Sermon Cloud

365 Worship

When Worship Becomes Your Alibi

What is our response when God shows up?

‘And they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’ John 4:24

If true or acceptable worship is in ‘spirit and in truth,’ than it follows that as a worshipper encounters God, he or she is called to an authentic and proper response. The worship of a living God that responds to our worship can never be passive. We must not be people who C S. Lewis described when he wrote, ‘We have become all about discovering Him, yet controlling and limiting our response.

1. Your worship is proven by your life.

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.’

Galatians 5:22-23

We cannot worship God in any significant way and not have the fruit of His Spirit breaking down the door to express Himself in us and through us.

2. The Delusion created by worship

Malachi 1:10 ‘Who is there among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on my alter in vain?’

There is a dangerous spiritual condition generated when we continue to live in secret sin and yet feel close to God in worship. Close encounters with God without life changing responses create a false sense that everything must be OK.

A true worshipper lives in defiance of human reason and expectation.