Are There Both Right and Wrong Ways To Worship?
When Alan gave me this assignment I said to myself, “this looks rather challenging trying to respond to just one sentence? It is one sentence but with very powerful meaning. I believe what John is telling us is how we as Christian followers should worship God, “in Spirit and in Truth.”
“God is spirit” refers to not only remote from the body but full of spiritual perfections, power, wisdom, love and holiness. And our worship should be suitable to his nature. We should worship him with the truly spiritual worship of faith, animating all our tempers, thoughts, words, and actions.
We must worship Him “in spirit” but not as a material thing. So, what does this mean? Worshiping Him in spirit is worshiping in faith from your heart. From this faith you trust only God. Without the Holy Spirit’s energy residing within us, we cannot respond to God in worship because we do not know Him. It also requires a mind centered on God and renewed by Truth. Only when our minds are changed from being centered on worldly things to being centered on God can we worship in spirit.
“In truth” is a key ingredient as well. The Bible is the Word of God, the truth, call it our instruction manual. So, worshiping God as the Bible directs and not by manmade ideas is worshiping in truth. To truly worship God, we must understand who He is and what He has done, and the only place He has fully revealed Himself is in the Bible. Worship is an expression of praise from the depths of our hearts toward a God who is understood through His Word.
In the New Testament the Greek word most often translated, “worship” (proskuneo), is to fall down before or bow down before. However, today there is no rule regarding whether we should sit, stand, lie down, be quiet or sing praises loudly while in corporate worship. But even in a congregation we need to be aware that we are worshiping God on an individual basis. As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:21, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” Her belief was that in order to worship you had to be in a certain location.
To summarize, the message is that we should worship God:
- In spirit – in our hearts
- In truth – in our minds
Must. Must is the word that I focused on in this passage. It is the tying word that gives the reader direction. “Must” is a command that cannot be argued with. When Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings, says “must” our knees should shake and our ears should ring. I long to worship God, and this verse tells me that if I am to be a worshipper of God then I “must” worship in this manner…
In spirit. I must worship from the core of my being. Peel back the flesh that keeps me tied to this world, and reveal that which God has place within, my spirit. The depth of my person needs to radiate a heart of worship. I have realized that worship is an action of faith. James says that if faith is not accompanied by action, then it is dead. So if worship, which is an action of faith, is not done from my spirit from the depth of my person, then it is not worship.
In truth. Truth has become a “feeling” concept in our society. Truth is being presented as whatever answer, to whatever question, makes a person most comfortable. This is not truth. Truth is solid and unbreakable. So how do I worship in truth, how do I worship in a solid and unbreakable fashion? How is my worship presented in truth and not feeling? This is hard to understand. Jesus, said he is the way, the truth… If he is the truth, then he is the answer to my questions. If Jesus is truth, then everything else that is not of Jesus is false. Therefore it us up to the worshipper to seek Christ’s truth, to search out the mystery that is God. Seeking, searching, struggling, dividing, questioning, longing for truth is worship. And more, and more, and more….
Oh, this one should get some discussion going, hopefully.
Hands raised, palms extended like a beggar, hands down, clapping, dancing, “slain in the spirit,” “speaking in tongues,” men on one side and women on the other, wine or juice, a cup with handles or without, or all the above whenever? There is plenty to divide us, which is what Satan wants. The unifying thing is to worship in Spirit and in
Truth.” In Spirit is the Holy Spirit. So unless He is in me, I cannot worship at all. Does that mean I enter worship like a rudderless ship? I think this is where the “truth” part comes in. I cannot worship without the Truth in me either. How do I find out what is true? The Holy Spirit will reveal it to me, but there is action on my part too, I believe. So I study. Psalms guides me in worship.
I grew up in a tradition, that believed there were “five items of worship,” and that you had to observe them in very specific ways or you were not worshipping God as he wants. Musical instruments were forbidden, except when you enjoyed secular music at home. Songs had to be “doctrinally correct” as determined by whoever determines such things. Of course, we were ridiculed by other churches who were just as dogmatic but claimed to be free. They could no more worship with us than we could worship with them, and that fact is the key. Few worshipped, period, because the activity in which we were engaged was not in the unity of the Spirit, whether or not there was any truth to it. I have been so wrong.
Years ago I challenged one of my elders with a question: If we really believe that our worship is in Spirit and in truth, the way God wants it, and that the other churches’ are not, then why don’t we join with them to help them change, rather than stay here and complain of their apostacy? His response was a cold stare, and then he walked off.
