How often we sense there should be more to our worship, or perhaps we are not quite aware that there is more. The study of the Book of John will help us realise ‘true worship’ as we delve deeper to know our Saviour. The main theme for this study is based on John 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS 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.” It begins with posturing our hearts and listening to Him speak and then appropriating all that He says.
What is true worship? Is it an external showing or is it an internal knowing? The meaning of worship comes from an old English word, “worth-ship.” It means to demonstratively attribute worth and value to God. Understanding what deserves worth and value, like in a good recipe, must be well-studied and followed. If the information is half-baked, the cake may look good externally; but when you bite into it, you know it is not fit for the shelves. So it is with worship, far more impactful for our lives with eternal consequences.
When Jesus addressed the Samaritan woman, He addressed her preconceived beliefs. Follow along with their conversation in John 4:19-21,“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus corrects the faulty belief and presents a comforting fact “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” This conversation follows a profound truth Jesus shared with the woman about “living waters” in verses 13-14 of the same chapter, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
When we worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, we are guided by the Spirit to worship in truth, He who is Truth – Jesus. We are worshiping Him based on what He has said about Himself. He is the Alpha & Omega. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His character and attributes help us understand His sovereignty in creation and how His plan and purposes are ordained to bring, “His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” It is guaranteed to be filled with His goodness and not randomness. If we do not understand His character and attributes, we will always be at a loss and miss out on the intimacy of worship. Hence we will study the Book of John, to have a genuineness and authenticity to our worship based on an intimate knowledge of Him.
Worship is more than a melody. We worship in song, we worship in sermon, we worship in prayer. We simply worship with each moment God has given us. We worship when the sun shines or if it hides behind the clouds. We worship in the darkest valleys and in the highest heights. We worship with every breath we breathe. We worship based on His Worth-ship, all of which we learn from His Word. This Worth-ship changes and transforms us as He steps into the realities of our lives and bears us up in the reality of who He is. Demons shudder when we worship correctly based on God’s Word and not man’s half-baked deliberations about Him. Psalm 145:18 assures us that, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in Truth.” The truth part is crucial! When we express God’s truth, we depress the enemy’s lies.
Our lessons will end each week with two challenge questions – Lord, what are You saying to me? And what are You calling me to do about it? Come let us learn to worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, to see a life brimming with indefatigable JOY, undergirded STRENGTH, and undimmed HOPE.
