John 4:23-24 says "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth"
OK...so we are to worship God in spirit and truth...what does that mean? In light of the last post I wonder just what God expects of me in church when I am worshiping Him. I'm having trouble with this because of things that have happened in that church...so I began to study just what it means and have come to the conclusion that:...
1. Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. Samaritan's did not accept some of what was written...including the coming of the Messiah from the line of the Jews...they followed their own traditions and beliefs so their worship was not in truth. We are to worship the way God wants and not follow the traditions of men...Psalm 33:4 "For the word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all He does" and it is clearly shown by example and command just what is to be included in worship...at church...(I'm not saying we can't honor and communicate with God outside of the church gathering or worship...but this is a follow up to church services, thus the focus)...REMEMBER to always look at the context of a scripture...understand it and see if it applies...
2. Worshiping in spirit is worship that is sincere and from the heart.
Spirit is something that isn't seen...it is inside...SOOOO, if we are to worship the way God wants and we are to worship from the heart and sincerely...what do we do when there are heart problems that have not been resolved? The simple answer is to fix the problems, but the truth of the matter is that does not always work the way we would like...Does that mean if our hearts are broken or if our mind is on other things that we are failing God?
When I ask this type of question my mind immediately goes to what God said of David AFTER David had Bathsheba's husband killed and took her for his own...have I said this before?? Well, it bears repeating...He called David a man after His own heart. WHY? It seems that the HEART has a lot to do with it...David had his heart for God...Acts 13: 22 talks about how God raised up different kings...and of David this was said..."I have found David the son of Jesse a man after My heart who will do all My will" Psalm 16:2 David says... "You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good"...This was David's heart! My heart is willing...BUT, my mind is weak...WOW, that is scripture...Romans 7:18
I was sitting in church one day...and my phone rang...(I was SO embarrassed and didn't know how to quickly silence it) I was sitting way up front and the preacher; who often preached in the aisle; came over to me and asked for my purse. I gave it to him and he got my phone and answered it...RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SERVICE!! Well, it was my husband who had stayed home that day. He began questioning him...asking him why he wasn't there when I was...the WHOLE church knew it was my husband. The preacher was not trying to be mean...he was being funny. I didn't think it was funny though when the entire congregation began to clap and laugh. On the surface this may not seem like much, but to me (who was having a little difficulty in my relationship at the time) it was horrifying. The action of the preacher was embarrassing but the mob mentality was devastating! I told him how upset I was later and he graciously apologized in public the next Sunday...but what has stuck was the way the whole church just followed along without a thought (or seemingly so) to what it did. To this day those things come to mind from time to time when I look around at the people sitting there...
During a ladies class one day I looked up to see someone had put up a bunch of pictures from events in the congregation in the past. It would have been great except for the fact that there were a few photo's of me with my kids and my FIRST husband. I was dating my current husband and going to church there together with him at the time. Apart from the fact it was shocking, it seemed in bad taste. I didn't plan on it, but seeing that made me feel like crying, so I got up quietly and left the room. Some years later I found out that the woman who followed me out to see if I was OK and so kindly said she would quietly take care of it and take them down...actually went back in the room and said "She should just get over it". This kind of ugliness was made a bit worse when they all agreed. MOB MENTALITY again. I suppose they didn't have the awkward moment as I didn't find out about it for years...sigh...for me it was the awkward moment as a woman came up to me and asked me if I had ever gone to the church I was going to...the lady who was there years ago...in that room...on that day. WOW...beware your sins will find you out! Numbers 32:23...OK...it was talking about one particular sin, and we know that there are many sins in secret...but, still that scripture always comes to mind when I find things out that have been done behind my back...
So, with these events and things popping to mind from time to time I have a hard time worshiping in spirit and in truth when I'm there...but, if I understand correctly God looks at the heart...and my heart surely WANTS to do the right thing!
On MOB MENTALITY...read Exodus 23 sometime...it isn't something God holds in high favor for sure!!
And on we go...trying, trying, trying still...hoping ever and always to do God's will!!
God Bless!
When I ask this type of question my mind immediately goes to what God said of David AFTER David had Bathsheba's husband killed and took her for his own...have I said this before?? Well, it bears repeating...He called David a man after His own heart. WHY? It seems that the HEART has a lot to do with it...David had his heart for God...Acts 13: 22 talks about how God raised up different kings...and of David this was said..."I have found David the son of Jesse a man after My heart who will do all My will" Psalm 16:2 David says... "You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good"...This was David's heart! My heart is willing...BUT, my mind is weak...WOW, that is scripture...Romans 7:18
I was sitting in church one day...and my phone rang...(I was SO embarrassed and didn't know how to quickly silence it) I was sitting way up front and the preacher; who often preached in the aisle; came over to me and asked for my purse. I gave it to him and he got my phone and answered it...RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SERVICE!! Well, it was my husband who had stayed home that day. He began questioning him...asking him why he wasn't there when I was...the WHOLE church knew it was my husband. The preacher was not trying to be mean...he was being funny. I didn't think it was funny though when the entire congregation began to clap and laugh. On the surface this may not seem like much, but to me (who was having a little difficulty in my relationship at the time) it was horrifying. The action of the preacher was embarrassing but the mob mentality was devastating! I told him how upset I was later and he graciously apologized in public the next Sunday...but what has stuck was the way the whole church just followed along without a thought (or seemingly so) to what it did. To this day those things come to mind from time to time when I look around at the people sitting there...
So, with these events and things popping to mind from time to time I have a hard time worshiping in spirit and in truth when I'm there...but, if I understand correctly God looks at the heart...and my heart surely WANTS to do the right thing!
And on we go...trying, trying, trying still...hoping ever and always to do God's will!!
God Bless!
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