Be Deliberate: Worship
• John 4:23 Jesus gives the command to worship in spirit and truth.
• First, we have to start with getting somewhat of a working definition of what worship is.
• Matt 2:10 This is in the birth narrative of Jesus.
• It says they were overjoyed. Then offered gifts, and expensive gifts. They also traveled a great distance
o There is costliness to their worship. There is preparation, preparing for the travel, preparing the gifts
o They also bowed down, a physical posture of honor.
• Matt 14:30 Jesus calms a storm after Peter tried to walk on water.
• Then it says that those who were in the boat worshipped Hm.
o Awe and wonder at what they just saw, thanksgiving for being safe, possibly a physical posturing of bowing down, praise.
• John 9: 35 Jesus heals a man born blind.
• When the man realizes who Jesus is, it says that he worshiped him.
o What do think this worship looked like?
Thanksgiving and praise, probably awe and wonder, he probably bowed down.
• In each of these passages we have looked at it is the Greek word proskuneo.
o This word means, fall down, kneel, bow down, fall at another’s feet, to kiss the hand.
Gen 22:1 Abram finally gets his long-awaited son; but then the Lord asks him to sacrifice that son.
• Look at verse 5: We will worship, then we will come back. He sees both going, and both coming back.
o But most astonishing is that he says we will worship.
• So what do we see in this passages as it relates to worship?
o Obedience, Trust, Sacrifice, Faith, Preparation, and costliness.
2 Sam 24:18 This scene starts with David sinning against the Lord by taking a census of his army.
• The Lord speaks through the prophet Gad and sends three options for judgement.
• What do we see in this passage? Repentance, Costliness, Sacrifice, Preparation, Honor, Prayer
Let’s recap what we have seen so far: Worship is about…
o Obedience
o Trust
o Sacrifice
o Faith
o Preparation
o Costliness
o Repentance
o Honor
o Prayer
o Awe and wonder
o Thanksgiving
o Physical posture
Go Back to John 4:23 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
• But now we take that list we just looked at and add the reequipment of worshipping in Spirit and truth.
• Worshipping in Spirit means being filled with the spirit and worshiping as enabled by the spirit.
• Worship in truth means we must worship God based on the truth of who He is, not our own invention.