Am I A Worshiper Yahweh Seeks?

Am I A Worshiper Yahweh Seeks?

 

John 4:22-24 KJV

 

    

^"22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

²³ 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.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

 

 

     Jesus begins His discourse with the woman at the well with the declaration that to be a person Whom God desires to worship Him, a person who He SEEKS to worship Him, that very soul must KNOW, and be SAVED.  Don't believe me?  Look at Jesus' own words in verse 22, in plain simple English.  Looking back from the future into the recorded event here in chapter four of the Gospel according to John, that hour that was to come, it arrived at Calvary, and the door was opened to KNOW God because of SALVATION.

     With that fact established by the Lord Jesus Himself, "How?" are we to worship the God, Creator, and Redeemer?  Verse twenty-four tells us!  Jesus makes an imperative statement: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  Again, simple plain English.  This is "where" it gets amiss, where entertainment, rituals, and other acts that are not Spirit and Truth, and therefore is not worship at all.  Insert gasp, "brother Jason that's the way we've always done it." 

     Maybe so reader, maybe that has always been your ritualistic tradition.  In these three verses Jesus even opens the door to Who and How we MUST WORSHIP.  Again Jesus' words, NOT MINE.  Don't believe me reader!  Look again at what Jesus said, "they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  Okay, with the basic doctrinal statement of Jesus as our foundation, what does He mean?  In Spirit, and in Truth.  God is Spirit, and Jesus is Truth, and vice versa.  So how did Jesus worship?  Jesus is Hebrew, man, and God.  So Jesus and the disciples, apostles, and first churches would have worship as Jesus did. 

     How did Jesus worship?  Glad you asked.  Until He was offered as a sacrifice Himself, Jesus would have observed Levite law prescribed in the Old Testament, with the exception of the sin sacrifice (Jesus was without sin) while in Jerusalem, he would have kept the letter and HEART of the law in the Temple, and in the synagogues He would have done the following:  "¹⁵ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, ^18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
²⁰ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
²¹ And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
²² And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
²³ And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
²⁴ And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
²⁵ But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
²⁶ But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. (Luke 4:15-26 KJV)
 Jesus read the Bible that they had in the synagogue, then He taught, preached, and expounded on the Word of God.  Preaching is worship, check!

     Okay, that's Jesus worshiping.  What about a disciple or apostle?  Glad you asked that.  The disciples would have been with Jesus, following His lead, and listening.  The apostles (sent ones) we have a record of them as well: "² And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

³ Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." (Acts 17:2-3 KJV) Imagine that.  Preaching Christ, to the Hebrew first, and the Greek.   Well that is the synagogue, yes, you are correct it is... that's where Hebrews gathered to worship Yahweh away from Jerusalem.  The gentiles Believers would be gathered together in groups of people called churches.  Sound familiar?  "⁴ And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
⁵ But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
⁶ And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
⁷ Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
⁸ And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
⁹ And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
¹⁰ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
¹¹ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
¹² Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
¹³ But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people." (Acts 17:4-13 KJV)
     See a pattern yet?  Preaching the Word?  Now that fact is Biblically established, what about prayer, singing of hymns and praise?  Glad you asked! 
Remember that imperative statement about must worship God in Spirit and Truth by Jesus?  Well the apostle Paul instructed the church at Ephesus on this:

  "5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
³ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
⁴ Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
⁵ For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
⁷ Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
¹² For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
¹⁴ Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
¹⁹ Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
²¹ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."  (Ephesians 5:1-21 KJV) 
    Reader, you may be thinking that's just the apostle Paul, what about Jesus?  Again, glad you asked?  "²⁶ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." (Luke 14:26 KJV)  [Also in Matthew 26:30]  This is after the institution of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, another act of worship in Spirit and Truth.  What about prayer?  The entire Bible is loaded with all these, yet we need look no more than the previous passage above in Ephesians 5:20.  Giving thanks, you know, in prayer.  So We have checked off in the liturgy of worship, in Spirit and Truth:  Preaching, teaching, singing of praises and hymns, the Lord's Supper, and inadvertently baptism.  Baptism you say?  Where?  In the opening statement of Jesus about salvation.  Salvation is followed by the command of Believers baptism by submersion just like Jesus was baptized. 
     Now one more thing reader.  Tithes and offerings.  Tithes and offerings as worship you may ask?  Yes it is worship: "³⁴ Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
³⁵ And laid [them] down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (Acts 4:34-35 KJV)
"¹ Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
² How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
³ For to [their] power, I bear record, yea, and beyond [their] power [they were] willing of themselves;
⁴ Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and [take upon us] the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
⁵ And [this they did], not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." (2nd Corinthians 8:1-5 KJV)
"¹⁷ Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
¹⁸ For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward." (1st Timothy 5:17-18 KJV)

And this is one Jesus kept, and wasn't abolished in the sacrificial atonement of His sacrifice at Calvary:
"⁸ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
⁹ Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
¹⁰ Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it]." (Malachi 3:8-10  KJV)

Reader, this is the concise version I have an 18 week lesson on Biblical worship and Truth from Genesis to Revelation.  All based upon the Biblical standard of what or actually Who is worshiping in Spirit and Truth.  Are being sought by God?  
Share with the Saints, your servant in the Gospel, love Jason.