WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

Worship in Spirit and Truth: John 4:23-24

Q: What is Worship?

A: Worship is an attitude of the heart. A person can go through the outward motions and not be worshiping (Psalm 51:16-17; Matthew 6:5-6). God sees the heart, and He desires and deserves sincere, heartfelt praise and worship.

Not everything that is called “worship” is actually worship, a lesson learned in the very beginning: both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord, but “the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor” (Genesis 4:4–5). 

What was Cain’s problem besides jealousy, stubbornness, and murderous rage? He lacked a proper theology of worship. Cain brought an unacceptable sacrifice to the Lord and demanded that the Lord be pleased.

Worship, however, comes from a different place within our spirits. Worship should be reserved for God alone (Luke 4:8). Worship is the art of losing self in the adoration of another.

Q: Where God can be worshipped?

A: God may be worshiped anywhere, the place now has no significance (though once it did to some extent). God will be worshiped as the Father. The Samaritans (and by implication other peoples and nations) did not really know what they worshiped. They were not worshiping in accordance with the revelation God had given of Himself, as believing Jews were.

Evolution of Worship:

In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses sets down for the Israelites how they are to love their God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Our worship of God is directed by our love for Him; as we love, so we worship. Because the idea of “might” in Hebrew indicates totality, Jesus expanded this expression to “mind” and “strength” (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). To worship God in spirit and truth necessarily involves loving Him with heart, soul, mind and strength.

IN SPIRIT: 

True worship is in spirit. It must come from within the heart of those born again by Gods spirit. God is Spirit and material things can never truly represent Him. Only in spirit can the One Eternal Spirit be really worshiped (this is one good reason He gave the command in Ex 20:4 and other places). 

1) Spiritual life (filled with Holy Spirit);

2) You can worship whenever/wherever;

3) Everything within you must engaged.

Spirit without truth leads to a shallow, overly emotional experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over, when the adoration cools, the worship ends.

IN TRUTH:

This worship must be in truth. It must be in accordance with the truth God has revealed about Himself and it must be sincere, and real, without hypocrisy. 

God seeks such worshipers. This is because God is love (1 John 4:8). He loves people and seeks their love. He desires their highest good and this can only come when they become true worshipers of the true God. God sees enough empty formal worship in the world and He desires something much better.

1) True Hearts (knowing the truth);

2) Word of Truth/Gospel of salvation;

3) In Christ.

Truth without spirit can result in a dry, passionless encounter that can easily lead to a form of joyless legalistic activity.

• The best combination of both aspects of worship results in a joyous appreciation of God informed by Scripture. 

• The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.