God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

Two people went to a church service one Sunday. The one individual believed that doing so would win God's favor. The other individual went out of gratitude for their new birth through Christ. Which individual was there in a true spirit of worship?

Attending a "worship service" implies that worship will occur, but the unsettling truth is that it is not guaranteed. Jesus leveled an accusation that "in vain do they worship me" Mark 7:7. If vain worship is a possibility, how do God's people guard against it?

Jesus' discussion with a woman at a well (John 4:19-24) is revealing. For one, He makes it clear that worship is not a matter of "externals," such as place and form, but rather something internal - deep, personal, and real. It must be "in spirit and truth" - a right attitude aligned with clear biblical truth. In particular, both the "spirit" (attitude) and the truth of this great passage must be in focus: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

Genuine worship is first and foremost deeply personal and authentic. It cannot be meaningless and repetitive ritual, but something done with mind, heart, and emotion. It can be done corporately, with a group, but it ultimately is about what goes on within us. It is our attitude toward the greatness and glory of God, and our response to His goodness and His truth.

Worship must be realistic, according to our understanding of truth. As such, it must be growing and changing, even as we grow and change in response to our journey in faith and truth.

At best, all the church can do on Sunday mornings is to provide an opportunity for us to worship. Leaders of the service can provide an occasion for us to do so, but worship must spring from the human heart.

May your day be one of worship in spirit and truth.

Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/ & https://kingdomdreamer.blogspot.com/

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