In John 4, Jesus is sitting by a well in Samaria having a conversation with a wayward woman and the discussion turned toward worship. Jesus made an interesting point: “The hour is coming…when the true worshippers will worship the Father is spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” Did you hear Him? The Father is seeking true worshippers to worship Him. Jesus’ use of the term “true” infers that there are also “false” or “fake” worshippers. What is the difference? Even more important, in which category would God place you? There are some things that define a true worshipper, let’s note four: A true worshipper (1) Seeks God personally, not just religiously (a true worshipper is defined by relationship – not religious ritual); (2) Engages both heart and mind (it is not just outward show); (3) Lives a life of worship, not just participates in weekly services (what we do on Sunday is an extension of what we have practiced all week); and (4) Centers worship on God—not self, not emotion, and not tradition (it isn’t about me or my preferences or my favorite song – it’s about honoring the God who made us and saved us. True worshippers produce true worship. What is true worship? True worship establishes God’s Presence as the Center. (Psalm 22:3 tells us that God is enthroned in the praises of His people. This means that we recognize His nearness – we know He is present. This declares that God is our refuge! True Worship then adjusts our perspective – (people come to worship carrying anxiety, guilt, grief, or weariness. Worship lifts the focus from what is happening to me or in my life to Who God is. That shift brings healing because truth replaces distorted thinking, hope replaces despair, perspective replaces what overwhelms us.) True worship creates a place where we can express ourselves honestly. (Biblical worship includes deep emotional responses like lament, confession, crying out…) It allows us to be honest without fear of rejection, to lay our burdens down, to bring our failures into the light…Healing begins when we bring what is hidden before God. True worship shifts our identity from wounded and broken to redeemed and healed. (Too often our identity is shaped by some failure or trauma or shame. Worship declares who God is, what He has done, and our relation to Him. In worship, we move from broken to restored – from rejected to accepted – from alone to belonging). True worship opens the heart to God’s transforming work. (Transformation is God’s primary work and worship positions us to receive it. Conviction leads to repentance. Repentance leads to Cleansing. Cleansing leads to Restoration. Worship leads to renewal and transformation.) We could sum it up like this: True worship is the only acceptable response of a redeemed life. It is loving God, honoring Him, being continually transformed by Him, and living in obedience to His truth, from the inside out.” And, worship is not worship until its worship!
