For those of us who are able to be active in church—where we worship seems to be one of our most important decisions. We usually like to attend a church where the people are more like us, and in some ways, we have been known to disregard other congregations. Looking back at my own church life I have come to the conclusion that I was probably a lot more sectarian than I realized. I have even heard those in my denomination as well as those in others denominations say, “We might not be right on every point, but we are the closest to what the Bible says.”
The older I get the more I realize that none of us have perfect understanding on every biblical point, therefore we really do need each other.
Jesus is Truth and Truth made a profound statement to the woman at the well when He said, “Believe Me, Woman.” This could have very well been a prophetic statement for the Church today. The woman could represent the Bride of Christ and what Jesus is saying to Her is “Believe Me.” In other words, truth causes spiritual worship to flow out of our natural needful-bodies.
I think I first began to get this concept a few years ago from an elderly black couple. I always wondered why they were different than all my other friends. I now know the answer was because they worshiped in the way that Jesus described in Johnn 4:23, two verses after our text. They worshiped in spirit and in truth.
I also learned from them that spirit worship will always be challenged by a religious mind set. I am not sure I can remember any particular thing they did or said that made them different. I think it was because of what was coming out of them which was neither heard nor seen that affected me. Perhaps this is what Jesus was telling the woman at the well when He said, “We would worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.”
Spirit and truth are like the wind, you can not see them, but you can see the affects of them.
When the disciples returned to Jesus at the well they were astonished that He was talking to such a woman. At that point it is clear that the disciples were probably as sectarian as I was at one time. Perhaps they too thought their theology was the closest to the truth and others like this woman were unclean and unacceptable to Christ.
Thank the Lord that He can be heard at all of our wells saying “Believe Me.” Of course our response to that should be “I want Your water Lord, so that I will never thirst again.”
Father,
I thank You that You not only had living water for the woman at the well, but You also have grace and forgiveness for those of us who are still growing out of our religiosity. Help us to be more like my little old black mentors that taught me the ministry of just being. Their best lessons and greatest influence on me came out of their silence and not out of their loudness.
Amen
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.(John 4:21 NIV)
Apostle John Dean Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved
Alliance International Ministries