I.The Focus Of Worship
A. Focus is on God The Father
1.John 4:23 – “But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
I’m sure you are familiar with horse blinders or blinkers, which are pieces of leather placed on either side of a horse’s head, to insure his focus stays on what’s going on front of him. I’m confident, that there are times in each of our lives, during any given worship experience, whether private or corporate, when our Heavenly Father wishes that we were wearing blinders. Imagine this, I’m in a conversation with you, where both of us are completely engrossed in what the other has to say. We are exchanging ideas and information. We are both making incredible eye contact, and then suddenly, without any warning, without any excuse, I walk off and start talking with someone else. Your immediate thought would be “How Rude!” And rightfully so! But, that is exactly what we do to God when we involve ourselves in worship and we become distracted by what ever. Someone said it this way, “The practice of our praise and worship is not preliminary to or a precursor to any other function. It is not pre-empted or precluded by announcements, church business or any other non - worship act.
B. Through God The Son
1.John 14:6 – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”
The context of this verse is Jesus’ response to His disciples when they were troubled over His going away. Thomas said in verse 5, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how can we know the way?” And Jesus’ response was “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but through me.” Now the application of this verse, to be sure, is the salvation He will provide through His death on the cross, which culminated with the resurrection, insuring that those who believe and receive Jesus as Lord, would soon follow Him to His destination, which was heaven. In short, it is only through a personal relationship with God the Father, through the blood shed by Jesus on Calvary’s cross, that we as His creation have any chance of knowing experientially the wonder of worshiping Almighty God and the joy of being in His presence.
C. In the Power Of God The Holy Spirit
1.Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
The Bible is very clear when it describes the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I said to you.” He is also described as the Comforter, the Counselor, the Advocate, the Intercessor, the Spirit of Truth, a reference to Jesus’ statement of “worshiping the Father in Spirit and in Truth.” The Greek word is Paracletos, meaning, one called along side to help. In essence we worship the ‘Trinity,’ God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, because in reality if you worship one, you worship all three. “I and My Father are One.” We are Monotheistic in our Doctrine. 1 Corinthians 8:6 states, “There is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul says, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” The Trinity could be described like this, ice, water and steam, all three H2O, but in different forms, with unique functions and characteristics. The Three in One, the Triune God. “But without Me, you can do nothing.”
