Spirit and Truth
Part One of “Dynamic Duos” 8-30-09
THE POWER OF AGREEMENT
John 4:22-24
22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet 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. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
We were created to worship the Lord!
In John 24, Jesus is having a dialogue with a Samaritan woman.
And he tells her what is takes to be a “true” worshipper.
Sometimes, we limit worship to music.
And still, sometimes, we limit the worship of God to a particular style of music.
I’ve had people tell me that the only way to worship God is with hymns.
I love hymns. But hymns are not the only way to worship God.
In fact, the Bible in Ephesians 5:19 – Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.
So, we are different. People are different.
And sometimes, we enjoy different music/worship styles.
In John 4, Jesus has an encounter with a Samaritan woman.
Jesus emphasizes the importance of “balance” in worship.
Spirit and Truth.
When you combine Spirit with Truth, it becomes a Dynamic Duo.
There is power in agreement!
People who have spirit in their worship and no truth fall into the trap of liberalism.
People who have truth in their worship and no spirit fall into the trap of legalism. (Example: Pharisees)
Jesus speaks this Samaritan woman about being a “true” worshipper.
Balance between Spirit and Truth.
What
does it mean to be a “true” worshipper?
I’d like to give you three characteristics of true worship.
1) True Worship is WORD-ORIENTED.
John 4:23, 24
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers 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.”
Yes a time is coming and has now come when the TRUE worshipers - (that means that there are probably FALSE worshipers) . . .
“For they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
Do you want God the Father to seek after you?
Be a worshipper!
How must we worship? In spirit and in truth.
We worship in spirit when we allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to take precedence in our worship.
When we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, then we become Spirit-led worshipers.
You see, some people want to worship the way they want to worship.
Many people say, “Well, I’ll worship the Lord the way I feel comfortable.”
That is a ‘person-led’ worship.
We must worship Him in spirit - by the Holy Spirit - and anointed by the Spirit.
Then, we are told to worship Him IN TRUTH.
Don’t let your worship be fake.
If you are gonna lift your hands to worship, let it come from your heart.
Let it be authentic and not just a show.
You may be able to fool others into thinking that you are a worshipper, but you can’t fool God.
He seeks those who worship Him in truth.
He seeks those who worship Him legitimately from the heart.
When we worship the Lord in TRUTH, we are worshipping Him according to the Word of God. The more we know about what the Word of God says about worship, the more we are able to worship Him in TRUTH.
The more we know about the WORD, Jesus Christ, the more we worship Him in TRUTH.
Because Jesus IS the way, the TRUTH, and the life!
The more we get into the Word, the greater the concept we have of God, and the more we worship Him in TRUTH!
Our worship must be WORD-oriented!
You’ve got to have an understand of who you are worshipping
You’ve got to understand why you are worshipping
And you’ve got to understand the purpose of exalting our God.
Let me give you brief overview of Seven Hebrew words for Praise . .
Yadah – to worship with the extended hand.
Root Word “yada” means to acknowledge or confess sin
Psalm 63:4 says “I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift (Yadah) up my hands.” Psalm 134:2, Psalm 141:2, Psalm 108:3
Towdah – to worship with the extended hand in adoration, rejoicing and thanksgiving. This is usually signified with hands cupped inward.
Root word “toda” to thank God for things not yet received as well as things already at hand.
Psalm 50:14 “Sacrifice thank offerings (Towdah )to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High.”
2 Chronicles 29:31, Jeremiah 30:19 Psalm 26:7
Shabach – to praise with a loud tone, to triumph, to glory and shout.
Psalm 47:1 says “O clap your hands all you nations, shout (shabach) to God with cried of joy.”
Psalm 117:1 Psalm 35:27 Isaiah 12:6
This is Warfare type of praise.
Barak – to worship by kneeling down and blessing God.
Psalm 95:6 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our Maker.”
Barak shows reverence and respect to God.
Zamar – to praise God by the touching of strings.
Psalm 150:3 “Praise (Zamar) him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise (Zamar) him with the harp and lyre.”
Psalm 150:4b “Praise (Zamar) him with the strings and flute. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Psalm 57:7-9 Psalm 147:1 Psalm 33:2, 3
Halal – to boast, to shine, to rave, to celebrate. This is where we get our word “Hallalujah”
Psalm 113:1 “Praise (halal) the Lord, Praise (Halal) O servants of the Lord, praise (halal) the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 44:8 “In God we make our boast (halal) all day long, and we will praise (Yadah) your name forever.”
