WORSHIPERS
in
SPIRIT
and in
TRUTH
TEACH ME TO WORSHIP YOU!
Copyright © 2015
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
IMPORTANT
THIS BOOK IS AN OFFERING TO GOD AND
COPYRIGHT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE
CHURCH OF CHRIST ON EARTH.
SO:

IT CAN BE SHARED FREE OF CHARGE BY ANY
POSSIBLE WAY.

CAN BE PRINTED - NON-PROFIT.

IT CAN BE TRANSLATED TO ANY LANGUAGE
-
WITHOUT
ALTERING
ITS
ORIGINAL
CONTENT.

IT IS A GIFT FROM JOEL PERDOMO TO THE
BELOVED CHURCH OF CHRIST. GIVING BY
GRACE, WHAT BY GRACE HAS RECEIVED.
GOD BLESS YOU!
JOEL PERDOMO
2
“Teach me to adore you”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction………………………………………………………………....7
Chapter - 1 - THE WORSHIP
I. WORSHIPING GOD ………………………………………………….………. 9
a. Worship and worshiper
b. Recognition of God is voluntary
II. THE REASON OF WORSHIP ……………………………………………….…...11
a. God is the sovereign Creator
b. The Creator and his creatures
c. God's testimony
III – WORSHIPPING OF THE CREATOR ……………………………………………16
a. Worshiping God is voluntary
b. Androlatry
Chapter - 2 – WORSHIP AND PRAISE
I. WORSHIPER, MUSICIAN AND SINGER ………………………………………..…..21
a. Worship is a lifestyle
b. God longs for a relationship of intimate communion with his children
c. Biblical examples of intimate communion with God
Chapter - 3 – TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
I. WORSHIP IS NOT AN ACTION, IT IS A STYLE ………………….………….………...29
a. Living temples of the Holy Spirit
b. The Holy Spirit is jealous of his temple
II. THE OFFERINGS AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP ………………………….…………….33
a. God knows the human mind and heart
b. The offering of Cain and Abel
c. God judges with fair judgment
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
III. THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES ……………………………………….....37
a. Separated for worship
b. Chosen for their sanctification; not for their talents
IV. WORSHIPERS OF GOD'S OWN HEART ……………………….…………………40
a. David as a worshiper
b. A worshiper of God's own heart
c. Characteristics of David as a worshiper
Chapter - 4 - THE PRAISE IN WORSHIP GOD
I. THERE IS VICTORY IN PRAISE ……………………………………………….......47
a. The Bible invites us to praise the Creator
b. Celebrating the victories in praise
c. Power and anointing in praise
d. The glory of God in praise
II. MUSIC AS AN INSTRUMENT OF WORSHIP ………………………..……………….55
a. The battle for true worship
b. The instruments of praise
c. The type of praise
Chapter – 5 – GOD SEEKS TRUE WORSHIPERS
I. JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN …………………………………………..60
a. The temple of the Holy Spirit
b. Worshipers in Spirit and in Truth
II. THE JOY OF THE LORD ……………………………………………………...64
a. Joy in the life of the worshiper
b. The joy of the Lord is our strength
c. The joy of the Lord
d. God inhabits the praises of His people
III. SACRIFICES OF PRAISE ………………………………………………….…69
a. The offerings of praise
b. Singing to God in our hearts
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“Teach me to adore you”
c. Praising God with the mind and thoughts
d. Praising God with our mouth
Chapter – 6 – FALSE WORSHIP
I. STRANGE FIRE IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD ……………………………………...….80
a. The danger of falling into false worship
b. The apostasy in Christian music
c. Satan's deception in false worship
Chapter – 7 – THE CELESTIAL WORSHIP
I. ETERNAL WORSHIP …………………………………...…………………......86
a. The restoration of worship
b. Worship in Heaven
c. Creation pays worship
d. The lordship of the heart
Chapter – 8 – THE BODY AS A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE
I. FASTING AND PRAYER AS WORSHIP ……………………...……………………...92
a. The body as a temple of a living cult
b. Fasting and prayer as acts of worship
ANNEXES ………………………………………………………………....96
Conclusion………………………………………………………………..115
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
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“Teach me to adore you”
INTRODUCTION
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
The concepts of worship written in this book have
been extracted directly from the Bible and collect
basic foundations about the worship of God.
Since worship is the only thing that we can offer
voluntarily to God, this theme becomes one of the
most important in the Christian life. Especially for those
who, beforehand, are worshipers in spirit and in truth.
The subtitle of the book: “Teach me to adore you”
is a personal request that I have had before God in
prayer and that I would like to transmit to every
worshiper.
I hope that this book will inspire you to perfect your
adoration, and that at the same time it will produce
joy in your heart, that will result in sacrifices of praise
that will delight the heart of the heavenly Father.
I also pray that God will give the reader wisdom, in
order to understand the great significance of
adoration of his children before God.
Even the angels of God are amazed at our
adoration (1 Peter 1:12), because they are right to
worship Him, for they see the face of God (Matthew
18:10); but we worship him without having seen him.
That mystery of faith, which is the means that the
Father chose to worship, is of great value in heaven.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
Not in vain the Bible points out that God seeks
worshipers who worship him, in spirit and in truth:
23 Yet
the time is coming and has now come when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and
in truth; for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks. (John 4:23).
I trust that this contribution about the knowledge of
the adoration will help you to develop a deeper life of
worship and intimate communion with the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Joel Perdomo
8
“Teach me to adore you”
CHAPTER – 1 –
THE WORSHIP
____________________________________________________
I. WORSHIPING GOD
a. Worship and worshiper
The word worship, in its etymological root, carries the
sense of reverence, veneration and respect. In the
Bible, it is accompanied by the action of bowing and
prostrating the face on the ground, in reverence to
someone superior. In this case, in reverence to God. As
Abraham did, when the three angels appeared to
him:
2 Abraham
looked up and saw three men standing
nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the
entrance to his tent to meet them and bowed low to
the ground (Genesis 18: 2).
But the word worship, generally speaking, is a concept
that encompasses every action of life of the worshiper
(serving, singing, giving, etc.).
Worship in spirit and in truth refers to a lifestyle in the
Christian who, as a living temple of the Holy Spirit, lives
in constant adoration.
Worship does not refer to a specific attitude or
action only, such as: Kneeling, raising hands or singing
solemnly. Those are just actioning or acts of worship.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
But, worship in spirit and in truth is to consecrate the
whole being: Spirit, soul and body, in complete and
permanent adoration to God, regardless of the
circumstances.
Worship is not just an external or emotional
manifestation that should always be noted, as: Sing,
dance or shout with joy. It is possible that someone is
worshiping with their fruits or actions and not to be seen
externally. Jesus condemned religious worship to be
seen by others:
1 Be
careful not to practice your righteousness in front
of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have
no reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6: 1).
A Christian can worship God when he gives back
what does not belong to him, forgives injustices, loves
those who hate him and blesses those who curse him:
44 But
I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).
The Christian worships with his simplest actions: A
look, a greeting, a word. These are acts of worship, if
they are done with love, respect and purity. You can
also offend with a bad look, not sincere greeting or
offensive word:
18 The
words of the reckless pierce like swords, but
the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs
12:18).
10
“Teach me to adore you”
Every Christian is potentially a worshiper. The quality of
worship and the worshiper (in spirit and in truth),
depend on each.
b. The recognition of God is voluntary
The worship of God is voluntary. In the Bible there are
examples of people who chose to recognize or reject
God. When the three men visited Sodom, Lot
recognized them and received them as angels of
God:
2 My
lords, he said, please turn aside to your servant's
house. You can wash your feet and spend the night
and then go on your way early in the morning.
(Genesis 19: 2a).
But, the people of Sodom did not recognize them. On
the contrary, they wanted to hurt them:
4
Before they had gone to bed, all of the men from
every part of the city of Sodom – both young and old
- surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where
are the men who come to you tonight? Bring them
out so that we can have sex with them.”1 (Genesis 19:
4-5).
1
The word "know" refers here to having sex. This same word is used in
Genesis to indicate that Adam knew his wife (Eve) and she conceived
children, Gen. 4: 1, 25. The Sodomites wanted to rape the angels sent by
God to the perverted city of Sodom.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
II. THE REASON OF WORSHIP
a. God is the sovereign Creator
As the sovereign Creator of all that is visible and
invisible (Col. 1:16), God is inherent in the power to
govern his creation, and the authority to establish the
guidelines of his relationship with the human being. This
relationship is based on the loving and just character
of God, revealed in the Bible; as it was revealed to
Moses:
6
Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with
Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from
the fields as soon as they heard what had happened.
They were shocked and furious, because Shechem
had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping
with Jacob’s daughter – a thing that should not be
done. (Genesis 34: 6-7).
At first, God had full communion with the first couple.
That was his initial plan. But, because of the sin
(disobedience) of the human being, there was a break
in that relationship.
The first thing we must understand about worship is
the way God relates to his creatures. God is holy and
cannot see sin. It is because of sin that the human
being separated from God. To enjoy again an intimate
relationship with God, humanity must adjust to his
character and will revealed in the Bible.
12
“Teach me to adore you”
It is according to the Bible that we must relate to
God. If someone tries to please God as a faithful
worshiper, he must first know without hesitation, the
God of the Bible and do his will. That is the starting point
for genuine worship.
b. The Creator and his creatures
One of the most relevant aspects that involves
adoration is the fact that God, as the sovereign
Creator of all things, has all power over his creation
and deserves all adoration, for what He is. No other
reason is needed. However, there are many reasons to
worship him. As the simple fact of having created us:
3
Know that the LORD is God, It is he who made us,
and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his
pasture. (Psalm 100: 3).
Not only did he make us, the Bible points out that,
unlike other creatures, God made man in his image
and likeness:
26 Then
God said, “Let us make mankind in our image,
according to our likeness (Genesis 1: 26a).
