The Worshipers God Is Seeking

The Worshiper God Seeks

**Romans 12:1** — *"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship."*

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Everyone seeks a better environment. A better job, a better home, a more comfortable life. But the Bible tells us that God, too, is seeking something. Jesus said to the woman at the well: *"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."* (John 4:23)

**God is seeking worshipers.** Throughout Scripture, we see this pursuit continuing: *"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."* (2 Chronicles 16:9) *"The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."* (Psalm 14:2)

God called Abraham. He brought Israel out of Egypt. Jesus sought out the Samaritan woman. All of it was to raise up worshipers. And the reason God has saved you and me today is the same — **He has called us to be worshipers.**

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## So then, what is worship?

The text says: *"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship."* (Romans 12:1)

**Worship is a life that pleases God.** The Apostle Paul writes: *"We make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."* (2 Corinthians 5:9) And again: *"Find out what pleases the Lord."* (Ephesians 5:10) A worshiper is someone who lives asking the question: *"How can I please God?"*

We please God by doing His will. Jesus summarized God's two greatest commandments: love God, and love your neighbor. These are not only the greatest commands but the summary of all commands. Therefore, worship can be described as the act of loving God and loving our neighbor. The writer of Hebrews confirms: *"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."* (Hebrews 13:15–16) Praising God and serving others in love — these are the sacrifices that please Him.

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## How then can we become true worshipers?

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### 1. We Must Yearn for God and Grow in Knowing Him

God said to Israel: *"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."* (Hosea 6:6) God desires that His people know Him more than He desires the act of sacrifice itself. The prophet Hosea declares that Israel was destroyed not because they stopped offering sacrifices, but because *"my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."* (Hosea 4:6) Their failure in worship was not a failure of ritual — it was a failure to know God.

What about us today? We attend worship services every week, but are we, like Israel, failing to grow in the knowledge of God? God is not seeking those who attend worship ceremonies — **He is seeking worshipers.** Like David, who thirsted for God even in a dry and parched land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1), who declared God's words *"more precious than gold… sweeter than honey"* (Psalm 19:10) — those who truly hunger for God and treasure His Word are the ones living the life of a true worshiper.

What allowed the Apostle Paul to love the Lord so deeply? *"I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."* (Philippians 3:8) *"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."* (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Whether or not we are worshipers pleasing to God is determined by **how closely we draw near to His Word today** and **how earnestly we pursue knowing Him.** We can only worship God to the extent that we know Him — only to the degree that we have grasped His love. The confession *"in view of God's mercy"* can only arise in the heart of one who truly knows that mercy. That is when true worship becomes possible.

Are you attending weekly worship services, yet genuinely thirsting for God and prioritizing the knowledge of Him? If not, we are those who seek the satisfaction the world offers — and we can never truly please God. Only those who grow in knowing God through His Word can become the worshipers He delights in.