“IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH”

Lesson 11

In this week’s lesson we find the answer for three questions by studying Jesus’ life:

What motivate us to worship?

Who must we

worship?

How must we

worship?

WHAT MOTIVATE US TO WORSHIP?

By the time Jesus was born, every pious woman in Israel wanted his son to be the Messiah.

God chose one of them, Mary, because her character reflected the divine ideals of motherhood with a greater perfection than any other daughter of David.

Through an angel, Mary knew that she was privileged with this mission. When her cousin Elizabeth visited her, she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to sing the praise we can read in Luke, 1: 46-55.

WHAT MOTIVATE US TO WORSHIP?“My soul magnifies the Lord.And my spirit has rejoiced in God my

Savior.For He has regarded the lowly state

of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all

generations will call me blessed.For He who is mighty has done great

things for me.And holy is His name.And His mercy is on those who fear

Him from generation to generation.He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the

imagination of their hearts.He has put down the mighty from

their thrones, and exalted the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good

things, and the rich He has sent away empty.He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,as He spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his seed forever”

Mary uses the Scriptures to make her praise and worship.

She gives glory to God because she has been chosen despite her humble condition.

She is touched by the divine holiness and mercy.

She knows God’s conduction in her and His people’s lives.

She exalts God’sjustice.

She praises Godbecause of thefulfillment of Hispromises thatwere made inthe past.

We can see the main subjects that led Mary to worship God in this worship; they are the same that should lead us to do so.

Luke, 1: 46-55

WHO MUST WE WORSHIP?

Jesus had come to die to rescue the world. Then, the devil was offering it to him without any sacrifice... only one “little” condition: to worship him.

The answer of our Savior made who is the only one to be worshipped clear.

“Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written,

`You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’"” (Matthew, 4: 10)

When Jesus began His ministry, He was tempted by Satan in the desert.

The devil offered Him all the kingdoms of this world and their glory in the third temptation.

For those three friends, worshipping the statue meant to serve the god it represented.

Likewise, the answer of Jesus to the devil showed this interesting point: worship and service are intimately related.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua, 24: 15)

“But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel, 3: 18)

WHO MUST WE WORSHIP?

We serve what or who we worship. As God’s sons, we must choose everyday who we want to serve (Matthew, 6: 24)

Serving God involves giving Him the first place in every aspect of our life and obeying Him in all His requirements.

The most we worship God, the less we serve the “self”, the sin, or whatever that tries to gain our service.

WHO MUST WE WORSHIP?The whole Bible is clear in one thing: We can worship only God. Nothing and no one beside Him can be worshipped.

“As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell

down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter

lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am

also a man."”

Acts, 10: 25-

26

“Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I

heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me

these things. Then he said to me, "See that you do not do

that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren

the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this

book. Worship God."”

Revela-tion, 22:

8-9

We can see how Peter didn’t let Cornelius to worship him, since he

was only a man.

Likewise, even the angel, who was greater than a man, didn’t let John to

worship him.

“And when they had come into the house, they [the wise men] saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him [προσεκυνησαν]. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew, 2: 11)

“While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, [προσεκυνει] saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."” (Matthew, 9: 18)

“And they [the disciples when Jesus ascended] worshiped Him [προσκυνησαντες], and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke, 24: 52)

“Then he [a blind man] said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him [προσεκυνησεν]” (John, 9: 38)

“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him [προσεκυνησαν], saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."” (Matthew, 14: 33)

“behold, Jesus [after He resurrected] met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him [προσεκυνησαν]” (Matthew, 28: 9)

We have learnt that only God must be worshipped [προσκυνησεις]. Let’s study these verses and see how Jesus agreed to be worshipped.

WHO MUST WE WORSHIP?

WHO MUST WE WORSHIP?

Jesus accepted to be worshipped because He is God, and that’s why we must worship Him too.Jesus must be the center and focus of all our worship. Every song, every prayer, every sermon, everything that we do should, in one way or another, ultimately direct our minds toward Christ, the incarnate God who offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.

“In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”

(Colossians, 2: 9 NIV)

If only God can be worshipped, why did Jesus accept to be worshipped?

HOW MUST WE WORSHIP?Jesus asked a Samaritan woman to give Him water next to Jacob’s well (john, 4). In that conversation, Jesus offered himself to be live water that would spring up for eternal life for her.

When the woman faced that declaration, she changed the subject to the controversial subject of the place where they should worship. Should they worship in mount Gerizim like the Samaritans did or in the temple of Jerusalem like the Jewish did?

Instead of arguing about places, traditions or liturgy, Jesus taught here that the most important thing in worship is not the form, but a personal relationship with God, dying to the self everyday and surrendering to him with faith and humbleness.

IN SPIRIT

Sincere and deep worship that springs

from the heart; it’s a result of

loving and fearing God.

It’s a sentimental

worship where our emotions are given to

God.

IN TRUTH

Worship according to the truth, the Law

and the knowledge of

the divine will.

It’s a rational worship, based in true beliefs that are based on the Bible.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”

In his answer to the Samaritan woman, Jesus stated the two main pillars of the true worship to God: “In spirit and in truth”.

HOW MUST WE WORSHIP?

(John, 4: 23-24)

“Not by seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple are men brought into communion with heaven. Religion is not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit’s working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshipers He is seeking. He waits to receive them, and to make them His sons and daughters”

E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 19, “At Jacob’s well”, pg. 189)

ASSOCIATE truth – Why should I study this lesson?DISCOVER truth – What does the Bible say about this truth?APPLY truth – How can this truth affect my life today?PLAN using the truth – How can I use this truth today?TRANSFER truth to life – What changes do I need in my life?

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