Can I worship in a Catholic mass? Can I worship in a Holiness church, with Primitive Baptists, with First Baptist, in a Church of Christ, with Methodists, Calvinists, African Methodist Episcopals? Could we give up a rock beat for all acapella hymns even for one Sunday? Am I really free, and could they in the unity of the Spirit and in Truth worship with me?
As Christians are we worshipping according to His teachings? No I think we worship according to culture. I think some of our rituals are based in the Word. However we mostly worship the way the people around us worship.
We tend to use worship as a buzzword in church. Usually it refers to the music part of the chuch service on a Sunday morning. I think that this type of usage deadens the power and holiness of true worship. How does Jesus define worship?
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship.
Sacrifice: Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.
Alan talked about sacrifice on his video message from the end of December. Can you have worship without sacrifice? Can we make sacrifices in every aspect of our lives as an act of worship. Is exercising my body and sacrificing my earthly desire to be a couch potato an act of worship? I suppose it depends on our approach and our heart. Is sacrificing some time to help a friend move an act of worship? I think it can be depending on our motivation.
It seems that the spirit of worship can permeate every aspect of life for one who is centered on Christ. It would require a constant focus on, and awareness of Christ as we move throughout our daily lives. Could it be that this would put us in a position to actually hear what he has to say to us in all situations?
I think we, as Christians, are not fully worshipping in truth and spirit. I think that so much of our corporate worship is affected by what appears appropriate in our environment. I think we are missing the truth part in the sense that we need to be true to ourselves as well as Christ. In my circles, their has always been talk about how we, as American Christians, wear masks to church and put on our good face. I see this translating into worship at all of the churches I have been a part of. We need to realize that God already knows what is inside us and that Christ has set us free. I feel worshipping in Spirit and Truth is connecting intimately to my creator spirit to spirit, heart to heart, mind to mind with or without others present.
Cumberland does a good job of trying to break through some of the misconceptions and ties that bind preventing people from truly worshipping. Personally, I would like to see more people experience freedom in the word which leads to freedom in worship. God made us to praise him, so let’s live it out!
Spirit and truth worship. Mind. Soul. Body. With everything I have, I am designed to worship. I have been created to worship. If this is true, then 20 minutes on Sunday morning can only be icing on the God-cake. I’d bet the ranch that if my life… mind, soul, and body… was a reflection of worship throughout my days —- my twenty minutes singing on Sunday would also be very different. God help me not to hold back throughout my week, and on Sunday mornings. With everything I am, and everything I’ve got… I am to worship. Thanks Ralph. Great job, my friend! I still want to borrow that shirt…
Going along with what Steve commented, this concept seems to be started in a “worship service” and carried over into our everyday lives and relationships. The passage is talking about worship not being at a certain place, but wherever you are, in whatever you are doing.
The issue here is not in following a certain formula or archaic ritual, but seeking to view and glorify God as he is in the same truthfulness and spirit that He shows on us- only this is not possible. The only way we will be able to perfectly worship in in spirit at truth is when he completely changes us. But now we need to come to Him as we are, right where we are- in our broken and shamed state- allowing Him to intercede for us and make us whole.
I think that coming to the end of yourself and realizing that you do not have it all together yet again and laying yourself at the feet of Jesus is what worship is all about. Whether you are singing or not.
riiiight. when we are changed, THEN we have really understood “spirit & truth” worship. you’re absolutely right, Joy.
Wow. So much take in. not only with the verse but the comments as well.
Confession – I don’t sing in church. Why, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I am coming to realize that even I can make a joyful noise. The music in church is great and I feel that some of the people really get going with the music and tune in to Jesus and prepare their heart for the message. I should do that too.
Worship is not only there though. I am finding lately that I am talking to God more and more through out the day. When I am in traffic, I will simply speak out loud about by upcoming day or things that I am struggling with. Just as if he is sitting in the seat next to me. When I am getting dressed, when I am making dinner. Simple sentences but they important to me. To me that is praying.
The question then lies, am I doing it right? In some ways yes, and no. God deserves my undivided attention.
One more thought. I am one of those people that don’t know where to go when I am reading the bible. I just open it up and see what I find. If there are suggestions for that, please let me know. Feed One Another is helping me in that effort.
