God Seeks True Worshipers 5-31-26 AM

I.            The absolute of worship.

a.      Jesus says those what worship God must worship in spirit and in truth.

b.      The word must tells us that this is not optional.

c.       There are some matters in Scripture that are shown to be absolute necessities.

           i.      Faith (Heb. 11:6).

           ii.      Belief and baptism (Mk. 16:16).

           iii.      Proper worship (John 4:24).

d.      “Must” modifies three vital elements of worship:

           i.      The object of worship – God.

           ii.      The attitude of worship – in spirit.

           iii.      The standard of worship – in truth.

e.      Jesus does not say:

           i.      Worship however you feel led.

           ii.      Worship according to your personality.

           iii.      Worship according to what draws the biggest crowds.

f.        Jesus says worship must be aimed at God, offered from the heart, and governed by truth.

g.      There are some words we understand as non-negotiable.

           i.      If a doctor says, you must take this medicine with food, that is not a suggestion.

           ii.      If a bridge sign says, trucks must not exceed this weight, that is not a preference.

           iii.      If a child is running towards the road and a parent shouts, you must stop, the strength of the word comes from the seriousness of the moment.

h.     Jesus uses this kind of word for worship.

i.       We cannot treat worship as casual, optional, or customizable.

j.       If God has spoken about worship, then reverence demands we listen to Him.

k.     We can’t remove the must from worship any more than we can remove the must from faith, belief, or baptism.

l.       Worship is not optional because God’s will is not optional.

II.            The action of worship.

a.     Jesus says, “Those who worship Him…”

b.     Worship is something offered to God, not merely watched.

          i.      It is not a religious performance attended by spectators.

          ii.      The word used in this text is connected to reverence, bowing, and humble honor before one who is worthy.

          iii.      Worship carries the idea of recognizing God’s worth and responding with reverence.

c.     Other New Testament words connected to worship and service emphasize awe, devotion, and religious service before God.

d.     This means true worship requires participation.

          i.      We are not the audience, God is.

          ii.      We are not spectators.

          iii.      We are worshipers.

e.      Think about a wedding.

          i.      The guests may watch, but the bride and groom are not there to merely observe.

          ii.      They are there to participate by speaking vows.

          iii.      They are there to give themselves to one another.

f.       In worship, we are not watching someone else do something spiritual – we are joining together to honor God.

g.     In each act of worship, the question is not “Was I present?” but “Did I offer this to God?”

h.     This should change how we enter worship.

          i.      We did not come to critique the song leader or the preacher.

          ii.      We come as servants of God, offering reverence to Him.

i.       We can sit in a pew and never truly worship.

j.       We can sing with our lips but not from our hearts.

k.     We can bow during a prayer and never truly pray.

l.       God seeks worshipers, not spectators.

m.    Worship is something we offer, not something we watch.

III.            The aim of worship.

a.     “Those who worship HIM” – God is the aim of worship.

b.     This is one of the most needed corrections of our time.

          i.      Worship is not aimed at my preference, comfort, emotions, entertainment, or my tradition.

          ii.      Worship is aimed at God.

c.      Jesus made this clear when Satan tempted Him (Matt. 4:10).

d.     God alone is worthy of worship and this removes every other possible object of worship.

          i.      Not angels.

          ii.      Not religious leaders.

          iii.      Not tradition.

          iv.      Not personal preference.

          v.      Not the crowd.

          vi.      Especially not self.

e.      God alone is the center, object, and audience of worship.

f.       Sometimes, after a worship service we may ask some questions:

          i.      Did you like the songs?

          ii.      Was the sermon good or interesting?

          iii.      Was the service too long?

          iv.      These are probably all natural reactions but they should not be the first questions asked.

g.     The best question we can ask is: Was God glorified and honored?

h.     When we substitute what we like for what God commands, we have made ourselves the aim of worship.

i.       This is why the statement, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” can reveal a big misunderstanding.

          i.      Worship does strengthen us.

          ii.      We do receive encouragement, correction, and are built up.

          iii.      But worship is first and foremost something we give to God.

j.        If I don’t get anything out of it, it is probably because I put nothing into it.

k.      Worship goes wrong when self replaces God at the center.

IV.            The attitude of worship.

a.      Jesus says we must worship in spirit.

b.      At a minimum, this means worship must come from the inner person – sincere, heartfelt, reverent, and spiritually engaged.

c.       New Testament worship is spiritual in nature.

           i.      We are to offer “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Pe. 2:5).

           ii.      Heb. 10:22.

           iii.      Our singing is to be from the heart (Eph. 5:19).

d.      Worship is not merely outward correctness – the heart must be involved.

e.      This is true in everyday relationships.

           i.      A husband can bring flowers to his wife with no affection.

           ii.      A child can say “I’m sorry” with no repentance.

           iii.      A person can shake your hand while looking past you.

f.       The outward act may be present, but the heart is absent.

g.      God does not just receive motions, He also sees hearts.

h.      To worship in spirit, we need to prepare our hearts.

           i.      This may mean arriving early instead of rushing in distracted and distracting others.

           ii.      It may mean praying before worship begins.

           iii.      It means putting our phones down unless we are using for the Bible app.

           iv.      It means refusing to let frustration, boredom, or criticism take over our hearts.

i.        We must remember that God is present when we worship.

           i.      Ps. 89:7.

           ii.      Hab. 2:20.

           iii.      Jesus was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which indicated His presence among the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 1.

j.        Worship should never be some heartless routine.

k.      God wants more than our presence; He wants our hearts.

V.            The authority of worship.

a.      Jesus says we must worship in truth.

b.      God’s word is truth (Jn. 17:17).

c.      Our worship is governed by the authority of Christ (Col. 3:17).

d.      To do something in the name of the Lord means to act under His authority.

e.      Scripture warns us that not all worship is acceptable worship.

           i.      There is vain worship (Matt. 15:9).

           ii.      There is ignorant worship (Acts 17:23).

           iii.      There is will worship (Col. 2:23).

f.        Sincerity alone is not enough.

g.      Worship is to be both heartfelt and truthful.

h.      There are five ways, or avenues, of worship authorized by the New Testament.

           i.      Singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

           ii.      Praying (Ac. 2:42).

           iii.      Preaching God’s word (Ac. 20:7).

           iv.      Partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20-30).

           v.      Giving of our means (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

i.        Each act must be carried out according to God’s instruction, not man’s invention.

j.        In worship, God has not left us without direction – truth is the blueprint.

k.      Worship is not driven by the question, “What do people want?”

l.        The only question that matters is, “What has God authorized?”

m.    Spirit without truth becomes emotionalism.

n.      Truth without spirit becomes cold formalism.

o.      Jesus requires both.

p.      We are not choosing between reverence and obedience.

q.      We are not choosing between heart and scripture.

r.       God seeks worshipers who bring Him both.

s.       True worship needs both a surrendered heart and a submitted will.