In John 4:24 we read; “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” This seems to be clear instruction of how we are to worship. This is not about anything physical, like music, instrumentation, or raised hands that are all part of a list that can go on for a while. This is about the nature of our worship. The context of Jesus teaching here also tells us of the nature of the God we freely worship. There are a few places in the NT (New Testament) that describe the nature of God. Here in John we see “God is Spirit.” The other three are; “God is light” (1 John 1:5), “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). All of these are worthy of deeper study, but let’s talk about how we are to worship God that we find here in John’s writing.
Never forget, it is always a slippery exegetical slope to only look at one verse without its surrounding context. With that being said, let’s consider the previous verse together; “But the hour is coming, and now is…” (This is the kingdom that is now and not yet.) “…when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) The God of heaven is seeking those who choose to worship in alignment with His nature. To worship the God who is spirit, and yes, this is a longer study in and of itself, we must worship in spirit. To worship the God who is truth we must worship in truth. I might add from the verses above light, love, and a consuming fire or passion to our nature of worship culture as well.
Our worship in spirit and truth invites fellowship with the Almighty God. When we worship, you and I can know that God is going to show up. For the God of heaven is seeking those who choose to worship in alignment with His very nature. For He is pleased with the aroma of our worship when it is in spirit and truth. The Father finds us worshiping Him anywhere and anytime, be it today, tomorrow, this weekend, and every day of our lives. Our worship invites fellowship with the Almighty God.