We are commanded to worship God. Worship God – that is the most often repeated commandment in the Bible, in one form or another. And, it is the most frequently disobeyed.
Scripture teaches us to praise and honor God in private, individual worship. As families we are ordered to recognize and praise the God above. Then, we are to worship as local gatherings of believers, as churches.
It is not optional. “Worship God,” Scripture orders.
Nor, is this to be an artificial act we do mechanically. No, God has decided how we must approach Him. A good text to study here is in John 4 where Jesus is instructing the woman of Samaria. He brings out God’s requirements for proper worship. In shocked silence, she hears the Lord say of the Samaritans, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know!” (verse 22). Thus, God’s first requirement is
I. WE MUST KNOW GOD
It is futile to worship an unknown God. Tell me not of your great earnestness and zeal in religious exercises but, friend, what do you KNOW of God? Here was a woman who had great interest in spiritual matters. Oh yes, she worshipped. But, says Jesus, “You worship what you do not know.” Her
life, too, showed defeat and despair. She lived in wretched immorality.
So it was that the religious people of Lystra stoned the Apostle Paul when he corrected their wrong ideas of God, Acts l4:8 and following. He faced this ignorance again in Athens and began his message: “So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you,” Acts 17:23. (Study these sections to learn about God’s nature.)
Jesus remonstrated with the Sadducees, religious leaders of His day: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God,” Mat. 22:29.
So, Jesus touched the sore spot there in Samaria when He said, “You worship what you do not know.” That must not be!
“We worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews,” so continues Jesus in John 4:22. This opens up the secret. We CAN know God. This essential knowledge comes through salvation.
What mockery for men to decide their own fanciful methods of reaching God. It is foolish to imagine that the great unseen God is happy with our ignorant worship, when we rebelliously reject His way of worship. We must first get to know Him through Jesus Christ. Repent of sins and go to Jesus
in prayer. Then you will get to know God. Study John 14:6, 9 and 20:28-31.
Who God is determines everything about our worship. Read the Psalms and you will find God’s loving kindness drawing you. His glory and majesty bend us low. His holiness presses us to the cross of
Christ for forgiveness. His goodness and power fill and thrill the heart with gratitude and praise.
Read on in our text chapter and see what happens to the Samaritan woman.
II. WE MUST APPROACH GOD IN THE RIGHT MANNER
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth,” 24. Wholesome balance is required in acceptable worship. We must worship in spirit and in truth.
First, to worship spiritually lifts the whole matter above that of a physical location. The woman was set to argue against having to go into Jerusalem where the temple was, but Jesus showed her she
she had an entirely wrong idea of God, verse 20 and following. This concept is important to those whose church buildings are closed in any emergency. They can still worship together by meeting in
small flocks out where they live. United worship is commanded in the Bible and it does not have to be surrendered even if church buildings are not available.
If the energy crisis becomes very extreme, we have experienced men in every area who will be prepared to shepherd and lead corporate worship of our God. Our church worship should not falter.
Again, if the worship is in spirit, it will be satisfying, enthusiastic, hearty. Some have sat in church pews for years without giving an ounce of real effort in serving during the service. Some are
frozen in the quiet ice of the esthetics. They like the artistry and beauty of the sanctuary or the service form. Others thrive on the emotions. Give them ecstasy, noise and high feelings.
But there has to be the balance of truth. God must be worshipped, honored, thanked for what He reveals of Himself in Scripture.
Spirit and truth in balance. That is what is needed. Either one without the other leads to extremes: misguided zeal of dead-letter, frozen orthodoxy.
HERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS WHICH WILL HELP YOUR WORSHIP TO MEET GOD’S REQUIREMENTS:
1. Learn of God all week long. Don’t put worship off until Sunday. List on note paper descriptions and thoughts about the character of God – from your daily Bible readings.
2. Guard your Saturday nights. Do not let weekends become undisciplined, selfish. Come fresh and rested before God on Sunday mornings.
3. Give God each Lord’s Day, worshipping in your own church with your family.
4. Observe basic rules of respect during worship services. Be in your seat on time, prayerfully preparing your heart for worship. Never go in or out during Scripture reading or the offering of special music. Take young children to the restroom before each service.
5. Participate; don’t spectate! God commands us to sing. Whether we are musicians or not, we are ordered to give up our vocal offering to our God in hymns of praise. If we only stand there silent, it is wrong. We either sing or sin. So it is when another leads in prayer, all are called on to
make it silently their prayer. An audible, united “amen” at the conclusion is very much in order.
With a bit of thought, it can be seen that worship is the antithesis of rebellion. God calls us to absolute surrender. We not only must submit but we must become His servants – giving up to Him
worship and praise.
Our rebellious, stiff hearts resist this. Enthusiasm goes. Thoughts wander. Attitudes chill and stiffen, Many are lifeless, glum and numb when worship time comes. You must choose to worship. Where there is no will, there is no worship. “They that worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth.”
See you Sunday — all prepared!