We have indelible characteristics of God in our being,
such as the fact of being beings, not only physical, but
spiritual and eternal as God (whether for salvation or
condemnation, the human being will live eternally
(Daniel 12: 2, Matthew 25:46).
c. The testimony of God
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
God has given mankind enough reasons to worship
and recognize him as its Creator. But, the adoration to
God takes a sense of humility in the worshiper,
because it is voluntary. God does not force anyone to
worship him:
8 He
has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what
does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to
love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
(Micah 6: 8).
God is good and rewards those who, with faith, seek
and obey Him:
6 And
without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe
that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11: 6).
God is worthy of being exalted by all his creatures:
1
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the
heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him,
all his heavenly hosts.3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.4 Praise Him, you
highest heavens and you waters above the skies.5 Let
them praise the name of the LORD, for at his
command they were created, 6 and he established
them for ever and ever - he issued a decree that will
not be pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths;
8
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds
that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit
14
“Teach me to adore you”
trees and all cedars;
10
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
11
kings of the earth
and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth; 12
young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let
them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone
is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the
heavens.
14
And he has raised up for his people a
horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the
people close to his heart. Praise the Lord (Psalm 148:
1-14).
God has spoken to humanity through the prophets,
and finally through Jesus:
1
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the
prophets at many times and in various ways,
prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us
by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and
through whom also he made the universe (Hebrews
1-2).
But the creation also testifies about a wise and
intelligent Creator. God has revealed himself, through
his creation:
20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible
qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has
been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For
although they knew God, they neither glorified him
as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became
futile
and
their
15
foolish
hearts
were
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
darkened.
22 Although
they claimed to be wise, they
became fools (Romans 1: 20-22).
God displays his glory through his creation:
1 The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night they reveal
knowledge.
3 They
have no speech, they use no
words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice
goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of
the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for
the sun;5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his
chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It
rises at one end of the heavens and makes its
circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The
law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise
the simple. (Psalm 19: 1-7).
This Psalm notes that creation betrays the creator of
the universe. Without the need for language, the order
of nature testifies that there is a wise Creator, behind
creation. Chaos or an explosion what produces is
disaster. The order of the universe reveals the wisdom
of God in his creation, the work of his hands.
God does not demand worship, but he will make a
just judgment to those who ignore his authority and
sovereign power.
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“Teach me to adore you”
III. WORSHIP THE CREATOR
a. The worship of God is voluntary
Satan is an example of the free will enjoyed by
creatures made by God. He was a Cherub created by
God, who because of his beauty was filled with pride
and revealed himself against God. That shows that
creatures made by God enjoy free will, even in
heaven.
Satan, by voluntarily being an enemy of God, seeks
to divert the human being from the adoration of God,
because he knows that the only thing that the human
being can give to God, of himself, is adoration. When
the human being sins, Satan feels worshiped, whether
the human being understands it or not:
8 All
who have this hope in him purify themselves, just
as he is pure. (1 John 3: 3).
Since he was in heaven, Satan has sought to usurp the
worship that belongs only to God:
12 How
you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son
of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You
who said in
your heart, “I will ascend to heavens; I will raise my
throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on
the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount
Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I
will make myself like the Most High (Isaiah 14: 12-14).
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
Satan is interested in worshiping the creation and not
the Creator, so that the human being ends up
condemned in hell, along with him:
23 and
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
images made to look like a mortal human being and
birds and animals and reptiles.
25 They
exchanged
the truth about God for the lie, and worshiped and
created things rather the Creator – who is forever
praised. Amen. (Romans 1: 23, 25).
Satan knows that the Bible teaches that the idolatry of
any
object,
person
or
spirit
is
a
cause
of
condemnation. He is behind idolatry:
3 You
shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall
not make for yourself an image in the form of
anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or
in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them
or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
parents to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me (Exodus 20: 3-5).
The Bible points out that the one who worships images,
worships demons and not God:
19 Do
I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is
anything, or that an idol is anything?
20
No, the
sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to
God, and I do not want you to have participants with
demons (1 Cor 10: 19-20).
18
“Teach me to adore you”
b. Androlatry
Androlatry is the adoration of the human being.
One of the cleverest deceptions of Satan, against
humanity, is to inoculate him with the poison of
greatness. The same sin for which he was shot down
from heaven.
Satan seeks that the human being idolizes himself,
to get him away from God. The adoration of the
human being has been present in all the history of
humanity, after the fall.
In our society there are idols in all spheres: Science,
beauty, sports, etc. People overflow to worship these
human idols. Even the cinema awards are represented
with a statue of the human being. This apparently
innocuous is an open affront to the word of God.
The Bible points out that all authority comes from
God, as the creator of all things. Obviously, there are
good and bad authorities, and that depends on each
leader. But, the authority itself was established by God
so that there would be order in the world (Rom 13: 1).
But many leaders forget that God rules over them
(Daniel 4:17). In the Bible, it is Nebuchadnezzar, a king
who had idolized himself:
30 he
said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as
the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the
glory of my majesty?”
31Even
as the words were on
his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is
decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal
19
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
authority has been taken from you.
32
You will be
driven away from people and will live with the wild
animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times
will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the
Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth
and gives them to anyone he wishes.” (Daniel 4: 3032).
The prophecy warned that Nebuchadnezzar was
going to be in a demented state, like a beast, because
of his pride. But, God in his mercy, gave him the
opportunity to recover his memory, after seven years:
1
King Nebuchadnezzar, to the nations and peoples
of every language, who live in all the earth: May you
prosper greatly!
2
It is my pleasure to tell you the
miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High
God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal
kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to
generation (Daniel 4: 1-3).
The Bible narrates that Herod allowed the idolatry of
himself and was eaten by worms, as divine judgment:
21
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal
robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public
address to the people.
22
They shouted, "This is the
voice of a god, not of a man!
23
Immediately,
because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel
of the Lord struck him down, and he eaten by worms
and died. (Acts 12: 21-23).
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“Teach me to adore you”
CHAPTER – 2 –
WORSHIP AND PRAISE
____________________________________________________
I. WORSHIPER, MUSICIAN AND SINGER
a. Worship is a way of life
There is a great difference between a worshiper and
being a singer or musician. God seeks worshipers in
spirit and in truth. But sometimes it tends to confuse,
even unconsciously, the concept of worshipers in spirit
and in truth, with music. These are related to each
other and music is important in the life of the worshiper;
but, music is just an element of worship. It is not even
the main thing. True worship embraces the integral
being of the Christian: Spirit, soul and body:
23 May
God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and
body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
More than an action, worship is a way of life in the
Christian and implies, among other things: Obedience,
fidelity, holiness, service, adoration, praise, fasting,
prayer, etc. In a general sense, it is walking with God,
as Enoch did:
21
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
23 Altogether,
Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
24
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no
more, because God took him away (Gen. 5: 23-24).
He was so tall, the degree of communion and
intimacy that Enoch had developed with his Creator,
that God took him alive to heaven, to be with him.
The Bible points out that the departure of the saints
to heaven is esteemed by God:
15 Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his
faithful servants (Psalm 116: 15).
Noah was another man consecrated to God,
whom God delivered from the judgments he poured
out on earth, during the universal flood:
9 Noah
was a righteous man, blameless among the
people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God
(Gen. 6: 9b).
The Prophet Elijah also testified good works that
please God and was taken to heaven in a chariot of
fire:
11 As
they were walking and talking together,
suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared
and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to
heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).
The Bible points out that there were people so
consecrated to Him on earth that the world did not
deserve these saints to live surrounded by evil:
36 Some
faced jeers and flogging, and even chains
and imprisonment.
37
They were put to death by
22
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stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by
the sword. They went about in sheepskins and
goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-
38
the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in
deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in
the ground (Hebrews 11: 36-38).
____________________________________________________

The Bible points out that the departure of the saints
to heaven is esteemed by God:
15 Precious
in the
sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants
(Psalm 116: 15).
____________________________________________________
b. God longs for a relationship of intimate communion
with his children
All the chaos that exists in the world is a product of
the rupture of the intimate relationship between God
and the human being, caused by the original sin of
Adam and Eve. The solution is the restoration of that
intimate relationship between God and humanity.
The Bible points out that Jesus came to earth to
restore communion between God and human beings.
He is the only mediator between God and men:
5 For
there is one God and one mediator between
God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:
5).
Jesus came to the world to reconcile us with God:
23
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
20 and
through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21
Once you were alienated from God and were
enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior
(Colossians 1: 20-21).
The Bible points out that only those who are children
of God, enjoy intimate communion with their Creator:
14 The
LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes
his covenant known to them (Psalm 25:14).
The fear of God is reverent, it becomes obedience.
All human beings are God's creation. But only those
born again by the Spirit are children of God (John
1:12). The sinner must repent first to enjoy such
communion:
32 For
the LORD detests the perverse but takes the
upright into his confidence (Proverbs 3:32).
Every human being can worship, but God only
receives an adoration that comes from a holy heart.
The sinner can invoke God, asking for mercy, but he
does not enjoy communion with God.
c. Biblical examples of intimate communion with God
With his love for God and his reverent fear
(obedience),
Abraham
came
to
develop
a
communion of friendship with God:
23 And
the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham
believed God, and it was credited to him as
24
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righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend
(James 2:23).
When God decided to destroy Sodom and
Gomorrah, he felt that he should communicate it to his
friend, Abraham:
17 Then
the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham
what I am about to do? (Gen. 18:17)
This is the kind of communion that God seeks with
his children, friendship. The sin of this world does not
reveal the loving heart of the heavenly Father. This
prevents us from developing a communion of
friendship with Him.
The world has created a false concept of God, that
of a severe judge, rather than a loving father. That
concept is created by a mind deviated from the
original purpose. It is not what the Bible shows. Jesus
himself surprised the Jewish religious by calling God
with confidence: Father. As a son naturally and
spontaneously calls his father:
17 In
his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is
always at his work to this very day, and I too am
working.
