Spirit of God begins to awaken sinners to their need of Christ, behind the seeking Savior is God the Father seeking worshipers. Now, God is not indifferent whether we worship Him.
purpose therefore when God revives his church this is the ultimate end in view why did God save me the first question in the Westminster shorter catechism is what is the chief and the man and of course the answer is the chief and the man is that he might glorify God and enjoy him forever and beloved there is nothing beyond the glory of God for the believer the glory of God is the ultimate that the believer will ever experience there is nothing beyond that our chief end is therefore to glorify him and with knowing that and with that in our mind therefore the great aim of everything God is doing When he revives his church, he's to bring his people into a worshiping of himself.
The father, seeker, worshippers. Now God is not indifferent whether we worship him or not. Furthermore, God is not indifferent to whom we worship. And he is not indifferent to how we worship. things are brought out in our text. In verse 24 the word of God says God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. That is how we worship. Whom we worship is very important also. The woman said to the Lord, our fathers worshipped in this mountain, Mount Kyrgyzim.
We're Samaria lost. But the Jews say, Jerusalem is a place to worship so we have to ask a question what was Gerizim worship like what was the worship of the Samaritans like well I'll tell you this it was sincere and it was enthusiastic worship but the problem was they rejected the greater part of the Old Testament they only received the five books of Moses the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. And the essence of Samaritan worship was that it was divorced from truth.
And it was divorced from truth because it was divorced from Scripture. And no one can worship God apart from the Word of God. So worship must first of all be according to the Word of God. Our Lord had to say to that woman, you worship, you know, not. what? That's what Gerizim worship was like. She said to the Lord, our Father's worship in this mountain. But the Jews say Jerusalem. Well, what was Jerusalem worship like? Well, Jerusalem worship was according to the letter, but without the Spirit.
You see, they had a lot of truth. They had the Old Testament scriptures. what we read in Matthew chapter 15 verse 8 is our Lord quotes from the prophet Isaiah 29 verse 13 he said these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me that's what their worship is like and so we see the enemies of true worship and the enemies of true be outlined in this way. Number one, zeal without knowledge. That's Gerizim worship.
And there's much of that today. A lot of zeal, but no knowledge. And then, of course, there's knowledge without zeal. That's Jerusalem worship. And you know, you can have that today. You can know a lot things about the word of God but your heart not leaped to God in genuine worship you can have a lot of knowledge and be as cold as an iceberg when it comes to a relationship with God I've known people like that I've known people like that you can have the truth without spirit and you can have spirit without truth.
The important thing in acceptable worship is not what is acceptable to us, but it is what is acceptable to God. And I believe that we're living in a day, beloved, when in the church of Jesus Christ we must learn afresh what is acceptable to God. We have an idea today that something that pleases us and that pleases our children is acceptable to God. But we have to learn it's not what is acceptable to us that pleases God, but it's what is acceptable to God.
You see the focus of our thinking in relation to worship in our modern world is what is acceptable to us i knew a young man well he's just about my age now he was a young man when i knew him he had come out of dallas seminary and he and he had three churches uh three united brethren churches in northern lebanon county in pennsylvania and uh he went to each one of these churches, and I preached in all three. And I saw some blessing in all three places. But he told me, he said, Phil, I learned a lesson.
And he quoted a certain doctor that they'd have for a series of meetings. Year after year, he came and he spoke and gave our lecture series at Dallas Seminary. He said, oh, I thought he was about the driest man I ever heard. He said, I'm clear, but the problem wasn't with him. He said, the problem was with me. He said, when I went before God and asked God, give me something from this man, help me to listen to this man, I found that he wasn't dry at all. He said, it was me who was dry.
And he said, what a difference it made in my life and in my listening to this man you see the focus of our thinking today in our modern world is what is acceptable to us our word is stressing to the Samaritan woman that which is acceptable to God so I learned something from this and that leads me to my second point and that is this. Therefore, true worship is rational worship. It's rational worship.
True worship involves truth and is therefore a conscious mental activity. Genuine worship of God calls for conscious mental activity. You see, there are a lot of things that you and I can do unconsciously. You breathe, don't you? You better would. Are you conscious of breathing? Well, now you are that I've talked about it. But you've been here all night until this moment and you haven't thought about the fact I have to breathe to live. You do it unconsciously. There are things you can do unconsciously.
But acceptable worship, friends, is not one of them. Acceptable worship to God our minds in the sense that our minds are occupied with a character of God. Our minds are occupied with the glory of God. Our minds are occupied with reviewing the Word of God and reviewing the works of God. Friends, we truly worship when we ponder the wonders of our redemption and remember what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus in the Sunday school class this morning I mentioned that it would be a good exercise of heart to read through the epistle to the Hebrews and circle those two words that appear often for us.
Just those two words for us. I've done it in one of my Bibles I don't know if I've done it in this one I have circled an awful lot in Hebrews in this Bible but I know I circled all the personal pronouns there but those words for us not to appear in the presence of God for us who also make us intercession for us or the work of our great high priest on our behalf But true worship is not only rational worship. True worship is spiritual worship.