Bottom line, I promise to sing and praise (look for those around me to have earplugs) and try to spend more time in prayer and reading the bible.
Are there both right and wrong ways to worship? Yes, I believe so. Like the golden calf… we cannot create ways to worship God that satisfy our desires and beliefs of what worship is. We must worship in the whole truth and in God’s spirit, not in flesh… yet many, many people and churches pick and choose which truths they worship and eliminate those that cause friction. We can worship God in spirit and truth through song, prayer, biblical studies, personal acts, our careers, our relationships… in everything we do, in everything we are… but to truly worship Him requires consistent humility, an unwavering knowledge that we must daily relinquish control of our lives, our thoughts, our speech to Jesus Christ, seek holiness, deny fleshly desires, and repent when we are out of His will. When we fail to do so, we are worshipping the wrong way, we have created a golden calf of our very own that we carry with us.
You shared the New Testament word for “worship” (proskuneo), but I would like to add the Old Testament word “hawa”…
The Old Testament word from which we translate ‘worship’ (hawa) literality means ‘to lay prostrate’. Think about the posture of laying face down (face in the dirt, floor, carpet, etc.). When we lay face down we are:
Defenseless – unable to defend ourselves (we can’t be self-defensive in this posture)
We cannot see what is happening behind/over us.
We are in a position of relying on someone else for defense.
Uncomfortable – this hurts!
If we are truly face down with our nose to the ground – it is very uncomfortable.
Now apply these to worship, and not just in the sense of corporate singing…
Worship like any other discipline takes practice. Rushing in to church at 10:15 doesn’t prepare us to meet with God. We should be worshipping throughout the week, seeing God in everything during the week. If we have experienced Him in the little things of our week, how much more will we experience Him when we meet together in His House?
As someone who LOVES music and loves worship on Sunday mornings, I can easily get caught up in he songs and forget that I am worshiping the Lord. I realize that this happens when I am not making Him Lord of my life as Alan shared in a previous message. Thank you, Ralph for sharing these truths and reminding us all that truly worshiping God comes from having the Holy Spirit in us. Without feeding our souls (see yesterday’s entry by Joe), we have nothing to give back to Him.
These two days really go hand in hand.
Ralph,
Thanks for your words. You’re right, there was a lot of meaning packed in that single sentence. I have trouble making my mind and heart have like feelings. Maybe they don’t have to, maybe just opening up my heart and mind is all he’s asking. Still chewing on it.
Sherry
Great comments. I admit I’m a little intimidated at not sounding as profound as others, but I was especially touched by Mike’s comment and wanted to add my opinion on worshipping at CCC:
I appreciate that CCC does not expect everyone to raise their hands during worship nor are people criticized for doing so. I raise my hands during worship as a way to feel “surrendered and defenseless” towards God. It helps me get “me” out of the focus and connect with God. Sometimes I feel like a little girl reaching up for her daddy to pick her up and tell her everything is going to be ok. Does everyone need to do this? No (although the Pentecostal church I grew up in would say otherwise). Do I need to do this every time? I don’t think so. It’s just one form of worship. I’m going to try Mike’s suggestion of praying lying down — at home, not at church.
Worship is a big issue. Worship is our life. It is a 24/7 thing. To place God on the throne of our life and to live our life in constant awareness of his presence is a life of worship. I can not place boundaries on when and where to worship. It is to be our life. Worship is a heart of service a heart that wants to put God and others before themselves. To serve is to worship. To lay down our lives for others is worship. What we do for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning is Worship. Personally I feel more worshipful in serving than singing and clapping and such. But we are a body and each part plays an important part. I trust CCC will continually grow in worship.
Thanks Ralph for your thoughts and encouragement.
Rob
If worship means to fall down before or bow down before, can we do this with our will? My goal is to live my life with a spirit that surrenders my will to God. I can’t even say that I can get through a whole worship service without taking over my will. I hope that I have another chance each minute of the day. I like to think that what Steve said about the spirit of worship permeating every aspect of life is what the scripture is telling us. I know that my life would be wonderful if I were able to keep a constant focus on Christ.
