Worship God - Spirit and Truth — Shane Idleman

Worship in Spirit and Truth

Pastor Shane Eidelman. I pastor a church in the Antelope Valley. And I believe there's still hope for California and we're contending in that area. I actually pastor a church in a little tucked back community called Leona Valley.

If you know our Palm Village, you just go west for about nine miles back in the Rolling Hills. It's just a beautiful area and we are doing something different this morning. You ready for this? We are also taking this live stream into our church.

So we have Westside Christian Fellowship is also watching this message live. We've got it on our different Facebook pages rumble YouTube Twitter. And we just want to try it out to see how that works with our new Simulcast system so they are joining us as well, and I'm excited to be here.

I have an important topic though that is really in the in this time. It's so critical and that is the topic of worship. Worship and then of course many of you know the famous verse John 4 7 Through 26 is where I'm going to be worship God in spirit.

Well, we can't forget about that second part and truth our culture what you see happening around us is a direct result of Walking away from the truth the absolute truth of God's Word. Truth rebuilds truth holds things together.

It's the gauge. It's what what we must look through our lens of truth. And so when we worship God, it's through the spirit and in truth. And I want to I want to unpack that for a minute. But as always anytime you read scripture, this will really help you.

Make sure you read it in context. Context. The Bible was not written with chapter and verses. It was actually just written and then we added about 500 years ago. I'm glad we did but you have to really look at the context of something because you can have it say anything, correct?

Sometimes, you know when I'm preaching people say hey, don't you know, you're not to judge don't judge. Wait might want to keep reading. It says I can judge once I get my own heart, right? When I err on the side of grace and love and I remove the plank from my eye and come with the spirit of Humility then I am actually I'm actually called to judge to make discernments on what's going what is going on in our culture and so where we find ourselves is John chapter 4 verse 7 through 9 a Woman from Samaria came to draw water.

Spiritual Thirst and the Living Water of Christ

Jesus said to her give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him how is it that you a Jew asked for a drink for me a woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealing with the Samaritans now.

We're going somewhere very important in just a minute. But again, I want to get there and it's just interesting even Jesus was thirsty. And if we had time we could go to a lot of different verses that really show his humanity and his divinity.

He was tempted in all points the lust of the flesh the lusty eye the pride of life, but was without sin and So we see he was thirsty. There was that there was a need there and in our own lives you what you're gonna see is I keep going there's a physical thirst and there's a spiritual thirst a Physical and they often parallel.

As David would say as a deer pants for the living brook that water that life-giving water. So my soul pants for thee. There's a hunger. There's a thirst. There's a desire and if we could get the church just thirsty again for God.

You might see a revival sparking up especially in California where there's a desire to get to church to prayer meetings to petition God calling us back to holiness and repentance in these beautiful terms that sometimes we threw aside because we don't want to offend anyone and If we stop to consider that we might be offending God.

When we avoid these foundational truths. And he's going to talk here a little bit about long-term Satisfaction, of course, we know that water is just a temporary satisfaction anybody drink and then you get thirsty again.

It's a way that happens. But with God something happens. It's a little bit different. You're thirsty and you take it that water and now you want more water and I take it that water. I want more those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled.

There's an ongoing the more I consume of worship and the word and wanting to serve God the hungrier I become for him so if you're not hungry for God this morning, it could be that you might want to look at your spiritual diet and What are we putting in versus what we should be putting in and then Jesus answered her if you knew the gift of God.

Who it is that he's saying to you. Give me a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you living water if you only knew and I'll just make a confession to you. I try to gauge it down a little bit when I when I speak at other places, but I get a little passionate a little worked up.

Because the Living God has transformed my life. Shouldn't there be a passion. Shouldn't there be a desire? I was lost but now I found I was blind. But now I see I hated God, but now I love him. Shouldn't that shouldn't that all-consuming fire also come out from the pulpit?

There's a passion. There's a desire and that's what I want to say. If you only knew if you only knew if you come and drink of this water. You will never thirst again. No matter what you're battling. Addictions and anxiety and fear and depression and what is going on in our world?

