John 4: 23 « Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. »
This month, we're taking a brief break from
our series on reconciliation with God to discuss another important topic:
worship, the reason for our existence.
Isaiah 43: 7 « everyone who is
called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made»
Indeed, we were not created to suffer and lament before God; rather, we were created to glorify Him at all times. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal this to us: our sincere worship draws His Spirit. We can only experience the manifestation of His presence as long as we remain in a posture of constant worship. Worship that triggers the manifestation of God’s presence, which transforms the atmosphere and through which miracles occur without our intercession, is offered in the Spirit and in truth. Paul and the other apostles experienced this kind of manifestation because they worshiped our Lord in the Spirit and in truth.
Acts 19: 11-12 « God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them. »
Even though God has not changed, we often wonder: Why don't all Christians experience a life filled with ongoing miracles and wonders? Why don't these kinds of supernatural manifestations occur everywhere we go, day after day? The answer lies solely in the way we worship God. He accepts worship only when it is offered through the Spirit and in truth. These two aspects are inseparable; one cannot exist without the other. In this text, we will explore the importance of these two aspects in worship. You will also understand how and why the supernatural became the "natural" for Peter, Paul, and the other apostles.
A. Worshipping God in the Spirit
Worshipping God in the Spirit is not limited to words and dancing. Rather, it is an attitude of total reverence from the heart and mind. Our eyes, souls, and minds are focused on one Being: God. Dances, songs, words of praise, and acts of worship, such as kneeling or prostrating oneself on the ground, are merely physical expressions of this state of total spiritual reverence. This state depends neither on space nor on circumstances, mood, songs, nor instruments.
When we worship our
Lord in this way with our whole being, in perfect harmony, we enter into
perfect communion with the Spirit of God, and his glory is revealed.
Acts 16: 25-26 « About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent
earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the
prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. »
B. Worshiping God in Truth
This level of worship refers to how we live our lives. When we worship someone, we try to please and emulate them. Therefore, a true worshiper is someone who always strives to please Jesus and be like him. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour agree to no longer live according to their own desires, but rather according to the will of their new Master, who has become their one and only role model. As the apostle Éric Kaloyi often says: "What good is it to weep with emotion, dance, or use the most beautiful words in the dictionary every Sunday during worship if we have no love for others in our hearts, knowing that God is love?"
A true worshiper is distinguished by his wisdom, selfless love for others, self-control, humility, patience, and steadfastness in his walk with God.
Therefore, to worship
God in truth is to lay aside one’s own identity to take on that of Christ and,
in this way, to be able to perform miracles and
wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit, just as He has done and continues
to do.
Galatians
2: 20 « I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me. »