18
For this reason they tried all the more to
kill him; not only was he braking the Sabbath, but he
was even calling God his own Father, making himself
equal with God (John 5: 17-18).
Jesus' trust with the Father was not typical among
Jewish religious, and that bothered them. They did not
have intimate communion with God, which results in a
25
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
reverent fear. They had cultivated a fear of God, an
aberrant relationship.
Jesus went even further in his degree of intimate
communion with the heavenly Father, calling him:
Daddy!
36 “Abba,
Father,” he said, “everything is possible for
you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but
what you will (Mark 14:36).
Abba! It was a warm and intimate phrase used by
children with their parents in the house. It is the word
that a child uses in Spanish to call a father like, dad or
daddy.
The primitive Christians adapted this concept of
Jesus in their adoration. They called the Father: Daddy!
6 Because
you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his
Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,
Father” (Galatians 4: 6)
15 The
Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15)
The level of intimacy between Jesus and his
disciples became friendship. He called them friends:
14 You
are my friends, if you do what I command.
15
I
no longer call you servants, because a servant does
not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called
you friends, for everything that I learned from my
Father I have made known to you (John 15: 14-15).
26
“Teach me to adore you”
In the time of Jesus, the slave of the house did not know
the intimacies, nor the business of his master. Jesus
opened his heart to his disciples and revealed to them
his plans and purposes. That relationship became a
friendship.
Sometimes we refer to the servants of God as:
"Servants of God." The reality is that this title is quite
distant from the position that God has given us in Christ.
Which is of beloved children through the new birth by
the Holy Spirit.
Obviously, the relationship with God develops first,
through obedience to his Word. That is why Jesus
conditions friendship to obedience:
"You are my friends, if you do what I command."
27
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
28
“Teach me to adore you”
CHAPTER – 3 –
TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
____________________________________________________
I. WORSHIP IS NOT AN ACTION, IT IS A LIFESTYLE
a. Living temples of the Holy Spirit
The adoration to God includes everything that the
human being does for love of God. It represents all the
gratitude of the being and so that it is pleasing to God,
it must come from a heart consecrated to God. It is not
enough to worship, it requires holiness; without which
no one will see God (Hebrews 12:14).
Christian worships God in everything he does,
worship is a lifestyle. As living temples of the Holy Spirit,
the Christian's body is in continuous worship. His body
no longer belongs to him, it is the dwelling place of
God and the temple of the Holy Spirit:
19 Do
you not know that your bodies are temples of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own (1 Cor
6:19).
Obviously, there is a bitter struggle between good
and evil in the life of every Christian, and obedience to
God depends on the degree of communion and the
quality of worship of each one:
29
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
41 Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
(Matthew 26:41).
Being a true worshiper is a daily decision. Jesus said:
23 Then
he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross daily and follow me.
24
For whoever wants to
save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life
for me will save it (Luke 9: 23-24).
Following Christ means giving everything. To
surrender all being to God. Without reservations. If the
worshiper's heart is not willing to give up everything, to
do God's will, there will be no true worship. Obedience
is the starting point to a life of true worship.
Singing, offering, fasting, etc., are acts of worship in
the worship of God. But the Christian continually
worships with his eyes, thoughts, words, actions, his
whole being: Spirit, soul and body, lives in constant
adoration to God.
The term worship in the biblical context should not
be confused with a paused style of music. That is
worship music. The worship that God seeks (John 4:23),
refers to the surrender of the heart (without conditions)
characteristic of a worshiper in spirit and in truth. God
owns everything and the only thing we can give him
voluntarily is our heart:
26 My
son, give me your heart and let your eyes
delight in my ways (Proverbs 23:26).
30
“Teach me to adore you”
b. The Holy Spirit is jealous of his temple
The communion of the Christian with God is so
profound and intimate, that the Holy Spirit is jealous of
his body:
5 Or
do you think that the Scripture says
without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit that
he has caused to dwell in us? (James 4: 5)
The Bible says that only coveting with the eyes
contaminates the body of the Christian, which is the
temple of the Holy Spirit:
28 But
I tell you that anyone
who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
Jesus said that: "The eye is the light of the body":
34 Your
eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes
are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But
when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of
darkness (Luke 11:34).
The Lord warns that if a part of the body is an
element that lends itself to sin and prevents entry into
heaven, it is better to remove it. It is obvious that Jesus
appeals to common sense, not to mutilation. Surely
nobody will want to tear off a member of the body.
What is expected is that there is a change in attitude:
29 If
your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out
and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part
of your body than for your whole body to be thrown
into hell.
30
And if your right hand causes you to
stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you
31
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to be thrown into hell (Matthew 5: 29-30).
The important thing is that Jesus warns of the danger
of hell and the great need to live a holy life in spirit, soul
and body, because there is a danger of losing
salvation2. A true worshiper must keep himself pure
from this world, so that his adoration may be accepted
in the presence of God:
1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear
friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that
contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out
of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7: 1).
If anyone cleanses the temple of the Holy Spirit, which
is His body, the Lord will dwell in your heart and be a
living temple of worship and daily sacrifice to God:
19 Nevertheless,
God’s solid foundation stands firm,
sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those
who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the
name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
21
Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will
be instruments for special purposes, made holy,
2
Salvation is a divine gift; but we must maintain it, so as not to lose it
as the Bible shows: 19 My brothers and sisters, if any of you should
wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,
20
remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way
will save them from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5: 1920). See Matthew 18: 6-9; Luke 15: 11-32 and 17: 1; Hebrews 2: 1-4
and 12: 15-17; 2 Peter 2: 20-22; Revelation 13:11.
32
“Teach me to adore you”
useful to the Master and prepared to do any good
work (2 Timothy 2:19, 21).
II. THE OFFERINGS AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP
a. God knows the human mind and heart
God knows the human mind and heart, we cannot
deceive God, when offering sacrifices to his holy
name.
The Bible points out that the human heart is deceptive:
9 The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond
cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17: 9).
There is the possibility that, in certain actions, even we
ourselves do not know the real intentions of our own
heart.
We must make an analysis of our intentions by
praying, serving or worshiping in general. Because only
God knows the real intentions of the heart3:
10 “I
the LORD search the heart and examine the
mind, to reward each person according to their
conduct, according to what their deeds deserve”
(Jeremiah 17:10).
Even before our human limitation, the Holy Spirit helps
the Christian to communicate to the Father, the
petitions that are priorities and correct:
3
In an act of adoration (the Holy Supper), the Bible warns that the
Christian, before participating, must first prove himself: 28 Everyone
ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink
from the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28).
33
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
26 In
the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the
Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless
groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the
mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for
God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
(Romans 8:26, 27).
God knows every thought of our mind and every
intention of our heart:
23 I
will strike her children dead. Then all the churches
will know that I am he who searches hearts and
minds, and I will repay each of you according to your
deeds. (Revelation 2:23).
b. The offering of Cain and Abel
The offering of Cain and Abel is a monument to true
and false worship. Two brothers appear before God
each with the best of their products, but with different
intentions. Abel goes with an offering and a clean
heart:
4
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than
Cain did. By he was commended as righteous, when
God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still
speaks, even though he is dead (Hebrews 11: 4).
Cain goes with an offering in complete competition
with his brother, and with a heart full of envy:
2
Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel
kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course
34
“Teach me to adore you”
of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as
an offering to the LORD.
4
And Abel also brought an
offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his
flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his
offering (Genesis 4: 2-4).
God shows no partiality about persons. Neither was the
type of offering what He did not like of Cain; but, the
evil of his heart: 5 But on Cain and at his offering he did
not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his
face was downcast. (Genesis 4: 5).
God discovered the reason for his judgment in the
heart of Cain, who had become a hypocrite by
pretending to deceive God and those around him by
presenting one, but with a false worship. God gave him
the opportunity to repent, pointing out the reason for
his judgment, and warning him of the seriousness of his
sin:
6
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry?
Why is your face downcast?
7
If you do what is right,
will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4: 6-7).
But Cain did not repent. Rather than obeying the
divine advice, he brought to light the great envy he
felt for his brother, and finally killed him:
8 NowCain
said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the
field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his
brother Abel and killed him (Genesis 4: 8).
35
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
John summarizes the evil heart of Cain:
12 Do
not like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and
murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?
Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s
were righteous (1 John 3:12).
c. God judges with fair judgment
Jesus judged the meager offering of a widow as the
most abundant; in comparison with the great offerings
that others gave, of what was left over:
41
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the
offerings were put and watched the crowd putting
their money into the temple treasury. Many rich
people threw in large amounts.
42
But a poor widow
came and put in two very small copper coins, worth
only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus
said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more
into the treasury than all the others.
44
They all gave
out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in
everything - all she had to live on.” (Mark 12: 41-44).
God does not judge by appearances. He judges with
fair judgment. On one occasion, Jesus said, we did not
give offerings to be seen from others:
2 “So
when you give to the needy, do not announce
it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward in full.
3
But when you give to the needy, do
36
“Teach me to adore you”
not let your left know what your right is doing, 4 so that
your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who
sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew
6: 2-4).
III. THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES
a. Separated for worship
The Bible warns that the wages of sin is death (Rom
6:23). In the OT, that commandment becomes more
powerful, since the judgment was immediate on the
sinner:
28 Anyone
who rejected the law of Moses died
without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses. (Hebrews 10:28).
In that context of the Law, the people of Israel sinned
against God, raising a metal calf and the wrath of God
was kindled because of idol. Moses knew the
seriousness of sin and called those who were not in
favor of the idol:
26 So
he stood at the entrance to the camp and said,
“Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” (Exodus 32:
26a).
The children of Levi's family responded to the call of
Moses, and killed the idolaters 4:
4
In the Law, sin was paid with immediate death; that is why the
Levites obeyed the order of Moses. In Grace, Jesus is our substitute and
37
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
And all the Levites rallied to him.
