SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Walk.
SPEAKER_00: This is Mike Stevens, and this morning our focus will be on John 4, 23, 24.
SPEAKER_00: But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.
SPEAKER_00: For the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
SPEAKER_00: God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is sharing with the woman at the well about what worship means.
SPEAKER_00: In the prior verses, she has pointed out that the Samaritans go to the mountains to worship.
SPEAKER_00: The Jews, on the other hand, go to Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_00: But if you follow what Jesus is saying, you can see that there is a shifting of the wind.
SPEAKER_00: A new way of worship is coming into being.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus has his thoughts focused on the cross and what is to take place at Calvary.
SPEAKER_00: Worship becomes centered on what God did when he sent his son to die on the cross to free us of our sinful nature and to provide salvation to those who believe.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus is telling the woman at the well that the Samaritans and Jews are both false worshipers.
SPEAKER_00: The Samaritans worship in spirit, but without truth.
SPEAKER_00: The Jews, on the other hand, worship in truth, but without spirit.
SPEAKER_00: God, however, is seeking true worshipers who worship in both truth and spirit.
SPEAKER_00: So the question we face is not whether we worship by going to church or reading scripture or going to Bible study, singing praise songs, no.
SPEAKER_00: The question is that when we engage in these activities, do we worship our Father in spirit and in truth?
SPEAKER_00: This is the kind of worshiper the Father seeks.
SPEAKER_00: But what does it mean to be a true worshiper of God?
SPEAKER_00: First we must look at worship in light of the most important commandment we have, which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
SPEAKER_00: Mark 12, 30.
SPEAKER_00: How do we show God our love?
SPEAKER_00: We do it by worshiping the Lord with a pure spirit, a heart that is right toward Him.
SPEAKER_00: And we are to worship Him in truth, believing the gospel message and embracing the cross.
SPEAKER_00: Second, worship is not based on the outward actions of religious rituals.
SPEAKER_00: It is achieved through an inward devotion to the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: As a consequence, a true worshiper is a born-again believer whose life has been given to Christ and is guided in worship by the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Third, our thoughts must be centered on God and God alone as we enter His presence.
SPEAKER_00: When we put our focus on the worship leader, the music, or fail to connect the message to God, then we lose sight of what it means to be a true worshiper.
SPEAKER_00: Whether it is praising, giving thanks, singing, praying, or giving financially, our hearts must be right, pure and free of sin, bringing glory to Him, and in that way we refresh our own spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Fulfilling our purpose of worshiping Him satisfies our very being, and it helps us build a deeper connection to God.
SPEAKER_00: He is deserving of our love, and we demonstrate such love when we worship Him with the right attitude, the right heart, and a spirit that is leading us into His presence.
SPEAKER_00: As you enter church services this Sunday, prepare yourself to be a true worshiper of God, worshiping in spirit and in truth with a heart that yearns for a deeper connection to God.