The Power of Worship预览

WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT AND TRUTH

INTRODUCTION

There are two elements about our worship to the Lord that are discussed in the verse above: the spirit and the truth. The Father seeks this kind of worship. These two elements of worship do not come from us; they come from the Lord.

In the book of Genesis when God created man, it is said that God breathed into the man’s nostrils the breath of life so that the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The man could live, think, feel, and have the will because God breathed the breath of life. This is the spirit. Man was created in the image of God.

However, when men fell into sin (Adam and Eve), this image was destroyed. It was no longer the image of God as the desires of flesh, wickedness, and sin control men. To restore this self-image, man has to return to God in repentance or to have a born -gain experience. 

We will be born again by the Spirit of God if we repent and accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We receive a portion in the Lord through Holy Spirit so that we become His children. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  (Romans 8:16)

We praise the Lord because we are reconciled with Father God through His grace. Jesus Christ has become our way of salvation. He sets us free from the chain of sin. There is no other way to receive freedom from sin except through Jesus Christ. 

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Because we have believed and received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our hearts are renewed and the truth is inside us. As a result, we are made worthy to worship Him in the spirit and the truth. Hallelujah!

DISCUSSION

Today we are going to learn how and why we profess that we are God’s favored worshippers. 

1. Repay the goodness of God 

- We have learned about human values through the lessons at school or through the story in the book about a person or a group of people who do good things by helping others. We are taught by our parents to repay the kindness of those who are kind to us. The point here is about returning the favor. 

- How often do we think about God’s works in our lives? How great is our desire to repay all of God’s goodness? How great is the proof of our love for God?

- It is true that we cannot measure the love of God. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesians, “And I pray that you, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:18). God proves His great love for us through Jesus Christ’s willingness to die to redeem our sins.

- We are supposed to repay the goodness and the love of God through our worship. 

2. Answer God’s desire 

And by Him, we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Rm 8: 15c-16).

- If we have been made worthy to be His children and to call Him Abba Father, it means God’s feeling is put into our hearts.

- If we are close to someone, we will know his feeling. The same thing happens when we are close to God. We will know His feeling for us. Do you know God’s feeling for us, His children? God always longs to listen to our voices that worship Him, to our songs that sing for Him, and to the expression of our hearts. That is God’s feeling for us. God loves us, His children, so much. He will provide the best for us. 

3. Live His Word 

- None is righteous in this world, every man has fallen into iniquities and wickedness. However, Jesus Christ came to justify us. Why is he able to justify us? Because He is the truth. In John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

- Jesus Christ is the Word that has become a man. He is called the Son of Man. The Word of God is the truth that sets us free. John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

- To worship in the truth means to do the truth or the Word of God. Tell yourself to live in the truth. Take your Bible, read it, meditate it and do it. Do not say that I do not have time. You  have the time, it’s just a matter of whether you want to use your time to come closer to Jesus, the truth, or not. 

- His Word is alive. You are going to see the difference in your life when you do His Word. 

CONCLUSION

- It is not too late to start something good for our life’s future. Life is an investment; start making an eternal investment for the Kingdom of God through our worship to the Lord. 

- Start looking for the Word of God every morning.  Stand in front of the mirror and declare one or two Bible verses to yourself. Keep God’s message that He conveys to us through His word as your guide for that day. 

- Do not be afraid to be different. We are supposed to be different because we do the truth. Set ourselves apart from everything that is against His word. Jesus says that we have to carry the cross, deny ourselves and put our flesh desires to death if we want to be His disciples and live to please Him. Amen.