Home / Articles by: Steve Patzia This morning we are looking at one of the most remarkable encounters of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. In truth, we could spend four weeks on this text (John 4:1-42) and barely scratch the surface of the richness here.
For example, one of the things we simply won’t be able to devote serious time to this morning is what Jesus says about worship, especially in verses 21-24.
“Worship” is simply ascribing worth (or “worth-ship”) to the Lord. The Samaritan woman, like many today, had a false understanding of worship. She viewed worship as an “event” that happens in a specific location. To use our language today, she might think: “I worship the Lord while I’m at church.”
Jesus, however broadened her (and thus our) understanding of worship to show us that the place and rituals of worship are not nearly as important to the Lord as the attitude of the worshiper is. As He put it, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…” (John 4:24). That means worship can happen in everything we do and anywhere we are.
Practically, this means we can worship God at work, at the gym, at school, at home, or wherever we find ourselves! Or as someone has said, “Worship is a lifestyle” and at its heart it involves surrendering every area of our lives to God (cf. Matthew 22:37).
Yes we are still supposed to worship by gathering together on Sunday mornings (see Hebrews 10:25 and Acts 20:7), but as Jesus explains, a life connected to the Lord has now been made available through Him for everyone at all times! This would have been amazing news to people who thought true worship only happened in a Temple and was limited for only a certain select few.
Isn’t it still amazing to think that Jesus has given us direct access to the Father? Are we becoming the kind of worshipers the Father is seeking wherever we are and whatever we’re doing? Cherry Hills, let’s be people who Love the Lord in spirit and in truth as we give our lives fully to Him.
Men, I want to let you know about three great upcoming opportunities in Men’s Ministry you won’t want to miss out on:
First, we are taking a group of men from Cherry Hills to the annual Iron Sharpens Iron Conference here in Springfield. This one-day national conference brings men from all over the area for a day of “sharpening” and will be held on Saturday, March 24th (8:30-4:55 p.m.) at 1st United Methodist Church. This year’s key-note speakers are Voddie Baucham and David Perkins and there are also 16 different break-out seminars to choose from.
The cost of the conference is $39 if we register by March 14 (plus $8 for an optional on-site lunch if you so choose). This promises to be a great conference and you can sign-up today at the Ministry Center. You can also learn more by going to www.ironsharpensiron.net.
Second, mark it on your calendars: our annual Wildlife Banquet will be held on Friday night, March 30th (6:00 p.m.). This is always one of the highlights of the year as 400+ boys and men gather right here at our church for a time of food, fun and encouragement. Dan Anderson from Brazil Gospel Fellowship will be this year’s speaker. And, if you have any meat or fish to donate or can help during any of the days leading up to the banquet, call Cliff Clement (341-1419).
Finally, join us Saturday, April 7 for our monthly Men’s Wake Up! Breakfast. April’s breakfast will be different from normal as we are meeting at Springfield Baptist Camp (at 8 a.m.) to not only eat together, but also to spend time Serving the World by helping the camp get ready for the summer.
Guys, as we continue to declare war on shallow Christianity, we hope you find opportunities like this helpful for your growth!
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Youth Group Family Worship Night. Pastor Lee has asked Jeff, Brian and me to speak specifically about our Vision here as a church to declare war on shallow Christianity by: Loving the Lord, Loving One Another and Serving the World.
One of the things I so appreciate about being on staff here is that this is a vision that is being shot through all age groups, not just adults. Through the leadership of Pastors Larry and Lee (and their teams), God, in His abundant mercy and grace, is raising up a multi-generational church that is seeking to pursue His calling upon us as a whole Body, hopefully for years to come.
That night I spoke on the third piece of our vision: Serve the World, and specifically addressed how we can best serve the world as Christ’s Church today. We looked at Jesus’ example (who better to learn from!) of how He served in passages like Matthew 4:23-24, 9:35-38, and Luke 9:1-2.
What struck me about Jesus is that He almost always combined acts of compassion and healing with sharing verbally about the Kingdom. This wasn’t an either/or issue for Him. As we say around here: He did “show AND tell” the gospel.
I still believe this is the most effective way for Christ’s Kingdom to be brought to bear here on earth. Serving involves showing God’s love by caring for and tangibly meeting people’s needs in this world (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). BUT, we are not ultimately serving the world if we don’t also tell them about The Message we get to be ambassadors of (cf. Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Cherry Hills: Let’s be a church that seeks to do both in the years to come: from the children all the way to our “Seasoned Citizens!” This is how God will help us build a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).
Friday September 30, 2011 – Saturday October 1, 2011
Event Description:
Cherry Hills is sponsoring a Men’s Retreat on September 30 – October 1 at Lake Springfield Baptist Camp. The cost of the retreat is $20 per attendee which includes steak dinner on Friday, Courageous Movie on Friday night and breakfast on Saturday. Tickets are limited.
Mail payment no later than September 26 to:
Cherry Hills Baptist Church
Men’s Retreat
2125 Woodside Road
Springfield, IL 62711
Found this post from John Piper yesterday and thought I’d share it in light of yesterday’s message.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/five-ways-to-make-god-known-at-work