Great string of discussion…thanks for starting us off Ralph. I agree with a number of the folks that Sunday morning worship should really just be the “frosting” of what the rest of our week looked like in worship. If it’s not, Sunday morning worship can actually end up being a distration from worshipping throughout the week – in that we can confuse ourselves and say “check…got the worship thing done for a week.” This is why I love when Megan or Chris (or whomever is leading on Sunday) connects us with how the words of a given song has impacted them THROUGHOUT THE WEEK…not only drawing us into worship at that moment, but also pointing us back to their weeks where they spent time with God, getting to know Him better. That’s something we should all be doing…essentially all coming to Sunday morning with a reason to fall prostate in thanksgiving, in praise, in confession, in awe of our Lord and Savior…abondoning ourselves and not really worrying about what we’re looking like or sounding like to the people near us.
I also agree with those that made comments about worship not needing to be in the way our culture has essentially limited it to “singing”. Worship can simply be a pregnant pause in my day when I am able to get over/beyond myself long enough to ascribe honor and praise to God for something He has blessed me with or through (i.e., listening to the sweet interactions between my 2 young daughters or even recognizing the growth that God is bringing through relational strife with a spouse or friend or co-worker when we commit that relationship to Him).
Worship, I believe, is so much richer than what our culture has limited it to. Thanks again, Ralph for getting us thinking and pointing us back to what the Bible says…and getting us to worship more fully.
So many good comments. Thanks Ralph for your words and insight.
I agree worship is an act we should be doing daily and Sunday corporate worship is just so sweet like dessert. And whether our worship is just us, family, small group, or in church on Sunday it should be in our hearts and in our minds.
Earlier in the passage the Samaritan woman acknowledges the cultural religious norm of her day: Jews and Samaritans don’t mix in worship. The insistence of her culture was to conform to the outward expectations of what worship ought to be. She tried to pull a quick one over on Jesus by saying she had no husband when in fact He knew she had had 5 husbands. He graciously credited her with “technical” accuracy by saying she had no husband currently. But He paints a more clear picture by letter her know that He knows the difference between APPARENT truth and the WHOLE TRUTH.
Outward, skin deep, showy, plastic, high fructose corn syrup, guarded, unnatural, perfectly planned, non-spontaneous kind of worship is NOT the mark of true believers. And yet I confess, I fall prey to the temptations of outward living to conceal my inward shallowness.
Father, help me lie “hawa” every minute of the day in spirit, and hear the truth of your word through your Spirit.
Thanks Ralph and all. Read you tomorrow?
Worship is a term often defined in the confines of music and singing, and while it certainly is one of the most colorful ways to perform worship, it can have a far deeper connection.
I like to boil the understanding of nearly everything biblical to a relationship between a husband and wife, the obvious portents of Jesus as husband and the body as the Bride.
When you might lend everything you have and are to and in support of your spouse, do you give them a gift that would make YOU happy, or make THEM happy? (i.e. Homer giving Marge a bowling ball with the name HOMER written in it.) I wouldn’t call what we do to our human spouse as worship, but isn’t it the same attitude? The attitude of submission to the other’s benefit?
God wants us to submit to him as a wife to a husband and husband to wife. He wants us to give everything we have and are to belong to him. That includes our hopes and dreams, and our faults and baggage. He wants us to continually surrender everything that connects us to this world and instead offer it up to him.
So how do all these different forms of worship (service to others, music and singing, denying of oneself) connect? They’re all living FOR God, and constantly devaluing our connections here to this temporal world and lending our attentions and affections to the almighty and all he wants for us.
…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matt 4:10
So don’t wait till Sunday to worship. Don’t wait at all. Worship now by doing everything for God.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;. Colossians 3:23
One last thought …
Colossians 3:22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
The reason I put the last verse is, in my mind, a major factor of worship. Today, Americans aren’t slaves to each other in the way people have once been to each other, but we all have masters — the masters of home and food, the masters of work and duty. God’s focus in worship is not that we must work, but our heart in the matter.
We can sing and raise our hands, we can work for others, we can even deny ourselves, but if we don’t do any of these forms of worship without focusing on God (the TRUE focus of worship) with all our spirit (the CURRENCY of God), then we’re merely blowing smoke.
Worship with all you have, in all things and in all ways, for God and no other, in the ways he has stated plainly pleases him. Get a concordance, look up verses in which men have pleased God and then emulate them. The Bible doesn’t contain stories of such men for nothing.