27
Then he said to
them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and
forth through the camp from one end to the other,
each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.”
28
The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day
about three thousand of the people died. (Exodus 32:
26b-28).
The children of Levi obeyed the order of Moses and by
this act of zeal to God, they were consecrated as
priests before God:
29 Then
Moses said, “You have been set apart to the
LORD today, for you were against your sons and
brothers, as he was blessed you this day. (Exodus
32:29)
b. Chosen for their sanctification; not for their talents
The Levites were the tribe separated by God to worship
and serve permanently in the temple, to offer the
sacrifices and offerings on the altar:
21 “I
give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their
inheritance in return for the work they do while
serving at the tent of meeting.” (Numbers 18:21).
The Levites were to live a life of holiness, warned in the
picture that the high priest carried on his forehead:
God gives opportunity for repentance, while we are alive (Hebrews
9:27).
38
“Teach me to adore you”
36 Aaron
must wear it when he ministers. The sound of
the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place
before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he
will not die. (Exodus 28: 35-36).
The Bible points out that Christians, we are priests of the
new covenant:
9 But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2: 9).
The Levites who were in charge of the ministration of
music lived in the temple, consecrated to this work:
33 Those
who were also musicians, heads of Levite
families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were
exempt from other duties because they were
responsible for the work day and night. (1 Chronicles
9:33).
This indicates the level of consecration that the singers
and musicians should have. For God to receive praise,
it must be pure. Musicians who are not Christians
should not even touch the sacred instruments with
which God is worshiped.
From the life of consecration of the Levites one can
learn that, God is not looking for musicians to praise
Him. He seeks worshipers who worship him in spirit and
truth.
It is not the musical or vocal talent that qualifies a
person to worship God or for that reason be pleasant
39
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
in his presence. First you must be consecrated to God,
then praise Him. It does not work the other way around.
Praise to God must come from a holy heart.
Everything that is done for God is holy and those who
do it must live sanctity.
If a person does not have a commitment to God
and does not show fruit worthy of repentance, he must
be separated from the worship of God.
God is not interested in music as such, He has
angels who adore him with perfect voices. God longs
for committed worshipers who first pour out their hearts
before Him, not just praise. God seeks true worship.
IV. WORSHIPERS CONFORMING
TO GOD'S HEART
a. David as a worshiper
David was a great worshiper. He did not worship God
to be seen by others. His praise was first known in
heaven, in intimacy.
When King Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, they
looked for someone who could play the harp. David
was chosen, while taking care of the sheep:
18 One
of the servants answered, "I have seen a son
of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the
lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well
and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
19Then
Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send
40
“Teach me to adore you”
me your son David, who is with the sheep.” (1 Samuel
16:18-19).
Before being chosen to help Saul, David was already
recognized as a faithful worshiper. The testimony that
was given of him, not only was that he knew how to
play the harp; but that he was: "Brave, vigorous,
prudent to speak, and that Jehovah was with him."
Perhaps there were others who played the harp better
than David, but he was chosen because the anointing
of God was upon him, because of his life of adoration
and separation for God.
David did not promote himself to be in the king's
palace. God honored him because he was pleased
with his worship. David was not a singer or musician by
trade, he was a shepherd of sheep. But he was a
worshiper who had experienced the power and glory
of God in his life, as he himself testifies:
34 But
David said to Saul, “Your servant has been
keeping his father's sheep, When a lion or a bear
came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35
I went
after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its
mouth. When it turned on me, I seize it by its hair,
struck it and kill it. (1 Samuel 17: 34-35).
David was exalted by God, not because he was a
musician, but because he was a worshiper. The Bible
shows that David was a human being subject to
weaknesses, but he tried to please God in everything.
41
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
Even when the king was to be elected, he was not
on the list of candidates. It was until all the sons of Jesse
marched past that they remembered David, who was
taking care of his father's sheep.
David is also an example for the worshipers. Many
ministers when God puts them in a position of privilege,
so that they serve and honor him, they lose humility
and the anointing is extinguished in their lives, because
of materialism and fame.
David maintained his humility. This is noticeable
when he was king, while the people praised God,
David got off the throne to dance among the
populace. His wife criticized him, but he continued to
dance for Jehovah:
14 Wearing
a linen ephod, David was dancing before
the LORD with all his might,
15 while
he and all Israel
were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and
the sound of a trumpets. 16 As the ark of the LORD was
entering the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul
watched from a window. And when she saw King
David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she
despised him in her heart (2 Samuel 6: 14-16).
b. A worshiper according to the heart of God
David was a worshiper according to the heart of God.
He tried to do his will in everything. This is what the
prophet Samuel said:
42
“Teach me to adore you”
14 But
now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has
sought out a man after his own heart and appointed
him ruler of his people, because you have not kept
the LORD’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:14).
A worshiper according to the heart of God is not
known by the music or lyrics of his songs; but for their
good fruits, which are the evidence of a true worshiper
(Matthew 7: 15-20). When the Bible says that David was
a man according to the heart of God, it does not
mean that he was perfect:
22 After
removing Saul, he made David their king. God
testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of
Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do
everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13:22).
It means that he knew God's will and knew how to
please him. This revelation comes to every worshiper
who humbly and willingly wants to obey God, and is
obtained through the knowledge of his Word (Bible)
and by the Holy Spirit, which confirms the Word of God
and guides the worshiper to all truth:
13 But
when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide
you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he
will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you
what is yet to come (John 16:13).
c. Characteristics of David as a worshiper
 He longed to be in the house of God every day:
43
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
4
One thing I ask from the LORD, this one do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the
days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD,
and seek him in his temple (Psalm 27: 4).
 He offered the best of what he had for God and it
had to be from his own effort:
24 But
King David replaid to Araunah, “No, I insist on
paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD
what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs
me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:24).
 He tried to build a temple for God:
4 “Go
and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the
LORD says: You are not the one build me a house
to dwell in. (1 Chronicles 17: 4).
Which Solomon built, his son (1 Kings 8:13).
 He organized the music in the temple of Jehovah:
1 David,
together with the commanders of the army,
set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and
Jeduthun
for
the
ministry
of
prophesying,
accompanied with harps, lyres and cymbals. Here
is the list of the men who performed this service: (1
Chronicles 25: 1).
 He was the creator of praise instruments:
44
“Teach me to adore you”
6 The
priests took their positions, as did the Levites
with the LORD’s musical instruments, which King
David had made for praising the LORD and which
were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love
endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7: 6a).
 He experienced the power of God in his life:
34 But
David said to Saul, “Your servant has been
keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear
came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
35
I
went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from
its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its
hair, struck it and killed it. (1 Samuel 17: 34-35).
 He sought justice with his neighbor:
15 David
reigned over all Israel; doing what was just
and right for all his people (2 Samuel 8:15).
 He forgave the life of his enemy:
10 As
surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD
himself will strike him, or his time will come and he
will die, or he will go into battle and perish (1
Samuel 26:10).
 He repented when he failed God:
3 For
I know my transgressions, and my sin is always
before me.
4
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right
45
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
in your verdict and justified when you judge. (Psalm
51: 3-4).
 He was a worshiper according to the heart of God.
He tried to do his will:
14 But
now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD
has sought out a man after his own heart and
appointed him ruler of his people, because you
have not kept the LORD’s command (1 Samuel
13:14).
46
“Teach me to adore you”
CHAPTER – 4 –
THE PRAISE IN WORSHIP GOD
____________________________________________________
I. THERE IS VICTORY IN PRAISE
a. The Bible invites us to praise the Creator
In the Bible, it is constantly heard the voice of the
prophets inspired by the Spirit, inviting the worship of
God:
1 Shout
for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the
LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful
songs (Psalm 100: 1-2).
The Bible encourages the righteous to rejoice in God,
even in the momentary trials of life, for the reward is
great in heaven.
11 Blessed
are you when people insult you, persecute
you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me.
12 Rejoice
and be glad, because
great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way
they persecuted the prophets who were before you
(Matthew 5: 11-12).
God also encourages the upright in heart to sing with
joy:
11 Rejoice
in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
47
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
It should be noted that this is true joy for the righteous.
God likes the worship and praise of those who walk in
communion with Him. It is not any praise that pleases
God; if not, that which comes from pure hearts and
holy. Commonly, worship is judged by appearances,
and praise for the voice of the singing, not for the
saintly life of the worshiper.
b. Celebrating victories with praise
In the Bible, praise is used to celebrate the victories of
the people of God:
20 Then
Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a
timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her,
with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang them: “Sing
to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and
driver he has hurled into the sea” (Exodus 15: 20-21).
It is also used as a weapon of spiritual warfare, to fight
battles. In certain cases, God commanded Israel to
only sing to him, instead of fighting:
17 You
will not have to fight this battle. Take up your
positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the
LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them
tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.”19 Them
some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood
up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a
very loud voice.
21 After
consulting the people,
Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and
48
“Teach me to adore you”
to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they
went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give
thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” 22 As
they began to sing and praise, the LORD set
ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab,
and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they
were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:17, 19, 21-22).
There are moments in the life of a Christian that is not
to pray, but to praise God for victory. The same Spirit
guides this praise.
c. The power and the anointing in praise
Worshipers who have reached a high level of intimacy
with
God
can
worship
Him,
even
in
difficult
circumstances. When Paul and Silas were imprisoned
for the sake of Christ, they sang hymns to God in prison:
25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were
listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent
earthquake that the foundations of the prison were
shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and
everyone’s chains came loose. (Acts 16: 25-26).
The praise of these two men of faith was heard on the
heavenly throne and so pleased God that he ordered
the doors of the prison to be opened. The power of
God is unleashed in the praise of his children.
Sometimes, it will be enough to praise God, so that the
doors open in favor of the Christian.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
In the case of the city of Jericho, God ordered the
priests to blow trumpets and that in the end, the
people would give a war cry so that the walls of the
city would collapse:
4 Have
seven priests carry trumpets of ram's horns in
front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around
the city seven times, with the priests blowing the
trumpets. 5When you hear them sound a long blast on
the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout;
then the wall of the city will collapse and the army
will go up, everyone straight in. (Joshua 6: 4-5).
