Soul Food

Yesterday we worshipped with LifePointe Church. LifePointe is a Baptist church with a Community Church vibe. It's a medium size congregation of about 250-300 members (in a college & transient town like Fort Collins, it's often hard to tell). The Student Ministries Director led the sermon. I would like to share the main theme of the lesson.
True Worship - What Sustains a Life of True Worship?

In John 4:27-42, Jesus teaches his disciples the true meaning of worship & nourishment.
After a long journey, Jesus and his disciples land in an uncomfortable place-Samaria. To the Jews, Samaria represented all things un-holy and un-clean. When traveling, Jews would rather cross the Jordan River than travel the  shorter distance through Samaria and risk being "contaminated" by anything Samaritan.
When the disciples realized that Jesus was leading them straight into Samaria, no doubt they felt more than a little ill at ease. To add to their discomfort, Jesus ministers to a sinful Samaritan woman. This woman quickly recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and runs home to tell everyone who she just met. Once she leaves, the disciples encourage Jesus to eat something. Perhaps they thought exhaustion & lack of food caused him to have some form of delerium & that was why he was talking to the Samaritan woman. Jesus told them "I have a kind of food you know nothing about. My nourishment comes from doing the will of God who sent me and from finishing His work." (John 4:33-34)
Jesus had all the nourishment he needed in doing the will of the Father.

To sustain a life of true worship, our nourishment needs to be the same as Jesus. He was so filled by serving God, he didn't need physical food to feel complete.
Where does our nourishment come from? TV; Music; Facebook; Netflix; Gaming; Food & Drink; Shopping...
Each of us has an empty place in our lives that, at some point, we attempt to fill with something other than God. We cannot sustain a meaningful life of worship & service if we feed on the food of the world. The world will ALWAYS leave us feeling more and more empty. Its a downward spiral stopped only when we recognize that what our soul truly craves is spiritual nourishment. God instills this need in each of us. Many don't understand why they have a constant empty place in their hearts. We all need Jesus to fill that void. Only then will we truly be satisfied. What nourishment does your soul need today?

Jesus not only died on the cross, He lived a perfect life. Jesus knew that we could never-ever-ever come close to living the perfect life God required through His covenant with Abraham. Jesus knew that perfection was mandatory. He knew that sacrifice was mandatory. Jesus' love for the Father and for us was so all-consuming, He willingly left the splendor of heaven to walk this world in perfection. His love was so all-consuming, He literally laid himself out on a cross built for sinners to become sin, shame and sacrifice for us.
Jesus was filled, nourished, satisfied by doing what God required. Through that love and sacrifice, we can be covered in His grace and can claim His sacrifice as our very own. We have done nothing to deserve this. We have not and will not live perfectly. We are sinful and unworthy,however, we can now claim all the glory of heaven because of Jesus.

Let's not miss out on the true nourishment and filling that Jesus offers. Instead of attempting to feel complete through the world, allow Jesus to fill and heal all the empty & broken places.

Blessings,
Mandy