What is True Worship of God?

The definition of "worship" in the dictionary is:

"to honor or show reverence, to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion"

What does God's Word say about worship? Jesus teaches in John 4:23-24,

"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. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."

Here, Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. The Samaritans believed they should worship God at Mount Gerizim while the Jews believed that the temple in Jerusalem was the true place to worship God. Jesus explains to the woman that true worshipers will not worship in a specific location, but rather they will worship in the Spirit and in truth.

With the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, followers of Christ were given the freedom to worship God anywhere at anytime. No longer did they need to go to the temple to be in God's presence. Now God dwelled within them through the Spirit. This changed everything for all eternity!

We read in 1 John 4:13, "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit."

Jesus also includes that we must worship in truth. What does that mean? The Greek word for "truth" is "aletheia" which means: "sincerity and integrity of character". So we must worship with honesty and genuineness and have an undivided heart that honors God.

We read in Hebrews 12:28, that we should "worship God acceptably with reverence and awe".

We see this reverent worship beautifully displayed in Revelation 4:10-11,

[10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: [11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

The twenty-four elders laid their crowns before the throne and humbled themselves before the Lord with great reverence and awe. They gave Him all the glory just as David did in Psalm 29:1-2,

"Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness."

While we are to come before God with great reverence and awe, this does not mean we are to come to him in fear and trembling. We read in Hebrews 12:18-24,

[18] You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; [19] to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, [20] because they could not bear what was commanded...that...“If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” [21] The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” [22] But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, [23] to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, [24] to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

There's no terror or fear to be had when we come before God in worship...we are in the presence of thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly! David knew this when he wrote Psalms 100:2,

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."

So let us come before the Lord with joyful, genuine hearts. Let us honor Him with great reverence and awe. And let us remember that we can come into His presence at anytime and anywhere.
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