True Worship	
#L524	The First-Century Gospel Church / Philadelphia	Wed  Nov 20, 2002

	We know that God is seeking those who want to worship Him from the sincerity of their heart, (because of all the ways He has blessed them, not only during the last week of November, but everyday, all year).
	During a personal conversation with a woman near Jacob’s well, Jesus spoke about ‘True Worship.’  He said, “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,” (John 4:23 NIV).
	To worship God, we usually think of singing hymns, praise songs, or thanking God in prayer for some special blessing.  We may even envision the bowing to an idol where false religions are practiced.
	To understand worship in its true sense, let us consider some definitions of the word.  The dictionary defines worship as ‘reverence for a deity,’ ‘extreme devotion,’ or ‘intense love.’  It means to idolize some one or some thing.  And God has told us who to ‘worship’ (Exodus 20:4), "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything...”
	Due to the way the world is going, and the horrible things that have happened, there has been a renewed interest in ‘praise and worship’ music.  Several Christian artists, (who had recorded contemporary styles of music), have recently released ‘praise and worship’ albums, because their listeners want to worship God in that way, 
(and most of the artist have personal convictions themselves, and desiring to ‘worship God in this way’).
	Traditional hymns are for the very purpose of ‘worshiping God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.’  “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “Heavenly Father, We Appreciate You,” “His Name is Wonderful,” “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” “Now Thank We All Our God,” “O, Worship the King, All Glorious Above,” “Come, Ye Thankful, People Come,” “Let’s Just Praise the Lord,” and many more songs that honor and glorify God.
	When ‘praise and worship’ is mentioned, we immediately think of music, but that is not completely accurate.  Real praise and worship means to glorify God the Father, and to exalt the Name of His Son Jesus Christ in our heart.  (Revelation 4:11), "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
	God the Father, (who offers salvation though faith in His Son), is known foremost by His Word...and His Word says that, ‘He is worthy of praise, so He alone is to be worshiped.’
	Worshiping God in spirit and in truth, is to be a continual activity.  Every time we praise God in our heart, we worship Him in truth.  This can take place at any time, and any where.  Whenever we receive a blessing, we worship God by thanking Him in our heart.
	If our employer informs us that we are giving the company quality work, and that there will be a raise in pay forthcoming, we immediately worship God, by thanking and praising Him silently.  That is true worship.  We know that God has answered our prayer, and we want to thank Him.
	Our testimonies include phrases like, ‘all honor, glory, and praise belong to God.’  To submit a note of praise, is true worship of God.  “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise,” (Psalm 8:2).
	Worship is about communicating thanks to the Lord, in whatever way that may be done...praying, singing praise songs, or just thanking Him in our heart (or as a congregation).  The importance of worship is found throughout the Bible.  These examples of worship in God’s Word, reminds us of the importance of thanking Him, especially for giving us the greatest gift ever given...His Son Jesus.
	The first Book of the Bible, Genesis, reveals God the Father as the Creator of everything, and, of course He is worthy of our praise.  Leviticus (the third book) devotes 18 or its 27 chapters to the subject of offerings (giving to the Lord), which is how they worshiped God.
	The Holy Spirit empowers us today, to offer God, true worship.  “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own,” (says 1 Corinthians 6:19).  That is why it is so important to be pure (and scriptural) in our thoughts and certainly our actions, for our body is the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.
	If we want to worship God, we must follow James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  When we obey God’s Word, we honor Him.
	The word ‘worship’ is a religious-sounding word, and it has as many different meanings, as there are church groups, but there is only one Christ, and one cross, so our worship must be to the one, living God.  As our recent message brought out, there is, ‘One God, One Faith, One Way.’
	Jesus reminded His listeners (John 4:23), “A time is coming...[He said] when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
	If there is such a thing as a ‘true worshiper,’ then there must also be ‘false worshipers.’  It is important to know how to correctly worship the true God.  Jesus said that His Father is looking for those who will worship Him, simply because they love Him.
	God loves us so much that, “He gave His one and only Son.”  God knew that we could never pay the price for sins, so He gave His Son.  That is more than enough reason to ‘worship God in truth!’  ‘We will never know how much it cost, to see our sins upon that cross.’  Words of praise to God should continually be in our heart, on our minds, and being spoken or sung, because ‘He is worthy of praise.’
	God is ‘seeking’ those who offer true worship.  To ‘seek’ is more intense than to ‘look.’  The definition of ‘seek’ is to ‘go in search of’ something.  God is searching for true worshipers.
	We may have had the experience of ‘looking’ for something, by glancing in a room, and saying (to another), ‘I looked in there...I can’t find it.’  But if we really have to have something, like the car keys (when we are late for work), our ‘glancing’ becomes ‘seeking.’  Likewise, God is ‘seeking’ those who want to truly worship Him, because they are the kind of true believer He wants as His children.
	If God is seeking ‘true worshipers,’ we should know what it means to be one.  Our lives, our words, and our songs should correspond with what God wants.  Jesus explained about true worship to the woman by the well.
	The people of Samaria were a mixed race of mostly poor people (a writer says).  They had built a temple on Mount Gerazim to worship the God of Israel, but (he says), they built their temple ‘in competition’ with the temple in Jerusalem.  The Jews of Jerusalem, were at enmity with the Samaritans because they considered the Samaritans idolaters.
