iSpeech

John 4:23-24 “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. God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”. Worship is not music, it is not clapping, it is not church attendance, nor is it emotional expression; true worship is surrender.

Many people sing to God, but few yield to God. Many people praise God with their lips, but resist him with their lives. In heaven’s language, worship is measured by submission, not sound. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. This is saying, worship begins where self ends. Worship starts when the throne of the heart changes ownership.

The true nature of true worship is shown in that book of John 4:23-24. Worship in spirit, not fleshy performance, not religious routine, not emotional excitement; but heart alignment and spiritual authenticity. The nature of worship is in truth and not in deception, not in hypocrisy or pretense, but in obedience, repentance, and submission to God’s word. True worship is not what happens in church; it is what happens inside the heart and is expressed through daily obedience.

Total surrender is the language of true worship. Surrender is worship in action. You have not worshipped until God has control; you have not worshipped until God can say, “This life is mine.” There are dimensions of surrender in true worship: we have surrender of the will. Luke 22:42: this is the highest form of worship; this is saying, “Lord, even when I do not understand, I obey.” Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a perfect example of this dimension of worship in the book of Luke mentioned above.

Another dimension of surrender is surrendering of identity. This is saying worship is dying to self so Christ can live through you. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” This is the level where you hang all that you are and all that you have on the personality of Jesus Christ to possess his nature.

There is also a dimension of surrender of possessions. Just like Apostle Paul in Philippians 3vs7-8, which says all achievement is counted as loss. Compare to Christ. True worship leads to the surrender of anything that competes with God. True worship is the surrender of one’s future; that is another dimension of surrender in true worship (Proverbs 3:5-6). True worship says, Lord Jesus Christ, I trust you with what I cannot control.

Abraham in Genesis 22 laid Isaac on the altar. He surrendered what he loved most, and God had to say, “Now I know you fear me.” Worship that costs nothing changes nothing. A worship that does not cost you something will not change anything about you or in you. For instance, Mary of Bethany in John 12vs1-8 broke her alabaster box, and she poured her value at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. True worship always looks wasteful to people who do not understand the act of surrender.

The sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 wept, she knelt, and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears; she surrendered her shame, past, and reputation before the feet of Jesus Christ, because she knew that when surrender happens, forgiveness will flow. The greatest act of worship in history was the one on the cross. The cross was not just salvation; it was surrender. Jesus humbled himself unto death to gain you and me unto God. Philippians 2:5-8.

Whenever God is only consulted, and not obeyed, it is a sign that worship is not yet true. When God is praised but not trusted, when He is being celebrated but not followed, when He is being called Lord but not allowed to lead; when God is welcome in church but resisted in decisions, these are the signs that true worship is not being offered. Matthew 15:8

There are costs and rewards for total surrender in true worship. The cost is death to self, loss of control of oneself, letting go of pride, breaking of ego, crucifixion of one’s flesh, and abandoning of one's personal agendas. While the rewards for total surrender in true worship are intimacy with God, you will enjoy divine direction, spiritual authority; your life will align with heaven, and eternal impact. When you lose yourself in God, you will find your true self in life, and your life will become worship unto God.

CONCLUSION: True worship is not what you give God on Sunday; it is what you surrender to him every day. True worship is when God is no longer a guest in your life, but the owner of your life. Until God has you, he does not have your worship. Your worship should not be an act; it should be your life. Surrender should not be an event; it should be a lifestyle. The altar should not be a place; it should be a posture of your heart. Arise today because Jesus is calling you into true worship.