Sermon Transcript:

This morning we continue our series “5 things we need to grow”, looking at 5 things that God works through to cause us to grow spiritually. Last week, we looked at prayer and today we will look at worship. Although worship is something we do it is also a means that God uses to transform us. It is my prayer that we leave here today with a deeper appreciation of why worship matters. 

In John 4:24 Jesus says,

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We were created to worship God. To give him glory and to reflect his love in our fellowship with him but sin cut us off from God and distorted our worship and fellowship. The Bible is the story of what God has done and will do to redeem for himself a people who will be restored to worship and fellowship. Jesus says the essence of that worship is spirit and truth. 

Human beings were created in the image of God and designed to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Our entire lives were to be a life of joyful worship. But instead of trusting God’s word, our first parents believed a lie. The serpent told them if they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit they could become like God themselves.

But when they disobeyed they became less like God not more. By attempting to become their own gods they distorted the image of the true God that was to be displayed in them. We are all descended from them and are born with this corruption in our heart and so we no longer bear the image as clearly as we should. Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Back in 1990 NASA spent $5 billion dollars to launch the Hubble Telescope. Hubble was a finely tuned precision telescope designed to capture incredibly clear and accurate images from deep space. It is essentially a large mirror designed to reflect the glory of what God created onto a camera. But after it was launched NASA realized there was a defect in the main mirror so the images were blurry. The images fell short of the glory of reality. NASA embarked on another mission to fix the mirror so that it would function as intended. That is a bit like the message of the Bible.

The story of redemption is also a story of God working to transform sinners so that they can be restored to worship that reflects his glory as it should. Sin distorts the image of the glory of God in us but God has provided a redeemer who is able to bring us back into a proper relationship with God. That is the central message of the Bible. 

Therefore worship is a constant theme in the Bible, especially the contrast between true worship God establishes and false worship that comes from our own thoughts and imaginations. Adam and Eve failed to glorify God as they should have. The very next event is a contrast between the true worship of Abel and the false worship of Cain. When God made his covenant with Israel, he began with issues of worship. The first command is that God alone should be worshiped. Exodus 20:3 says,

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

The second command says we are not to imagine our own ways of worshiping him. Exodus 20: 4 says,

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

An idol is anything that presents God in a false way. Since God is far greater than anything we can imagine or experience, anything we come up with will diminish our thinking about God. True worship can only come when a true vision of God is placed at the center. That means that we limit what we bring into our worship to what God has revealed to us through his word.

We are not here to be creative or to be entertained. We come to offer our praises to the king of the universe. The foundation of our worship is not any subjective experience or feeling we may have. It is not a message written by a preacher, but the proclamation of a truth received from God so that we can respond by giving him the glory he alone deserves.

That is why there are no images, statues, or artistic speculations to draw our attention. We are here to fix our attention on what God has told us about himself. That is why a pulpit is at the center here, because worship is to be anchored in truth, which means it is anchored in the proclamation of God’s word. Jesus said in John 6:63,

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

The only reliable truth we have about God comes from what God himself has revealed to us in his word. That word points us to Jesus, who is the living word of God in flesh. It is only when we are in Jesus Christ that pure worship among humans is restored. He is the perfect man and the perfect worshiper and is therefore the perfect image bearer.

Hebrews 1 says Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Jesus tells Philip, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. Colossians 1:15 says,

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

John says “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory”. Jesus reveals who God is.

The mercy of God is seen in Jesus coming to fulfill God’s law in our place. The holiness of God is displayed in God’s wrath poured out upon sin on the cross. God’s love is displayed in Jesus offering up himself as a sacrifice in our place. God’s power is displayed in the resurrection. The Gospel is at the heart of true worship because it is in Jesus that we most clearly see God and it is in Jesus we have the hope of being brought back to God.

Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. He was crucified as a substitute in the place of all who would ever put their faith in him. Then three days later he rose again and ascended into heaven. He is coming again in power and glory and is calling all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve to come to him in faith and be saved. Come to him as those who are born again to a life of worship.

