True Worship

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ! What a blessing it is to be here, together, all in the name of Jesus Christ this morning!

I am excited! We are going to have our annual Vision Forward Sunday directly after service and then we are going to break bread and fellowship together!

What I love is that we are doing life together. A new life in Christ where we support one another, lift each other up, pray for one another, and worship the LORD together. The LORD’s hand is on us, because we remain centered on Christ, and Holy Spirit led, Amen?

I think the modern church forgets sometimes what true worship looks like. I know I have to remind myself sometimes what TRUE worship is. The term worship usually conjures up images of hands raised, lights, fog machines, and emotional expression. Those are all wonderful things.

Us coming together as a church family, praising Abba Daddy, lifting our hands as we lift our voices to Him, are all part of worship. Scripture tells us “Do not forsake yourselves from meeting with one another as the pagans do.”

The biggest part of worship is how we live. The times we are alone, the times we feel alone, and the times we do not feel like worshiping God. Worship is something that is to touch every part of our lives.

Let’s look at the biblical definition of worship:

Worship - Worship centers on ascribing to God the value and worth that is rightfully His. Worship is an expression of reverence and adoration of God.

I wasn't going to include this in today's teaching, but a strong conviction on my heart led me to include it. Probably because it is something I have experienced many times and know that others have experienced as well.

I will be the first to admit that there have been times in my walk I was just not feeling it. I would find myself worshiping like I was empty; no feeling, not wanting to get in the Word, not wanting to pray, not wanting to listen to worship music. Has anybody else ever been there? Most of us have.

The great Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, in his book, “The Screwtape Letters,” wrote this:

“He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish.” - C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), pp. 39-40

Screwtape, the demon, was telling his nephew that God will allow His people to stand on their own to develop strength, character, and faith. Satan knows that the most dangerous believer is NOT the one who lives out of their feelings. The MOST DANGEROUS BELIEVER IS THE ONE WHO MAY NOT DESIRE TO WORSHIP GOD, BUT WORSHIPS GOD THROUGH SHEER WILL!

Worshiping without feeling or when we don’t feel like it is not hypocrisy—it’s maturity. As we grow in faith, God shifts our trust away from emotional experiences, away from our feelings, toward OBEDIENCE rooted in WILL ALONE.

When we pray without feeling, when we help others without wanting something in return—it is a form of genuine devotion and worship. We are no longer making it about how we feel, but our obedience to God.

Jesus talked about true worship a good bit. Let’s look at what he said to the Samaritan Woman at the well this morning in John 4:23.

John 4:23 NLT

23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.

We really need to set the stage for what Jesus just said. For the Jews, Jerusalem was and remains the religious center of Judaism. The Temple is Jerusalem was considered the dwelling place of God. The Israelites had to journey three times a year to Jerusalem for: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths.

The Jews believed that they were right about EVERYTHING having to do with God, and that everybody else was wrong. I am pretty sure we all know some people like that.

Now, to be fair, the Samaritans thought they were right about everything having to do with God. How they worshipped, where they worshipped. They believed Mt. Gerizim was supposed to be the place of worship, and that everybody else was wrong. The Samaritan woman even asked Jesus this in John 4:20.

John 4:20 NLT

20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

Mt. Gerizim is where Moses would read the blessings from, it is where Jacob’s well is located, and it is where Abraham built his first alter to the LORD in the promised land. There is still a temple there in use by local Samaritans today.

What she is really asking Jesus is “Who is right and who is wrong?” “Which place is the place where we are supposed to worship God?”

Look how Jesus responds in John 4:21

John 4:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

Jesus just did a mic drop! Jesus is telling her that debating these things is fruitless. A time is coming when neither place is going to be significant to those who truly worship the Father. He is also teaching us something else.

If we allow ourselves to get flustered or divisive over our differences with other believers, we are getting tied up in religion. If it is a fruitless discussion that does not bring glory to God, maybe it is a discussion we should not be involved in.

Healthy debate is a good thing, genuine questions are a good thing, but you are not going to argue somebody into the Kingdom. Know that you did what you could, and the rest is up to God. CHOOSE JOY. CHOOSE PEACE.

You have the very Presence of God alive in you! LET HIME TAKE CONTROL! Allow the Spirit to quicken and overflow you. Don’t hand control over to anybody else, to this world, or to the enemy. Let’s look back at John 4:23.

John 4:23 NLT

23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

That’s us! We are the ones Jesus is talking about! Since Pentecost and the coming of Holy Spirit, we have been in the New Church Age. Holy Spirit would not have come without the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. He opened the door to God’s indwelling presence from anywhere true worshipers find themselves.

To worship God in spirit means

Communing with God with the right heart and mind

We can sing, recite scripture or give offerings without truly worshiping; what matters is the condition of our hearts.

To worship God in truth means

Knowing that God is who He says He is—not distorted or made up ideas about God.

Approaching God as you genuinely are, with honesty about your condition - devotion from a sincere heart.

Jesus tells us what true worship looks like. That leads us to a question we must ask ourselves:

“Am I a believer, or am I a worshiper?”

There is a difference. James tells us in James 2:19

James 2:19 NLT

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

Even the demons believe in God, but they do not worship God. Many people believe in God, not so many worship God.

God created you and me to worship and fellowship with Him, not just to believe in Him. The only way to do that is through Jesus Christ. Salvation in and through Christ opens the door for Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, to live within us.

Worship isn’t just twenty minutes of a church service, Worship is a lifestyle.

When we worship in spirit and in truth, we become the living and breathing example of Jesus Christ, a witness to others unto His glory. Everything we do is to be in worship and service to the LORD.

As the worship team and prayer team make their way up, ask yourself a few things:

Are there areas in my life that I am not living out true worship?

Are there ways I could be of service to the Kingdom by being of service to others? To this flock?

Am I willing to step out in faith and say “Yes” to what the Spirit has been prompting in my heart?

Even though the LORD knows our hearts and what is going on in each of our lives, He still wants us to talk to Him. Abba Daddy knows each of us intimately, and He wants us to know Him more intimately.

Do not ever feel ashamed or embarrassed to come to the altar or to seek prayer from a brother or sister in Christ. We all do it, and we all need it.

Closing Prayer

I want you all to stay for our Vision Forward Meeting. We are all part of the body, part of this flock, we all have a voice, and it is vital to Vision of Hope that we are all involved. After the meeting we will have food and fellowship. Get up, stretch your legs for a minute, and we will get started!