Worshippers the Father Seeks

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." -John 4:23-24

Worship is not about organs or guitars, ballads or rock songs, hymns or choruses. Worship is not about helping the poor, or feeding the hungry. Worship isn't about studying the Bible or learning about the life of Jesus. Worship isn't even about sharing our beliefs with those in our circle of influence, and it isn't about giving of our time, talents or resources. You can do all of these things, perhaps even better than everyone else, and never participate in worship.

What is worship about, if not these things? How do we please God if not by offering ourselves in these acts? How can we become the worshipers that God seeks?

There are two answers. The long answer will unfold over the course of 12 weeks in a Wednesday night class called "A Worshiper's Foundation." This class will look at what God says about worship. The writer of the book of Hebrews spoke of the Old Testament priests saying they served in a shadow of Heavenly worship (Hebrews 8:5). This class will look at worship through the lens of the Mosaic Tabernacle.

The very short answer is found when we look at the most common words for worship in both the Hebrew and Greek. The most common words for worship mean "to Bow." It is only when we recognize the holiness of God and bow our lives and our wills to His, that all of the actions in the first paragraph become more than just actions, they become worship.

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