Anytime we superficially go through the motions of worship without “Spirit and Truth” it is the wrong way to worship. Most of the time we do this to hide our own sin. When we finally, really deep down in the very core of who we are, begin to just grasp who Jesus is and what He has done for us then we begin to worship. In John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life… When we see this we know that worship is not a place, or a particular method, rather worship is a living relationship with Jesus the one who has not shown us a way, or told us the truth, or represents life but who is THE WAY, who is TRUTH, who is LIFE. Worship is to encompass ALL aspects of our life. We worship by God’s grace through the power of the Holy Spirit transforming us into the likeness of Jesus. Worship is to live. Every breath we take, we worship. Come let us worship Him, breathe in God.
Awesome message, Ralph! I’m Mary Anthony’s brother in Charlotte, NC, and I have grazed on your virtual soup kitchen from time to time – actually it’s more of a feast! Alan is doing great job leading your flock – I love this “Feed One Another” concept! As for this devotional, you nailed it Ralph (IMHO). And I so appreciate everyone’s comments as well.
Today, worship has become consumer driven, a kind of a “what makes ME feel good or close to God”. I love Steve Kemp’s comment about “sacrifice” and about worship not being limited to the “music” on Sunday am. Our life should be a “worship” statement. We worship God with how we live, how we parent, how we work, how we minister to others, how we selflessly love our spouse, as well as in our daily quiet times and bible study or Sunday worship.
I heard a great sermon a while back where the pastor was sharing an analogy about God-centered vs Man-centered worship: “If my Dad were to come visit us, we might plan the entire weekend around making it special for him. The kids might write poems for grand-dad, draw pictures for him, we might pull out old photos to enjoy together, home movies, and cook his favorite meals and desserts while he is with us. Now, if while we are spending the weekend with my Dad, my neighbor came by to visit, we would not all of sudden cancel our plans and re-orient the weekend to please my neighbor at the expense of my Dad. Maybe, after seeing us celebrate my Dad’s life and memories of the family, my neighbor might gain a new appreciation for his own dad and think about honoring his Dad the way we did that weekend…”
Most importantly, as Alan said, Sunday am should be icing on the cake to a week of feasting on God and His word. Inhaling all week long and exhaling on Sunday… thank you Cumberland Community Church (CCC) brothers and sisters for telling another beggar where to find food…
Yours in Christ,
Nye Allen
Christ Covenant Church (CCC too!)
Matthews, NC
Yes, 24/7 I agree. But there also has to be a time of conscious decision of sacrifice. Take Abraham. He said to his servants in Genesis 22…Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” His faithful life was an act of worship, but there was also a clear TIME of sacrificial worship which he intentionally entered into with God and Issac.
Thanks to Ralph and everyone for their great comments. It really helped me to more deeply understand worship.
When I think of worshiping, the “in spirit” part seems to come much more naturally to me. My soul can’t help but worship God and I do love to worship through music (which by the way is how I would characterize how many Christians in our culture might define worship and probably limit it to just that) but I also worship “in spirit” through experiences with God. I worship by experiencing God and basking in His great creation and His goodness which I can find all around if I allow the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to see God’s many blessings. Just this morning a nice long walk in the woods with my family was an awesome time of worship of the God who created the woods and who knit my sweet family together. It was awesome! However, it’s the business of life that sometimes steals from me that desire that is in me to worship throughout the day…both “in spirit” and “in truth”. I admit my mind has a bit harder time when told to worship “in truth” though. When I am spending time in God’s Word I often don’t view that as “worship” as much as a discipline I’m trying to grow in to grow closer to God. But this verse commands us to worship, as Herb mentioned the text says we MUST worship, both “in spirit” (easier for me) and “in truth” (harder for me). Which means my challenge in the days ahead is to have a change in thinking as I pick up my Bible to read/study God’s Word. That I do so with the same desire/passion I do when worshipping “in spirit” and realize this discipline is more than a discipline…. it is worship, rich worship that I want to be transformed by. And I believe as I approach God’s Word with that perspctive it will be a richer time with God and as my mind is transformed by being in the Word, I hope to be freed of lies, worry, anxiety, frustrations,etc. that sometimes get in the way of worshipping throughout the day both “in spirit” and “in truth”. Here’s to a new perspective in this new year!
My wife and I just moved here from Michigan a little while ago and were brought to CCC by some friends of ours yesterday. I am very encouraged to see the ways in which this body of believers is consciously deciding to grow and mature.
As someone who has been a “worship leader” for several churches and Christian organizations over the years I find this particular subject fascinating. I fully agree with everything that has been commented on so far. It brings joy to my heart to read that Christ’s people aren’t allowing themselves to be simply spoon fed, but desire meat as well as milk and honey.
