GET TOGETHER- Worship In Spirit and In Truth
Joh 4:19-24 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In Jesus encounter with the woman at Jacob’s Well she is fishing for some theological information. Most of us have done something similar at some time in our lives. Well she couldn’t be fishing in any better place to get the correct answer than where she was fishing. She had the Master theologian right in front of her. She had already perceived that He was a prophet. She would also find out that He was the Messiah before this encounter was finished.
Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other. The Jews believed that the worship of the Samaritans was polluted. The Samaritans believed that Mt Gerizim was the place for worship. The Jews believed that Jerusalem was. Jesus gives her an answer that she did not expect. He tells her that the time is coming where the attitude of the heart is going to be more important than the place.
Sometimes we in the Body of Christ may put questions out there like which style of worship is the best style. I have had the blessings of ministering in different congregations across denominational lines and in at least six different countries.
There were times in some of the services that the only words that I could understand were when I was preaching or ministering, and the translator was either translating what I was saying, or what those that I was ministering to were saying. And yet the Holy Spirit’s presence was very strong in most of these services. There were different styles of worship, and different types of music, but the common thread was that these were worshipping in spirit and in truth.
The Greek term for worship in this passage is proskuneo, pros-koo-neh’-o. It means to express by attitude and possibly by one’s position one’s allegiance and one’s regard for deity. I understand that worship isn’t just about the service that we are in. It includes how we live our lives as well. On the other hand, when we gather with other Christians we do in most cases call it a worship service and we come together corporately to worship Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
What will best prepare each of us to worship when we gather together corporately is to be a worshipping people the rest of the week. When we have a strong prayer life. When we spend time in prayer. When we ask the Lord to help us to worship Him in spirit and in truth then we will be the type of worshippers that the Father is looking for.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we pray for all of us that You will so work in our lives that we become the type of worshippers that the Father is looking for. Help us to know that it isn’t the style, or what type music, but the condition of our hearts that is most important. Lord help us to know that you can move in any setting where the hearts are worshipping you in spirit and in truth.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Now make it a point to tell more people about Jesus this week than you tell them about your favorite football team.
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
