Audience of One
ICS Daily Devotions
John 4:20-24 (NKJV) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
With the resumption of on-site church services, I would like to address the topic of worship. First, we need to remember that worship is not about us but all about God. Second, we should not rush through the praise and worship segment because we want to soak in His presence. Third, praise, worship and dwelling in the presence of God are what enable us to find strength when we are stuck between the rock and a hard place. It is in His presence that He infuses grace into our hearts, speaks or grants us a vision and ministers to us personally.
Many things can happen in the presence of God, so we should be expectant and always hunger for more of God in our lives. We should intentionally relax and “bathe in the glory of God”. It is possible to be in a worship service every week and never truly worship, but simply go through the formalities of the service. Instead, we ought to take the time to do what Ruth Ward Heflin said in her book “Glory: Experiencing The Atmosphere Of Heaven”, to “praise…until the spirit of worship comes. Worship… until the glory comes. Then… stand in the glory”.
In the opening passage, Jesus was telling the woman at the well that a new day was dawning when everyone could worship regardless of locations. Do you know that for us, that hour has already arrived because we live in a time where the sacrificial system has been done away with and the ultimate sacrifice is found in Jesus Christ who has paid the price once and for all—the blood of Jesus Christ has satisfied the wrath of God!
Also, God is pleased with us when we approach Him by faith. This passage contains one of the greatest revelations that Jesus has given us in the Word. It shows us what God wants when it comes to worshipping Him—God is seeking worshippers, and that’s what he wants from us. Therefore, people should not be late for church and skip the praise and worship segment because it is dishonouring to God. In fact, the very purpose of coming to church is to worship Him, which is why we call it a worship service. Therefore, the most important portion of the entire service is the worship segment because it is all about God, when we truly praise and worship to the audience of One.
Sermon Series: ICS Worship Culture
