True Worship
February 3, 2013 Speaker: Ken Ramey Series: John
Topic: True Worship Passage: John 4:23–24
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John 4:23-24
In these two verses, we learn the TWO WAYS God wants to be worshipped. There are two things God is looking for from us when we worship Him. There are two things we must do for our worship to be pleasing/acceptable to God.
1. WE MUST WORSHIP GOD FROM OUR HEART (i.e., in Spirit)
A. INWARDLY
God commands us to seek His face, and while He calls us to seek Him, He is already seeking us (John 4:23). We are to worship God in ways that please Him - in spirit and in truth. This means that we are to worship Him from the very core of our being (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 51:14, 103:1) and use our head in doing so. This is an expression of how worthy God is of worship. True worship is all that we are responding to all that God is.
God commands us to seek His face, and while He calls us to seek Him, He is already seeking us (John 4:23). We are to worship God in ways that please Him - in spirit and in truth. This means that we are to worship Him from the very core of our being (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 51:14, 103:1) and use our head in doing so. This is an expression of how worthy God is of worship. True worship is all that we are responding to all that God is.
B. INTENSELY
Our worship must not only come from the heart, but it must be heart-felt. We are to worship earnestly and with passion (Psalm 42:1-2, 63:1). Our worship should not be governed by emotion, but by heart-felt passion.
2. WE MUST WORSHIP GOD WITH OUR HEAD (i.e., in truth)
Our worship must not only come from the heart, but it must be heart-felt. We are to worship earnestly and with passion (Psalm 42:1-2, 63:1). Our worship should not be governed by emotion, but by heart-felt passion.
2. WE MUST WORSHIP GOD WITH OUR HEAD (i.e., in truth)
A. SINCERELY
We should approach God with a true and honest heart - with all sincerity (Matthew 15). Acts of worship that are outward or merely performed to project a righeous image to others are worthless in the eyes of God.
We should approach God with a true and honest heart - with all sincerity (Matthew 15). Acts of worship that are outward or merely performed to project a righeous image to others are worthless in the eyes of God.
B. SCRIPTURALLY
Our worship should be based on what scripture teaches, not on emotion or feeling. It should be consistent with the truth that is revealed in God's Word (Colossians 3:16; Nehemiah 8) and by His Son (John 4, John 14:6, John 17:17). All other worship is done in vain. We cannot worship God apart from Jesus Christ.
Our worship should be based on what scripture teaches, not on emotion or feeling. It should be consistent with the truth that is revealed in God's Word (Colossians 3:16; Nehemiah 8) and by His Son (John 4, John 14:6, John 17:17). All other worship is done in vain. We cannot worship God apart from Jesus Christ.
John MacArthur characterizes worship this way: "Nothing is more important than worship. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, the theme of redemptive history... your ultimate priority must always be to worship the true and living God."
Praise and thank God for making a way for us to worship Him by sacrificing His Son on the cross. Ask God to help you learn to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
More in John
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Becoming A Fully-Devoted Follower Of ChristNovember 15, 2015
Fishing For Men 101November 8, 2015
Believing Is Seeing