What is the best kind of worship? - R C Sproul

But the hour is now 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.  John 4:23-24

These were Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Sychar. Instructions on how to worship our Creator God were given to a lowly, sinful woman during a casual conversation at a community well. Not at an international conference. Not at an elite university. Not on tablets brought down from Mt. Sinai.

She is talking about worshiping God. And so is Jesus. He is talking about true worship of His Father.

Comments from R. C. Sproul

Christians in the twenty-first century tend to have a woeful ignorance of the Old Testament. One of the most important problems that follows from an ignorance of the Old Testament is a profound ignorance of the character of God the Father.

We somehow think that Christianity centers exclusively around Jesus. Obviously we are called to honor, exalt, and worship Christ, but we need to remember that Christ came in the first place to reconcile us to the Father.

There is a certain sense in which the supreme focus of our worship on Sunday morning is to be the Father; that is why Jesus said here that "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth."

Again, we worship the triune God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but we need to have the majesty of the Father, in all of His greatness, in our minds as we worship.

Worshiping God "in spirit"

True worship comes from the depths of our souls, from our inner spirit, from the very core of our being. When Mary sang and praised God she cried out, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." (Luke 1:46-47)

There are many instances in the Old Testament where we are told that God rejected the worship of His people. It was sometimes hypocritical, false, and full of external formalities. Their lives lacked mercy and justice and so God condemned them for their shallow, dead, and cold-hearted worship of Him.

Coming to God with awe, reverence and adoration is the way to approach Him.

And living lives that honor Him causes Him to draw near to us as we draw near to Him.


Worshiping God "in truth."

More words from R. C. Sproul....

I don't think there's ever been a time in Christian history when the church has been exposed to more experimental worship than it is today, and so often the experiments are driven by polls that ask what people want on Sunday mornings. Do they want sermons that will give them popular psychology? Do they want warm, fuzzy feelings as their felt needs are met?

If so, the assumption goes, we need to tailor worship to meet those felt needs, because if we don't do that, our churches will be empty because people will be bored and will see church as irrelevant. But Jesus said that the Father wants people to worship Him according to what He wants.

The one worship service in the history of the world that was completely designed to minister to the felt needs of people was the worship of the golden calf at the base of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32).

It was not an exercise in true worship, but in idolatry. We have to keep a close watch on what we do in worship, asking ourselves: "Is this according to the truth of God? Is this God's teaching in His Word?"

Our worship must be based on God's self-revelation in Scripture. He is truth and His Word is truth.


Our Father, teach us to worship You as You desire.