The Real Heart of Worship

John 4:24 [New Living Translation]

"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

What is true worship?

That question seams to be one that's pretty high up in discussion in church these days right alongside 'What genre of music is "Right" or "OK" for Christians to listen to?'

Turn if you will and take a look at John 4:21-24. In this passage Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman. For a little background, this woman brought up a heated issue of her day--the correct place of worship. (You can find her question in John 4:20) The Jews believed that everyone had to worship in one place, but the Samaritans believed that another place, where their ancestors had worshipped, was the right place.

²¹ Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³ But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. -John 4:21-24

So what makes worship? Is it the music... the words of the song... the style? Let me make a definitive statement to say, I believe all those things are great. But I believe the 'worship' sessions we have today whether it's singing and dancing to fall-on-your-face-in-awe, these experiences belong better under the category of praise.

Praise is how we express our love of God in music, art, or similar modes. These forms are not necessarily (or specifically) worship. Art is expression. Praise is expression. Are you catching my drift? Music and singing is great. But understand that though worship can include music, it is not limited to it or defined by it, not by any means.

Worship is something I think of as a little differently. I can worship with a song, but that is only a very minor picture of worship. Worship means giving my life. The woman at the well asked a question regarding acts (or rituals) of worship; things that could easily be compared to your half-hour of music before service, but in answer Jesus gave her a picture of a different kind of worship, this worshipping in spirit and in truth.

Jesus said soon it wouldn't matter where you worship; the physical details would soon be unimportant, but that worship would become something different. It's a compatibility thing I think. Jesus explains that since God is Spirit, true worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.

Think about that for a minute.

Since God is Spirit, true worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.

Huh. So what does that mean?

It doesn't sound like Jesus was talking about your half-hour-before-service-worship-time, does it.

Now I'll be clear; corporate praise/worship/whatever-you-like-to-call-it is great. It really is, and there is huge power when the church of God comes together to worship him. But I think Jesus was talking about more than that.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. -Romans 12:1

'This is truly the way to worship him.'

So what is the real heart of worship?

Sacrifice.

Jesus made the greatest act of worship when he carried his cross to calvary and died for humanity; he gave himself as a worship offering.

That's ultimate.

Most of you probably won't be asked to sacrifice in quite the way that Jesus did. But worship means giving--devoting--your life to God as a sacrifice. Do you want to worship in spirit and in truth? Offer your life. Don't worry about physical acts of worship such as singing, playing music or dancing. A lot of us don't feel like we have the ability for those things. But if you would give your life, the rest comes into play. When you give your life, corporate praise sprouts from it. When you give your life, worlds are changed and hearts are touched. When you give your life, you've found the kind of worship your Father finds acceptable.

Identity of Authority

What's your identity? Is it a small slip of plastic in your wallet? Maybe a license, birth certificate, Care Card...

What is your identity of authority in Christ? What does that even mean?

Before I go any further we're going to learn a small lesson from the renown Spaniard, Inigo Montoya [The Princess Bride].

For a brief history. Inigo's father Domingo was a swordmaker. He was commissioned by a man with six fingers on his right hand, Count Rugen, to make a sword to accomodate such a feature. Inigo's father put his heart and soul into the commission, but when the Count Rugen returned he refused to pay the originally agreed price, therefore because the Count did not properly recognize Domingo's talent (not because of money) Inigo's father refused him the sword. Upon the refusal, Count Rugen killed Inigo's father. Young Inigo challenged Count Rugen to a duel and of course was easily overpowered. Rugen let the boy keep his life and the special sword, but left him with two scars to discourage further bravery. Inigo then devoted his life to the art of fencing from the time that he was 12 years old in order that he might one day avenge his father. He becomes a legendary fencing Wizard (a level above Master) but does not find the six-fingered man again.

Now a much older Inigo, discouraged by his failure to his father, took to alchoholism and spent some time in bad companies where he had a few adventures on the side. Finally, drunked and depressed, his good friend Fezzik finds him and revives him to his senses. Through a long line of events Inigo finds Count Rugen. He says to Rugen, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!" However, Count Rugen still overpowers Inigo, leaving him supposed mortally wounded. Count Rugen stands by, but after a struggle in himself Inigo forces himself back up, gaining strength rapidly as he repeats over and over his greeting to Rugen: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!"


Inigo knows three things. He knows who he is, he knows the crime and the punishment, and he knows that it is up to him to serve the indictment.

Inigo has an identity of authority with his father.

And the more that he recognizes that identity, the stronger he becomes.

Sound familiar?

Here's the identity. He is Inigo Montoya, the son of Domingo. The crime is eternal separation from his father and the punishment is death. "Prepare to die!" His father gave him this identity, and with it Inigo gains the victory. He wasn't strong enough to defeat Rugen on his own, even in his best condition, let alone after Rugen had wounded him. But in the identity of authority his father had given him, Inigo went on to kill Rugen and take his victory.

So where is the parallel? For those of you who haven't picked it up yet, I'll explain. You have an identity of authority from God your father too, just as Inigo had from his father. You are a child of God, and there are many Count Rugens out there. I don't mean that there are six-fingered humans waiting for you to take your revenge on them. Rugen is a symbol of evil. He is every man's demon, he is the deceiver Lucifer, roaming about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And it's up to you to hold authority over him and allow the strength of your Father to withstand him. Only in recognizing the identity of authority you have in Christ Jesus can you stand against him.

²¹ It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, ²² and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. -2 Corinthians 21-22 [NLT]


Remember that this authority comes from Christ who defeated death and Satan on the cross.

¹⁹ Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. -Luke 10:19 [NLT]

It is when we know our identity of authority that the powers of darkness begin to move at our command.

But what happens when we can't see it anymore?

Inigo was blinded by failure. He spent his life preparing to exact revenge on a man that he could not find again and he feared he would fail both his father and his quest. It was at this point that he took on a new identity: failure. It was a false identity, but circumstances which he found himself in caused him to change his self-image. He lost sight of his identity of authority with his father and therefore he lost sight of his purpose. He became depressed in his failures and turned to drinking. He was found by the criminal and trouble-maker Vizzini who offered him some sort of purpose and because he was a desperate mess he took it, an unwise decision that would only carry him further off the course of his purpose.

What is it that blinds you from your identity? Rejection... loneliness... addiction... fear? When you lose sight of your identity you lose sight of your purpose and your authority. You lose sight of your destiny. Inigo became depressed and turned to drinking; what have you turned to? It is a hobble - a scheme of the enemy to keep you from fulfilling your calling. Count Rugen had nothing to worry about while Inigo was a hopeless depressed drunk - he was in no condition to even use what he had been equipped with to complete his quest. But when he saw again his identity, Inigo took back up the sword of his father and found his destiny.

But beware; even in the midst of battle Inigo momentarily lost sight of his identity. He was wounded and faced that first demon of fear and failure which had taken him from the quest in the first place. Even at this point Inigo could have taken up that old identity of failure and given up and bled to death - but he didn't. He got back up on his feet. He reminded himself of his identity of authority (who he was, crime/punishment, authoritative action) "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!" and he overcame Count Rugen just as we must do.

So again I ask, what is your identity? Where does it come from? Do you find a false indentity based on circumstances around you, an identity which misdirects you from your purpose? Or do you take your identity from your Father who made you in His image--an identity of authority?

⁹ For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. -2 Timothy 1:9 [NLT]

¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. -John 1:12-13 [NLT]