The Lord seeks those who will worship him in spirit and truth, John 4.19-25
The woman in Samaria sought to link proper worship of God to a sacred place, whether at Mount Gerizim in Samaria or the temple at Jerusalem. But Jesus saw that the true worship of God was not about mountains, or liturgies, or external locations, but rather about who is being worshiped. Jesus reiterated the priority of God’s covenant with Abraham and that through the Jews came the knowledge of that salvation in the Scriptures. God seeks those who worship in spirit in truth, through faith in his Son, and not in external conformity to tradition or location.
Our Focus Today
We who believe in Jesus are a chosen people, a holy nation set apart by God in him to offer acceptable praise to God, 1 Pet. 2.9-10
Invocation
You, heavenly Father, are our king and creator. You have sent your Son, the Messiah, into the world that we might know you and make you known among the nations. Grant us grace and mercy to know you intimately and give us wisdom to make you known to our family, friends, neighbors and associates. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Friday: Neh. 13; 5.14-19; Mal. 1-4
We who believe in Jesus are a chosen people, a holy nation set apart by God in him to offer acceptable praise to God, 1 Pet. 2.9-10
Reflection
Those who believe in Christ have become a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession that we may proclaim God’s excellencies. We offer God true worship through his Son, and seek to honor God through him alone.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
*In the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, the term catholic refers to the Church’s universality, through all ages and times, of all languages and peoples. It refers to no particular tradition or denominational expression (e.g., as in Roman Catholic).
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Thank you, LORD God, for your mercy in calling us to become your chosen race and royal priesthood. You have set us apart that each of us might offer you acceptable worship and praise. Teach us what it means to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture Memory
Psalm 145:1-7 (ESV)
A SONG OF PRAISE. OF DAVID. 1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Book Reading and Reflection
“We need to worship. It’s just that our yearning cannot be satisfied by adherence to rules and regulations. Only relationship can produce worship that is vibrant and authentic. But therein lies the rub. As humans, we are innately sinful, degenerate, depraved, and every other negative adjective that can be ascribed to our race. This puts us at odds with God, who is totally holy and pure. Beginning with the Fall, our relationship with God was impaired, our fellowship broken. Therefore, our pitiful attempts at worship throughout history were a disappointment to God. He was displeased with our sacrifices before we ever offered them, because they were given from impure hearts. We needed someone else to make our sacrifices, someone who could bridge the immense relational gap between us and God, someone qualified by virtue of Virtue Himself. Then along came Virtue, in human form. And His name was JESUS.”
~ Vernon Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009, page 222-224.
Let God Arise! Focus
The LORD God is the one, true, and triune God of the universe, Ps. 145.1-13
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