Worship that is inward and spiritual is distinct from worship that is merely outward and physical. Worship to be genuine rationalist. And spiritually is spiritual worship. But friends, true worship is also active worship. So worship in spirit and truth, you must be spiritually alive. That's why our Lord said to Nicodemus in the previous chapter in John, you must be born from above.
A person must be born of God to worship God. in spirit and in truth your spirit will never be drawn out after God nor will your heart leap up to him in worship if you have never received spiritual life the essence of spiritual life is genuine worship now that's the beginning of worship this is why our Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman she was still lost but what did he speak to her of he spoke to her of that which truly glorifies God spiritual worship and for that she needed to be alive spiritually and what did the Lord speak about he spoke about living water he said to her whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again she came to the well to draw natural water But he spoke to her of a well that she could have within a well from which springs up living water.
You know, we talk about John chapter 4 of the woman at the well. I like to speak of it as a woman with the well. For she went away with the well within. And God, by the new birth, he places the well within. within us from whence comes up the living water and it comes up in worship and in praise of our great God but the worship in spirit and in truth not only calls for us to be spiritually alive but more than that to worship in spirit and in truth you must be spiritually assisted not only spiritually alive, but spiritually assisted.
The word Jesus said in John 15 verse 5 without me you can do nothing. If I'm going to truly worship the Lord I need to be spiritually assisted. And the Holy Spirit has come and one of His blessed offices according to John chapter 16 is to bring all things to our remembrance. We sing sometimes at the worship service, bring before us all the glory of his life and death of woe and our hope of endless glory wean our hearts from all below.
We have to be spiritually assisted. And there would be spiritually assisted is no more true than in genuine worship. So worshiping spirit means that we know the gracious assistance of God, the Holy Spirit, quickening our spirit to desire him and to be zealous for his honor. You see, this is what the psalmist meant in Psalm 80 and verse 18. us now that's his prayer and then what follows is so important and he says and we will call on your name that's genuine assistance by the Holy Spirit revive us and we will call upon thy name revival and worship go together You know it is a verse that I love very much.
It's Zechariah chapter 12 in verse 10. And it's a verse that deals with Israel's repentance at the coming of the Lord. It says, In that day they shall look unto him whom they have pierced, and mourn for him as one mourneth for his firstborn. But previous to that verse we read, And I will pour out upon them the spirit of grace, and of supplication. And they shall look unto me whom they are pierced. Revive us, the Spirit of grace and of supplication. And then they shall look unto me whom they are pierced.
You see, that's a spiritual assistance. And all the need for us to pray, Lord, send upon us as a people of God, the Spirit of grace and of supplication. Revive us, and we will call on your name. So, to worship in spirit and in truth, we not only have to be spiritually alive, born of God, but to worship in spirit and in truth, we have to be spiritually assisted. And third, to worship in spirit and in truth, you have to be spiritually active.
You cannot worship God casually. You can't worship Him carelessly either. And you can't worship Him along with doing a number of other things. This is something else that the church needs to learn today. My cousin's wife told me on one occasion that when she goes to church, she likes to take her crocheting along and sit there and crochet. you can't worship God while you're doing something else it's impossible I remember Warren Bursby at an afternoon meeting at Moody Church at Moody Founders Week he said I notice a lady knitting down here he said before I even start to preach she's already in stitches You see, worship is something you can't do along with a number of other things.
The mind and the heart must be spiritually active in the presence of God. When we look at the glorified church in heaven, you know there are no distractions. They join in worshiping the Lamb who sits upon the throne. their theme is worthy is the lamb for he was slain this woman is brought to the son of God and when she goes back to the city what is her message come see a man who is the man the one whom John the Baptist pointed out as the lamb of God who taketh away the sin the world then she asked a question come see a man who told me all things whatsoever I've done is not this the Messiah you see she had the same language that Andrew had in chapter 1 of John Andrew said we have found the Messiah that's who
this woman found and that's who we're going to worship throughout the unending age of eternity revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee when our joy is in God it is genuine worship when Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached in London there were three other great preachers in London at the same time Joseph Parker was one of them Richard Dale was another and I can't think of the third one but she ate sturgeon was the fourth a man went to hear Joseph Parker on the Lord's Day morning he came away and he said oh what a preacher what a preacher then he went and he heard C.H.
Spurgeon at night and he came away and he said, oh, what a Savior. That's the difference. Worthy is the Lamb. Let's pray. Our Father, will thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee? We thank you, blessed Lord, You are more interested in us. You saved us to worship you. And we thank you, O God, that we have the assistance of the Spirit of God who dwells with him.
Thou hast made us alive, and thou hast made us active. O our Father, revive us again. May this assembly of thy people. Know and enjoy what it means to glorify thee, to glorify thee in worship, to sit in thy presence in awe of thy holiness, thy righteousness, thy justice, and thy truth. And may we worship thee in spirit and in truth, and all the sweetness of what it means to bring glory to the Lamb, he is worthy.
Take this word now, and bless it to every heart, for Jesus' sake. Amen.