Counsel #1 — True Worship

Picture: Counsel #1 — True WorshipCCL 96.1

Worship is a big part of our lives—we were made to worship. But Jesus said that we should worship in both spirit and truth.^{[126]https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-in-spirit-and-in-truth/} This includes obedience to God’s directives regarding worship. People have tried to worship in their own way throughout history. Cain wanted to offer God vegetables instead of a lamb, and God rejected Cain’s worship. The Israelites wanted to worship a golden calf, and God punished them for rebelling against His instructions. And the Pharisees kept so many useless traditions that they lost sight of who God is. But Jesus explained that the details matter. It matters how we worship and it matters who we worship.CCL 96.2

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24CCL 96.3

“Christ saw that something must be done…. The temple service had become a mere form. Spiritual worship was fast disappearing. No link bound the priests and rulers to their God. Christ's work was to establish an altogether different form of worship. He had come to the world as a man, that he might meet humanity where it was, and show men what constituted true worship.” Ellen White in The Signs of the Times, September 16, 1897, par. 8CCL 96.4

Reflect: How real is your worship? Do you give it your full attention and actively participate, or is your mind already focused on what's coming next?CCL 96.5