God's Kind Of Worshipers

Spirit And Truth Worshiper Described.

What Kind of Worshipers Does God Seek?

Two Bible passages used together give a complete understanding. The first is from John 4:23, 24.

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 truth.

The second is all of Romans chapter 12. I will include the verses as introduced.

TRAITS OF GOD'S WORSHIPERS

The woman at the well is the start of this story. The well, the woman, Jesus, and finally, the men of the city all fit together. Jesus used the situation to teach his disciples, as well as us, a lesson. The first one is that the outcast may be more open and eager to learn of Jesus than the next-door neighbor.

She started the discussion by introducing the subject of "the correct place to worship." Where was it? In Jerusalem or on your mountain?

Jesus didn't answer the question of where, but he responded to the question of what KIND of person God sought for his worshipers. Jesus answered, "The true worshiper will worship in spirit and truth." God would look at the spirit of the person and the truth being done. The truth would be any of Jesus’ teachings (commands). The true worshiper will worship doing something commanded with an attitude that pleases God.

One example of God not accepting worship is if the person's spirit is unacceptable to God, even if they are doing the truth. The person could not be mean-spirited. God would not accept his worship.

And also, if the person had a very loving spirit but was praying to an idol or image,

God would not accept that worship.

WHAT CAN GUIDE US IN THE TRUTHS OF WORSHIP

We can study all of Romans chapter 12 to get some answers to this question. Verse one tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. This sacrifice will be acceptable worship to God. Next, verse two tells us what to use to reach our goal. We must completely transform or change our thoughts by renewing our minds to prove God's will and to do what is good, acceptable, and perfect before God. Worship will now be a complete change from what the Old Testament taught. Our worship will be holy because what we do will be what Jesus has commanded us to do. It will also please God because our attitude or spirit of mind will be acceptable to God.

(Romans 12:1, 2) 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. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you can test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The pattern of this world's worship must not be a guide for the accurate and proper worship God desires from us. Instead, we must transform ourselves by renewing our thoughts. Then, we will know His good, pleasing, and perfect will. We will then be able to worship God as God desires.

Now, we read verse three, where we prepare ourselves for worship.

(Romans 12:3): 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Our attitude about ourselves is essential to God. We must only think of ourselves as highly as we ought. We must use sound judgment according to the measure of our faith. Humility with sober judgment opens the way toward God.

Next comes verses 4 through 8. We are to recognize our gifts, strengths, or abilities properly. One gift mentioned above is "the faith God has distributed to each of you."

(Romans 12:4–8): 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

God Given Gifts:

Paul lists seven gifts here that I call his "everyday gifts." You may find yourself in this list of gifts. If there is something you like to do and do it well, it may be in this group. Paul has two other places where he has listed several "gifts." 1 Cor. 12:4-31; and Eph. 4:7-16. Paul named nineteen gifts in all. I will only review those in Romans chapter 12.

1. Prophesying: In a Bible study group, if you feel no one has mentioned something that God would want you to mention, you may feel urged to speak out about what you think God wants the group to hear. You are not saying anything new, just something that fits in with the discussion found in the Bible. You are just speaking out for God as the Holy Spirit urges.

2. Serving: A group or someone who needs some help. Your help may be what they needed to get something done. When you offer to do this, you are serving. Your gift may be to serve others, so do it well. A city organization may need someone to help them, or it might just be your neighbor again needing your help. Serve others diligently.

3. Teaching: Does someone in your family, community, or church need a teacher? It doesn't say you have to know everything, but just that you have the gift of teaching.

4. Encouraging: Everyone needs some encouragement. If you are an encourager, you have an endless supply of ears and minds needing a good word of encouragement. Read their needs and supply them lovingly.

5. Giving: It hints at money from the directions to give generously. But you could give yourself and your time generously to others.

6. Leading: A project needs organization. You might be the one to help accomplish the task by leading in that direction.

7. Showing mercy: The world is full of those who need someone to show them mercy. Somebody will always require your gift.

Finally, in Romans 12:9–21, we find samples of the truths or kinds of activities we should do as worshiping God. But we can look at any list given by Jesus or Paul and consider them as ways of worshiping God.

Romans 12:9-21 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When and How to Use My Gift to Worship God

The advice and commands above are not "just church activities," but should be our daily life before God. We may find we can check ourselves so we practice these at the assembly, but we must also practice them where we are each day of the week. We can worship God while at home. We can worship God while at work. We can worship God while running errands. We can worship God while on vacation. Look for opportunities each hour of every day.

Let us look at a few ways to worship God.

Let's use verses 9-21, torn apart and examined.

1. Love must be sincere: Anything we do as worship must be motivated by genuine love. We should have no ulterior motive for doing anything. We won't expect anything in return for what we do for others.

2. Hate what is evil: You cannot worship God when you have sinful desires or bad thoughts in your mind or heart.

3. Cling to what is good: Our heart is growing closer to God and is learning what is good in God's eyes.

4. Be devoted to one another in love: We give our attention to others because of our love and not what they can give us.

5. Honor one another above yourselves: Give in to others. Let them be first in line.

6. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. But don't grow cold or lukewarm in helping others. We cannot put our worship of God "on hold."

7. Be joyful in hope: Praise God for future blessings.

8. Be patient in affliction: Wait joyfully, as hope is beyond sunrise.

9. Be faithful in prayer: God's timing may not be our timing (or others' timing), so don't give up seeking God's gifts. Remember: God is the source of all and any good thing.

10. Share with the Lord's people in need: God wants you to enjoy giving to others.

11. Practice hospitality: Your home would be a pleasant place for others' comfort.

12. Bless those who persecute you. Because who knows what it will take to warm an angry heart?

13. Bless and do not curse: This might be the cure for our bad habit.

14. Rejoice with those who rejoice, even when they receive what you have wanted for a long time.

15. Mourn with those who mourn: This may be all they need.

16. Live in harmony with one another: What better way is there to live?

17. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position: You might learn something you thought you knew doing this.

18. Do not be conceited: Am I the only one who finds this problematic?

19. Do not repay anyone evil for evil: Will they ever learn when they only look at themselves in a mirror?

20. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. No matter who they are, they are looking at you.

21. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. But, so much of the time, it will depend upon you.

22. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Enough said, don't take revenge on anyone.

23. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Again. I have said enough. Do it as worship to God.

24. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Again, this may be the only way to do it.

The thought or action towards others should be purposefully done with the right attitude towards God. When you accomplish this, worship in spirit and truth takes place.

Do we thoughtfully and purposefully worship God each day?

If not, why not?