Worship in Spirit and in Truth
A Sermon on John 4:13-14
Originally preached Nov. 13, 1966
Scripture
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting …
Sermon Description
In the Bible, the Christian is told that when they worship God, it must be done in spirit and in truth. But what does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth? Listen to part two of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ sermon on worship where he speaks on what this kind of worship should look like in the lives of Christians today. He begins by explaining that to worship in truth means it must never be thoughtless, but governed by a realization of who is being worshiped. One cannot fool God by taking on the appearance of true worship, but both the outward appearance and the heart must be united in worship to Him. The Christian also worship in truth when they come to God in humility, recognizing their brokenness and need for Him. While it is important to worship God in truth, it is equally important to worship Him in spirit. In this sermon on John 4:13–14 titled “Worship in Spirit and in Truth,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that this means allowing the Spirit of God to lead in worship by growing in understanding of who God is. He concludes by challenging the listener to worship God in both spirit and in truth, because He alone is worthy of full and sincere praise.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon text comes from John 4:13-14. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst.
- This is the great offer of the Christian Gospel - to never thirst. Christians should be in a state where they never thirst, no matter the circumstances.
- Many things rob us of this experience, including wrong ideas about worship and God. The Samaritans worshipped in ignorance and darkness.
- We must worship in spirit and in truth. Truth means:
- It must not be thoughtless. We must stop and consider what we're doing.
- It must not be mechanical or habitual.
- It must not be hypocritical or dishonest. We can't fool God.
- It requires a united heart, not a divided one. Our whole being must be involved.
- It leads to being humbled, broken, and contrite before God.
- Worshipping in the Spirit means:
- Realizing our inability to pray without the Spirit.
- Asking the Spirit to prepare us to pray.
- Relying on the Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and understanding in prayer.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does Jesus mean by "never thirst" in John 4:13-14?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that whoever drinks the water He gives will "never thirst," He's describing the complete and enduring satisfaction that comes from knowing Christ. This condition is one in which the Christian "is rendered immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" and "immune to any trial and tribulation that may come across his path." It's an all-inclusive promise that applies regardless of whether the world is at peace or in war.
What was the fundamental problem with the Samaritan woman's worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "Ye worship. Ye know not what." Her worship, like that of all Samaritans, was conducted in ignorance, blindness, and darkness. It was essentially superstition with no real purpose or value. The tragedy, according to Lloyd-Jones, is that people can fool themselves into thinking they're worshipping God when they're actually doing something completely valueless according to Jesus's own teaching.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define true worship?
True worship, according to Lloyd-Jones, means "bowing down in the presence of God." It requires having the right conception of who God is (God is Spirit and Father) and worshipping Him "in spirit and in truth." True worship is never thoughtless or mechanical but involves realizing what you're doing and why you're doing it. It requires honesty before God, without hypocrisy, with a united heart rather than a divided one. As Lloyd-Jones says, "It is a total allegiance to God, a total seeking of God, a total prostration of oneself in the presence of his Majesty."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we must worship "in truth"?
Worshipping God "in truth" means: 1. Never being thoughtless - stopping to consider what we're doing 2. Never being hypocritical or dishonest - not trying to "fool God" 3. Having a united heart rather than a divided one - complete devotion 4. Being humble and contrite before God - not self-confident or prideful
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "without this true heart, which means without honesty... whatever we may do, individually or nationally, it's a mockery, it's a sham, and God won't hear us."
What does it mean to worship God "in Spirit" according to the sermon?
Worshipping God "in Spirit" means: 1. Recognizing our utter inability to pray properly by ourselves 2. Relying completely on the Holy Spirit's help to pray 3. Moving beyond external, mechanical forms of worship to spiritual worship 4. Rejoicing in Christ Jesus rather than in ourselves or our nationality 5. Having "no confidence in the flesh" (our own abilities or merits)
As Lloyd-Jones quotes from Romans 8:26-27, "We know not what to pray for as we ought. But the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the biggest problem with modern worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several problems with modern worship: 1. Lack of humility and brokenness - "The trouble with us as a generation of Christian people is that we are all so healthy, we are all so happy, as it were, so glib, so easy." 2. Self-confidence rather than God-confidence - "There is nothing more terrible than to go into the presence of God in any shape or form or sense, in a self-confident manner." 3. Thoughtlessness and mechanical worship - people praying without realizing what they're doing 4. National and personal hypocrisy - approaching God insincerely or only in times of need 5. Not praying in the Spirit - not relying on the Holy Spirit's guidance in prayer
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast Old Testament worship with New Testament worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Old Testament worship, while right and proper, was "mainly in externals - the temple, the tabernacle, the forms, the ceremonies, the ritual, and so on." In contrast, New Testament worship after the coming of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is characterized by "spiritual worship."
He references Philippians 3:3 where Paul says, "We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit," contrasting this with the Jewish emphasis on physical circumcision and temple worship. The New Testament emphasis is on rejoicing in Christ Jesus rather than in national or personal privilege, and having "no confidence in the flesh."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.