Just come and drink of the living water if you only knew. The old saints would call it the fully surrendered life. Anyone ever heard of that? The fully surrendered life and the woman said to him sir, I have nothing to draw from.

Or you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where do you get this living water? Where do you get this and I want to just encourage someone this morning. That it's okay to question God if the heart is right.

I'm not talking about the question like well, I don't believe in this if you're really real show me. I don't think you could do that. They see the hearts wrong critical spirit. If you say Lord, I don't understand anybody say I don't know what's going on in this country.

I don't understand Lord. I don't understand a lot of your word and and I don't understand. Why is this happening to me? Why am I doubting why Lord help me understand see that kind of questioning is good and she had a desire there.

Show me Lord show me more and you have to take action. She asked asked the question. And if I had time I would take you to the famous Bible verse that is so important you have not because you and We sometimes think oh that house that car I think it has more to do with just spiritual needs and knowing God intimately and of course having you know, Lord I need provision.

Financial situation, you know pals Verde's here compared to where I'm at a little bit different financially, you know. So just saying and so we see there's a difference there there there there's that there's a there's a Asking Lord, I need help.

We asked not we have not because we asked not could it be that we're not experiencing more of the power of God in our lives. Because we don't ask for it. Where do you get this living water? Living water.

Diagnosing Spiritual Barrenness

There's so much to say about this topic. But I want to just Throw this out there this morning or whenever you're listening. Are you stagnant? Spiritually speaking are you are you dry and what does that look like?

Well, there's really no hunger for the things of God. There's Bibles kind of boring. I'll get to church when it makes sense. Worship is not really, you know, I don't know. It's kind of I don't care. I can't relate to those worshipers.

And there's there's a there's a barrenness that sets in talking to believers right now. Sometimes there's a there's a barrenness that sets in When the Bible should be the most active living book on the planet.

It is the Word of God is active. Sharper than a double-edged sword it pierces it divides it is living and there's a spiritual Hunger and when we don't have that we become critical. Anybody ever been there or just me.

Where I can become judgmental Jerry critical Kathy. And don't come up and let me know your name's Kathy or Jerry. I don't know anyone here. Okay, but if the shoe fits wear it, but that that critical spirit comes in.

Judgmental angry. Popping off to your kids to your spouse. I'm just dry. I'm dry spiritually God. That living water is so important. Jesus said if you drink of this water, you will never thirst again if you believe on me as the scriptures say out of your Belly will flow rivers of living water.

So does it not beg the question? Where is this living water? Why are we dead in church. Why are there's no excitement for prayer meetings and and getting on fire for God and coming back to the truth of his word and A zeal to witness.

Here's another good thing if you haven't talked about Jesus in a while. There's a good thing. There's it's that's a good indication that there's a spiritual barrenness is set in and Again, I'm not preaching at you or to you.

I could sit in that that pew as well. Or here you got chairs. I might mess up a little bit and things like that. So There's there when the barrenness sets in and you know it it's it's spiritual death.

Help me help me remember who said this. I think it's pretty famous. Be hot or cold, but if you're lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth. Jesus is saying that there's a there should be a hunger and a desire for more of God a passion for more of God and and Concept when I talk about in spirit and in truth, I'm not gonna get into a lot some any controversial things.

But I believe that the neglected doctrine of pneumatology is really affecting the churches. That's a study of the Holy Spirit the proper understanding of the Holy Spirit. And when you're full of the Holy Spirit, guess what bubbles out a love for God a love for his word a love for others you want to tell people about him and.

So spirit spiritual barrenness has set in in the churches of America in many cases. That hunger that that desire that zeal is gone. And as I often say if you don't like what I'm saying, it's probably because you need to hear what I'm saying.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit don't ignore it and she said are you greater? Verse 12. Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us this well and drank from it himself and his sons and his livestock.

And she she didn't even see what he was talking about. Well, what are you talking about? I have no idea what you're talking about. This is a good reminder that your faith is something that is we can't see it as you're trusting in God.

He's saying shame what the spiritual hunger. I don't see it. You won't see it it's not something you can grasp physically. It's an internal change of the heart and that from that. There's that the passion the desire for God those who worship.

