Worship In Spirit And Truth
How can we worship in spirit and truth? What is worship? Randy Bushey explains what worship is and what God expects of us.
Worship In Spirit And Truth
In John 4:24 we read,
God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth
Have you ever defined worship? How would you explain it to a 12-year-old? In our current Christian culture, worship is very often used as an adjective (worship leader, worship music) leading people to robotically connect worship with singing at church. But in the scripture, worship is most often a verb, a spiritual activity in which those who recognize the transcendent greatness of God engage. Worship is the declaration of the unparalleled worth of the Triune God.
Jesus Speaks About Worship
Anglican Bishop William Temple affirmed worship to be “the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable”. And it intrigues me, that the only extended conversation the Lord Jesus had on the topic was not with His Jewish followers, or His inner circle of three, or even with a ranking Jewish religious official – but with an unnamed woman outside of Israel.
He had just met her. She was a Samaritan. A woman with a decidedly checkered past. And that seems to be the reason why she came to the well alone and at noon, long after the other local women had gathered, drawn, socialized, and departed – getting the heavy work done before the sun was high.
The Samaritan Woman and Worship
When Jesus had explained her marital history –
“You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband”
(John 4:17,18)
– she deftly changed the subject.
“Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain” (v.20), she said.
Mount Gerizim was the center of Samaritan worship, and the majority of today’s Samaritans (total population less than 1000) still live within its proximity. It peaks near the Palestinian city of Nablus on the West Bank; Samaritans continue today to celebrate Passover at this location.
And her diversion led to Jesus’ most detailed exposition on worship, and His assertion that He was ushering in an era of truth which would be reflected in the worship of the people of God.
Authentic Worship
Additionally, He made clear that God is never pleased with ignorant worship, no matter where or from whom:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (v.23).
Authentic worship is spiritual, not human or physical.
Authentic worship involves the Holy Spirit as the Worship Leader.
Authentic worship of necessity involves God’s revealed Word as the truth. It is rooted in doctrine. It is founded on correct understanding. That’s why genuine worship often involves an open Bible.
And, authentic worship would appear to involve the head and the heart. Worship includes both our senses and our service.
What Type Of Worshippers The Father Seeks
And this verse gives us the only New Testament record of the Father seeking anything or anyone: the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.
The Lord Jesus also chose to provide to this otherwise unknown, unnamed Samaritan woman His most powerfully direct declaration of Himself as the Messiah.
When she said,
“I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming” (v.25),
Jesus responded by affirming,
“I, who speak to you am He” (v.26).
Takeaway:
Worship is often associated with religion, church, liturgy, and superstition. However, in our celebrity-obsessed culture, the worship of personalities is a cult phenomenon evidenced constantly in the media, the arts, and in sports and entertainment.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky was the Russian novelist and philosopher who lived and died in the 1800s. He could have been commenting on the 21st century when he observed:
as long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and so painfully as to find someone to worship.
But our God-given desire and capacity to worship is to be directed solely to Him. Therein is coherence as the dependent creatures worship the eternal Creator. Therein too, is delight and fulfilment. And when we worship, we do so before an audience of One – the Triune God.
Why do you think it was important that Jesus be born in Bethlehem? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Randy Bushey
After completing a 35 year corporate-management career in the general insurance industry, Randy is dedicated to full-time elder’s work at Bethel Gospel Chapel in North Bay (Ontario).
With a primary pastoral focus in Bible teaching (preaching and leading Bible studies). Randy is also engaged in visitation, church music, and helping develop other men in their roles as Christ-followers, preachers and leaders.
He is married to Pat who is investing her life in working with women and children in the local assembly. They are both energized by their 3 children (2 married) and 6 grandchildren!
You can listen to pod casts from Randy’s show, “The Faith Factor,” by clicking here.
More Podcasts Below:
More Blogs:
To Tell the Truth – Honesty is the Best Policy
The “I AM” Statements of Jesus
Peace Through The Christ of Christmas
Can We Be Holy? The Process of Sanctification
Images courtesy of:
Worship Hands – Jesse Schutt
Firenze Cathedral – acconsulenze
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