WORSHIPThe woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 

John 4:19-21

WORSHIPYou worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”.” 

John 4:22-24

MANMADE WORSHIPLiving Outside the Presence of God

MANMADE WORSHIP

Is artificial - "Our fathers"Is ignorant of the truth - "you worship what you do not know"Is superstitious - the spiritual leaders had "added" man-made elements to the worship experience.

REAL WORSHIPLiving in the Presence of God

REAL WORSHIP

Is God-initiated - "for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers"

Is a SPIRITual experience - those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

REAL WORSHIPWho we worship

Knowing who it is we worship is of utmost importance. Worship in ignorance, regardless of what name we give it, is a sham and an empty form.

REAL WORSHIPHow we worship

Truth and spirit are at the center of living worship. The Spirit and the truth are always interacting, the one leading to the other, then back again. The Spirit brings us into truth, and the truth draws us into the Spirit.

REAL WORSHIPFour Elements of Real Worship:

Praise - ascribing value to the work or person of God.Prayer - conforming my will to God'sPreaching - Rightly dividing the Word of God keeps us faithful to what is true.Presence of God - True worship requires the presence of God

REAL WORSHIPA REAL Example – Genesis 22

Real Worship requires revelation.

"Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.“ (v. 2)

REAL WORSHIPA REAL Example – Genesis 22

Real Worship requires preparation.

"So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (v. 3)

REAL WORSHIPA REAL Example – Genesis 22

Real Worship requires separation.

"Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.". (v. 5)

REAL WORSHIPA REAL Example – Genesis 22

Real Worship requires dedication.

“Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. (v. 8)

REAL WORSHIPA REAL Example – Genesis 22

Real Worship requires proclamation.

“Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.“ (v. 14)

REAL WORSHIP

If you cannot worship the Lord in the midst of your responsibilities on Monday, it is not very likely that you were worshipping on Sunday!

A.W. Tozer

REAL WORSHIPIf there is to be true and blessed worship, some things in your life must be destroyed, eliminated. The gospel of Jesus Christ is certainly positive and constructive. But it must be destructive in some areas, dealing with and destroying certain elements that cannot remain in a life pleasing to God

A.W. Tozer