Main Scripture: John 4:5-26
We were created to worship God for who He is and what He has done
1. God is seeking True worshippers
· Worship is not secondary to life – it is central to fulfilling our purpose in glorifying God & enjoying Him forever.
· From the very beginning man was created to worship God and reflect God’s image
2. True Worship is not about the place or method
· True worship is not about a building or reserved for a specific place
· True worship is not about methodology or style or preference
· Many different worship styles can honor God and draw attention to His diversity
· Worship is not about the music but it can include music
3. True Worship is about God
· Worship is not about us
· God is glorified when we delight in Him
· You don’t worship our own idea of who God is – we worship God for who He has shown us He is
· We worship God who is both transcendent and immanent
“I can admire the solemn and stately language of worship that recognizes the greatness of God, but it will not warm my heart or express my soul until it has also blended therewith the joyful nearness of that perfect love that casts out fear and ventures to speak with our Father in heaven as a child speaks with its father on earth. My brother, no veil remains.” – Charles Spurgeon
4. True Worship is in spirit & truth
· Worship is not about mere ritual, it is about our hearts
· True worship flows from the truth of His Word
“God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to Him. He must disclose to use who He is before we can offer Him what we are in acceptable worship. The worship of God is always a response to the Word of God. Scripture wonderfully directs and enriches our worship.” - John Stott
· True worship is from the heart responding to truth revealed by the spirit
Potential Application Questions:
1. How does knowing that God created you and chose you so that you would worship Him affect your view of worship?
2. Since all of life is meant to be worship, how can our daily lives reflect this?
3. How can we grow in worshipping God as we listen to the Word being preached?
4. What idols are we tempted to worship instead of God in our lives? (perhaps desiring things like ease, being impressive to others, respect, attention, affection, etc. more than we should)
5. Where have we allowed our personal preferences in style or method of worship to hinder us from worshipping God in song? How can we humbly set aside these preferences and worship God?
6. Where do we need to grow in our expression of worship to God? What areas in our hearts have we allowed to hinder us in our expression?
7. How can we practically grow in our knowledge of the Word of God so that we can worship Him truly?
