Worship: in spirit and in truth

My husband and I were talking with a friend some time ago who told us that he was looking for a church to be part of.  He wanted it to be doctrinally sound, but his main criterion was that it be a place where people were passionate for God.

Many times a church that is focused on holding fast to the principles of Scripture may be considered boring; whereas a church that’s really "on fire" for God may let doctrine slide.  So, can those two things co-exist?

In God’s mind, they must.  Ezekiel 28:14 describes a scene in Heaven- “…You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.”  Dr. Campbell Morgan, commenting on that verse said: “What a strange bringing together of contradictions!  ‘Stones of fire’.  A stone is the last embodiment of principle- hard and cold.  Fire is the essence of passion- warm and energizing.  Put the two together, and we have stones- principle; fire- passion; principle shot through with passion, passion held by principle.”

God’s valuation of the importance of the connection between principle and passion can be seen in John 4:23- "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.”

The Father is seeking those who will worship Him in both spirit and in truth.

To worship in spirit is a worship that comes from our hearts, not merely going through the motions of outward ceremonies. 

To worship in truth means that our worship must be based on the authority of Scripture and carried out within the parameters set forth in the Scriptures.

Principle and passion; spirit and truth-  the Lord desires both together in our worship of Him.  

I looked at some “kids worship” on the internet to see what different churches are teaching their children about worship.  I saw a lot of energy and a lot of emotion, but is that worshipping in spirit?  Does passion for God need to be loud and exuberant to be real?

Looking at “adult worship” raised other questions:  Is having women lead or vocally participate in a church worship service okay if they really love the Lord?  Can truth be sacrificed as long as I feel that my heart is right before God? 

One thing we need to understand is that worship is not something that we schedule to do at a particular time; it is a response to the Lord Himself.

What does an individual who worships in spirit and truth look like?

Daniel is a man who fits this description- Daniel 9:23 tells us that he was “greatly beloved” or “highly esteemed” by God.  Daniel was a man of prayer, and one who knew the Scriptures.  He consistently spent time with the Lord.  And as he did, his heart was drawn out in love for the Person of God.  Daniel’s attitude before God was one of humility and reverence. His vibrant relationship with the Lord affected Daniel’s daily life.  His testimony before unbelievers was that he had an excellent spirit and that he was blameless in his conduct.  He also had a love for the lost and spoke the Word of God with boldness.  These are the qualities of a person who worships in spirit and in truth. 

What does a church which worships in spirit and in truth look like?

Let’s look at the example of the early Church in Jerusalem in Acts 4:24-33.

These believers were of one heart because the hearts of each individual that made up this local body were fixed on Christ.  They were a body that knew the Scriptures- we know that because they preached from the Scriptures and they prayed Scripture.  They held fast to the truth of God’s Word and to the Lord Himself.  They were a body that practiced the roles that God has set forth for men and women.  They worshipped God together, they thanked God together, and their chief desire was that He would be glorified.  Sin in the body was dealt with.  They prayed bold prayers and God answered them.  In this passage, when they had prayed, the place was shaken—a physical expression of the spiritual power that was present.  The grace of God shone forth from their lives.  In love, they ministered to the needs of one another and they spoke the Word of God with boldness to each other and to the lost. 

This is what God desires- worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth.  We see that it is a real possibility because God has recorded it for us from the lives of real people. 

So, where am I?  

Am I someone who worships in spirit and in truth?  I need to go before the Lord and let Him show me what needs to change in my life. 

What about my local church? 

What do we as individuals, and as a body, need to be doing differently to worship in a way that does honor the Lord?  Again, we need to go before Him with open hearts and let Him examine us. 

May you be encouraged to be what God wants you to be as a worshipper.