God must worship him in spirit and in truth and So Jesus said to her everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him he will never be thirsty.

The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. Now listen, either the scriptures are true and there's a lot missing in the lives of many Christians or the scriptures are not true and deadness and barrenness is commonplace and it Bible really doesn't speak to it and Of course, you know where my position is Scriptures are an errant.

The Authority of Scripture and the Fulness of Christ

Inspired the truth of God's Word the absolute truth of God's Word. Times change truth does not. We often say it's our logo. But think about that. Thirsty again, you will never be thirsty again. And sometimes people misunderstand Shane.

I'm I'm in fire for God, I'm I'm loving God, but but I'm going through a challenge. I'm going through this and this isn't doesn't mean you're gonna live a perfect life. It just means the void has been Filled.

I'm no longer searching for it in alcohol or drugs or this or New Age or the occult or Witchcraft or Satanism. I'm no longer. I have found the living water and I will never thirst again. My direction is crystal clear.

My Savior died on that cross on Calvary. He is my rock. He sustains me. He anchors me. He is the only hope in this world that has gone chaotic. God's sovereignty is my sanity and that's living water. That's the living water.

You will never thirst again. Once you once you have that that that power of the Holy Spirit in your life, there's a love for God. I'm not sir. I'm not gonna go find and look for anything else. That's why the enemy pulls you away from God.

He pulls you away from that fountain of living water. He he pulls you away from that and the old Shane Idleman knocks at the door. Does your old nature ever call you back? I? Remember those good times.

Why don't you show me the bad times. He presents the bait and then you take the bait and then the hook. Got you that 30 he what I believe the enemy wants to do in the lives of most most most Christians is.

Give them a certificate of non-operation. Anybody work at the DMV. Hey, I need to go get a certificate of non-operation. My car is gonna be sitting in the driveway for the next couple years doing nothing taking no one anywhere no family life inside of it nothing and so if a believer if he could just knock me out I Will not witness for him.

I will not live for him. I will not pursue him. I will become critical and I will just live this life absent of the fullness of the Spirit. That's why there's a hunger and a thirst. But praise God God doesn't say you know what in a couple months from now as long as you follow this checklist.

Repentance as the Way Back to God

One thing can happen this morning. I'm gonna talk about and give you one word the most controversial word right now in the churches of America. It's why popular pulpits will not they will not talk. They won't even touch this word.

You ready for it starts with an R. Repentance. Repentance, I'm changing my mind and now I'm changing my direction. I was walking away from Christ. But today I'm leaving here with a renewed passion. Oh God, give me that fire.

Give me that zeal. I'm repenting and I'm turning back to you and the fire of God could come upon your life again. It's why that famous him I was lost but now I've found I was blind. But now I see John Newton slave trader, you know, of course, we look at John 738 whoever believes in me.

This is so important. I don't know if you can see it up there whoever believes in me. Here's the key as the scripture Has said thank God they have that because I mean, oh, I believe I believe in. Yeah, I think Jesus is a good teacher.

I Believe in God. I mean, he's any everywhere and then the trees and now I believe that. No as the scripture has said if you believe in me, what does the scripture say? I the Repentance must take place.

We must see Jesus as Savior as the Lord of our life not just a good teacher. Not just a butler that gets us what we want. Not God is not a cosmic ball of love. This is the Lord Jesus Christ. And we believe on him as the scripture has said and then as a result out of your belly will flow rivers of living water life sustaining life giving life altering life shaping water.

And I think I mean I get labeled this a lot, you know Shane you're just too extreme. You're too emotional. I'm not emotional. You're just emotional. What you express anger real well is Anger not an emotion.

You got pretty excited Super Bowl Sunday. Shouldn't we have an intense passion and desire for God and as I tell P I mean some of you've never heard me so I you know, some of this stuff will be repetitive to our audience.

But by nature, I'm conservative. I Don't like when God busts my emotional bubble and I begin to cry or weep before preaching or during sermons. I've got my MacArthur study Bible. But when the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you and Christ is an all-consuming passion desire in your life.

