Worship: in Spirit and in Truth

John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

There is a sin which is afflicting our churches today. The sin is exclusionism in our worship services. I do not think we mean to be exclusive. I do not think we intentionally ban people from worship. But in practice as we shape our desires into our worship service we miss the mark of God’s desire.

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." While we think we are open to all, through the selfishness of our hearts we are now more exclusive than we were in the 1950’s. While we have made strides to include people of other races and cultures within our worship, our loss of care for others has built within America many age segregated congregations.
Churches “target” age groups. They sing only Contemporary Worship Songs, or Traditional Hymns in order to please perceived constituents. We send children out so “they can enjoy their time,” and we can worship “without being disturbed” by our kids. In doing so, we push aside the very things God teaches us. (Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; 11:2; Matthew 19:13-14; Leviticus 19:12-18; 19:32; Proverbs 17:6; John 13:35)

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman, he immediately faced her exclusionist spirit. She said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.” She enjoyed being around people who were like her, and she desired to exclude those who were not her type.

Jesus began to deal with the woman and the things which shaped her:
1. She was drinking from her well. Jesus is the Living Water
2. She saw faith through her nationality and culture. Jesus wants us to see things from God’s perspective.
3. She wanted to do things in her strength. Jesus wants us to get out of the way so God can do His work.
4. The woman asked for Living Water for selfish purposes
5. Jesus called attention to her sin, the woman desired to hide this truth.
6. The woman tried to evade truth. Jesus showed her she must open her spirit for God’s involvement.
7. The woman desired to be comfortable in her worship. Jesus said she must open her life so God could move.

Because “God is Spirit,” He reads the intent of our hearts. Is worship more about ourselves and our style … or about God and His desire to draw all people to Himself. Does our worship bring people together (Acts 4:32), or exclude those not like us. Are we willing to learn from others and expand our hearts, or do we desire our worship service to fit a certain “culture.”

How do we know if we are exclusionary? We must look at numbers (are we growing or retracting). We must look beyond numbers to see if people are leaving … and why they are leaving. Does our style offend them? (Matthew 5:23-24, 43-48ff). We must be open to the truth.

Worship should be a time we come together, and give our all to God. We must care for others, and they must care for us. And we must truly look to God. We must worship in Spirit and in Truth. Our spirit must be right within us and we must acknowledge truth.