In my studies on the subject of worship the words “worship” and “music” rarely, if ever, occur in the same sentence. However, praise and music, or the allusion to music, occur together often. Looking at the progression, especially in Old Testament, praise often leads to worship which is known as the face down surrender which has been discussed before.
My thoughts are these:
1. This word “proskuneo” in the Greek refers to face down surrender. I’d like to expand on that. In cultural context this word is used to give the allusion to a servant kissing the hand of his master, or more accurately, a dog licking the hand of its owner. So yes, worship is surrender, but it is also the humility of knowing who and whose we are.
2. Worship is not intended for the worshiper, but for the object of worship. Our worship is intended for the blessing of God and the fact that we glean any pleasure or peace from it is a testament to His overarching goodness. Even in the context of worship being given to idols or men, worship does nothing inherently for the worshiper.
3. Worship is the ingrained response to a Savior for one who has been saved. If we look at the story of the disciples on the boat after Jesus calms the waves and wind we see that the first time they bow before Him in worship is when they realize the depths from which they have been saved.
Again, I am very encouraged to see that in the midst of a world and culture in which worship has often been used to divide the church from itself, here, in you all at least, worship is being used as it is meant to: to unify the Body in Spirit and in Truth.
Wow… Ralph’s insights, and everyone’s discussion. Good stuff. I am part of the 24/7 crowd. If we are worshipping in spirit and truth, and if we have the Holy Spirit within us, then in truth our spirit should be worshipping all the time the Holy Spirit is present. That being said, there are times and places for sacrificial worship but they are not always in the ‘temple’ or at the altar.
Oh God, I don’t love you. I don’t even want to love you. But I want to want to love you! –St. Teresa of Avila
‘Exactly what is worship? I like King David’s definition. “Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Ps. 34:3). Worship is the act of magnifying God. Enlarging our vision of him. Stepping into the cockpit to see where he sits and observe how he works. Of course his size doesn’t change, but our perception of him does. As we draw nearer, he seems larger. Isn’t that what we need? A BIG view of God? Don’t we have BIG problems, BIG worries, BIG questions? Of course we do. Hence we need a big view of God.’
- Max Lucado
We should worship Him in Spirit and in Truth because when we are focused on Him, our “problems” go away if for just a little while. He needs to be the center of our daily life and relationships. Worship does not necessarily have to be with music. Take me for example, I worship Him through my baking and giving that back to the church to further His kingdom.
Corporate worship is the where you lay down your burdens of the week and come into His presence and just love Him.
Wow! Not to congratulate us, but isn’t this discussion worship? Iron sharpening iron. Raising the bar. Encouraging each other in the Lord and getting more of His Spirit as we do. Gives me goosebumps. I believe that He is getting the biggest blast out of His kids engaged with each other in this whole discussion. I dragged in the house from work and now I am pumped. Thank you Lord. Wow!
No, There is only one right way to worship. When it comes to worship, the Bible guides all worshipers.
I feel there are many things in life we do to worship. It is totally up to the person doing the worshiping to determine how they worship as long as we are worshiping the same God!
To worship in spirit and in truth means to me that I am to worship with all my heart and being rather then according to cultural norms and to lay down my life and follow Jesus and his ways rather then forging forward on my own agenda.
I think that people attempt to worship in spirit and truth but at times the demands of our everyday lives prevent us from being fully successful at this endeavor. Many of us are on a road to improvement in our daily lives trying to worship in spirit and truth. A steady movement towards his teachings is all the Lord expects of us. We must never regret that we are not able to worship 100% with all of our beings but we must continue to strive to that goal.
Thanks to all for the thought provoking comments.
I was brought up Catholic, so preconceived rituals were the basis of worship through most of my teens. I was saved when I was 17 and started going to a non-denominational church. Everything changed and worship started coming from within rather than through rote.
I do not think there is a “right” way to worship. I remember actually being scared the first time I was in a Baptist church and the attendees started screaming out words at random from behind me. This seemed to make them happy, but I never returned. My father is 92 and practices Catholicism daily; this makes him very happy, and he feels his worship is pleasing to God.
You’re right Dan. Worship is not only what we come to do corporately at services through songs, prayers and service, or only at the altar, but it is lifestyle (24/7). It is the way we live.
Romans 12:1 amp “1I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.”