This was an order given by God. It is not about
screaming rampant in the church. Everything has its
place. We can exalt God and enjoy ourselves during
the time of praise, taking care not to interrupt the time
of preaching or other programs.
The prophets and priests of the OT, were inspired by
music to exalt God and prophesy:
1
David, together with the commanders of the army,
set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and
Jeduthun
for
the
ministry
of
prophesying,
accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is
the list of the men who performed this service: (1
Chronicles 25: 1).
The anointing of God descended on the Levites, when
they praised God and prophesied.
50
“Teach me to adore you”
On one occasion the prophet Elisha called for a
minstrel (someone who played stringed instrument) to
be inspired by the Spirit and prophesying:
15 But
now bring me a harpist. While the harpist was
playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha (2
Kings 3:15).
It is obvious that the music was not for Elisha but was
an environment of praise created for God to manifest.
The Holy Spirit led the prophet to ask for the music and
God soon manifested.
d. The glory of God in praise
The glory of God descends, when the worshipers
gathered in the cult have prepared their hearts and
the environment to receive the divine presence. The
Bible points out that we put glory in our praise:
1 Shout
for joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of
his name; make his praise glorious. (Psalm 66: 1-2).
The glory of God does not belong to us, but the text
suggests that we put glory in our praise. That glory
descends, when our adoration pleases the divine
heart. If we give him a genuine worship, God (in spirit
and truth) will give glory to our praise. God will pour it
because of our sanctification. The glory of God does
not descend in the gathering of saints because of
music alone.
In contemporary worship, if there is no music, we do
not praise God. This is an error. Obviously, that music
51
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
causes joy; but, the true worshiper praises God with or
without music.
Music does not make worshipers in spirit and in
truth. On the contrary, the true worshiper only adds
music to his daily worship. Praise is an act of worship.
But worship is a lifestyle. In Solomon's worship
experience in the temple, the glory of God descended
upon that place. God does not dwell in a house made
by the hands of men:
48
However, the Most High does not live in houses
made by human hands. As the prophet says:
49”’Heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? says the
Lord; Or where will my resting the place be?
50
Has
not my hand made all these things?’ (Acts 7: 48-50).
But God does not skimp on shedding his glory upon
those who call upon Him with a pure heart. That is to
say: Worshipers in Spirit and in Truth.
In the experience of Solomon's worship, when he
dedicated
the
descended
in
temple
that
to
place,
Jehovah,
because
the
glory
of
the
sanctification of the people. First, Solomon had made
sure that the priests who ministered in the temple were
sanctified:
11 The
priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All
the priests who were there had consecrated
themselves,
regardless
of
Chronicles 5:11).
52
their
divisions.
(2
“Teach me to adore you”
It is not enough to be priests and ministers of God.
You have to live a life in holiness. Sometimes musicians
and singers forget that before being ministers of music,
they must be genuine and holy worshipers before God.
This praise that Solomon sacrificed was appropriate
to what God had commanded. The Levites, apart from
being sanctified, were dressed in their priestly
vestments, appropriate to minister to a holy God5:
12All
the Levites who were musicians - Asaph, Heman
and their sons and relatives – stood on the east side
of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals
harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120
priests sounding trumpets.
13The
trumpeters and
musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks
to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals
and other instruments, the singers raised their voices
in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love
endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was
filled with the cloud (2 Chronicles 5: 12-13)
The priests caused the glory of God to descend in the
town, because of their sanctification. That is to put
glory in your praise.
5
The present worshipers must dress in a holy way inwardly (Rev.
3:18); and honestly on the outside to minister before God (1 Tim 2: 910). God has not changed: Jesus Christ is the same as yesterday, today
and forever (Hebrews 13: 8).
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
In order to please God, praise does not go first. It is
the quality of the worshipers that brings down the glory
of God, not the music.
In this experience of Solomon's worship, the glory
came down because the worshipers were sanctified;
but, after the glory of God came down, the ministers
of praise could not minister. Was not necessary to. The
glory of God had descended to a sweet smell that
praise had produced in the presence of God:
14 And
the priests could not perform their service,
because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled
the temple of God (2 Chronicles 5: 14).
The glory of God does not descend by praise alone, it
must be accompanied by a holy life.
There are praises that are precious and singers that
sing like angels; but his adoration is empty and hollow.
It does not cause the glory of God to fill the people, for
there is no life of sanctification, no surrender to worship
in spirit and in truth.
This pure adoration does not refer to an attitude;
they are not even tears on the altar. It is a holy life,
inside and outside the altar.
The singer who is a true worshiper, only adds music
to his lifestyle. He worships God in everything he does,
in his daily life.
The singer should not expect God to manifest his
presence only through music. For God to pour out his
glory in praise, worship must be practiced, as is a way
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“Teach me to adore you”
of life. That implies to adore God with all the being
daily, through each action and word.
____________________________________________________

Music does not make worshipers, in spirit and in
truth. On the contrary, the true worshiper only adds
music to his daily adoration.
____________________________________________________
II. MUSIC AS AN INSTRUMENT
OF WORSHIP
a. The battle for true worship
Music is a powerful instrument in the worship of God.
However, it must come from the pure heart of the
worshipers in spirit and truth. The music was created to
exalt God.
A generalized concept about Christian music
indicates that it is that created by a Christian to exalt
God. However, Satan is the father of all lies and he
knows the power of music. The Bible points out that the
day he was created by God, as a perfect being, was
received with music:
13You
were in Eden, the garden of God; every
precious stone adorned you; carnelian, chrysolite
and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli,
turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings
were made of gold; on the day you were created
they were prepared.
14
You were anointed as a
55
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on
the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery
stones.
15 You
were blameless in your ways from the
day you were created till wickedness was found in
you (Ezekiel 28: 13-15).
Satan knows music and knows the power in it to
communicate wrong messages to humanity. Satan
knows how to distort it from its true purpose.
He will take advantage even of the naivety of the
children of God to deceive them, in order to distort the
purpose of giving him a true adoration to God.
One of them is making the singers believe that,
because they have a musical talent or a beautiful
voice, they are already pleasing to God. Others
deviate their hearts from the truth, believing that they
must live luxurious lives or fame becomes a bond of
competition, arrogance and materialism.
b. The instruments of praise
The main instrument of praise is the body of the
Christian. Our hands and voices are used to praise and
worship God. Although we adore with our whole body.
God gave wisdom to the human being to create
instruments to praise his holy name:
1
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty
heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him
according for his surpassing greatness. 3Praise him
with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the
56
“Teach me to adore you”
harp and lyre. 4Praise him with timbrel and dancing;
praise him with strings and pipes. 5 Praise him with the
clash of cymbals; praise him with resounding
cymbals.
6
Let everything that has breath praise the
LORD. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 150: 1-6).
The important thing is not the type of instrument
itself; if not the worshiper. Obviously, when a
worshiper is led by the Holy Spirit, He will guide him to
produce music that is pleasing to God.
Sometimes the rhythms that prevail in the
secular world are not entirely adequate to praise
God. For an example, rock music was created to
praise Satan. It is strident, to break the ears; it is
aggressive, to create violence. All that style of music
bears the stamp of destruction, violence, drugs,
Satanism, etc.
For those who know that musical genre, they
know what it is about. Why should a Christian imitate
a music that was created to exalt evil and Satan? It
is not sensible to imitate it.
c. The type of praise
The Bible states that the worshiper must be innovative
in his letters, to worship God. The singer and musician
must be passionate, not with music, but with God. A
lover, without a doubt, wants to write and express his
love to his girlfriend. Thus, the worshiper must have a
passion to praise God, in gratitude.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
God is a king. Nobody would appear before a king
with something boring or monotonous. Likewise, when
we praise God, we must bring new offerings of praise:
2Praise
the LORD with the harp; make music to him on
the ten-stringed lyre. 3Sing to him a new song; play
skillfully, and shout for joy (Psalm 33: 1-3).
For that you have to have dedication. Sometimes the
worshipers in the church have no commitment to God.
Others play instruments or sing in the church and then
leave or disconnect from the cult. They do not get
involved in worship and in the Word.
The musician must learn to cultivate first his life of
adoration and then his musical talent. This must be to
give a better offering to God, not to cultivate the ego.
God wants us to adore him with intelligence, the
worshiper must be creative in his music:
6 Sing
praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our
King, sing praises; 7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him with a psalm of praise (Psalm 47: 6-7).
You should look for topics that are directed to the
exaltation of God. The worship of the church is
exclusive to glorify God. This praise must come from
whole hearts:
1
Sing joyfully to the LORD; you righteous; it is fitting for
the upright to praise him (Psalm 33: 1).
The integrity of the worshiper is more important than his
praise. So, the first verse says: In the upright praise is
beautiful. Praise by itself does not make worshipers in
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“Teach me to adore you”
spirit and in truth, it requires: integrity, obedience,
faithfulness, selfless service, humility, etc.
59
WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
CHAPTER – 5 –
GOD SEEKS TRUE WORSHIPERS
____________________________________________________
I. JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
a. The temple of the Holy Spirit
In Jesus' time, the worship of God was remitted to
officiate in the temple of Jerusalem. But, the
Samaritans claimed that the place of worship should
be in Samaria, on Mount Gerizim (Deuteronomy 11:29,
27:12), where the patriarchs of Israel had worshiped:
20 Our
ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you
Jews claim that the place where we must worship is
in Jerusalem. (John 4:20).
Jesus taught that, in the new covenant, the Holy Spirit
makes room in the body of the Christian 6:
19 Do
you not know that your bodies are temples of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; (1
Corinthians 6:19).
6
The Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean
that he should not congregate in a temple or physical structure. The
Bible states:
25
Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day
approaching. (Hebrews 10:25).
