The Heart Of Worship

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:21-24

In this passage Jesus gives us a formula for true worship

1. “in spirit” = the level at which true worship takes place

2. “in truth” = worshiping in truth involves the truth of the Father, revealed in the Son, and received through the Spirit because truth is God’s very nature and characteristic

*True worship comes from a heart that is fully devoted to the Lord

The word “worship” is derived from an Old English word “worthship”

*Worship is God-centered not man-centered

1. TRUE WORSHIP IS SACRIFICIAL

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will WORSHIP and then we will come back to you.”

Genesis 22:2-5

Abraham called the sacrificing of his own son worship

Abraham understood that true worship was not free -- but rather involved giving to the Lord

A true worshiper is not concerned with what worship costs him/her (friends, family, reputation, social status)

The dearest thing in your life will determine the level of worship to which you will be able to go. Will you be able to lay it down?

2. TRUE WORSHIP IS REVERENTIAL

But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

Psalm 5:7

True worship is not done in a half-hearted, lackadaisical manner; it flows from a heart of reverence and respect for God

A reverent worshiper dwells in the presence of God, because that individual always welcomes God; and God is able to manifest Himself on that person’s behalf

When God shows up, our response determines the outcome

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

Joshua 5:13-14

Joshua’s response to the presence of the Lord reveals his heart of reverential worship—as a result Jericho fell

3. TRUE WORSHIP IS GUTSY

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ”Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Daniel 3:28

In the face of death, these young men refused to bow to anyone or anything except God Himself

A worshiper of God is not weak; it takes more guts to make a stand for God than to follow the crowd

4. TRUE WORSHIP IS UNDIGNIFIED

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”

2 Samuel 6:20-22

“Undignified” = to totally not care about anyone else’s opinion about you at any given time. It just really doesn’t matter how you are supposed to act or behave, cause you just feel the need to let loose and be a little crazy or different. (Rod’s definition)