Worship in Spirit and Truth.

Overview:

I want to touch on Worship today and a little bit about prayer.

Statement:

Worship is a mandate that God has given us, closely related to our response to who he is and our heart's condition.

Main Content:

• In the bible in John 4:24, it says ‘we must worship him in spirit and truth’
• Does anyone know what that might look like? (Get Answers)
• When you come into the realization of what God has done for you- you break free. In those moments, it's just you and God.
• What you do in those moments here at church or at home – that is worshiping in spirit and truth.
• In Isaiah 44:23 - Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests, and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
• And in Psalms 69:34 says Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,
• I want to speak about a place which we want to reach, a place where being in this room, or next to someone is not our agenda.
• A place where we come into the throne room of God. It says this in Hebrews 4:16 that ‘Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’
• I want to talk about a place where we are so passionate, so hungry for God that we don’t care who is watching.
• We dance like David did undignified,
• we sing songs of completely out of tune,
• we cry and weep at the thought that our God, our dad rescued us from the pit of death because he loves us.
• It is having a heart of thankfulness, coming with no agenda but to spend time with God.
• If you notice both scriptures identify with everything that is in heaven, earth or anything that is made by God in Genesis. Including us.

(Testimony)

When I started to know who God is, the first things that I was attracted to was the worship. I liked the beat and I liked the passion everyone had so I joined in- singing the words like everyone but not really understand what I was signing.

Our pastor used to invite us to the front to sing and worship at the alter, I would hardly go because I used to think- what will people say, how will I look like? What if I sing out of tune?

There was just so much restriction in my mind that prevented me to go. Every Sunday I would pray silently God give me freedom, give me the strength I want to worship you in spirit and truth. I want to just be free, slowly I joined the back of the alter. This went on for a long time, I would ask him for his freedom and physically feel him hugging me. I loved it, he made himself real to me.

Once I understood what a real God he was, one day I prayed and went to the front of the altar with everyone else. As soon as the worship started I raised my hands and sang but suddenly I listened to the words I was singing. I got excited at the words that I spoke, the words were so true.

Song:

I've had my share of ups and downs Times when there was no one around God came and spoke these words to me Praise will confuse the enemy

So I started singing, oh, oh (I started singing, I started clapping) (I started dancing) people were laughing (people were laughing) They knew my problems, they knew my pain But I knew God would take them away, yeah = this was the song that I sang.

As I began to realize, out of the joy and happiness I was dancing indignified before God- I didn’t care who was there or how I dance or how I looked. I was dancing full of joy because God was with me, he saw me, he loves me and he is dancing with me.

After I started dancing, the rest of the people joined into that freedom. I want to share this experience with you today – I want you to experience the full freedom to worship in spirit and truth. Only you know what God has truly done for you.

• When we realize what God has done, we are willing to offer the one thing that we can give. God doesn’t need your money, God doesn’t need anything, but he wants your relationship.
• I want us to go away from the 'give me give me' mentality and step into the 'take me to take me'.
• There are life and death in your tongues - praise and worship bring life to the very person God has made you.
• Jeremiah 29:11 God has made you for a plan and purpose for each one of you.
• When you like someone you spend more time with them= Fact.
• Have you ever seen a newly married couple or a gf/bf.= for the first year life is beautiful = when they walk they don’t take their eyes off anyone else but the other.
• They don’t want to do anything without each other. It’s because they just long to spend time, do the activities the other like, call them, message them, etc.
• That is what God wants us to be like with him on cloud 7.
• Through the praise of children and infants, you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:2 
• Or Jesus quotes in Matthew 21:16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "' From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
• God has called forth your praise from your lips. Sing for the joy it said in Isaiah for all that God has done for you.
• We need to constantly remind ourselves of what God has done and praise him in all circumstances. It takes conscious effort and time.
• Zephaniah 3:17- For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Illustration:

Child ------> Teenager ------> Adult

Child: Praise and Worship

Teenager: Prayer life is different - as you know the character of God

Adult: Constantly check your hearts condition,

We are all on a journey!

Proverbs 4:24 Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows out of this.

• Isaiah and his ministry and the difference between prayer.
• I love Isaiah the prophet who in his 40 years of ministry- spent the beginning years declaring judgment and seeing the wrongdoing of the people. And then suddenly in the last 30 chapters from Chapter 36 of Isaiah he turns into a prophet of Hope.
• This shift came in Chapter 39 where Isaiah witnesses the heart of God for his people when Hezekiah prayed for his life to be extended.
• Hezekiah prayer that moved God was ‘ Chapter 38:v 3 and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• God added to Hezekiah's life years, changed his destiny and made him victorious, even when the Prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah to tell him he would die.
• This is not the first time that prayer has changed the destiny for Hezekiah - when in chapter 37 he receives a letter from his opposers to say his doom will come- his first response is to go into the temple of God and pray.
• Chapter 37:16 - Hezekiah shows that he understands the nature of God and who he is. He has the mustard seed faith. He praises God and declares the very nature of who God is back to him.
• But Hezekiah's heart condition was not right. ( Chapter 39:8)

If you are looking to change your destiny today or if there is a breakthrough that you need. Let us worship God in spirit and truth.

Become undignified before the altar of God- praise him in advance for he Will change your destiny.