Worship In Spirit and Truth
John 4:23-24, Romans 12:1
John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
What our saints must know is that there are worshipers whom God seeks, and there are those whom God neither seeks nor looks upon, but rather turns away from. According to Scripture, if worship is offered incorrectly, no matter how long one has attended church or boasts of believing for decades, it is all in vain. Neither individuals, families, nor businesses can prosper with
the wrong worship posture. Those who offer worship that God acknowledges as true and sincere worship will find blessings and success in all things. Therefore, today, we must first seek the essence of true worship and the fundamental attitude of genuine worship. I am delivering this message today with a firm determination and resolve to testify to all believers about what true worship is.
Outwardly, it may seem like everyone is worshiping, but if worship is offered with out our whole heart, devotion, will, and strength, then God is deeply saddened. He detests superficial, formal worship that is only meant for show in front of others. Nowadays, many people attend church without understanding the meaning of worship or having forgotten true worship altogether. The soul should be alive, yet many souls are already dead. As time passes, people grow older, and those who have attended church for many years become predictable in their behavior and are prone to arrogance.
If the fundamental attitude of worship is shaken, then first, God is not glorified, and second, we do not receive grace. Believers must open their eyes and recognize and receive God’s grace daily. Reflect on your selves: Have you worshiped in spirit and truth, or have you worshiped only at your convenience?
In Genesis 2:3 “after completing creation, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. Sunday is a blessed day when we must experience God’s holiness and presence.”
Sunday worship is not something to at tend at your convenience, only going when you want to. In Exodus 20:8 and the verses that follow, God commanded through Moses at Mount Sinai to keep the Sabbath day holy. In Exodus 31:17, God said that the Sabbath is an everlasting sign between Him and the Israelites (Sunday). Because God made Sunday holy, the unholy “me” can become holy by setting this day apart, going to church, and offering worship. We must come to church and worship with such a hope.
The Incorrect Posture of Worship
There are many who approach worship with convenience and self-centeredness, acting as if they themselves are God. Al-though we were taught from a young age to keep Sunday holy, that awareness has long since wavered. The mere thought of “I suppose I should at least go to church” is already sinful. In the Old Testament, God did not just mention it once or twice but commanded 42 times to keep the Sab bath. For 6,000 years, God has worked tirelessly, without rest, for sinful humanity. Pastors, elders, evangelists, deacons, and church leaders must come to a realization through God’s Word and set an example in worship, yet many still attend church with out grasping it.
There is a lack of sincerity in worship. People wear whatever they usually wear. If an important figure invited you to an event, would you just show up as you are? Wouldn’t you bathe, groom yourself, brush your teeth, shave, take out and iron your best clothes, and present yourself in a reverent manner? Could you casually step out to use the restroom while conversing with such a person? Yet during worship, people step out to take phone calls and enjoy their time. Hearts and minds wander here and there during worship. They arrive 5 or 10 minutes late, avoid the main sanctuary, attend worship in a side building, and slip out as soon as the benediction ends. How can this be acceptable?
Some claim they have other matters to attend to on Sundays or that their business keeps them busy. Worship should take priority in the lives of all people, yet it is treated lightly and cast aside. What would God do then? If you worship properly, God has promised, “Your life will be long; your days will be prolonged.” Does exercising ensure a long life? Worship is fundamental. What could be so urgent during Sunday worship? Are you busier than God?
Do you feel like you are wasting a day because you’re spending too much time at church on a Sunday? Some set up TVs or computers at home to listen to sermons while sipping tea, treating worship as trivial. Do not cast worship aside as if it is nothing. Worship is a time to meet with God. According to Scripture, worship is about coming to the place God has designated–the church He bought with His blood–to meet Him. Have you not read the Bible? In Exodus 25, God says, “You must come to the sanctuary; it is the time to meet with Me.” Failing to understand this leads to simply listening to sermons at home, watching them on TV.
Deuteronomy 12:18 But you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all your undertakings.
Deuteronomy 16:15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
Worship at the chosen place, before your God, with a joyful heart—this is what God commanded. Why? Because He blessed the Sabbath and made it holy. “Though I am unholy, if I go to the church and worship on the seventh day that God made holy, I too will be sanctified.” With this hope, we must come to church and worship. How can anyone worship in front of a computer
at home, unwilling even to give offerings? This is a serious matter.
Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Deuteronomy 5:12-14 Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
In Exodus 31:17 God says, “[The Sabbath] is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever.” Deuteronomy 6:5 says to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might. If I truly love God, how can I not worship? If you love your parents, no matter how far away they are, even if it takes ten days to travel, you would still head out early to go to see them.