Psalm 102:18, Psalm 69:34 Psalm 22:22
Many Psalms begins with Halal (Psalm 104, 105, 106)
Tehillah – the spontaneous song of the Lord.
The root word “halal” is the same as Halal, but it goes a bit further.
This type of worship is initiated by the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 96:1 “Sing to the Lord a new song (Tehilah).”
Psalm 34:1 “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise (Tehillah) will always be on my lips.”
Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song (Tehillah) in my mouth.”
Psalm 22:3 (KJV) “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
(NIV) “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
Isaiah 61:3 Isaiah 42:10 Psalm 66:2
Many worshippers never check their owner’s manual.
God’s Word is our owner’s manual and it tells us how we are worship.
If you would simply understand the Biblical principles of worship, then it will mean so much more to you.
God is not looking for singers. He is looking for worshippers. True worshippers.
God takes us to higher levels.
I’d rather be in a church service with 50 worshippers, than in a church with 500 singers.
2) True Worship must be GIVING-ORIENTED!
2 Chronicles 7:1-4
“When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his loves endures forever’ . . . (v. 4) Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord . . . “
I don’t know about you, but I desire to experience the glory of God . . .
If we are going to experience the glory of God, it must begin with an attitude of giving.
Our worship must be GIVING-oriented.
Giving is the essence of worship.
Worship is giving the Lord the glory and honor He deserves.
And when we GIVE of our tithes and offerings, we are honoring the Lord and giving glory to the Lord.
Worship must be GIVING-oriented.
In fact, ‘gifts” is a Love Language. So, when we give to the Lord, we are – in essence – saying, “Lord, I love You, and I am showing my love for You in a tangible way.”
At the dedication of Solomon’s temple, it was very evident that the people were givers.
It was very evident that the people were worshippers.
And because of that, they experienced the GLORY of GOD!
How many of you desire to experience the glory of God in the temple?
IT BEGINS IN YOUR TEMPLE.
Scripture tells us that our bodies are to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Instead of saying, “I can’t wait for Sunday to come, so that I can worship the Lord,” we can say, “I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I can worship the Lord at all times, and in every situation and wherever I go.”
Worship is to be a way of living.
Worship is meant to be a lifestyle.
In everything say and everything we do, we can worship the Lord.
Our lives, our actions, our words can bring GLORY to the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
It’s all about attitude.
When you enter worship with the spirit of expectation, you will experience His presence!
Habakkuk 3:17 speaks of worshipping the Lord through the most difficult of times:
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
If this Scripture was written today, it might read something like this:
Though my car needs new brakes and my house needs new carpet.
Though my boss makes me work overtime, and my co-workers are a pain.
Though I’ve got lots of bills to pay and not enough hours in a day.
Though my car stopped cruising and the Cowboys keep losing,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will worship the Lord!
I will give to the Lord, anyway!
Some of you are sitting here today, and you’re not experiencing what true worship is all about. God is calling you to a higher level of worship.
Some of you have allowed your worship to become stale. You need a fresh anointing of God upon your worship.
Some of you have been holding back in your worship to God, because you’ve been holding back your commitment to God.
Today, God is calling you to total commitment.
God is calling you to true worship.
3) True Worship is RELATIONSHIP-ORIENTED!
In the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus speaks
about the importance of worship and connecting with the Lord.
John 4:13, 14 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Do you come to church on the basis of religion or on the basis of relationship.
Those who come to church based on “religion” come out of obligation.
. . . “I’ve come to pay my weekly dues.”
An athiest cannot worship God, because he has no relationship with God - no faith.
As your personal relationship with God becomes more intimate, so does your worship.
When
you are touched by the power of God’s love, you can’t help but worship Him - you
can’t help but give Him glory!
My friend, worship is not a response to religion, or to a building, or to music - worship is a response to God Himself.
Worship is based on our relationship with the Lord.
I really enjoy worshipping God.
But if His presence is this good here on earth, I can imagine how it will be in heaven.
Revelation 5 just begins to describe how worship will be in heaven . .
Verse 11: Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Why do you worship the Lord?
What does worship mean to you?