Welcome!
Today: In Spirit and in Truth!
Passage: Psalm 4, John 4
5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.. (Psalm 4, NLT) – emphasis added
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4, NIV)
In John 4, we see Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman about worship
This woman was trying to use her tradition/ church/temple as a “cover-up” for her sins. (In fact, that is what many people (laity and leaders) do even today!)
When the Samaritan woman emphasized on a place of worship, Jesus emphasized on the person of worship. Jesus was telling her that God is beyond the temple
God is looking for worship from a heart of brokenness and repentance
What goes before worship is a “wash-up” of our minds, contaminated with sins
We cannot cover up our sins and then walk into a great-looking church and just worship God, in truth. (Some do a physical wash-up before worship. It is good, but that alone will not just qualify us before God. He is looking for a “heart” wash-up)
Some people say that worship in spirit and truth is about worshiping like Pentecostals. That is not just true. We can worship in all the tongues, but God won’t understand a thing, unless we are worshiping in truth and repentance!
Our body is God’s temple. Our very life-style should bring glory/worship to God
12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Rom 12, NLT)-emphasis added
On a given Sunday, we may say “It was great worship”. But if God does not say the same, our “satisfaction” don’t mean anything. We were deceiving ourself!
Have a great day. Worship God in truth; worship God where you are!
BG
Prayer: Father God, thank you for qualifying me to worship you. I won’t qualify unless you qualify me, because it is you, I worship. Let my thoughts, words and deeds bring glory to you. It makes sense to worship you-in Jesus’ name; Amen
Worship becomes worship when God calls it so, not when we call it so