“The Where of Worship” (Ready to Worship S11E16)

May 8, 2020

Ready to Worship Season 11, Episode 16 for Friday, May 8, 2020

This season on Ready to Worship we are investigating worship. To investigate worship we are asking the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. In this installment, we are considering the where question. The greatest discussion that ever took place on the subject of worship didn’t take place in Jerusalem, Rome, or Geneva. It took place in Samaria. It didn’t take place in a tabernacle, a temple, or a church building. It took on the side of a well. It didn’t take place between rabbis, doctors, or preachers. It took place between the Lord and a worldly woman. It didn’t take place at a lectureship, a seminar, or a conference. It took place in a conversation between strangers. That shocks me a little. What about you? What did they talk about in this conversation about worship? Well, among other things, they talked about where to worship. We read, “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:19-20). As you can judge from the woman’s inquiry, there was a long-standing feud between the Jews and the Samaritans over the where of worship. Likely, due to the hatred that existed between the Samaritans and the Jews, the Samaritans had established a rival temple in Mt. Gerizim. Believing that Jesús was a prophet, the Samaritan woman wanted him to solve the debate for her. Jesús seized the opportunity to speak of worship in the future. “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21). At that moment, Jerusalem was the place of worship, not Gerizim (John 4:22). However, the hour or time was coming when it would be in neither mountain. Even the mountain in Jerusalem (the temple) would one day not be the right place. In the future, in the Christian age, the mountain would be the church (Isa. 2:2-3; 1 Tim. 3:15). The church would be planted in many places – Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia, Thyatira, etc. Wherever the church existed, worship would take place. As we get ready to worship this week, let’s focus on the where of worship. Let’s give God glory in the church (Eph. 3:21).