During holidays, we focus all our devotion and attention on our parents. We bow deeply with reverence. How can we not understand that the moment we do this, their years of toil, the tears and hardships they endured to raise us, will disappear like melting snow?
Exodus 20:8-11 tells us to remember the Sabbath. God’s “foolishness” is wiser than our wisdom, so we should not rely on cunning. God is Spirit, and He sees everything, even when you do not come to church but wander around. His Spirit fills the heavens and the earth. So please worship properly. Why do your children not listen? Why is there conflict in your marriage or struggles
in your business? A soldier’s basic posture is to stand at attention. A Christian’s basic posture is worship. If worship is not done properly, our lives will become unstable and nothing will go well. This is whyworship must be approached with a fearful heart, with reverence. Do you prepare be forehand when coming to church? If you offer tithes as if they were yours, God will say, “You are a thief. Why do you take what belongs to Me?” and He will not accept it. We need to realize how great a sin it is to fail to worship properly.
Some people doze off during worship. Worship is the time when God’s Word is sown as seed (Mark 4:14). When you doze off, the enemy, Satan, comes and snatches away the Word so you cannot hear it. The evil spirit takes hold. While you sleep, the enemy sows weeds to prevent you from receiving God’s grace (Matt 13:25). How frightening is this?
The End of Those Who Worship Im properly
1) High Priest Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu
God commanded through Moses not to offer worship with strange fire (Exod 30:8-9). Aaron’s two sons offered a sacrifice with unauthorized fire in worship and were cursed to death. The fire that should have burned the offering instead consumed Aaron’s eldest and youngest sons instead (Lev 10:1).
2) Priest Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas
Eli’s two sons were called worthless men, or “scoundrels” as said in the original text (1 Sam 2:12). They treated worship with con-tempt (1 Sam 2:17). How deeply grieved God must have been. Unable to bear it any longer, God appeared to Eli and declared, “I have decided to kill your two sons on the same day. Do you value your sons more than Me, treating Me as if I am worthless? Why do you not punish your sons for their sins? In your family, there will be no old men in the future.” He cursed Eli’s house(1 Sam 2:31-33).
As prophesied, in 1 Samuel 4, the Philistines attacked, killing 30,000 soldiers and capturing the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence (1 Sam 4:10). Eli’s two sons died at the same time on the same day. Eli the priest, waiting as a judge for news, fell off his chair upon hearing it, broke his neck, and died. His daughter-in law, in labor, fainted and died after hearing the same news. Before she passed, she named her son orphaned son “Ichabod,” meaning “The glory has departed from Israel,” as the presence of God had left.
Worship with sincerity. Pour out your heart. No matter how busy you are on Sunday, worship must come first. Even if it is only your grandchildren, daughter-in-law, son in-law, or your own children with you, remember Jesus’ promise in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Trust in this promise and worship with devotion.
A household that worships properly will never perish. When someone asks, “Mother, is it just the two of us?” respond with, “Even if there are thousands gathered, without God, it is all meaningless. But if God is with us, it is enough.” Support this with Scripture, sing praises, pray in the Lord’s name, and worship, believing that blessings will pour down like a waterfall. You believe that from that moment, your household will prosper, and your desires and hopes will be fulfilled.
Focus on the fact that worship is about meeting God. How do we meet God? Through prayer. When we sing praises, God is so delighted that He rejoices. God dwells in the praises of His people (Ps 22:3). The purpose of our creation is for us to sing praises to Him. Praise is prayerset to melody. When we sing hymns and praises, it glorifies God and presents our prayer requests before Him. God is so pleased with our praises that He is over joyed beyond measure.
Blessings for Those Who Worship
When you worship well, God promises that your life will be long and your days prolonged. Life and death are in God’s hands. This truth should be understood through His Word, but many people take it lightly. There are those who come to church and worship as if simply filling a gap in their schedule.
Deut 5:16 “…that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you…”
Deut 12:25 “…that it may be well with you and your sons after you…”
Deut 11:9 “…that you may prolong your days…”
Worship well. When parents treat worship lightly, children see this, and it influences them to disregard their own faith. However, when parents kneel and pray reverently before their children, the children notice. As they mature, their attitude changes, and they feel a sense of shame if they fall short. On the other hand, improper worship is evil. It makes one a sinner before God.
Our souls are sustained through worship. When our very lives are acts of worship, the foundation of our existence will not be shaken. Whatever you do with your hands, wherever you go with your feet, whatever you set your heart on, and whatever comes to your mind, all will be blessed. Those who worship well are blessed when they go out and blessed when they come in.
