TRUE WORSHIP

Text: John 4:23–24 (NKJV)

True Worship!

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Introduction

Worship is not simply about singing songs, raising hands, or attending a service. It is the heart’s response to who God is and what He has done. In John 4, Jesus reveals to the Samaritan woman that worship is no longer confined to a temple in  Jerusalem or a mountain in Samaria—it is about  relationship with God through the Spirit.

1. The Object of True Worship: God Alone

Worship belongs to God and God alone.

· Exodus 20:3 (NKJV): “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

·  

· Matthew 4:10 (NKJV): “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Illustration: The Israelites bowed to the golden calf (Exodus 32). They still had a “worship” posture, but it was misdirected. Worship must always have the right object—Yahweh.

2. The Nature of True Worship: Spirit and Truth

Jesus makes it clear: God seeks worshipers who worship in spirit and truth.

· Philippians 3:3 (NKJV): “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,   rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

· Psalm 145:18 (NKJV): “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”

Worship without spirit is lifeless. Worship without truth is deception. Both together create the worship God desires.

3. The Attitude of True Worship: Humility and Reverence

True worshipers recognize God’s greatness and our dependence on Him.

Isaiah 6:1–5 (NKJV): “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe · filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.’”

4. The Fruit of True Worship: Transformation

Worship is not just an event; it transforms the   worshiper.

· Romans 12:1 (NKJV): “I beseech you  therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

· Exodus 34:29 (NKJV): “Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.”

· Acts 4:13 (NKJV): “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

If worship doesn’t change us, we may not be    worshiping in spirit and truth.

5. The Expression of True Worship: A Lifestyle

True worship is not confined to Sunday morning. It is a daily posture.

· Colossians 3:17 (NKJV): “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

 

Thanksgiving and Praise as the Doorway

· Psalm 100:4 (NKJV): “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Thanksgiving prepares our hearts, and praise ushers us into the presence of the Lord. Notice the order: Thanksgiving first, then praise, then worship.

Acts 16:25 (NKJV): “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to · God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”

Their worship shook the foundations of the prison and brought salvation to the jailer’s family.

Conclusion

True worship is spirit-filled, truth-based, humble, transforming, and lived out daily. God is seeking worshipers—not spectators. Worship begins with thanksgiving, moves into praise, and culminates in adoration of God Himself.

Call to Action

1. Self-Examine: Am I truly worshiping in  Spirit and Truth?

1. Practice Daily: Start each day entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

1. Invitation: True worship begins with    knowing Jesus Christ.

Closing Scripture

· Psalm 95:6 (NKJV):

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”