ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP
(John 4:23-24)

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I'm sure most of you, if not all, have witnessed the change in worshipping trends in churches and in the Christian music industry -- the last few years especially. Last week, I wrote about a study I read online about this shift in worship and how people are viewing it. Thinking of the study brings to mind the words of the Lord Jesus when He asked Peter, "Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am." The blessing of that question sparked another which centered around the truth. After Jesus had eased the disciples into a form of meditation on the subject, Peter's response came forth, which acknowledged the authority and identity of Jesus as the Christ. The derivative of that question, as it applies to this message is, "What are men saying about praise and worship." Our response, just as Peter's (after we muse on the subject), should come from the heartthrob of God.

Included in the answer, because the question brings about a point of practicality (what are we practicing and what level are we practicing at), should be a point of self-examination. Self-examination is a good thing. Once we realize where we are, be it good or bad, it becomes a starting point for some action to be taken in the Lord. Whenever we desire something honorable before the Lord and couple our desire with wisdom supplied from God, success becomes a matter of time -- instead of whether or not, the question becomes WHEN. This type of attitude will help us to receive reproof, correction and rebuke so that we can yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness.

Back to praise and worship, God's focus is on the state of the heart. People lift their hands. People sing songs. People play instruments. People shout, scream and dance. After all the dust of these happenings occur, the focus is still the same. Did our acts of praise and worship come from the heart? Did I lift my hands because it reflected the thoughts of my heart toward the Lord or did I do so because the worship leader told me to? Even if I did so because the worship leader told me to, did it yet reflect the sentiment of my heart? The words that I sing -- do I believe and embrace them or do I just like the song's catchiness or the artist that recorded it? More importantly, do I wait to get to church and worship or does God have a place of worship in my heart regardless of whether I'm at church, in the car or at work?

The last question is the focal point of where this is going today. Ephesians 5:18 speaks of making melody, to the Lord, in our heart. According to Strong's, the heart (in this verse) is representative of the thoughts and feelings that we have. Therefore, the purest essence of praise and worship comes from the heart. I'm thoroughly convinced that this concept is such a cliche today that we really miss the truth of this aspect sometimes. God desires that we love Him with all our mind, all our strength and all of our heart. It is not until then, that our praise and worship is truly reflective of His glory.

A "thank you Jesus" and a "Hallelujah" every blue moon isn't going to "cut the cheese," if you will. God is seeking TRUE worshippers. Oh, yes. Many are worshipping, but how many are worshipping in spirit and truth. We all know that a true Christian is a regenerate individual -- a new creature, if you will. God has placed something in us that desires to reflect His glory according to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Included in this sense of "willful indebtedness" to the Lord is the desire and willingness to praise and worship Him in spirit and truth. The operative word in John 4:24 (God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth) is not "spirit" or "truth" for today's lesson. The operative word today is "MUST".

Let's look at the other words for some clarification. The word "spirit" here is the same word translated "Spirit" (as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost). Interestingly, however, is one of the definitions -- the one that applies in this case. The word "spirit" here refers to "mental disposition". The word "truth" simply means "without concealing", "purely" or "honestly". The operative word, "MUST", shows that it is imperative for those who plan to worship to include the attributes of "spirit" and "truth". In other words, those who do not worship (adore, extol, exalt, embrace, bow down in the heart) with the right attitude and level of sincerity/honesty, run the risk of their worship (which is a form of sacrifice) being rejected.

As we strive to worship in spirit and truth, let's look at some examples in scripture of various attitudes in praise and worship, some which include some commentary from the Lord and examine ourselves in light of these scriptures. In this, we'll review some attitudes that are in all of our Bibles, yet they are not commonly discussed, embraced or known among the people of God. The problem with this is that God's people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Ready? Let's go!!!

• Amos 5:23-24
  Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. This is the Lord speaking. For those who believe that God accepts all praise, this passage should dispel that mentality. Righteousness and acceptable praise and worship go hand-in-hand. It would be an act of hatred for the Lord to endorse/validate your worship, if and when we are in violation of His will. He will do the same thing He did in this passage, which is attempt to draw attention towards the issue of the hour -- justice, judgment and righteousness. This attitude is also reflected in Hosea 6:6, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. God is not as interested in our "lip" as much as He is interested in our lifestyle. He desires that we be an aware people and that we walk in that awareness.
  
  
• Colossians 2:6-7
  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. In several passages of scripture where thanksgiving is mentioned, either in the same passage or nearby, you will find that thanksgiving/praise/worship should be accompanied by other elements in our lives. In this verse, we see things such as: 1) being rooted; 2) being built up; 3) being stablished in the faith and 4) abounding in these things with thanksgiving. Be very careful, in this era of so-called "revival of praise and worship", knowledge and being rooted in God is quietly and seductively being pushed to the wayside. Let us not forget the word of God found in Psalm 119:7, which states: I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
  
  
• Psalms 78:36-37
  Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. Here's another commentary of the Lord similar to the one from Amos. To utter up praise without having the right heart is condemnable in the sight of God. Another verse that correlates with this one is found in Ecclesiastes 5:1, which states: Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Yes, contrary to popular belief it is possible for us to sin -- right in praise and worship -- if we do not draw nigh with our mouths as well as our hearts.

Time won't permit us to be too exhaustive with this subject today, but that's okay, because I'm really supposed to be brief. These "tidbits" will help us to examine the path of worship that we're on. Don't just strive to be "involved" in worship. Strive to be pure-hearted in your worship. Hebrews 13:15 declares, By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Therefore, we should always strive to bless His name. Let us remember, however, that application of the word of God in our lives must be all-inclusive. In other words, let us remember that to draw nigh with the tongue and not with the heart constitutes hypocrisy (Matthew 15). Any form of hypocrisy in our lives will hinder the activity of God's word (1 Peter 2:1-3). Let us draw nigh with a heart of full assurance. Let us worship Him acceptably -- in spirit and truth.

Until next time, keep the word and be blessed!!!