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“Teach me to adore you”
In his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus
defines New Testament worship. Israel was an
exclusivist nation in terms of cult and worship in the
temple. Jesus taught that, in the new covenant,
neither in Jerusalem nor in Samaria would it be God's
chosen place for worship:
21
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is
coming when you will worship the Father neither on
this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (John 4:21).
Where there are two or three people gathered
together in the name of Jesus, there He will be in their
midst:
20 For
where two or three gather in my name, there
am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20).
In the New Covenant, the communion of the Holy Spirit
with the Christian is cultivated in a relationship of living
and intimate communion, in the heart:
33“This
is the covenant I will make with the people of
Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put
my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I Will
be their God, and they Will be my people. (Jeremiah
31:33).
Contrary to the Law, which was written in tablets, in the
new covenant the Holy Spirit records and remembers
the word of God in the heart of the Christian:
26 But
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you all things and
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
will remind you of everything I have said to you.
(John 14:26).
The presence of God moves from the temple of
Jerusalem, to the heart of the universal Christian, who
becomes a living temple of the Holy Spirit.
b. Worshipers in spirit and in truth
The Bible points out that God seeks those who give him
true worship: In spirit and in truth:
23 Yet
a time is coming and has now come when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and
in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks. (John 4:23).
As a loving Father, God longs for an intimate
relationship and true worship from his children. God
seeks worshipers in spirit and in truth:
24 God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the
Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).
Worship in spirit and in truth arises from the heart of a
genuine worshiper, who has been born again through
the spirit, and who adores in response to the great
divine love (We love because he first loved us. 1 John
4:19).
A true worshiper does not worship by habit,
competition, fame, vainglory, money or other petty
interest. He worships God unconditionally, as Job did:
In good times and in bad. That is what a worshiper in
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“Teach me to adore you”
spirit and truth refers to, who he adores no matter what
the circumstances.
When God says he is looking for worshipers in spirit
and in truth, he does not mean musicians or singers.
Perhaps there are worshipers in the Bible, and in
Christian history, who emptied their hearts in service to
God and were worshipers in spirit and in truth, but who
never played a musical instrument. Music is an element
of worship. It is not the first thing in the order of true
worship of God. It is just a means of worship.
A worshiper in spirit and in truth is more related to
the heart of the righteous, who enjoys intimate
communion with God because of his separation from
sin
and
consecration
to
God.
Far
from
the
contamination of flesh and spirit:
1Therefore,
since we have these promises, dear
Friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that
contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out
of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1).
The contamination of the flesh implies those sins
related to the appetites of the flesh (Colossians 2:23) or
physical body that, as a temple of the spirit, can be
contaminated. The contamination of the spirit refers to
the soul. This can be contaminated with ideas contrary
to God and erroneous or heretical concepts of the
Bible.
In the case of the prophet Elijah, his servant (Elisha)
asked for a double portion of his spirit and it was
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
granted to him by God, because of his faithfulness to
God (2 Kings 2: 9). However, Gehazi (servant of Elisha)
was hit with Naaman's leprosy because of the greed
with which he contaminated his soul (2 Kings 5:27).
II. THE JOY OF THE LORD
a. Joy in the life of the worshiper
On earth our joy is sometimes interrupted by the evil
that exists in the world, but God has promised that in
his kingdom we will enjoy a full joy that will never be
taken away from us again:
11
Those the LORD has rescued will return. They Will
enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown
their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing Will flee away. (Isaiah
51:11).
This eternal joy is in reward for all that we suffer on
earth, for the sake of His name. Eternal joy is one of the
wonderful promises of our Lord Jesus to his faithful
servants:
21“His
master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will
put you in charge of many things. Come and share
your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21).
Joy in heaven will be perpetual and of continuous
happiness. We will be surprised of all the things that our
Father has created for our delight:
64
“Teach me to adore you”
9
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen,
what no ear has Heard, and what no human mind has
conceived”- the things God has prepared for those
who love him- (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Every yearning and good wish that we have in our
hearts, even those that we have not been able to fulfill
on earth, will be granted by our Father. He knows our
wishes:
11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
LORD, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's will is that through a good relationship with him,
fidelity and obedience to his Word and his Spirit, we
keep the joy in our hearts, despite the difficult
circumstances we experience on this earth:
11
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11).
Paul praises Christians to keep the joy of the Lord in
their hearts:
16 Rejoice
always (1 Thessalonians. 5:16).
Paul knew what it was to praise God in the midst of trial,
when he was on earth. We must try to keep the joy,
because Satan will try to steal it to make us sad,
because he only knows how to steal, kill and destroy
(John 10:10).
b. The restoration of the joy in the children of God
Humanity has lost joy because of sin. Joy is the product
of a good relationship with God. The Father, in his love,
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
is responsible for restoring the joy lost for sin, in those
who accept him as their Savior. Joy in the Christian's
life is the product of divine blessing (it is a fruit
produced by the Holy Spirit in the Christian, Galatians
5:22).
The psalmist rejoiced when God answered his
prayers. This caused him a joy that culminated in songs
of praise:
6
Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for
mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my
heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps
for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalm 28:6-7).
Because of sin, David lost the joy of his salvation and
humbled to be returned to him:
8
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you
have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10
Create in me a pure
heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11
Do not cast me from your presence or take your
Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of your
salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
(Psalm 51:8-12).
Sin and disobedience extinguish joy in the Christian. But
before asking for joy, David first asks for a clean heart
and a righteous spirit.
David was a genuine worshiper. God said that it
was according to his heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He knew
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“Teach me to adore you”
that he could not enjoy the joy of the Lord, if his life was
not aligned with the will of God.
c. The joy of the Lord is our strength
When the Bible refers to the joy of the Lord as our
strength; it does not allude to our joy; but, to the joy
that God feels through our worship:
10
for the joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah
8:10b).
God is a person. He also enjoys himself through the
service and worship of his children.
The human being was created for the delight of
God and He rejoices in his creation. The worshiper can
produce a unique joy in God, through his praise and
worship in spirit and in truth, and faithful service.
The joy of God is our strength. We are strong when
we cause joy to God. It is important to worship God
with understanding and fidelity, so that he may enjoy
himself. Make God delight in your worship and you will
be strengthened. You will be as strong spiritually as your
genuine worship to God is intense.
This joy that occurs in the heart of God is because
we adore him, without having seen him, by faith.
Celestial beings worship God, but they know Him. We
have the privilege of causing that particular joy to
God, of which neither the angels participate, because
they do not know the gratitude that the experience of
the redemption of sin produces:
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
1
Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter
1:12).
d. God dwells in the praise of his people
God rejoices with his people, in the midst of praise:
3 Yet
you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the
one Israel praises. (Psalm 22:3).
The praise of a pure heart is pleasing to God. It is the
only thing that the Christian can give to God, of
himself. In Psalm 30, David expresses the liberation that
God gave to his life, rescuing him from death.
His tribulation was transformed into rejoicing:
11
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed
my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, (Psalm 30:11).
David does not refer to worldly or carnal dancing; but
the liberation that his soul felt, after the tribulation. This
dance can refer to a state of joy and not a literal party.
As noted in these other translations of the text:
11You
changed my sadness, and you turned it into a
dance. You took off my mourning clothes and put on
party clothes (FTA).
11
You have changed my laments
into dances; You have removed the mourning and you
have dressed me as a DHH party.
The Bible shows that David was a great worshiper, and
sometimes he danced in jubilation in the presence of
the Lord, prompted by the Holy Spirit (2 Psalm 6:14).
David danced as a result of a life of integral
adoration, which involved his whole being. It was not
68
“Teach me to adore you”
a dance triggered by a purely emotional impulse. In
other words, David points out that God changed his
sadness, in joy.
III. SACRIFICES OF PRAISE
a. The offerings of praise
In the Bible there are different types of offerings that
were offered under the Law: Some were voluntary;
others, like the sacrifices of animals were burned and
the smell rose before God, as something pleasing in his
presence:
18
Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is burnt
offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food
offering presented to the LORD. (Exodus 29:18).
The sacrifices of praise make remembrance to the
sacrifices of the OT. The holy praise of the people rises
as a pleasant odor in the presence of God. These notes
are perfected when they arrive at your presence. But
it is necessary that they come out of pure hearts.
Praise is the only thing we can offer to God, of
ourselves. Nothing else! Because praise is voluntary, no
one compels us to worship God, He made his creatures
with free will and although we are Christians, does not
force us to praise His name. However, it is one of the
most important things in the Christian's life, because it
touches the heart of God. God made all things visible
and invisible and does not need anything material:
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
12 If
I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is
mine, and all that is in it. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or
drink the blood of goats? (Psalm 50:12-13).
But God longs sacrifices of praise from his true
worshipers:
14 “Sacrifice
thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to
the Most High, 15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm
50:14-15).
The human being was made in divine likeness, is
spiritual. God took from his spirit and deposited it in the
human being, making him similar to Him:
7
Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis
2:7).
Giving him back a true adoration, accompanied by
praises, is the most sublime thing that God receives on
his throne from his children. This is more surprising than
the adoration of the angels themselves, because they
are right to worship him, for they see the face of God:
10
“See that you do not despise one of these little
ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always
see the face of my Father in heaven. (Matthew
18:10).
The wonderful thing is that God wanted human beings
to adore him, even without seeing him; through faith.
That for God has a lot of value. David pointed out that
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“Teach me to adore you”
everything he gave to God as an offering, he had
received from his hand; in such a way that the praise
of his lips was his personal sacrifice:
13 Now,
our God, we give you thanks, and praise your
glorious name.14 “But who am I, and who are my
people, that we should be able to give as generously
as this? Everything comes from you, and we have
given you only what comes from your hand. (1
Chronicles 29:13-14).
