Necessity in Worship

True worship is predicated on both truth and being in the Spirit as the following verses testify: John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  A person cannot worship God without the Spirit and he cannot worship God in error!

There is such a thing as vain or empty or unacceptable worship: Matt. 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  The people to whom the Lord alluded attempted to worship God in error with false doctrines and their heart was far from the Lord, thus they had not the Spirit in their attempts at worship.  The Lord called this vain or empty and unacceptable worship. 

A person can have and speak the truth, but still not worship God.  An example of this is where people practice formal attempt at worship thru repetitive sayings and rote practices.  The Lord told us not to use vain repetitions: Matt. 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” 

In order to publicly worship God, a person must have been born of the Spirit, be in the Spirit, and have the gospel preached in power and demonstration of Spirit as the following verses testify:

1.  John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”  Clearly if a person has not been born of the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom and cannot worship in the kingdom.

2.  John 8:47 “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”  A person must be of God (born of the Spirit) in order to hear God’s words and thus be able to worship God in spirit and in truth.

3.  Eph. 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”  Prayer is a form of worship and Paul admonished the Ephesian brethren to pray with prayer and supplication in the Spirit.

 4.  1 Cor. 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 

Preaching is more than just an exercise of man’s wisdom, but there is an element about it that involves the demonstration of the Spirit and the power of God.  Man cannot manufacture this, but rather the Spirit has to be present and manifest itself in this manner in order for the preaching to be effective.