21 Days of Prayer: Day 3

 Barriers to Worship –

The Wrong Wells


“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again”

READ JOHN 4:1-15.

Thus far in our praying and fasting, we have been awestruck by the infinitely holy God who revealed Himself to Isaiah. That God is FAR exalted above us –too awesome in majesty for us to look at, too wise for us to comprehend, too perfect for us to approach... We are unholy people deserving the wrath of a holy God... The only way for us to come before the perfect holiness of God is if there is payment for our sin...

And yesterday we saw how that God STEPPED DOWN in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, and became that payment for sinners. God paid for sinners with His own life, but to what end? That end is “... to the glory of God...” (see Phil. 2:11). Jesus died so the God would be glorified... Christ died so that we would glory in God –that we would worship Him. In other words, we were made for worship.

Going back all the way to the beginning, we can see that God designed mankind to worship Him: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). Man and woman were made in God’s image so that, together, they would reflect God’s glory to their Creator. This is what we were made for –the only thing that will satisfy us –is the worship of God... Of course, mankind rebelled against God and lost the perfect harmony it had with Him in the beginning. Adam and Eve did not trust God to give life and satisfaction. Instead they pridefully thought they knew what could save and satisfy them–and fell from God. Mankind lost its ability to truly worship God...

Ever since the Fall, mankind does not have the natural ability to worship God... But mankind did not lose its ability to worship. Within human, there is the innate desire and ability to worship –it has just been twisted and marred by sin. And the results of our broken ability to worship is devastating...Today, men and women worship things that will not ultimately satisfy them–money, unlawful sex, power, unrealistic physical shape, popularity, excessive sports following, etc.... People pursue these things with their time and other resources in an attempt to make them the ultimate reality that saves. However, these vain pursuits will always leave them thirstier–God alone is the ultimate reality that abundantly saves and satisfies us... And that brings us to our text...

God has entered history in the person of Jesus Christ, and, in the middle of His earthly ministry, Christ takes His disciples to the Samaritan town of Sychar. Jesus is going to a well to meet a woman of infamous sexual sin. This woman had sought to satisfy herself with so many men who could never fulfill her. Like her ancestors Adam and Eve, this Samaritan woman thought she knew what was best for herself, and in vain she worshipfully gave herself to it. The worship of the Samaritan woman was broken... Yet the text says Jesus “had to pass through Samaria...”

That sentence should astonish us for at least two reasons: 1) The spotless Son of God, out of zealous love for God and this Samaritan woman, set His face to visit a woman whose sin was condemned even by her own peers; 2) Jesus, was a Jew according to human descent... The Jews hated Samaritans and yet we find Jesus pursuing conversation with a Samaritan woman... Why would a holy, Jewish Jesus associate Himself with an unholy, Samaritan woman? “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him?” God the Father seeks those who will truly worship Him. And the Father sent His Son to make that kind of worship a reality... But make no mistake –God does NOT need our worship(see Acts 17:24-5). Rather than needing our worship, God graciously gives us the gift of worship. In other words, when God the Father pursues our worship –it is grace... Grace because worshipping Him is pinnacle of all human experience...And Jesus pursues the worship of this Samaritan woman.

Jesus, sitting on the well outside of Sychar, says to the Samaritan woman, “Give me a drink.” How ironic is that?! The one through whom water was created asks for a drink! The woman, understandably, is confused by this seemingly odd request from a strange Jewish man. Then Jesus unleashes reality on this woman: “If you knew... who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Jesus tells the woman the truth –He is the ONLY one who can satisfy her –and yet she questions... “The woman says, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with.” 

Jesus did not have a bucket with Him. But Jesus does not need a bucket! He IS the well of living water: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again.” This is amazing! Jesus promises to eternally satisfy those who will come to Him for life. The Son of God pledges life to those will worship His Father... The Samaritan woman did worship... but her problem was what she worshipped...this woman went to the wrong wells. 

Christ pursued the worship of this woman so that she would glorify God and be satisfied forever with His immediate presence... The question for us is, “How could we, in view of such a good and gracious God, turn away from Him to worship other things?” ... Oh Christian, God desires to satisfy your most basic need and earnest longing –your longing for Him. The God who created all sacrificed all so He could heal our worship. Surely,that God knows what is truly good for you. And surely, He has the love to give it...

Personal Questions:

  1. Why do people worship? Why do people have broken worship?

  2. What well are you running to for satisfaction and life? Is it to Christ?

  3. Do you trust that God truly knows what is best for you and loves you enough to give it?

Prayer Points:

  • Pray that God make known to you and our church where our worship is broken.

  • Pray that God would mold the longing of your heart and our church’s heart to worship God through Christ alone.

  • Pray that God would help you and our church trust that He knows what is best and loves enough to give it.