John 4:23-24 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Wikipedia says that an endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in number, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Some of these endangered animals include the bald eagle; the panda bear; and the manatee, just to name a few. One of the biggest causes of endangerment to such species as these is a change in habitat. The environment that the animal needs to survive and thrive is corrupted by rapid change, greenhouse gasses, and other factors which depletes the soil and brings changes in the climate. The result is that these animals begin to die off rapidly.
When it comes to Christianity, we are seeing true worshipers die off and become endangered species. To understand what I mean by that, we first need to define what true worship is. When Jesus is talking to the woman at the well, He informs her that worship is not about a formal ritual that has to be held in a specific location, but that it is something that must be done “in spirit and truth.” Therefore, a true worshiper is one who worships God this way. But what does it mean to worship “in spirit and truth”?
This type of worship can only take place in and through Jesus, for He is the true temple (Jhn. 2:19-22); and the resurrection and the life (Jhn. 11:25). The force of the phrase “in spirit and truth” hinges on what is meant by the clause, “God is spirit”. By saying that God is spirit, Jesus is not trying to communicate that God is one spirit among a myriad of others, nor is He suggesting that God is incorporeal; nor does it define His metaphysical properties. “Spirit” refers to what God is like. Just like flesh, location, and corporeality characterize what we as human beings are like, so does “spirit” characterize what God is like. It means that God is invisible; divine rather than human; unknowable to human beings unless He chooses to reveal Himself (Jhn. 1:18). “Spirit” is one of the ways God presents Himself to human beings. Now, God has chosen to reveal and present Himself through the incarnate Word. Through Jesus, God may be known. It is the Word who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit (Jhn 1:33), for unless they are regenerated and born again, they cannot even see the kingdom of God; they cannot worship God truly.
The God who is “spirit” can only be worshiped in “spirit and truth”. In both verses listed above, the one preposition “in” governs both nouns. In other words, “spirit and truth” are not two separable characteristics of worship that must be offered. It is in essence a God centered type of worship that is only made possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit and in a living knowledge of and conformity to Jesus, who is the truth. Thus, the worshipers whom God seeks are those who worship Him out of the fullness of the indwelling Divine life (in spirit) and on the basis of God’s incarnate Self-Expression-Jesus Himself (truth).
Notice that the two are inseparable. It is a package deal. You cannot have one without the other. You either have all or nothing. When we are abiding fully in Christ, we will live a life of worshipful expression to the one who made it possible for us to be in Christ Jesus. We must keep in mind that Jesus was the only one who lived a lifestyle of pleasing worship to the Father. This lifestyle was one that was “in spirit and truth”. It was a life that overflowed with the Divine, and displayed the fullest dynamic of truth. If Jesus is having His way with us, we will be true worshipers. We will worship out of the overflow of the Divine life having His way through us. We will be out of the way, and Jesus will be manifesting His life through us, thus conforming us to the truth.
The next question we have to ask is, "what does this look like in the practical realm?" You have probably rarely seen such a species as the “true worshiper”. They used to exists in abundance during the beginning of the church age; after the Protestant Reformation; and during the First and Second Great Awakenings. However, at the turn of the 20th century, these “true worshipers” began to die off. The cause of the radical decline of this species was the same cause mentioned earlier in this article; that of habitat. Just as the rapid change of environment can cause the decline of animals, making them endangered species, so the change in the environment of the church has caused these “true worshipers” to become almost extinct.
The environment of the church has become polluted in so many ways. There is no longer any strict accountability for people in leadership positions, such as Sunday School teachers and deacons. Ministers of the Gospel fear men more than they fear God; they have more conviction when they disobey the status quo than when they disobey the Head of the Church. The gospel has degenerated into a message of happiness that is just a prayer away. God is an easy going friend, and not a Holy, Just Warrior. There is no expectation of holiness and service for those in the congregation. The sin of prayerlessness penetrates everything that goes on, from preaching to the carrying out of ministry. Evangelism is no longer expected from all members as an act of obedience to the Lord. Instead, we either tell people it’s ok not to have the “gift of evangelism”, or we have made the Great Commission the Great Marketing Mandate. “Discipleship” is just showing up for a class, and not an accountability relationship between two Christians, where the more mature one trains the other to obey the teachings of Jesus. Sin is not dealt with, people are not encouraged to forsake all for Jesus, and holiness is an option- We don’t want to offend anyone, they may withhold their tithe. I could go on and on, but I hope you are getting the picture. The environment of the modern church is killing off the species of the “true worshiper”. What we are creating now is some sort of mutation and imitation of the real thing.
Just because you show up for church on Sunday does not mean that you are worshiping. Worship is a life that is lived with Jesus during the week. It is expressed in the way that you treat your spouse and your children. It is expressed in the time that you spend in prayer and in the word during the week. It is expressed in who you are when no one else is around . It is expressed in what you fill your mind and thoughts with.
If you want to truly worship on Sunday, you must be worshiping all during the week. Do not show up, do your God thing, and then go back to the life that you lived before; that is hypocrisy. If you come and worship on Sunday and make a vow to God, keep it. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says that it is better not to make a vow to God at all, than to make one and break it; for God will destroy the work of your hands. God despises a lying tongue, how much more a lying lifestyle.
Tell me when the last time was that you saw or participated in this: A person repenting at the alter over the sin in his or her life. A congregation totally focused and absorbed in the presence of God during worship. A person sharing their faith verbally with strangers on a regular basis. Believers meeting together on a regular basis for a time of corporate prayer for awakening. A husband and wife who read the word together and pray together every day. A family who reads the word together and prays together every day. Christians discipling other Christians through one-to-one accountability relationships. A Christian who knows how to intercede on behalf of others. A saint who spends hours meditating on the word of God and in prayer. One so filled with Jesus that he prays the presence of God down and speaks like one who has authority. One who rejoices in the mundane activities in life. One who utters no words of complaint, but gives thanks in all things, trusting in the hand of a Sovereign God. One who is salt and light. One who does not compromise with the world and prostitute themselves to the things of the world. One whose life beams with holiness and is aglow with the presence of the Almighty.
This is the “true worshiper”. This is the life that is lived out “in spirit and truth”. These are the worshipers that God seeks. They are a dying breed; an endangered species. Yet God is still seeking them. Will He find them in our midst?
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2 comments:
Amen Brother!
It is interesting to have read this just now, because I recently woke up from a dream that led me to read Malachi; I'm still taking it all in. Good stuff, I will rejoice.
How true...and how sad it is for most of the "Christians" who don't even realize how false their worship and spiritual life is. I hope that whoever God sends to read these articles is brought under swift conviction and repents of their sins and then starts to live their lives abiding in Christ and living the truth of God's Word. I know that there is much I can do myself to become a better disciple of Christ and reading articles like this are helpful teaching tools. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward and glory that He deserves!
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