You will have a passion and a desire and the irony is when people say this. Well, that's just too extreme. That's just this or that you're that actually resembles the early church. We have died so much spiritually that now what we call we call what is extreme what the early church called normal Normal Christianity is now called extreme.

Don't get it. Don't be a holy roller. Don't get too out there brother, I don't know what that means, but I want to. I want all of God the fullness of the Spirit. How do many people? Live a life today void of the passion of God in their life the purpose the filling of the Spirit in These dire times.

Jesus Confronts Sin and Calls for True Worship

And then the woman said verse 15. Oh, she's ready now. Oh Sir, give me this water. Give me this water. Man, I love her heart. I love her heart because as a pastor I see this a lot, you know, this happens.

I'll give a message like this and people will come up and we're gonna have prayer afterwards. I would love to pray for you. Even if I have to go into the next service praying for people. I believe in the power of the prayer.

I believe that the prayer can change the course of our nation and the course of our state. Governor Newsom does not have the final authority God and God alone has the final authority. We are to pray for our leaders and love them and cherish them.

But what does God say? What does God say? But people come up and they'll say oh I need that just like the woman just like her. I need that living water. Would you pray for me? I'm dry. I'm dead. I'm stagnant.

Would you pray for me and then when she leaves here comes judgmental Jerry? You know, I've been a Christian the years and I'm I Just don't know about what you had to say. I go to church when I can't excuses blah blah.

Charlie Brown. But listen, I don't know how else to preach other than to be direct. I'm not seeker sensitive. Because sometimes we need to wake us up to take action. Judgmental. Jerry needs to repent.

Excuses excuses. Excuses. Get rid of the excuses this morning and say Jesus give me that living water of which I will never thirst again. This is depression is killing me this anxiety this fear this this this.

I'm caught in these addictions. Oh Christ, would you set me free? I'm coming back to the father. Anybody ever ate with the pigs you can relate to the prodigal. Waking up in your vomit making terrible decisions.

Many of us should be dead by now. But the grace of God. Oh. Don't don't don't get me wrong. I love I thank God for the grace of God. It's grace. It's brought me here thus far. It'll be grace. It takes me home.

But did you know that the grace of God has to be balanced with the truth of God. Either one of those will tilt you in an unhealthy direction. They call this easy grace and hey, I can just keep doing what I'm doing.

God's grace man. I don't care. No, that's that's that's you're actually abusing grace and taking advantage of it or this side all truth. You know the all truth guys. Right, ah, it's just the truth just the truth.

They beat you up with the truth. I Saw you sinned last night. I'm gonna put on my sin sniffer badge. I'm gonna walk around and I'm just a truth guy. So you have to have both of those spirit and truth the fruit of the Spirit.

There was a desperation in her sir, give me this water give me this water that I will never be thirsty again. But let me give you a warning here. Sometimes we can be so thirsty. That will consume anything.

So thirsty will consume anything. Be careful spiritually it has to be underneath the filter of God's Word the discernment of God's Word. Everything has to filter through that verse 16. Jesus said to her Go call your husband and come here.

Jesus answered him. I have no husband. I'm sorry. The woman answered him. I have no husband. Jesus said to her you're right and saying I have no husband for you have had five husbands. I Just just realized Jesus.

Jesus would often go to the broken the humble the lost. You have to see your need folks you have to see your need and the one you have now is not your husband. Jesus didn't avoid her. Oh, you're living together.

I'm out here. He met her where she was at Grace and truth remember Grace and go with them with the truth. You don't compromise the truth. The woman said yeah I'm not married and I perceive that you are a prophet.

Now a couple things here had to happen here either it was a validation that he was somebody obviously a prophet. Or he also could have been getting her ready for that wonderful word. I just talked about repentance.

Because in order to really if you really want to help people. Really want to help people you have to speak the truth in love. And Sometimes we don't want to really avoid we don't want it man. That's gonna hurt a little bit.

Yeah, it's got to hurt a little bit. I Have to step on toes. So you move your foot there there there there has to be a little bit of of oh Man, the Lord spoke truth to me and now because of that I need to repent.

So that's what could be going on here. We're not exactly sure and then verse 20 our fathers worshipped on this mountain. Okay, our work our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say Jesus that Jerusalem is the place we ought to worship.