All the offerings demanded by God in the Bible, and
the volunteers that we give as part of our worship of
God (tithes, offerings, first fruits, etc.), are essential in
the life of a faithful worshiper; but we give them
because we have previously received something from
their hand. Praise, on the other hand, is given as a
sacrifice of voluntary offering to our God, since no one
demands of us.
A child can kiss and hug his father after receiving a
gift, in gratitude. There is nothing wrong with that. But I
think a father would feel very good, if his son hugs him,
kisses him or tells him that he loves him, without having
received anything. Only for love.
Likewise, God will feel very happy when his children
praise him, only in gratitude to His holy name and in
response to his great love.
b. Singing to God in our hearts
Christian music is a divine language to communicate
our gratitude to God and to sing of his great wonders:
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
19
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and
songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your
heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:19).
The Christian should have constant praise in his heart,
in gratitude to God for salvation, favors, mercies, and
undeserved love:
16
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the
Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
(Colossians 3:16).
The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the Christian and
that produces an overflowing joy. When talking about
enthroning God, sometimes you think about placing
God on your throne. That is a wrong concept. God
dwells on his throne, no one enthroned him.
The only place where we should enthrone God is in
our heart. God wants the complete government of our
heart and that is only achieved through a daily life of
true adoration. It is not achieved only with words, songs
or corporal actions.
c. Praising God with the mind and thoughts
The mind is a constant battlefield between good and
evil. That is where the attacks and darts of the enemy
are directed. In the mind battles are fought between
the truth of God and the lies that Satan has spread
over humanity. To counteract evil, the mind must
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discipline itself by thinking of everything that is praise to
God:
8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about
such things. (Philippians 4:8).
Jesus emphasized loving God with our mind:
37 Jesus
replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
(Matthew 22:37).
Our mind also adores. This should glorify God with good
thoughts. Someone said that our thoughts are words in
heaven and our words are screams.
d. Praising God with our mouth
One of the most exalted forms of worship to God is
through the words we confess. The Christian worships
since he wakes up and says: Thank you God for a new
day! But you can also deny unconsciously when you
say: What an ugly day!
It is so delicate what we say, that Jesus pointed out
that what comes out of the mouth contaminates the
human being:
18
But the things that come out of a person’s mouth
come from the heart, and these defile them.
(Matthew 15:18).
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
The Christian constantly worships with his lips to God. It's
not about singing. He is worshiped as the word of God
confesses, when bears witness to his holy name, when
the gospel is preached:
15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to
God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly
profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15).
All of our words can glorify God, but they can also
offend Him. It depends on the use. The tongue is a
double-edged sword.
One of the primary spiritual exercises that Christians
should practice as a true worshiper, is the mastery of
his tongue. Santiago warns about the use of the
language and its consequences:
2 We
all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never
at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their
whole in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of
horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole
animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they
are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are
steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot
wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of
the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a
great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue
also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the
body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole
course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by
hell.
7
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea
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creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by
mankind,
8
but no human being can tame the
tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With
the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it
we curse human beings, who have been made in
God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise
and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not
be.
11
Can both fresh water and salt water Flow from
the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig
tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither
can a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 13:212).
The Bible says that until the fool is wise when he keeps
silent:
27
The one who has knowledge uses words with
restraint, and whoever has understanding is eventempered. 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep
silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
(Proverbs 17:27-28).
There is a proverb that rightly states: "Words are silver
and silence is golden". With our words we can bring joy
to the Father's heart; but, they can also ignite his anger.
e. What comes out of the mouth contaminates the
human being
Moses was provoked by the people of Israel to speak
hastily and in anger. For that reason, God did not allow
him to enter the promised land:
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
32
By the Waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33
for
they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash
words came from Moses’ lips. (Psalm 106: 32-33).
See, Nm. 20: 7-12.
There is a constant danger every time we open our lips
and we must be careful when speaking. Our words are
before God:
2
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be
hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God
is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words
be few.
3
A dream comes when there are many
cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4 When
you make a vow to God, do not delay to
fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It
is better not to make a vow tan to make one and not
fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And
do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow
was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what
you say and destroy the work of your hands?
(Ecclesiastes 5:2-6).
Promises hurried, foolish words against God and
offensive against others, provoke divine wrath. God
takes personally the offense against his children. When
Mary and Aaron spoke against Moses, God was angry
with them:
8
With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in
riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were
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you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The
anger of the LORD burned against them, and he
left them. (Numbers 12:8-9).
In one of the most controversial cases in the Bible,
Jephthah promised hastily that, if Jehovah gave him
victory in a battle, he would sacrifice the first to receive
him on his return:
30 And
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: “If you give
the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out
of the door of my house to meet me when I return in
triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I
will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” (Judges 11:30-31).
The person who received Jephthah was his only
daughter, and he had to fulfill his promise (Judges
11:35).
Ananias and Sapphira, promised to sell a property
and give all the money in offering to God, as the
brothers of the early Church used to do (Acts 4:34-35):
1
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife
Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
2
With his
wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money
for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the
apostles’ feet. (Acts 5:1-2).
The property was theirs and they made a promise
before God to give everything, but they took some of
the money and that counted as sin. Then they lied to
God when they were questioned by Peter and did not
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tell him the truth. They died as a divine judgment (verse
5).
The Bible declares that we will account for every word
of our mouth and that by our words we will be justified
or condemned:
36
But I tell you that everyone Will have to give
account on the day of judgment for every empty
word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will
be acquitted, and by your words you will be
condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37).
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
CHAPTER – 6 –
THE FALSE ADORATION
____________________________________________________
I. STRANGE FIRE IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD
a. The danger of falling into false worship
In the Bible there are cases of people who tried to
please God with a strange cult and were consumed
by the fire of God.
Aaron’s sons, being Levitical priests, presented holy
offerings that they had not been authorized to minister,
but to the high priest. This was counted to them as sin,
because good intentions are not enough in our
worship; God must be given an adoration in spirit and
in truth in order to be accepted in his presence:
1
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers,
put fire in them and added incense; and they offered
unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his
command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of
the LORD and consumed them, and they died before
the LORD. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the
LORD spoke of when he said: “’Amon those who
approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all
the people I will be honored.’” Aaron remained silent.
4
Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of
Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here;
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carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the
front of the sanctuary.” (Leviticus 10:1-4).
Sometimes we believe that just for worshiping God, we
are pleasing him. Without considering the will of God
and the quality of worship. God is holy and worship
that give their children must be holy.
King Saul was also rejected by God from his office
for offering holy sacrifices, which were not permitted to
him, but to the priests of God:
9
So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the
fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt
offering
10
Just as he finished making the offering,
Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11
“What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied,
“When I saw that the men were scattering, and that
you did not come at the set time, and that the
Philistines were assembling at Miknash,
12
I thought,
‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at
Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I
felt compeled to offer the burnt offering.”
13
“You
have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have
not kept the command the LORD your God gave you;
if you had, he would have established your kingdom
over Israel for all time. (1 Samuel 13:9-13).
Even Miriam, the sister of Moses, who was a prophet
and an anointed worshiper of God: 20 Then Miriam the
prohet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and
all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.
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(Exodus 15:20), fell into the deception of Satan, by
allowing pride to get into her heart. Miriam entered
into open competition with her brother Moses, who
had been called by God and there was no
competition in his heart.
Because of the gifts and anointing that God had
given her in praise, Miriam became vain and began to
point out defects in Moses. That is a constant danger
in the life of every worshiper, Satan will try that they
grow vain for the gifts and ministries that God gave
them.
Miriam, after being anointed by the power of God,
was filled with leprosy because of her sin:
10
When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s
skin was leprous – it became as white as snow. Aaron
turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin
disease, (Numbers 12:10).
Sometimes this leprosy is not external; but internal,
when envy is guarded by the gifts and ministries of
others. Miriam and her brother Aaron, saw Moses as
their brother, not as anointed minister of God:
1
Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses
because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a
Cushite.
2
“Has the LORD spoken only through
Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through
us?” And the LORD Heard this.
3
(Now Moses was a
very humble man, more humble than anyone else on
the face of the earth.) (Numbers 12:1-3).
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b. The apostasy in Christian music
There is a tendency to believe that Christian music is
for Christians to enjoy themselves only, and not for the
delight of God.
There is music of Christian songs that its rhythm is
pleasant to the ear and impels to move the body; but,
its letter is not directed to exalt God; but to how we
feel. Christian music should always exalt God; even
when we do not like it.
Our ears have become accustomed to hearing
only the music that satisfies us, but we do not discern
whether it honors and pleases God, first.
Some Christian songs no longer mention the name
of Jesus. That is a strategy of big record companies to
which certain Christian singers belong. The purpose is
that your music has secular acceptance. In between
are the monetary contracts to which the singers are
linked. But, a true worshiper would never take Jesus out
of his songs, nor for all the money in the world.
Another trend is Christian music that is only aimed
at love between couples. Many of them have nice
messages, but some singers have diverted their goal of
worshiping God, to dedicate themselves to this type of
music. Abuse in this style is due to the same, its
acceptance in non-Christian media. But, in most cases
the people of the world dance that music and do not
convert to God.
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There is a tendency to secularize Christian music, in
such a way that the goal of true adoration is lost, which
is solely and exclusively to exalt the name of God.
c. The deception of Satan in false worship
The true worshiper should not lose the purpose of their
worship, which is to exalt God. Due to talent and public
exposure, there is a permanent risk among Christian
singers and musicians, of falling for the deception of
fame, competition and material ambition.
Only those who are well founded in their faith and
whose hearts conform to the heart of God will be able
to withstand the pressure they will feel to compete with
all the fashions that have been imposed on the
atmosphere of Christian music.
Satan will always seek to divert the true worship of
its original purpose (to worship God) by something that
looks like or is not.
Satan will try to deflect true worship with seemingly
legitimate offers; but they will have the objective of
keeping the worshiper away from his communion with
God.
The secularization of Christian music is already normal
for many ministers of music.