Words Reflecting the Essence of Worship
First, the Hebrew word “shachah” means “to bow down to the ground,” as seen in 2 Chronicles 20:18, symbolizing complete obedience and submission.
Second, the Hebrew word “abad” means “to serve, to worship.” This refers to worshiping wholeheartedly and sincerely, not superficially or hypocritically.
Third, the Greek word “latreia” means “to serve or be used.” It reflects an attitude of saying to God, “Use me. Send me, and I will go.”
Fourth, the Greek word “proskuneo” means “to show reverence, to kneel and bow down.” It illustrates fully bowing and prostrating oneself, like the woman who broke the alabaster jar and kissed Jesus’ feet, symbolizing complete submission and reverence.
The Correct Posture of Worship
John 4:23-24 and Romans 12:1 teach about the fundamental posture for worship. If a worshiper is devoid of spirit and truth, it is utterly meaningless. Just as a soldier’s basic posture is standing at attention, the foundational action and posture of the Christian church is worship. If the basic posture of worship is shaken, then first, it does not bring glory to God, and second, we fail to receive grace. Reflect on your selves: have you worshiped in spirit and truth?
Worship is the time to meet God. According to Scripture, God instructs, “Worship in the place I have designated, in the church I purchased with my blood, so that you may meet Me.” Have you not read these passages? Worship must be offered with joy before the Lord your God in the place He has chosen (Deut 12:18, 16:15).
Thus, Deuteronomy 6:5 teaches that if you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, you cannot neglect worship. The original meaning of worship is “to serve”, honoring, bowing down, and devoutly revering God with all your heart. However, the Jews and Samaritans mentioned in today’s passage offered worship incorrectly. Therefore, Jesus went to teach the essence of worship and to reveal the Father.
1) Worship in Spirit and Truth
Both Jews and Greeks offered worship without spirit and truth. The worship of the Jews was a formal ritual that lacked spirit. Truth means the essence of the true Word, the real truth. True worship is not based on human assumptions or realizations but on receiving and understanding the truth of God’s Word. Only then does true worship begin. Truth is not a shadow but the sub
stance, and the central figure of that substance is Jesus Christ.
In John 4:23, when Jesus said, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,” the Samaritan woman opened her eyes and understood the Word in spirit and truth. The woman, upon realizing this, abandoned her water jar and went to the Samaritan city to proclaim that she had met the One who was to come, prompting every one to come out. When Jesus spoke about worship, the townspeople told the Samaritan woman, “We came because you called us, but now we believe not because of you, but because His Word is true.” We must receive the Word in order to understand, realize, and believe in worship in spirit and truth.
2) Worship of offering oneself as a sacrifice
When offering a sacrifice in the church, you obviously cannot offer a wailing live animal. Similarly, for worshipers to offer a living sacrifice, they must die. As Galatians 2:20 states, one must be crucified with Christ through faith. During worship, one’s stubbornness, desires, and hardness of heart must die with Christ on the cross. Worship should only be filled with “Amen” and “Hallelujah.”
Romans 12:1 and onward declare that when one is crucified with Christ, they become a living sacrifice, which is a spiritual act of worship. Dear Saints, have you fully crucified yourselves with Christ? If so, why are you still stubborn and self-willed? God declares, “Your body is not your own, but mine!” Because God sacrificed His Son to redeem us, we can offer spiritual worship (1 Cor 6:19).
(1) Personal worship as a living sacrifice
Spiritual worship is offering one’s body, mind, and spirit to God. This involves a servant-like attitude for the Lord, humility before the Lord, helping the poor for the Lord, suppressing one’s pride for the Lord and His church, and refraining from anger or irritability or temper, patiently enduring for the Lord.
(2) Worship with godly actions and appearance
Worship cannot be offered while filled with anger or resentment. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says to “abstain from every form of evil.” Before coming to worship, reconcile with any enemies, and then offer worship to God. This is true worship. As Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15-19 teach, we must correct our improper habits in worship. Resolve conflicts with friends and fellow believers. Only then can your worship be true and holy.
Having excuses to not attend worship is ultimately an issue of priorities. Worship must be the top priority. When worship is placed first, everything else naturally falls into place. People skip worship because they are preoccupied with worldly matters. Psalm 39:6 and Luke 12:16-17, 21 caution, “Why do you run around so busily? Do you know who will ultimately take possession
of the wealth you accumulate?”
In the Old Testament, it was required to have at least ten men gathered for worship to be recognized in Jewish society. Women were often excluded from being counted, and even if a hundred gathered, they were not considered equivalent to one count. They were dismissed and kicked out. However, Jesus broke and overturned this tradition. In Matthew 18:20, He stated, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” How much simpler it has become!