The Worship Wars and Denominational Preferences

Jesus said woman believe me the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor Jerusalem. Will you worship the Father you worship what you do not know? We worship what we know for salvation is of the Jews.

All right, guys, guess what? This is where the worship wars began. You know what the worship wars are. Okay. Well, I'll tell you. As a pastor, it's one of the hardest things is to balance worship because you have the old hymns, you know that many of us love and.

You remember that sawdust trail? I remember Billy Graham walking that sawdust trail in the organs and amazing grace and and all the the famous hymns. How great thou art and and that's when you come to the Lord with those and and they are they are your spiritual life.

That's that's oh, that's. Man, that's mine but then there's others if you just come to the Lord singing contemporary and you put on these songs that draw you into the Lord and Oh, I just love this. I can't really relate to to the organ and hymnals and this guy says this I can't really relate to that.

You know the man that's a little loud. Where's it? You know, and it's a theological grounding in it and and and and so the worship wars. So, let me help you with this very easy don't judge people based on preference.

Don't judge people based on preference. We all prefer certain things. Now if the worship is theologically Not good and maybe a little too, you know, it's over the top. Then yeah, the elders have to bring that in to what what would be a biblical model for this type of church.

The word worship deals with our posture or in the reflection of our heart the verse 23. But the hour is coming. Jesus is saying here, but the hour is coming and now it's here. This is amazing for 1600 years they would worship at this location and Jesus said but now the hour is here.

They went from a place to worship to now a person of worship. Oh, this is incredible. You don't need to go here or there the place and the person of Jesus Christ residing in the believers heart. This is a place of true worship and he said this is when true worshippers true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and Truth only took me 28 minutes to get here.

For the father is seeking the God the father is looking for people to worship him. Is that amazing. And those who worship him? They must worship him in spirit and in truth. What does it mean to worship God in spirit?

I think we've got a quote up there from Sam storms. He's gonna be on my podcast. Hopefully next month. We're gonna talk about end times theology. And I think you might even have the article or not. It might be out on the table that he wrote.

I got permission from him. He said this to say that we must worship God in spirit means that it must originate from Within. See true worship is not this or even this or whatever your posture is. True worship is from within from the heart.

It must be sincere motivated by love for God and gratitude. Worship cannot be manic mechanical or Formalistic. Have you heard the term going through the motions? That's not genuine heartfelt spirit-led worship.

This type of worship is heartfelt. It's real. It's genuine. It's true. It's a sincere pursuit of God. And I've noticed over the years also when it comes to worship, you know, I'm kind of getting kind of conservative.

So I don't I mean but I but I see people sometimes are more expressive than I like. Like hey settle down. Oh Pastor, I just got my report that my cancer is gone. Oh Pardon me worship. You see. Why are you weeping?

What's come on? It's it's a little distracting. My marriage is being restored. Hey, hey, hey, don't get too carried away. What can you can you go to the prayer room with some of that? I haven't touched crystal myth in 30 days.

I've never done this. I can see my kids now. Be careful. Just because we don't express it Doesn't mean God isn't working in their hearts. But that doesn't mean it's expressive worship is biblical either.

Why because it's Within what's God doing within the heart? Rigid formal mechanical. Worship should not be a duty. It needs to be a delight and This is actually why it's important point. This is why many cults, you know, what a cult is why?

They look the same no matter where you go. You go to this place in Nebraska you go this place in Oklahoma the same thing same exact thing. Mechanical rigid and I just had this complaint leveled against me by I won't say the the belief of this person.

Look at all those denominations. You can't be a real church in the Christian Church. Well number one, I tend to agree that the body of Christ is one body. But God allows within that differences where things will.

Lutheran what Lutheran taught. Calvinist Presbyterian Wesley Methodist, it's gonna be gonna be a little hard for the Reformed to worship with the charismatic. So God different denominations and there's a healthy vibrant living church.

It's gonna look different. My services look a lot different after this service our altar is full people are crying out to God our service might flow into the next service. But then I go other places. They're passionate people doing different other things.

