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Bible Question: What does it mean to worship, praise and glorify God? As stated in John 4:24 what does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth?
Bible Answer: Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman in John 4:1-26. Jesus is seeking to reach her heart. The woman has just come to believe that Jesus is a prophet and then she adds,
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Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. (NASB) John 4:20 |
That sounds familiar. Most people would say they go to a church, a synagogue, a mosque, a temple, or some "place" to worship God. Her ancestors had worshiped at a temple on Mt. Gerizim. It was a close copy of the temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans believed that the only sacred books were the first five books of the Old Testament, the books of Moses - the Pentateuch. They had their own priests and probably their own order of worship. How did Jesus respond? Here is His answer.
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But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (NASB) John 4:23-24 |
Things Surrounding Worship. In the Old Testament, worship included voluntary gifts, tithes, priests, music, a choir, a choir leader, songs and hymns of thanksgiving. All of these components are a part of many church services today.
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. . . men were also appointed over . . . the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes . . . for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served. For they performed the worship of their God . . . together with the singers . . . For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. (NASB) Nehemiah 12:44-46 |
2 Chronicles 5:12-14 tells us the Jews included a variety of musical instruments in their worship. The worship of God often occurred in a building (Acts 2:46; Heb. 9:6) and it occurred on a Saturday or the Sabbath (Acts 15:21). But Jesus did not talk about a building, the day of the week for worship, or their order of worship. |
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