True Worship Isn't Based On Circumstances

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:23-24

Notice that John differentiates between worship and the true worshippers as he begins the 23^rd verse… You have to be about the business of God at every turn of your life to be a qualified member of this statement… There are too many people seeing another side of you when you are a around them instead of seeing the worship and adoration that you have for Christ… John goes on to say in the 8^th chapter, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." I recite this verse to reinforce the point that God knows you by your actions which display the truths that live within you… A lot of us are still captive to the past failures or mistakes of yesterday because we have not acknowledged our wrongdoing and allowed the truth to set us free… Since we have not aligned ourselves with the truth, we also find ourselves incapable of worshipping God in the true spirit which He requires… This alone can be the very picture that someone needed drawn today to know the reason behind why it feels as though God has not moved on your behalf or that you prayers are going unanswered… You must be truthful in your spirit with the Lord, He knows your deepest and darkest secrets; however, He is waiting for you to turn your life over to Him so that He can in turn take you to another level… Make no mistake about it; this journey of a Christian is filled with ups and downs… 

The experiences of highs and lows can quickly turn one to question their belief and desire to follow the call of God… Understand today, not only do we all have to face persecutions, but that these very trials that we face separate the true Christians from the impostors… There is a story in the bible that talks about “a wise ruling…” In 1 Kings 3:16-28 the bible records two prostitutes which lived together in a house… Each of them conceived a son; however one of them lay upon there son in the night and accidentally killed him… The story goes on to say that the woman who had killed her son got up and swapped babies with the other, leaving her dead son at the side of the other… When the lady arose to feed her son, she found him dead but soon realized that this was not her child… The matter was taken to the courts where the judge had told the women that he would have the baby cut and half and each would receive a part… At this, the real mother of the child decided that she would rather let the child live with another woman than to have him killed… Once she said this, the judge knew who the real mother was and awarded her the child… This story brings thoughts to my mind about our spiritual walk because we have to be willing to remain faithful even in the most difficult situations… So might say, why was this woman willing to give up her son and the reason is because of the love she had for him but also because of the faith she had in God… This is the kind of worshippers that John is speaking about in these verses… The time of people talking about faith as ended; we must show the faith we have by the life that we live… Notice the characteristics of a true worshipper… 

They worship in spirit and in truth… The spirit is indwelling; it lies within and leads our actions and emotions…When we worship God in spirit we worship Him in the most secret of places (our heart)… We worship Him from deep down inside and sometimes in true worship our emotions can get the best of us… True worship was shown when David danced out of his clothes, true worship was shown when John stood at the foot of the cross, true worship was shown when Stephen was stoned to death and the greatest worship was Jesus laying down His life on the cross… God isn’t looking for men pleasers, He is looking for people who have experienced His favor, who know that it is a privilege to be alive and who trust Him with their whole heart… Notice that Judge says, the hour has come… We have been playing long enough, we have allowed people around us to suffer long enough… It’s time for you to take a stand in your homes, it’s time for you to take a stand on your job, and it’s time for you to take a stand in your relationship… Stop allowing your faith to be hidden or trampled on, stop allowing people to deny the power that God has or the will He has planned for your life… In the midst of trials, don’t focus on the problem; instead praise God in advance for the solution… My sister once told me, when you face a storm, don’t tell God how big your storm is; instead tell the storm how big your God is… We must learn to do that today… This is true worship, the ability to honor, adore and appreciate God even in the worst of times… True worship isn’t praying when something goes wrong, it’s praying without ceasing… True worship isn’t praying when you are sick, it’s thanking Him for each and every day that you have already seen knowing that He has kept you… The true worshiper doesn’t question God when the foundation of their life is rocked, but continues to (wait on the Lord) knowing that there strength will be renewed. Peter worshipped God; however in the face of opposition he left the courtyard weeping… When the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was faced with opposition again, we see him take a stand and 3,000 souls be saved… The question today is, are you a true worshipper? If so, please stand up?

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!