TO WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

in the fourth chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus states "But the hour is coming and now is, when the true wor shipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." This is quite a thought provoking statement. But perhaps the simplest understandingof it is to worship God as He desires us to worship Him. However when we examine worship as it exists today against a careful study of scripture, it's not difficultto see that we're considerably lacking in meeting the objective.

One of the chief reasons for this is a stifling pre-occupation with tradition. This was also the case when Jesus proclaimed good news to the captives of Pharisaical tradition. The spirit and intent of true worship as the Father instructed in the Old Covenant was lost to His people. The Lord came to show the world how to relate to God the Father again by His acts and through His word. The way Jesus worshipped is how we ought to worship. He is our example in everything. And considering that He kept all the Sabbaths including the Festivals of the LORD, which spoke of Him, this may seem like a radical concept.

But is it really? In Romans cvhapter 11 the apostle Paul explained that Gentile believers have been grafted into the cultivated olive tree, the commonwealth of Israel. Considering the truthn of this assertion we would do well to examine the worship of the first century saints, both Jew and Gentileto recieve instruction to guide us in our quest tyo become true worshipers. And in doing so it will become clear that God is already in the process of restoring worship as He desires it in the church.

To understand this, refer to the prophecy of Zechariah 14:17-19 "And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King the LORD of Hosts, on them will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in they shall have no rain; they the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." This scripture is clearly not describing the time in which the prophet lived and recieved the prophecy or anytime since because it has not yet come to past and the at the time of the prophecy the command to attend the Feasts of the LORD was given to natural Israel,, the nation.

As the movement toward authentic worship continues, we should see less less preoccupation with self in the church and a growing focus and cociousness of who God is and His weonderful attributes. When This happens, power is is released in the church to do exploits as it was in the church at Jerusalem after the Feast of Pentecost.

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