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.
This passage of scripture teaches us the sacred truth, that in order for our worship to be acceptable in God's sight, these two essential ingredients must be present, sincerity and truth, a combination that is becoming harder and harder to find in many religious circles. Many people worship in sincerity, but when their worship is examined by the scriptures, it is shown that many are sincerely wrong. On the other hand, many worship in truth, but when their worship is put under the radar, it is found to be lacking in sincerity, being cold and formal, without any life or zeal or enthusiasm, which should always attend true worship.
The Bible teaches us that erroneous forms of worship are not acceptable with God, neither is sincerity a substitute for truth. The reason why these unbalanced forms of worship take root is usually because of a departure from what God has originally ordained, and especially is this the case in our era, where the current forms of worship are eerily reminiscent of days gone by, when various individuals tried to institute their own form of worship. This is what occurred in Jeroboam's experience, as he endeavored to put in place a substitute form of worship of his own devising, a plan that ultimately led the children of Israel into sin. Let's read:
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
We observe that in this instance, Jeroboam instituted a substitute day of worship, in addition to having substitute priests and ministers to carry on the illicit services in substitute places, which stood in direct opposition to what God had originally ordained. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 12:3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. 13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: 14 But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
The results of worship that is not in accordance with the truth are well documented in the scriptures, and in the case of Jeroboam, his departure from God's plan, became a snare from which he never was able to free himself, nor those who followed in his train. Let's read:
1st Kings 14:1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 5 And the Lord said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman. 6 And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, 8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; 9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: 10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the Lord hath spoken it. 12 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
Our successes or failures are always tied to an adherence to, or disregard of God's laws, and therefore, it is a rule of thumb from which no human being can ever escape, whether we believe in God or not. The current forms of worship that have become popular in modern Christianity are a far cry from the worship God has originally ordained, for many theological institutions, and many evangelicals have acquiesced to a day of worship which God never commanded, nor recognizes. Like Jeroboam, many false priests and ministers abound who promise to lead their flocks to living springs of water, when in fact they are purchasing for them, one- way tickets to "Neverland", through a violation of the seventh day Sabbath.
That's why The God of heaven is now calling on all sincere believers everywhere to wake up, and consider the times in which we live, for the issues of true and substitute worship will soon determine the eternal destiny of millions, who are now looking expectantly for the return of The Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. Let's read:
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
It behooves every honest-hearted person, every sincere Christian, to closely investigate whether or not our worship is in accordance with the Bible, and if not, The Lord reminds us that when God shows what He requires, and when we have the scriptures at our disposal to study for ourselves, we should worship "In spirit and in truth", in order for our praises to be acceptable with God. We sincerely hope and pray that this will be our experience both now and forever, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God bless!