John 4:24

DISCOURSE: 1618
THE WORSHIP WHICH GOD REQUIRES

John 4:24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

BRETHREN, you are all upon the brink of eternity. You are all sinners. As sinners, you stand in need of mercy at the hands of God: and God is willing to bestow mercy upon every one of you, without exception. But he must be inquired of, in order that he may do this for you: and he must be inquired of, not in a cold and formal manner, but in sincerity of heart; for “He is a Spirit; and all who worship him, must,” as my text informs you, “worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Let this declaration sink down into your ears; and let it operate strongly on your minds, whilst we contemplate it;

I. As an answer to a particular inquiry—

Our Lord was conversing with a woman of Samaria, and had shewn to her that he was perfectly acquainted with all the evils she had committed in her former life, and with those in the indulgence of which she was still living. She, not wishing to hear any thing further upon a subject so painful to her mind, sought to turn the conversation into another channel; and for that purpose inquired what his sentiments were on a point that was at issue between the Jews and the Samaritans, namely, whether God was to be worshipped at Jerusalem, or at Mount Gerizim in Samaria? Our Lord, in reply to her question, tells her, that the time was now come, when the Father was no longer to be worshipped in any one place more than another; but that in every place under heaven, those, and those only, should have access to him, who “worshipped him in spirit and in truth.”
This directly met the inquiry which had been made—
[Till that time “bodily exercise” had certainly prevailed in the services of God’s people, whose access to him was chiefly in the use of prescribed forms, which were shadowy and typical, and were confined to one city, and to one particular building in that city. The directions which God had given in relation to this matter, even before his people came into possession of the promised land, were very specific: “Unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shall thou come; and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, &c. &c and there ye shall eat before the Lord your God [Note: Deuteronomy 12:5.].” At the time when the temple of Solomon was consecrated, the people were instructed, that, if they should go out to battle, or be carried captives to a foreign land, they must turn towards that place, when they made their supplications to the Lord for help or mercy: and an intimation was given, that, even if they should “return to God with all their heart and all their soul,” it would not suffice, unless they also “directed their prayers towards that place [Note: 1 Kings 8:44; 1 Kings 8:48.].” From hence, as well as from the examples of their holiest prophets [Note: Psalms 28:2.Daniel 6:10.], they were led to suppose, that no prayer would be accepted, but such as should be offered in that precise manner. There was indeed under that very dispensation ample evidence that that conclusion was erroneous: for God had said, “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word [Note: Isaiah 66:1.].” Still, however, this matter was not generally understood, till our blessed Lord proclaimed, that Jehovah was a Spirit, and therefore not confined to any place, but pervading all space, and accessible to all who desired to draw nigh unto him. He no longer now was to be approached with mere bodily service, or in carnal ordinances, but “in spirit,” as opposed to the one, and “in truth,” as opposed to the other: and they who so approached to him should never be permitted to “seek his face in vain.”]

In this view it is of importance to us also—
[We are apt to lay an undue stress on externals; and to imagine, that a peculiar measure of acceptance is to be found at the table of the Lord, more than at any other time or place. (Let me not be here misunderstood, as though I would undervalue the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper: for it is our bounden duty to commemorate our Lord’s death in that ordinance; and from a spiritual and believing participation of the bread and wine, we may undoubtedly expect the richest benefits.) But from a mere formal attendance on that ordinance we receive no more good, than from a similar attendance on the common services of the Church. It is to the heart alone that God looks: if that be not right towards him, no service whatever can be “acceptable in his sight:” but, if that be under the influence of penitence and faith, its offerings, under whatever circumstances they be presented, shall surely come up with acceptance before him.]

That this truth may be more fully brought before you, I shall consider the text,

II.

As an instruction suited to all times and circumstances—

The thing which God expects, is, that there be a correspondence between the feelings of our heart, and the offerings of our lips—
[If, for instance, we confess our sins before him, it is not sufficient that our words be humble; our spirit must be humble too, and a holy penitential sorrow must fill our hearts. If we present our petitions before him, it is not sufficient that we ask for such things as are good and desirable, but we must feel an ardent desire after them in our souls, and plead for them with an importunity suited to the importance of them. So also, if we return thanks to God, we must not rest in unmeaning compliments, but adore and magnify our God from our inmost souls. If there he not this correspondence between our feelings and our words, what “truth” is there in us? Our services are no better than a solemn mockery, that must offend, rather than please, the Majesty of heaven.]

Such sincerity the very nature of God requires—
[“He is a Spirit,” that pervades all space. He is equally present with all his creatures; nor is there a thought in the heart of any person in the universe, that is not “naked and open before him.” Were he able to behold our actions only, he might be pleased with our services, though unaccompanied with any devout affection: but when “he searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins,” and “weigheth” with infallible accuracy “our very spirits,” how can he listen to our heartless addresses with any satisfaction? Verily such prayers must be, as he declares they are, an utter “abomination unto him.” When some under the Jewish dispensation brought to him “the blind, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice,” he appealed to them, “Whether it was not evil?” “ Go,” says he, “offer these now unto your Governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your persons [Note: Malachi 1:8.]?” What then must he say to those who think to impose upon him by prayers which proceed “from the lips only, whilst the heart is far from him [Note: Matthew 15:7.]?” Assuredly he will say, “Bring no more such vain oblations,” ye hypocrites, for “in vain do ye worship me:” “your most solemn services are an iniquity” which I utterly abhor, and “I am weary to bear them [Note: Isaiah 1:11.].”]

Unite with me then, whilst I make your prayers a subject of strict inquiry—

[It is to be feared that many of you, who would yet wish to be thought good Christians, live without even the form of prayer. Look back only to this very morning; look back to the past week; look back throughout your whole lives; and see, whether you have ever spent one single hour in secret prayer to God? Ah! does not conscience condemn the greater part of you? Have not many of you, as far as prayer is concerned, lived rather like brute beasts, than as rational and immortal beings? — — — Or, supposing you have kept up a form of prayer, has it not been a mere form? You who teach your children to repeat some form of prayer in your presence, know very well that theirs is not prayer: and what is yours better than theirs? Your heavenly Father, in whose presence you read or repeat your forms, knows how to estimate them, whilst they are offered without any suitable emotions. The way for you to judge of them is this: set before your eyes a person perishing in the sea, and supplicating deliverance from his perils; and then compare your feelings with his. His feelings you can easily conceive: and if yours have no correspondence with them, no such sense of danger, no such desire of help, no such thankfulness for the efforts used in your behalf, you have yet to learn the nature of prayer, and yet to begin that work, without which you must perish in your sins — — —]

But let me not conclude without adding a few words of encouragement—

[It is not improbable that some may be ready to write bitter things against themselves, because they find sot fluency in prayer. But it is not by our fluency in utterance that God judges of our prayers, but by the humility of our minds, and the fervour of our desires. A sigh, or groan, proceeding from a broken and contrite heart, is of more value in his sight, than the richest effusions of eloquence that ever proceeded from the lips of man. Never was there a more acceptable prayer offered by mortal man than that of the Publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” Take courage then, ye who are dejected because ye find not such utterance as ye could wish. “God knoweth the mind of the Spirit:” and it is in sighs and groans chiefly that “his Spirit maketh intercession in us.” Only let there be a sincerity of heart before him, and. your very breathings shall be heard, and descend in blessings on your souls; for “he seeketh such to worship him,” and will fulfil the desire of them that so approach him. If only you “look to him, you shall be lightened;” and if you hope in him, you shall assuredly be made partakers of his kingdom and glory.”].