11/23/25, Melrose Community Church, Sunday Service

What if everything we thought we knew about worship was incomplete? This powerful exploration of John 4:20-26 challenges us to move beyond worship as mere Sunday routine and discover it as the very purpose for which we were created. Drawing from Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman, we're confronted with a startling truth: worship isn't about music styles, emotional experiences, or getting blessed—it's about assigning God His true worth. The message dismantles six common misconceptions: worship isn't an event we attend, it's not confined to music, it's not a performance to be graded, it's not measured by feelings, it's not limited to one day weekly, and it's definitely not about our own pleasure. Instead, we discover that genuine worship is a heartfelt response to who God is—fierce in holiness yet heartbreaking in tenderness. The call to worship 'in spirit and truth' means engaging our whole self—mind, emotions, will, and body—while anchoring our understanding in Scripture's revelation of God's character. Isaiah's throne room vision reminds us that worship begins when we truly see God as He is: high, lifted up, and holy. This isn't about religious obligation; it's about recognizing that we were created for this very purpose—to declare the worth of our Creator, not because of what He does for us, but because of who He is to us.