The Bible tells us that we become like what we love and worship. Psalm 115:2–8 says,

2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

When we worship the world, we become more like the world. When we worship in spirit and truth, we become more like God who is Spirit and truth. God works in and through our worship to transform us to become more like him. Our worship isn’t just something we do, God is at work in it because when the Spirit applies the truth to our hearts we are being restored to what we were created to be. The apostle Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 3:18,

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 

This transformation is a lifelong process. The spirit of Christ is at work in every believer perfecting our worship and there is a day coming when Jesus returns in glory, when our transformation will be complete. 1 John 3:2–3 says,

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Through our worship and growth we are being made more like Jesus and scripture says all of creation groans in anticipation of the day when the sons of God are revealed in glory. So worship is not just something we do, it is the purpose of our lives and our redemption. We will worship God forever in heaven and we have the great privilege of entering into that worship even now due to the grace of God in Jesus. 

Therefore we should not be casual about how we worship and that brings us back to our main text. Jesus said,

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

Let’s look briefly at each of these aspects. What does it mean to worship in spirit and what does it mean to worship in truth?

To worship God “in spirit” means that it is not merely an outward act. It isn’t just the things we do in worship that matter, but the motivation for them and the convictions behind them. It must be sincere, proceeding from a love for God and appreciation for who he is and what he has done. Just going through the external motions is not worship. Worship proceeds from the heart.

Isaiah 29:13 says,

13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men

Imagine a husband who pays his wife's bills but also never shows her any affection. He spends all his extra time and money entertaining other women although he never physically cheats on his wife. He is doing all the external things but there is no love. We would not consider that man a good husband and neither do we worship truly when we merely do so outwardly.

We cannot come before the Lord in worship if our hearts are against him. You can go to church every Sunday, give generous offerings, even serve in ministry but if we come with unrepentant hearts our worship is false. If our goal all week is the pursuit of sin and the flesh our worship is false. We cannot pursue the pleasures of God and unrepentantly pursue the world and the flesh. God will not be mocked.

In Amos 5:21–24 God says this to those who think they can satisfy God by going through the motions of worship without any love in their hearts. 

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

To worship in the spirit means we worship sincerely. It means we worship with a heart transformed by a love for God. It means we worship in a way that opposes the sinful flesh and glories in the works of God. In Philippians 3:3 the apostle Paul says that believers who worship in the spirit are looking to an inward transformation that denies self and embraces God’s grace. He says,

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

It is the Holy Spirit that opens our eyes to the beauty and glory of God. It is the Holy Spirit that moves us to rejoice and give thanks for what God has done in his grace and mercy. It is the Holy Spirit that creates in us a new heart, a new life, that resists the flesh and seeks after God. It is only through the power of the Spirit that we can obtain the inward renewal necessary for true worship.

This cannot be produced through outward religious experiences or discipline. What is required is for us to truly encounter God. It is only when we recognize our own sinfulness and his glorious grace that we can worship with gratitude from the heart. To worship in the spirit is to offer our heart, mind, soul, and strength. King David says in Psalm 51:16–17

16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Since this is the case, why did God bother establishing all these forms of worship in the Old Testament? That brings us to the second aspect. We must worship God in truth. The sacrifices and other external forms of worship in the Old Testament point us to certain truths that find their fulfillment in our worship in the New Covenant. 

First, the sacrifices demonstrated the seriousness of sin. Every sin required atonement and the shedding of blood. The Temple worship of the Jews involved a nearly unending stream of blood flowing from the altar as a result of sin. Those continual sacrifices showed that the people were not righteous. They showed that God was holy and there was a high price to paid for sin. Forgiveness could only come with a blood sacrifice. 

The rites and sacrifices also pointed to the truth that God was gracious and merciful. Rather than requiring the blood of those who sinned, a substitute would be accepted. The blood of bulls and goats was able to be imposed between God and sinners. 

The sacrifices also showed, however, that these sacrifices were incomplete because they needed to be continually repeated. A sinner could offer them in faith, as a testimony of their trust in God to forgive them but these sacrifices could not remove sin. They were unable to make the sinner holy and so the process would continue until the promised deliverer came and broke the power of sin.

