Marion,
Jesus told the woman at the well, I think its in John the 4th chapter if my memory is correct, that the time was now coming and "now is" when the true worshipers would worship in Spirit and in truth after she had asked Him about where to worship.
I just looked it up in my New King James Version, you can read the entire story in John the 4th chapter. Many lessons could be drawn from this account but after Jesus had been talking to her for awhile, remember she was from Samaria and normally the Jews went a long way out of their way to avoid the Samaritans, but Jesus didn't!
It wasn't customary for any man to be talking to a woman in public in that culture (at least that's what I've heard) and here was Jesus, a Jew, not only talking to a woman, but even a woman from Samaria and on top of that, a woman with a bad reputation! She had been married five times and the man with whom she was living wasn't even her husband.
As I said, many lessons can be drawn from this account!
Getting back to the story though, in verse 20 she finally said, "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
Then verses 21-24 are the ones I had reference to:
"Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 'You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 'But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 'God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'"
One thing we can learn from this is that God is everywhere and He is not at one place as opposed to somewhere else! There is no getting away from Him! Therefore we can worship Him wherever we are!
At the time Jesus was having the conversation with the woman at the well, the temple was still standing in Jerusalem and the Jews were still going there to worship in an effort to follow the instructions of Moses.
However, Jesus Himself came to take the place of that temple which was soon to be destroyed, never to be rebuilt!
That's why it was not necessary to go to Jerusalem any more! That's were physical sacrifices had to be made in a physical temple under the Old Covenant!
Jesus came and initiated the New Covenant, with no more need of Levitical Priests to serve in the temple, Jesus has become our High Priest forever. He will never die and have to be replaced like the Levitical Priests did!
There is a lot of fighting going on today because some believe that there has to be a new temple built by the Jews in Jerusalem! They are mistaken and that fighting needs to be stopped!
I could give Scriptures to back up the statement that Jesus Himself has taken the place of the temple in Jerusalem but I think I've said enough for now!
Oh, about a house of God for us to worship Him in?
Yes, it is nice to have a place to get together because Heb. 10:23-25 gives us these instructions:
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
Love and blessing to all,
J.V.