See that's it's a living growing organic expression of worship from Within with the Holy Spirit is doing or Baptist. Those services are different, too. So I'm gonna just give you five heart check takeaways.

From Worshiping in a Place to Worshiping a Person

Number one worship was a place. She did such a great job on these two. I appreciate that Worship was a place now. It's a person. Always remember that because sometimes we think we have to go to the place.

But worship is a person. And I won't get into a lot of details because I know I don't know where everyone's out on this. But I've got a desire for revival. I've been studying revival 22 years. I did a interview you can watch on YouTube with CBN News on the Asbury revival and what's happening and You know people asking should I go there?

Should I go there? Maybe but I'm here in LA County I'm contending where I'm at, too. There's nothing wrong with going but remember. The God sometimes just wants you to be broken and humble in your own Community in your own place and let the fire of God come here into your heart.

It's not a place. It's a person. I've got actually two of my friends there. I've been there all week and they're Sending me Twitter feeds and different things on what's going on. You can have form but no fire.

You can have form but no fire. And see this happened to me. I was in my 20s. You can you know read my testimony. I was just heavy into weightlifting and. And Go to church, you know kind of a form of going to church, but no fire no fire.

A Friend brought me to Pentecostal church. I said you guys are crazy and I thought I look worse than that when I'm drunk. God help us. There's head knowledge, but little heart engagement. Head knowledge.

I know what the scriptures say. Theology eschatology pneumatology soteriology. I got it. I got it. Okay, you know all about Jesus but as he transformed your heart and Giving you that abundant life that Christ Jesus said out of your belly will flow rivers of living water.

So begs the question where's the living water? Does it not? Rigidness rigidness, but no relationship and. And many times in a church we see are you a worker or are you a worshiper? Did you know we can hide our worship by our work?

There's people I'm not gonna name their names because they might be watching. At my church was the church. I passed or I should say it's not my church. God's gonna find somebody else when I'm gone. But they're not engaged in worship when we have worship mornings or worship nights or but and they always work.

Working. I don't want to worship Mary Mary or Martha. Martha, I should say Oh Martha you're worried about Mary's found. What is the good thing to worship and Then from my worship should come my work. If you have it the other way around your worship will your work will often prevent your worship to God.

Truth as the Foundation and Gauge of Worship

And then of course this this is the final nail in the coffin worship him in truth worship him in truth. Truth truth truth. I if I had an hour and a half I couldn't even Touch this topic because truth is the foundation and truth is the gauge of true true worship.

Because when we worship God we have to have a foundation, correct? Thank God I'm standing up here and not on the water. And so when we have worship It's it's it's the foundation is the truth of God's Word.

We filter everything through the truth of God's Word. And it's also a gauge truth is the gauge. Is this a worship healthy? Is it taking us in a healthy? Direction and using discernment. Truth is the foundation.

And that's what I do appreciate about your church here and knowing most of the elders just the love for the truth the love for the truth. That has to be first and foremost. The truth forsaken is a curse for our nation.

Friend of mine wrote that in one of his song lyrics Richard Andrew. Churches are to be pillars who support the truth not oppose it. The truth is not flexible when it comes to absolutes. It's solid and unyielding.

Truth liberates truth rebuilds truth restores truth heals truth transforms truth prevails. I don't know if you could keep up but tried you don't change truth. What truth changes you. So when it comes to worshiping God, it's not just about experience.

And an emotion and all these things that it's grounded in the truth. And once I realized the truth that I was a sinner, but I've been saved by grace. Oh praise God now the emotions come out. When I held my firstborn I wept in the hospital.

How much more should we not experience the power and presence of Christ and her own lives? Did you know emotions can be good if they are God given? Thank God we're not robots. Here's your baby. Huh? Well, okay back to mom.

Don't don't buy any of the excuse that emotions are bad. As long as they line up with Scripture and they are the caboose of your train not the engine. They don't direct you but they follow obedience to Christ.

Pursuing God Through Prayer, Fasting, and Repentance

So I got just two minutes. I'm gonna close keep the fire burning. Keep the fire burning and keep the truth alive in your heart. So here's what you must do. I'm gonna go quick. Prioritize the pursuit. Prioritize a pursuit.