All these things were designed to prepare God’s people for what Jesus would do. The author of Hebrews says all these things were a shadow of the good things to come. They served as illustrations and reminders that God would keep his promises. Those promises were kept in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. These reminders had to be repeated because they anticipated something else. Hebrews 10:12-14 says,

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

The sacrifice of Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise. It accomplishes not only atonement for sin, but also purchases the new birth and the gift of the Holy Spirit, by which believers are sealed and sanctified. Therefore Jesus is the focal point of all true worship because it is in him that we are reconciled to God. He is the point and the center of all salvation history. The story of what God has done in Jesus is the story that makes sense of all the other stories.

To worship in truth is to worship according to the revelation of God in his word. That means that to worship in the truth is to worship Jesus Christ consistent with what the Bible says about him. John 14:6 says,

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

To worship in spirit and truth requires then that we come to God through Jesus Christ. That means that our worship should reflect the character of God and the grace of God as it is displayed in the gospel. Theologian Al Mohler has rightly said,

“If you want to know what people really believe about God, don’t spend time reading their theologians. Watch them worship. Listen to what they sing and to how they pray. Then you will know what they believe about this God whom they worship.”

We live in a time where many people innovate in their worship trying to be creative and relevant. The consistent message of the Bible is that God expects us to worship in the way that he has commanded and we are to avoid bringing in anything else. Many churches think that unless God has specifically forbidden something, it is fine to include it in gathered worship. We, however, believe that God has regulated worship in his word and we are only to include those things that he has specifically commanded for us to include.

There are all sorts of circumstances of worship that we are free to change, like the time of the meeting, the length of the messages, and so forth. But when we follow what God has specifically instructed us to do in worship we believe that it results in worship that accurately reflects who God is and protects us from our own tendency to elevate our own imagination. When we do this faithfully the result is worship that focuses on what God has done through Jesus Christ.

These things specifically include: 

• Prayer (Eph. 6:18, Php. 4:6)
• The reading of Scripture (Acts 15:21, Rev. 1:3)
• The preaching of the Word of God (2 Timothy 4:2)
• The singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19)
• Baptism (Matthew 28:19)
• The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23, Acts 2:42)
• Collection of Offerings to support ministry (Gal. 2:10; 1 Cor. 9:3-12)

Everything we do in our gathered worship is intentional as are the things we do not do. Nowhere does God permit us to design a worship service around what will appeal to the world. Rather, our worship time together is to be a time where we encounter God. Of course, we welcome those who are not believers and we want to show love and respect, but the things we do are done to please God and to equip believers to serve him.

Evangelism, outreach, and much of discipleship should be done by believers throughout the week. Our time together here should overflow into smaller worship groups and individual devotion time alone with God. Worshiping together should be like filling up your spiritual gas tank so you can continue your journey throughout the week. 

The encounter you have with God on Sunday morning should draw you into a deeper relationship with the Lord. I like the way A.W. Tozer said it, he said,

“No one can long worship God in spirit and in truth before the obligation to holy service becomes too strong to resist. Fellowship with God leads straight to obedience and good works. That is the divine order and it can never be reversed. 

Worship is one of the things we need to grow because the more we grow in worship the more it overflows into every aspect of our lives. We cannot come to know the Lord and not be changed by it. God would deserve worship even if every sinner were condemned, but how much more should we be moved to worship because of his love and his grace. How can we not desire to submit our entire life to him who himself bore the scars of our sin so that a holy God could call us friends and pour his love out on us?

It makes sense that our worship must be in spirit and truth because anything else would be unworthy of him. We should be ready both when we are together and when we are alone to declare with our lips and our lives that there is nothing of more value to us in the world than God. This importance, if it is sincere, will lead us to a freeness in our worship because that means we believe his promises. It also will lead to a respect and reverence in our worship because we recognize his awesome majesty and holiness.

We will be so marked by our worship that these truths and this spirit will be the framework upon which we build our lives. We should seek in worship both to give worship to God and to receive from him the renewed heart that draws us closer to him.

I would like to leave you today with the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:1–2. After spending 11 chapters laying out glorious truth and doctrine in great detail, this is what he says,

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

That is my prayer for us as well.