“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. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 NLT
- Worship is an outward expression, ascribing worth and value to something or someone.
Expressions of worship:
Thankfulness (Psalm 100:4), Lifting of the hands (Psalm 134:2), Celebration and dancing (Psalm 149:3), Kneel and bow (Psalm 95:6), Instruments (Psalm 144:9), Singing (Psalm 98:1), Clapping (Psalm 47:1)
- Worship is an inward experience of transferring ultimate value to its proper place.
- Worship for us is a way of life. (Psalm 15, 19:14, 1 Corinthians 10:31)
“Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 NASB
To Worship The Way The Father Want
- I need community
“Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving, Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments…Come, let’s worship and bow down, Let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God…,” Psalm 95 1-2, 6-7 NASB
- I need truth
“For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are also His. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95:3-5 NASB
Truth is about Whom we worship
Truth unites the community
- I need the Holy Spirit
“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV
Spirit is about how we worship
- I need to rest
Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: “Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’ Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They’ll never get where they’re headed, never be able to sit down and rest.’” Psalm 95:8-11 MSG
“For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest!” Hebrews 4:3 TPT
Our Father wants us to worship Him by resting in His perfect love and rest from self-effort, religion, legalism, and works.