Hello,Worship In Spirit And Truth
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." — John 4:24"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD." Joshua 24:13
Worship In Spirit And Truth
Jesus, in John 4:24 that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Three items we must see about the verse. First, we must have the right object to worship, that is, God. Second, we must worship in spirit, our spirit. This means that we give our whole mind, spirit, and heart in worship. Third, we must worship Him the way He prescribes for us, as found in Scripture.
Let's see the five acts of worship found in the New Testament.
1. Singing:
according to Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, we are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs without the benefit of musical instruments from our hearts to the Lord. Our singing must be a capella style - no instruments. Adding instruments is something in addition to singing. Not singing during worship means we're not worshipping in spirit and truth. This must be done each Lord's Day.
2. Prayer
, according to 1st Timothy 2:1-4, is praying in supplication, praise, thanksgiving, and entreaties. We have this in Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." We may pray for the church, all men and kings, and all who are in authority, our brethren, the local congregation, people such as elders, deacons, and the preacher, each other, and whoever needs our prayers. Leaving prayer out of worship is sinful - it's not according to God's will, 1st John 5:14-15. Prayer is a part of worship each Lord's Day.
3. Sharing the Lord's Supper
is also commanded for worship. Acts 20:7. The Saints met together on the first day of the weak to break bread. This is not the sharing of a meal but an act of worship as shown by the context in which Paul preached. Not taking the Lord's Supper is a spiritually dangerous thing. Make sure your heart and mind are in keeping with Paul's instruction in 1st Corinthians 11:11-34. The Lord commanded us to remember Him, His sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection as commanded in Matthew 26:26-29. In worshipping in spirit and truth, the church must take the Lord's Supper.
4. The Lord requires the giving of our resources
. See 1st Corinthians 6:1-2 and 2nd Corinthians 9:6-12. Give liberally for God loves a cheerful giver. Give according to your means, meaning do your best to give liberally from what you have. This is not something that can be left out of worship. Leaving this off means going against God's commands, and that means sin.
5. Preach the Word
, 2nd Timothy 4:1-2. Preachers are to preach, sometimes at their own peril. Sound preaching sometimes leads to personal difficulty. Preachers serve the Lord with truth; they serve men and women by appealing to their hearts and minds to repentance and righteous living. Colossians 1:28, Acts 24:16, 2nd Corinthians 6:4, and 1st Thessalonians 2:4 and vs. 8 are verses about preaching. Leaving off preaching from worship means we're ignoring God's will, and that's a dangerous position indeed, Romans 10:11-17.
All of these acts are part of a local church's worship. Therefore, all must be done else that means sin. Don't trivialize these items. We are not free to devise worship. Don't lose the candlestick where you attend. Step up and say something if it appears any one of these five acts are missing from the Lord's Day worship.
Friends, live like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are within you. Live in love. Be at peace.
Worksheets: Click to download and print the
Garland Van Dyke
[email protected]www.biblepoints.org/bible-pointshttp://www.mattewsstreetchurchofchrist.comhttps://www.facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchrist/
This message is from Garland Van Dyke at Bible Points!Matthews St. church of ChristPO Box 1522, Bay City, TX. 774141915 Matthews Street, Bay City, TX. 77414(979) 245-8782Contact me at [email protected]www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchristWant your own copy of our devotional in your inbox? biblepoints.org/bible-points(It's weekly, and we don't bombard you with stuff!)
