1 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons, but they disobeyed the Lord by burning incense to him on a fire pan, when they were not supposed to. 2 Suddenly the Lord sent fiery flames and burned them to death. 3 Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the Lord had meant when he said: “I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!” Aaron was speechless. (Leviticus 10:1 – 3)
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23 – 24)
Theme: If not You, then Who?
Today, we begin a 3-day review of the Discipline of Worship. First some brief context to set the scene for our deliberations and conversations. In the Bible, we see examples of worship as personal and corporate acts of adoration (e.g., worship in the temple) as well as a broader lifestyle of adoration (e.g., the Romans 12:1 reference to offering our bodies as a living sacrifice as an act of proper worship). Over the next 3 days, we will be using the broad definition.
Do we focus enough on the adequacy of our worship of God? This question is important because a clear understanding of God’s expectation for worship has important implications for how we carry out His marching orders.
There are many passages in the Bible that speak to the adequacy of worship, or lack thereof. Just recall stories such as Cain and Abel, The Children of Israel and the golden calf, Michal’s mockery of her husband King David, and Ananias and Sapphira. Clearly, thinking about the adequacy of our worship is a necessary pursuit. So, in our passages for today we will look at an Old Testament example of the consequences of inappropriate worship and a New Testament declaration from Jesus of what constitutes appropriate worship.
Please prayerfully read the passages and answer the following question.
Question
How do you practically translate worshipping in the Spirit and in truth into your daily life?