Worshiping God - Part II

On Monday, March 5, we continued our discussion on "Worshiping God."  We focused on the meaning of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.  We looked at the Scriptures to understand these two aspects of our worship service that God expects from us.  Then we discussed how our worship service should be pure and holy.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 5, 2012

Worshiping God – Part II

Opening Question: What is your favorite easy-to-make food or drink and how do you make it?

Regardless of whether you are a chef or a novice in the kitchen, there is a certain way of preparing a good meal or a drink, whether it is very elaborate and from scratch or as simple as opening and heating a ready meal.

Today, we are going to look at the Bible, to see how we go about worshiping our God.

In our previous lesson, we talked a bit about the need to worship God in spirit and in truth.  Today, we are going to expand on the concept of worshiping God in spirit.

Worshiping God in Spirit

In John 4:23-24, we read: 23 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. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

What does it mean to worship God in spirit?

1.         Worshiping God in spirit means that it involved our spirit. 

It is not something we do mechanically, without any emotion or passion, something we are forced to do or embarrassed if other people realize we do not do it.

In Hebrews 12:28-29, we read: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

We know that God is a spirit, so worshiping him in spirit means offering Him those things that are spiritual and that are appreciated and accepted by Him.  Our worship service should come with reverence, respect, honor and glory that goes toward God, not the people who are simply vessels in serving God.  In the same way that when enjoying a good meal the gratitude goes to the chef, not the spoon or the fork, our respect, honor and glory in our worship should go to God, not to men.

2.         Worshipping God in spirit means that your spirit should be right with God and with men.  

Being right with God means that we should strive to do our best not to have or to allow any sin to come between us and god.  Have you ever been in a situation when you are invited to someone’s birthday but you have had a fight with someone you know it is going to be at the party?  What do you do?  What is your attitude toward that person during the party?

The same is true about worship.  We cannot worship God in spirit if our spirit is not right with God.  We need to confess our sins, repent and try to do better next time, as much as we can to leave in peace with God and everyone else and as pure as we can.

Being in peace with men is similar.  We cannot love God and hate men.  1 John 4:20 teaches us that 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  We need to do right by our brothers and sisters.  In Mathew 5:23-24, Jesus himself teaches us: 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

3.         Worshiping God in spirit means that our worship should be pure and holy

What does this mean?

Let’s see it from the other side.  What is a worship that is not pure and not holy?  What qualities it would have?

During our worship service we should remember why we are there.  We have come to bow before our God, to meet with Him, to give Him our love and to show Him how much we love us and how much we want to please Him.  If we want to do all these things, what should our attitude be?

How should we act before worship, in terms of arrival, rushing, hurrying up to get to church?  What about during service?

We need to control our minds, our thoughts and focus on what we have come to do, worship our God.  Talking, whispering, passing notes, any anything else that distracts you or others from worshiping God should have no place in our worship toward Him.  Think about if you are meeting the Queen or the Prime Minister or someone else important or whom you hold in high esteem.  Would you be doing any of those things?  Well, then you should not do those when you are in the presence of God.

Conclusions

Worshiping God in spirit means that we need to be humble, considerate, and reverent in our worship toward Him.  We need to be right in our hearts and minds with God and with men.  And we need to focus our minds and our thoughts, so that our worship is pure and holy and acceptable unto God.