John 4:19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
What if we did not wait until theend of life to focus on the center of the target?
Is worship, then, essentially an experience or feeling? Is it to be identified with a special sense of the presence of God, or with some kind of religious ecstasy, or with expressions of deep humiliation before God? Are there special moments in a Christian meeting when we are truly “worshiping” God? Are church services to be measured by the extent to which they enable the participants to enter into such experiences? Such a subjective approach is often reflected in the comments people make about Christian gatherings, but it has little to do with biblical teaching on the matter.
1. Worship is more than a Song
Matthew 15:8 These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
PROBLEM: God continually has to remind people to worship from heart vs forms and traditions and styles that get all the attention!
2. Worship Doesn’t Start and Stop
Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth."
It is the comprehensive expression of my devotion!
1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
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 act of worship.
Colossians 3:17 We worship God when we do whatever we do, “in word or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”
3. Worship is Giving HONOR
“Worship is our response to what we value most”
Temptation in life is to HONOR something other than God
Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only
Revelation 5:12 Describes one deserving worship "In a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!'
Job 1:20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship.