It goes on to say in verse 2 to not conformed but transformed and changed. Change as Alan and Joy said earlier. It is through change that we are living testaments of “in Spirit and in Truth.”
Our worship is a sacrifice. The Lord spoke a lot in the Old Testament about sacrifice that was pleasing to Him and that which was not pleasing to Him. Let’s make sure that as we render our worship, it is a pleasing sacrifice, one that is done in spirit and in truth.
Ralph, I appreciate your statement that in your previous church experience you “never read scripture nor held a Bible during the service.” What other way is there to know the truth, without the Word? I daily praise God for Alan and for CCC, but also realize that its my personal responsibility to study for myself to make sure that what Alan preaches is true. (Acts 17:11)
Worshipping God is an amazing experience. Karl Marx, ironically enough, got it half right when he said religion is the opiate of the masses. Obviously, he was on the outside trying to look in. We as believers, however, go to a place where no chemical could possibly take us, a place of wonder and of holiness. A place God created for us and all of His creation before we were even conceived. We do so through our daily and our dedicated times with the Lord.
Worship in our daily lives, amidst our meetings, events, even cleaning up throw up and doing diaper changes, can be difficult, but knowing we honor God through all these actions done out of love can take us into a perpetual state of worship with the one who is love’s only author.
Of course, our dedicated times with the Lord, our deepest times of worship with the angels of Revelation “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty. . .” – take us into a place where God transforms us and spirits us into his presence. The more time we spend with hHim, the more He will be reflected on our faces. I have seen people’s faces so filled with God it is like Moses in Exodus 34:29, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” We become testimonies to God’s holiness without saying a word!
It is so exciting to see so many pursuing a heart of worship for God in His Church!
Thanks Ralph and everyone else for the comments. I’m enjoying this Feed-One-Another 5-day challenge.
“Are There Both Right and Wrong Ways To Worship?”
Since God is instructing us how we must worship, then there must be a right and wrong way. I was thinking how when I think about “worship” I generally only think about the word in the context of worshiping God. Is it possible for us to have other gods in our life that we worship, and perhaps worshiping God in truth is to worship only him?
Merriam-Webster says worship means:
1: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power ; also : an act of expressing such reverence
2: a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
3: extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem
I think part of worship showing him the reverence he deserves. Sometimes it seems that Christians want a really casual personal relationship with God, and lose some of the awe and even fear of God that can come with reverence.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
In Revelation he said, Behold! I have stood up to the door with the result that I keep standing up to the door and continue to knock: if any one has heard my voice and has opened the door, I will enter face to face to him and will have fellowship with him, and he with me. From both these verses I think Jesus is saying that he wants fellowship with me, face to face fellowship. How can I do that? With all the sin I continue to commit how do I come face to face with Jesus? IJohn tells me that I must confess my sin and then he is righteous to forgive me my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. So I think that in order to worship God in truth and in the spirit I must come in prayer confessing those things I would rather forget but bring them to light. His light. Allowing Christ to cloak me in his righteousness so that I may come to Him in truth and in the spirit. I may pray to God the Father who will hear my prayers and answer me. How does he answer me? Many times through his word, which is truth. How often should I do this? Continuously. Do I? No I want to but the body is weak. But I continue to try and God keeps making changes in me. Why? Because He wants me to love him with my whole heart, mind, body, and soul. Worship is the only way I will get there. To me worship is prayer, scripture and rejoicing that I have a God that loves me sooooooo much.
I find it peculiar that as I read this verse and commentary about worship, I find myself pulling away from God and His word. There’s this strong tug at my heart to satisfy my own needs, my way. I actually feel the urge to stop reading, stop praying and go back to the vomit of my former life.
At the same time, I desire to pray, to worship, to be in the presence of God.
Ahh, the age-old battle of flesh verse Spirit. Thankfully, I do have the Spirit of Christ in me and I do not have to rely on my flesh. Praise God that victory belongs to Him and the Spirit. Praise God that all I have to do is surrender. I am still amazed at how difficult it is to surrender to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Surrender should be easy, right? Lay down my weapons and walk out with my hands up? It’s got to take less effort than ducking in the trenches, dodging bullets, or charging a line. Personally, surrender is the most difficult thing I do on a daily basis.
Thankfully, I can walk out into the open with my hands raised high and praise my Savior, Lord and God for loving me way more than I deserve. I can rely on the Spirit of Christ in me to turn my surrender into the most beautiful worship. I can’t help but be reminded of Romans 8:26 where the Spirit intercedes for us.
