Two of the most recognized stories in the New Testament, if not in all the Scriptures, are found in John 4. In a conversation between an immoral thirsty woman and Jesus, are two luring stories of 1.) Christ showing love to an often overlooked stereotype and 2.) a clear description of worship in Spirit and Truth. But, I think there’s third drama for the heart in this story - a drama for what worship leading is all about.
As Jesus was making disciples, he came to a well in Sychar, Samaria. I’m sure his disciples lifted their noses as they passed through. These people were illegitimate half-breeds whose ancestors were part of the idolatrous northern kingdom of Israel and those who were not exiled. They were syncretists at minimum. As Jesus addressed the woman, he asked for physical water. She's shocked that a Jew addressed a Samaritan and at that, a woman. He then says a very strange thing: if you knew the gift of God and who it was talking to you, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. She was oblivious to Jesus, but he stepped into her story and made himself known. He challenged both her pride in the sufficiency of Jacob’s well and her disposition as a sinner. She begins perceiving and the story begins to show us what worship leading actually looks like:
From Oblivion To Perception
Before we can worship God as those who belong to Him, we must have a supernatural miracle take place. Jesus said it best “if you knew the gift of God… you would have asked for living water”. If she could have seen Him as the Messiah, she would have not seen a jewish man by Jacob’s well. She was blind in sin. It was only by a sudden shift in perception that she saw this Jewish man as a prophet or someone with spiritual insight. She was awakened to spiritual perception. Every worshipper and leader of worship is first given the gift of grace that regenerates spiritual blindness and inclined thirst to lay hold of the living water.
When we lead worship, our priority should be that people are awakened to the spiritual reality of eternal life in Christ. The Samaritan woman longed for the Messiah and the Messiah fulfilled her longing. (4:25-26) She knew she was sinner, but she hoped in the Promise. If we don’t prioritize this, we will be surrounded by talented musicians and a crowd. Is sin revealed in your worship leading? What Hope are you revealing?
Jesus Alone
This Samaritan woman boasted in her ancestral well. Jacob had laid a sufficient well for surrounding communities and their livestock. What Jesus spoke to, concerning living water, was a matchless worthiness. Jacob’s well (still operational today) would dry up in summer heat. It was a resource to be proud of, but not one to fully rely on. Jesus mentions himself as the whole-saving (sozo) water of eternal living. Showing the physical deficiencies of Jacob's well, he notes his worthiness to eternally satisfy. Our worship is through the eternal gift of satisfying water. Our feeble efforts could never sustain our families, services, ministries, or souls. True worship happens in the sole display of Christ’s worthiness. Too often, Jesus is worthy, but “hey, check out our gear and the cool things we can do with it”. Jesus is worthy, “but we also have degrees that legitimize our ministry”. Jesus is worthy, but… and it's in this facade we lead others to dry wells. What makes worship for you and your church? Is it the worthiness of Christ alone?
In verse 28, it says, “so the woman left her jar and went away into the town…”. She never fetched the water from the well. She left empty handed. She abandoned her tool for collecting boasts in the well of Jacob in order to proclaim Christ alone.
When A Half-Breed Led Worship
Clueless about Christology, this regenerated woman, leads worship for the first time. She doesn’t know much, but she knows this Jesus is the Messiah. She goes back to her town and points them to a man who knew her unlike anyone had ever known her. She also says the only thing a person aware of Christ could have said “is this not the Christ?” She wasn’t in a position called “worship leader”, but she was a lead worshipper. That’s the heart of those who lead others to worship God. She didn’t have a band, guitar on her back, a stage, or dynamic lighting. She had the proclamation of Jesus and his power to grant eternal life. She pointed the town to the Living Water. Your church needs the Living Water, not nostalgic or progressive worship formats.
Are you in awe of Jesus? Convey this necessity for true worship or you too will boast in dry wells. She didn't need a format in order to lead people to Jesus, she just proclaimed Jesus. While formats are good and biblical, if we misplace our aim, all energy is vain. Pray this prayer with me: Lord, my abilities are dry wells, but you are the Living Water, sufficient for your Church. Help me to display and rely on your Gospel so that we may offer ourselves up rightly with spiritual worship that pleases You.
This is the only worship that pleases the Father: spiritual worship through Christ in the Truth of his ability to reconcile us to a holy God. The glory and grace of Jesus will sustain our worship in the Church. There’s a lot of things we do and could do, but we are not benefiting from those resources. Friends, we are benefiting from the Gospel of Jesus every single time that we express praise to God.
...in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… Hebrews 1:2-3