	However it was to one of these so-called ‘idolaters’ that Jesus chose to give His explanation of true worship.  It was on a hot day, at noontime, by a well, and on foreign soil.  It is a lesson not to be judgmental, if others want to worship God with words, their music, or giving thanks for some blessing received.  God looks at the heart of the individual, and He wants to see sincerity...that is all.
	Jesus had no problem with talking to someone whom the Jews would not have said, ‘good morning’ to...(John 4:5-23), “So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well.  It was about the sixth hour. 
	7 “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’  8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.  How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).
	10 “Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’  
	11 "’Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.  Where can you get this living water?
	13 “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but 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."
	After saying to the woman that the (fifth) man she was living with, was not her husband, she realizes that Jesus is someone special, and says, (19) "’Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.  (20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.’
	(21) “Jesus declared, ‘Believe me...a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (23) Yet 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.”
	Before we can truly worship God, we must know how much He loves us.  We should praise God for the multitude of blessings He bestows on us, not just this time of the year, but every day, and all day.
	Jesus begins His conversation with the woman by asking her to do Him a favor, but He really wanted to do something for her.  He knew she was living in adultery (and heading for the Lake of Fire), so He wanted her to know that she could be free from that sin.
	God understands when we hurt, and He is waiting for us to seek help from Him.  Jesus was not able to help the woman, until she made a gesture of faith toward Him.  God wants to be involved in our life, but there must be a willingness on our part to accept His help, first.
	Before the woman realizes that Jesus is the Messiah, He is talking with her and trying to help.  One of our worship songs has these words, “[Jesus] is always there, hearing every prayer, faithful and true.  Walking by our side, in His love we hide, all the day through.  When you get discouraged, just remember what to do, Reach out to Jesus, He’s reaching out to you.”
	Many times, before we realize how willing God is to help us, He is reaching out to us.  "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...” (John 6:44).
	God has taken the first step to help us by offering forgiveness through faith in His Son, now He waits for our response to that offer.  It is like someone who thinks alot of us, and offers a gift, but if we will not reach out our hand to take it, and instead choose to walk away, we will not receive (nor enjoy) that gift.
	True worship begins by our knowing how much God loves us.  Once we know this (and Calvary proves it), we will gladly accept what He is offering, a new life of faith in Christ.  
	“We ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us.  God is love, and those who live in love, live in union with God and God lives in union with them,” (1 John 4:16).
	But love is not really love, until it reaches out to help.  God reached out to help all creation, (which includes the poor, the rich, the powerful, and every sinner) who desperately needs God’s help, but may not know that.
	(John 3:16 NCV), "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes [keeps on believing] in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.” 	The entire gospel message of salvation, is found in that verse.  It is the basis for every principle of truth in the Bible, and it is the foundation for true worship.  We worship God, because He loves us.  To really know God, we must first know how deep His love is for us.  He loved us enough, to give His very best.  It is now our turn to respond, and to give back...our life.
	(Hebrew 1:1-3 TEV), “In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, (2) but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son.  He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end. 
	(3) “He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word.  After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.”
	There is the key for ‘true worship.’  The cross was “achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings.”  That is the very basis of our praise, our thanks, and our honoring Him.  He forgave us of a huge and very serious debt.  Jesus paid a price we could never pay.
	If that is not enough reason to worship God in truth, then there would not be one.  But it is more than enough reason for true worship, and we should praise Him every day for the multitude of blessings we enjoy.
	It is so easy to complain, (because Satan makes it natural to complain...about everything), but we have every reason to rejoice, and to worship God by thanking Him for the blessings we enjoy today, and for the promise of Eternal Life by faith in His Son tomorrow, (or when Jesus returns to earth).
	We cannot really know God, until we know Jesus.  God defined love, (not with words, but with action).  Love is really not love, until you give it away.  We show our love to God, by giving our life back to Him.
	The love of God was shown in action...He sent His divine love to earth in the form of His Son.  The One who created everything on the planet, the living Word, became flesh and lived with us for awhile.  (John 1:14 TEV), “The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.  We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.”
	Jesus was like us in many ways.  (Hebrews 4:15), “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are‑‑yet was without sin.”
	Jesus knows the temptations, the pressures, and the troubles we face in this life, because He experienced them too.  But He never gave in to them.  He stood strong, obeyed His Father, and then died in our place, (taking the punishment we deserved).
	Three days later, He came back to life (by a divine miracle).  He defeated death for everyone who would believe in Him, and who would continue to believe until His return.
	Here is a major point (that enables us to truly worship Christ) ... He gave Himself as a sacrifice before we made any gesture of accepting what He was offering!  God gave His best, so that we could have the best.  How could we not worship Him in song and our hearts!  When we were at our very worst, (in a very sinful state), God loved us enough to give His very best!
	After the resurrection, Jesus went back to Heaven to be with His Father.  But He left a witness to reveal Himself to anyone wanting to know...the Holy Spirit.
	The Spirit of Christ lives on earth today, and He is reaching out to people by convicting them of their sins, and bringing them back to genuine faith and trust in God.  	The Bible is not just a story Book of how Jesus lived, but it contains divine words whereby we can learn the truth, by reading all that Jesus said to us.  The Holy Spirit opens our heart to know God’s truth, through Jesus.
	That is more than enough reason to offer ‘true worship to God’!  And we worship Him, by thanking Him, praising Him, and honoring Him in our hearts, and with our songs, (all day and every day), because ‘we will never know how much it cost, to see our sins upon that cross.’
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The First-Century Gospel Church
5744 NORTH FRONT STREET
PHILADELPHIA PA  19120-2404
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