Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Worship in Spirit & Truth By Seth Sowah, CCQF Minister of Music

WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
This happened in one of Michael Jackson’s concert:

Every once in a while, as the cameras panned out to show the fans response to Michael, you’d see tens and thousands of people holding on to every word Michael was saying, completely fixated, almost obsessed on Michael. Every zoom depicted people crying, reaping out their hair because of Michael. People were being pulled over the security rails by the guards because they had fainted, and passed out because of Michael. Wow! What was that? They were worshipping him; a man that would never do anything for them, wouldn’t provide for their needs or bless them. But they worshipped him.

But in church, during the 5 or 15 minutes we’re called to worship God who does provide every need in our lives and bless us, who does really love us and died and took all our sins upon Himself on the cross, we don’t even sing! If our favorite artist comes on the radio, we sing and dance to every word. If someone talks about President Trump, we get all worked up over him. Everything else gets pushed aside when our favorite sports team and show comes on TV. But when it comes time to worship God who created and saved our lives, we stand as if we have no life. We are on our phones, texting or scrolling through our social media feed, having conversation with the next person; most of us.

Perhaps we don’t know what worship is. So what is it?
Worship is an activity of glorifying God in His presence with our voices and our hearts. Everyday of our lives should be an act of worship. The reason we converge here is to worship God collectively. Worship is therefore the direct expression of our purpose for living. A direct display of our inward beliefs; we are commanded to do it! It is a privilege, an honor, our proper response to God. The more we get to know Him, the better we do it. But how do we do it? What makes it awesome? Is it the band or the instruments? If the singing is bad, or wrong, is that worship?

Do we worship in Spirit and in Truth? When we sing, do you think about God or how you sound? Or the people around us? Are you completely focused on Him, or is your mind elsewhere?

In John 4 : 20 - 24, Jesus uses 4 words; in Spirit in Truth.
The Jews believed the Temple David built in Jerusalem was the proper location for worship. And the Samaritans believed Mt Gerizim was the proper location.
To this, Jesus explains it’s neither on the Mountain nor in Jerusalem... but in Spirit and in Truth. The real issue is not WHERE but HOW. We have similar issues today in the church. Some churches say hymns. Other churches say contemporary. Some, a choir. Others, a band, solo or acapella. Some churches prefer piano to organ. Charismatics raise their hands in worship, but in other churches, you can’t even sneeze. 

In Spirit doesn’t even sound like something we can do. It sound like an out of body experience. What it simply means, however, is to have a Spiritual life, and be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. That is what happens when we are born again. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SPIRITUAL LIFE, YOU CAN’T WORSHIP IN SPIRIT. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us worship correctly, with our whole heart engaged according to Roman 12 : 1. Nothing should grab your attention during worship. In Matthew 15 : 8, there are those who honor God with their lips, but with hearts far from Him. Always remember, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

It is possible for our whole heart to be engaged but not in Truth. What is Truth?
In Truth means with true hearts, sincere; you mean it. Not just going through the motions. Do it because it’s true, genuine, real and authentic. It also means according to the Word of God, the Gospel; that we believe and trust that Jesus is Lord! In John 14 : 6, Jesus declared He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light... It is only through Him we have access to the Father.
Do you worship in Truth? Do you mean it, trusting who Jesus said He is? Do you believe the words you sing? Is your worship all about Him? OUR AUDIENCE IS JUST ONE; JESUS. Your voice can be bad and not scaled, but if you worship in Spirit and in Truth, you are a true worshipper!

In jail, according to our first scripture reading, Paul and Silas were set free as they prayed and worship. Jehoshaphat led the Israelites in praise and worship around the walls of Jericho and won the Victory. In a dispensation where the only way to approach God was through the blood of animals, David discovered a better way; he said enter His gates with thanksgiving and into HIS courts with praise. (If you did not enter with thanksgiving in your heart this morning, take a moment, step out and come back in with thanksgiving in your heart) 😊 David’s only qualification to the throne was that he was a worshipper. David was just a boy but God called him a man after His heart, and made David a king. Your worship will do for you what prayer alone will not do immediately

To worship God in Spirit and in Truth means worship that comes from the spirit within and based on true views of God. Your emotions and thoughts must be engaged.
GOD SEEKS SUCH. Is that you?

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