WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
JESUS met a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob … and he said to her...
“True worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth....” (Jn 4:23)
So what is worship in Spirit and in Truth?
IN TRUTH
Truth is NOT subjective! The Truth is Jesus - Jesus revealed
to us and in us and through us. The truth is, there is nowhere and nothing on earth that
compares to Him. The Truth is that Jesus is Saviour, Redeemer, Deliver, Lord,
coming King. The Truth is He loves us and wants us to live in freedom and truth.
His truth is revealed to us by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit opens our
eyes to see Him. Truth always leads us to Jesus and not to ourselves.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6 ) and He said -
“When He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into
all truth. “ (Jn 16:14) Truth is founded in Him and hidden in Him and in his word.
We need revelation by the Spirit to open our spiritual eyes (Eph 1:18-19 )
to see the depth and meaning He wants to reveal to us.
Worshipping Him in Truth also means in love – loving God with all our heart
soul, mind, spirit and loving our neighbour as ourselves.
IN SPIRIT
What does worship in the Spirit mean? We know that, “The Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is the liberty!” or FREEDOM! (2 Cor 3:17).
We know that the Holy Spirit brings and produces in us ….. peace, freedom and joy...
He leads us into abundant life.
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, brings Liberty / Freedom. The Holy
Spirit is JESUS UNLIMITED. In John 3: 34
it says, “God gives the Spirit WITHOUT limit.” But we limit God ...
by our own experiences and our knowledge and understanding of Him – but He
wants to s-t-r-e-t-c-h us beyond what we currently know, understand or have
experienced and he needs full access to our hearts so we can experience Jesus
unlimited!
FLOW
WORSHIP in Spirit is abandonment, adoration, freedom and joy. Worship
in Spirit is FLOW in the Spirit – it is a removing of our restrictions and traditions,
our experiences and understanding and flowing with Him.
Worship in Spirit is not 5.5 songs! Worship is a life given over to Him, open
and flowing – overflowing in Him.
What is FLOW ? Flow is following – following where the Spirit is going.
To flow we have to “open up,” step forward and follow Him wherever He is going!
And to flow, we have to 'DRINK.'
Jesus said, “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed,
the water I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal
life. (John 4:14). The Spirit wants us to live in the flow and to worship in the
flow of His Spirit.
Flow is ALWAYS MOVING, never still. But where will this flow take us?
It makes us nervous when we don't know where we are going! But this is what He says...
He will lead you to quiet waters... (Psalm 23) He will lead you into purity,
into holiness, into his presence where there is fullness of joy!
FLOW (following) leads us to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23). FLOW will
lead you into the deeper things of God - “Deep calls unto deep” (Psalms 42:7 ) Flow
can lead to quite, reflectiveness and Spirit of God speaking deeply into your Spirit
revealing your heart and revealing his heart to you.
FLOW will lead you into higher things! The Spirit may lead you into
intercession – into spiritual warfare, which is fought in the heavenly places, the
high places (Read 2 Cor 10:3-5). Spiritual warfare is fought on our knees! It
petitions the throne room of heaven.
FLOW leads us to the high PRAISES of God, to proclamations and releasing the
Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven (Matt 6:10).
FLOW can lead us into the heavenly courts worshipping with the saints before
his throne.
Whilst Paul and Silas were in beaten and thrown into jail … but they began to praise God
and the ground shook … their chains fell off … and the prison
doors were opened... praise & proclamation releases the power of God in our
lives and situations. (Acts 16: 16 ff)
FLOW leads us to healings and miracles! In Acts 5:12 – 15, we read that
the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.....
And as a result ... people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and
mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by....
When we are in His presence his power is often released - If we let Him!
Remember FLOW - we can STOP FLOW if we want too – or we can let Him do His
work.
Going back to the deeper things....
FLOW may also lead to repentance and holiness.... (this is worship in truth)
the Holy Spirit may also show us our sin and draw us into a deeper place of holiness and
consecration and change of character.
In Acts 3:19, Peter said, “Repent then, and turn to God,
so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord....” Note that times of refreshing
come AFTER repentance! This applies to us as well as non-believers!
Psalm 139: 23-24 says, “Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know
my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting.”
FLOW in SPIRT and in TRUTH will lead to our changed nature! We can never be
the same again. When we are in his presence it is TRANSFORMATIONAL!
As we belong him, we are transformed into his glory!
Paul said, “ And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are
being transformed into is likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the
Lord - WHO IS THE SPIRIT.”
If ever there is a reason I want to be in His presence, flowing in Him, it's this!
Being in His presence transforms me! I want to be like Him. He is beautiful -
lovely – holy – righteous – loving – faithful – kind and good! We are revealed
as His sons and daughters when we are like Him!
BUT …. FLOW will only happen if we don't restrict God!
What stops us? - Fear !
We fear letting go and not being in full control. The Holy Spirit will not invade
you or do anything without your permission! He is a gentleman, not a bully!
He will knock on your door and wait for you to open it!
And do you think that your Heavenly Father, your brother, your friend, will hurt
you? This is a lie! (Read Matt 7:7 – 10 ).
He loves us and wants the best for us. He only gives the best and he only gives
good gifts. The Holy Spirit is a gift. Letting Him in is the best thing you can ever do with
your life! Laying down your life results in abundant life.
Flow does not stop flowing and moving unless we put boulders in the river to
stop the flow! The boulders can be fear, doubt, unbelief, self, control ….
they can be many things – but once boulders are revealed and we confess them and
ask God to remove them, the river can flow again!
If you pray this daily, your life will be an open channel for the Spirit of God to
flow in you and through you.
PRAYER
“Father, I give you all that I am – all that I have. I choose to lay down my life
for you. I choose to lay down my desires for your desire in my life. I confess
I have 'boulders' in my life ….....
I ask you to forgive me and remove them. I open up the doors of my heart and give
you full access. Come in your fullness. Direct my life. Take me into the deeper
places with you that I have never been before. I ask for revelation by your Spirit.
Reveal yourself to me. Reveal your love to me. Reveal your truth to me. Reveal
your Word to me.
I want to flow in your river. I want to drink deeply from you. Come and fill me again
with your living water and FLOW through me. I want to be transformed into your image.
Amen.