Jesus emphasized that worship is directed solely to God and that the temple is originally His Father’s house. In all of Scripture starting from Genesis, only Jesus referred to the temple and the church as “My Father’s house” (Luke 2:49-50). Even His earthly parents did not understand His words.
In the Old Testament, God was usually referred to as Jehovah, Elohim, or Adonai(Lord), but not “Father.” The term “Father” appears only 14 times in the Old Testament, and even then, it was sparsely used. The Israelites had forgotten the few times God referred to Himself as Father through prophets like Moses. But a 12-year-old boy, Jesus, declared, “My Father’s house.” Later, when Jesus said, “The Father sent me” and “I and the Father are one,” the Jews sought to stone Him to death(John 8).
When Jesus went up to Jerusalem for Passover at the age of 12 and his parents came looking for him in the temple, Jesus said in Luke 2:49, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” A renowned theologian highlighted the Greek word “dei” in this passage, which signifies an absolute and essential priority. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Didn’t you know that being in my Father’s house is an absolute, essential priority?”
His parents likely returned home having learned the true meaning of worship.
Worship in the Father’s house must take precedence over one’s spouse, family, work, or any other concern. God has said, “I will meet you in the church” (Exod 25:22; 29:42-43; 30:6, 36; Deut 4:29), and He eagerly waits to meet us in the church He purchased with His blood. Just as one reports and consults with parents, one should report and consult with God (1 Kgs 9:3, 52; 2 Chr 7:15-16; 6:19; 1 Kgs 8:28-29; Deut 12:11; Neh 1:6).
The prophet Isaiah urged us to seek God in the temple (Isa 55:6). God promises that if we wholeheartedly seek Him in the church, we will find Him (Jer 29:13-14). Have you come prepared with this kind of heart, in prayer and readiness, to meet God? Amos 4:12 advises us to prepare ourselves to meet God. Simply rushing in without prayer, thinking, “It’s Sunday; so I should go to church,” will not suffice.
John 2:13-22 describes Jesus cleansing the temple at the beginning of His ministry, while Matthew 21:12-13 recounts Him doing so near the end. On both occasions, Jesus entered the temple to meet and consult with His Father, but He found chaos. He fashioned a whip, overturned the tables of the money changers, and drove out the merchants, declaring, “You have turned my Father’s house, a house of prayer, into a den of thieves.” The place meant for worship and meeting God had become a den of thieves. We must examine whether our hearts have become aden of thieves, filled with deceitful or bitter thoughts, a heart that steals.
The Key to Successful Worship is Con-centration
Imagine how complicated the process would be to enter the White House and meet the President. Yet, meeting God is simple. If you devote yourself fully, focus your heart, and direct your attention only to God, you can pass and be accepted. Despite this, some still neglect worship. Isn’t that true?
Concentration, or focus, is about gathering the mind in one place. Without focus, no matter how much effort you put into worship, it amounts to nothing. God observes whether you worship with all your heart and devotion. He promises to seek those who worship in spirit and in truth. You must focus when listening to God’s Word, when singing hymns, and when praying. This way, your prayers won’t become repetitive, but instead will be powerful and answered quickly. When you offer worship with full concentration, I believe God will surely seek you out. True worship involves prostrating yourself completely, bowing down from head to toe, with a heart that says, “Yes, I will obey.” Worship means filling your heart entirely with God and offering it with the hope that He will find you. I hope today’s worship becomes a genuine act of devotion, with hearts full of anticipation for meeting God. May all who have come to worship Him today experience the blessing of encountering Him, and I pray this and bless you in the name of the Lord.
Let us pray
As we read in the Scriptures, the object of our worship is God alone. Nothing else can replace or substitute Him as the focus of our worship. Even now, You have said that You are present here at Pyungkang Cheil Church, seeking those who worship inspirit and in truth. Lord, please come to us. Worship is mankind’s unique privilege and our rightful original place as Your creation. May we all bow before You, trust in You alone, rely on You alone, serve You alone, and truly worship You. We kneel before You, Lord. We kiss Your hand in reverence. Grant us the amazing blessing and grace to consider worship the greatest blessing of our lives. Help us make worship the highest priority and the most important habit in our lives. Bestow Your grace upon us, give us understanding, bless us, and work within us so that worship remains central in all we do.
Even if we have failed up until today and everything has been blocked, help us to live with worship as our top priority so that we may receive the blessing of success in all things. We lift all these prayers and desires in the holy name of Jesus Christ, with thanksgiving. Amen.
Sermon on Sunday, February 25, 2007
*This post can also be read in 'Champyungan'. (http://champyungan.com)
God’s Love