So what do I think worship is? I think it’s complete surrender. I think it’s realizing that I am nothing on my own….that I have nothing to offer…that I am incapable of uttering pleasing words to my God. However, with Christ, I am everything…I have everything to offer…all my sounds are sweet to God’s ear.
The last time I felt most like I was worshiping in spirit and in truth was when my wife Sarah and I were in a Muslim country at a prayer conference. There, over the course of three days, I found myself spontaneously responding to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It wasn’t so much the music, the talks, or the believers I shared the weekend with…. I think my worship experience felt genuine because I pushed aside my own pride, fears, and worldly preoccupations and in a way just let my spirit commune with God’s spirit.
I like that in the verse’s context Jesus is telling the Samaritan woman that worship of the Father isn’t tied to a specific location. True worship doesn’t just happen on a specific mountain, or in Jerusalem, or at CCC in Smyrna. Because God is spirit, he’s everywhere. And by the grace of the Lord and the gift of his spirit within us, we have the awesome privilege of worshiping at any time in any place.
In our culture, the words “praise” and “worship” are often used interchangeably, but I think praise is only a fraction of what worship should be. Praise is easy; one can praise a child, but worship is so much harder. To worship, you have to totally humble yourself before God. You have to fear God; you have to be in awe of Him; you have to put Him first above every person, desire, care, need, want, etc.; you have to devote yourself mind, body, and spirit to Him. In short, like so much else in our life, to truly worship him is impossible for us to do without help – without the help of the spirit – the Holy Spirit – and the Truth – Jesus.
Worshiping God is not just something we do on Sunday. Our relationship with God should permeate every aspect of our lives. We have separated our spiritual lives from the rest of what we do. We cannot worship God “in spirit and in truth” until we die to ourselves and submit every area of our lives to God. I think a lot of us are afraid to do that. (myself included) I am afraid of what God will ask me to do even though I know that He is a loving Father. He died on the cross because he loves me. He gave me His life, but I am afraid to trust Him with “my” toys.
Are we worshiping according to God’s teachings?
Gods word says in Hebrews 13:13-16
“Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
and in James 1:27
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
The average Christian gives away just over 2% of their income at a time when we have been blessed with exceptional wealth. Overall I don’t think we as Christians are worshiping God the way He intended. 1 John 1:9 says “Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.”
I’ve got the talk down, but I struggle with the deed and truth part.
Now THIS is church! Great insight from Ralph and some excellent discussion. My string of thoughts:
I think many times we tend to pass off worship as a church-time thing, and I know it’s something I’ve struggled with as I’ve grown. Is the truth any less true while I’m at work, surfing the internet, or driving in horrible Atlanta traffic? Knowing what I know, what excuse do I have to not worship God in every circumstance? If I am incapable of worshiping God while watching TV, maybe I need to turn it off. Notice Jesus doesn’t say “…those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth on Sunday mornings”. I agree with what many of you said in that it’s supposed to be a constant worship, and the “must” makes it more than just a helpful suggestion. It’s really our only valid response to God – to worship in spirit and truth in everything we do.
Father, may your name be praised in all of Smyrna and to the ends of the earth!
I think many people from different Christian denominations were brought up to think that their way of worshiping was the only correct way. I believe Satan gets in the way and makes us all argue with each other over the correct way. I believe if we pray to God and ask him to help us, the Holy Spirit will fill us and we will pray in spirit. This can happen in church, at home, in your car, at work, or where ever as long as we seek God’s guidance to help us.
“Spirit” – It is a little weird but I think about the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”. So much of the movie is the father’s monologue with God as he lives his life. While I cannot vouch for his theology, I think God wants that type of ongoing awareness.
“Truth” – I don’t think this is so much about doctrinal orthodoxy or liturgical style as a personal lack of pretense before God. I think part of it is about having a truthful attitude. So many times, I want to go looking for fig leaves when I approach God… as if I can hide anything from Him. What a stupid idea. That was the difference between the sinner who prostrated himself before “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as wool.”
Presence or pretense, which one wins?
God’s Grace and love are something that He provides to us where we are at… no matter when or where. I feel that this verse is pointing to the fact that worship should be our response to that. When reflecting on this verse, I feel that the worship that is the most pleasing aroma to God should be a reflection of Him, a reflection of his love, and a reflection of his spirit and truth.