Some people use even the word of God to justify their
mixture with the world, pointing out that a light should
not be hidden:
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14 “You
are the light of the world. A town built on a Hill
cannot be hidden.
15
Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In
the same way, let your light shine before others, that
they may see your good deeds and glorify your
Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16).
The Lord did not speak of mixing with the world in this
verse. On the contrary, it means keeping oneself pure
from this world to shine as living torches through the
light of Christ, lit with a good testimony.
Some have believed the lie of Satan, that mixing
with the profane is nothing wrong, ignoring the zeal of
God for his children.
The result is that the darkness has extinguished the
light that one day illuminated them. The Bible warns of
the danger of making friends with the world:
4
You adulterous people, don’t you know that
friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the
world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think
Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs
for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? (James 4:45).
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CHAPTER – 7 –
THE CELESTIAL WORSHIP
____________________________________________________
I. AN ETERNAL WORSHIP
a. The restoration of worship
One of the most important reasons why Jesus taught
to pray to all his disciples, was for God's will to be done
on earth, just as it is done in heaven, in order that the
relationship and communion between God and the
human being be restored in its totality:
2
He said to them, “When you pray, say: “’Father,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. (Luke
11:2).
Worship is part of that restoration. In heaven, worship is
done in a perfect way. God wants that from now on
we learn to worship him, because it is something that
we will be doing for eternity. Nothing we learn here will
be wasted in eternity. On the contrary, it will be greatly
increased, according to the interest we show on earth.
God likes the good stewardship7 of our time and the
multiplication of every gift that, by grace, he has
deposited in our lives for his glory (John 15:8).
7
Luke 12:42-44
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“Teach me to adore you”
In heaven we will worship God for eternity and
without the typical weariness of the flesh, which is
opposed to the spiritual (Matthew 26:41).
The worship of God has its fruit and as a divine
reward, it produces joy in the worshiper.
The Bible points out that the joy of the Christian is
like a river whose final destiny is eternity:
14 but
whoever drinks the water I give them will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in
them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
(John 4:14).
b. Worship in Heaven
In heaven God is eternally worshiped. This is what the
worship song of the Levites expresses:
5
“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is
from everlasting to everlasting.” “Blessed be your
glorious name, and may it be exalted above all
blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the LORD. You
made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and
all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the
seas and all that is in them. You give life to
everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship
you. (Nehemiah 9:5b-6).
The Bible says that heaven there are four living
creatures
created
by
God
that
worship
him
permanently (Seraphim, Isaiah 6:1-3). These are before
his presence, before his throne and because of the
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
glory of God, they cover their faces and their feet with
their wings. These Seraphim do not cease to give glory
to the triune God, saying three times: Holy, Holy, Holy!
(Revelation 4):
8
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and
was covered with eyes all around, even under its
wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “’Holy,
holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was and is,
and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8).
After these four living creatures worship God, the
twenty-four elders also worship. These are sitting on
twelve thrones in front of the throne of the Lord,
possibly were men of great faith who overcame on
earth.
The curious thing about the adoration of the
twenty-four elders is that they do not have swords or
other weapons in their hands; but harps. Before God
the only thing that the worshiper needs is a pure heart,
ready to adore him. A musical instrument only adds
melody to worship and makes it more pleasing to God:
9 Whenever
the living creatures give glory, honor and
thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives fo
rever and ever,
10
the twenty-four elders fall down
before him who sits on the throne and worship him
who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns
before the throne and say:
11“You
are worthy, our
Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
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for you created all things, and by your will they were
created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:9-11).
It is wonderful to hear how these celestial beings have
not an iota of doubt of the justice and lordship of God.
This praise is perfect. One day we will worship in
heaven, without fears or doubts.
c. Creation pays worship
Creation worships God, even without words. Every day
the glory of God unfolds in the universe. In the evening,
the sunset is wonderful. At nightfall, the stars declare
their glory:
7
while the morning stars sang together and all the
angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:7).
At dawn, the dew of the morning and the singing of
the birds praise him. There is wisdom and glory in a
worm that later becomes a beautiful butterfly. In the
ant farm, working to store its food for the winter. Who
taught animals so much wisdom? God.
All of creation speaks of the Creator, but only those
who have their spiritual eyes open, will understand that
the earth is full of the glory of God, as confessed by the
Seraphim who worship God before his throne:
1 In
the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high
and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his
robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim,
each with six wings: With two wings they covered
their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one
another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the
whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-3).
Even the mountains and trees worship God:
12 You
Will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the
mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
(Isaiah 55:12).
The bible points out that, if men stop praising His holy
name, the stones would declare it:
37
When he came near the place where the road
goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of
disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices
for all the miracles they had seen:
38
“Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in
heaven and glory in the highest!”
39
Some of the
Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher,
rebuke your disciples!”.
40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if
they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:3740).
d. The lordship of the heart
All acts of worship of the children of God are meant to
give God first place in their hearts. Singing, praying,
offering, decimating, serving and all the worship that
we continually offer to God in our life of adoration,
have the purpose of giving the lordship of our life to
God.
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“Teach me to adore you”
When the Bible says: Your kingdom come! It does
not refer initially only to our comfort in a restored land;
but to the government of God over all his creation. The
restoration of all things on earth will occur when Jesus
returns to reign; but first it is necessary that he take the
government and have the lordship in the heart of all
humanity.
There is no genuine worship, if God does not have
the first place in the heart of the worshiper. We give
thanks to God in the morning for a new day, to put him
first. We give thanks to God in the night, for a day that
he gave us, to render him all honor for the favor
received. We tithe everything we receive from your
hand, to give you the first place in our economy. When
we fast, we refuse to do what is natural, eat, to give
God the first place.
Every act of worship of the Christian is directed to
give the lordship of his heart to God. The worshiper
seeks to give the Creator the first place in every area
of his life. Worship is not directed to our delight, but to
the delight of God. He, as it is rich in mercy and power,
rewards our genuine worship with every blessing of
heaven. The Bible states that his delight is our strength
(Nehemiah 8:10b).
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
CHAPTER – 8 –
THE BODY AS A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE
____________________________________________________
I. FASTING AND PRAYER AS WORSHIP
a. The body as a living temple of worship
The apostle Paul calls to present our bodies as a living
sacrifice temple in constant worship of God:
1Therefore,
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of
God’s mercy, to offer you’re your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true
and proper worship. (Romans 12:1).
In the OT worship, the fire of the sacrifices presented
before God in the temple constantly burned. The
smoke rose like a sweet smell before God and
represented the gratitude and kindness of the
worshiper for divine mercies.
Paul points out that the Christian as the living
temple of the Holy Spirit must present his body as the
place of worship of the New Testament cult. Living a
holy life in body, soul and spirit.
b. Fasting and prayer as acts of worship
Even as children of God, our measure of worship to
God is voluntary. God does not force anyone to
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worship Him. However, the Lord taught that when he
ascended to heaven his disciples should fast:
18
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were
fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How
is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the
Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?
19
Jesus
answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom
fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as
they have him with them.
20
But the time will come
when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and
on that they will fast. (Mark 2:18-20).
Jesus was a great example of consecration. Before
beginning his ministry, he fasted for forty days:
12 At
once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13
and he was in the wilderness forty days, being
tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and
angels attended him. (Mark 1:12-13).
We cannot use the excuse that Jesus is God and that
he had the ability to fast a lot, not to fast. He taught
that we can perfect our life at the level of resembling
Him, when He was on this earth:
40 The
student is not above the teacher, but everyone
who is fully trained will be like their teacher. (Luke
6:40).
Moses, as a prototype of Christ in the OT, also fasted
for forty days, when he was on Mount Sinai with God:
28 Moses was
there with the LORD forty days and forty
nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant – The
Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28).
The disciples of the early church fasted and prayed to
be led and do God's will in their ministries:
2 While
they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after
they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands
on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3).
Fasting and prayer are part of the cult that the
Christian offers to God in his body as a temple of the
spirit. The purpose of fasting is not to destroy the body;
but, separate time to intimate with God.
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ANNEXES
____________________________________________________
ANNEX - I I. WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE

The order in the house of God
The church of Christ is guided by the Holy Spirit on earth
(John 16:13; Romans 8:14). That means that the
program in the temple cult is directed by the Holy Spirit,
but that will depend on those who minister.
God is ordained, therefore, there must be order in
the temple worship. The apostle Paul condemns the
disorder in the meeting of the Church and urges that
things be done in order:
40
But everything should be done in a fitting and
orderly way (1 Corinthians 14: 40).
In this chapter 14, Paul addresses the issue of the order
of worship in the Church. The Corinthians had been
filled with the Holy Spirit, and the gifts were manifested
in their meetings, but they met only to speak in tongues
and there was no intelligible message.
Paul does not oppose the manifestation of spiritual
gifts in the Church and even affirms to the Corinthians
that he speaks more languages than all of them, but
he orders that in the gathering of the saints there must
be
order
and
a
comprehensible
message
(1
Corinthians 14: 18-19), and warns that what he writes
are the Lord's commandments (v. 37).
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The
outpouring
of
the
Holy
Spirit
produces
manifestations of power among Christians who receive
the divine promise (Acts 2: 38-39). This could result in a
church losing control of its meetings with the excuse
that the Holy Spirit wants something else. That would
be a mistake that should be avoided.
When a church or person is filled with the Holy Spirit
and the gifts of the Spirit are manifested, if they do not
know how to manage and do not have the necessary
knowledge, those same gifts can unleash chaos.
The Church must be guided by the Holy Spirit, but it
must be administered within an order. Some Christians
believe that if worship is ordained in the Church, the
Holy Spirit will no longer manifest.
The dilemma is that there are churches that have
an order led by the carnal mind of their leaders,
because they do not allow the Holy Spirit to guide
them, because they also do not know it. Paul points
out that those who live according to the flesh cannot
please God (Romans 8: 8). But that does not deny also
that there must be an order in the cult of the Church.
On the contrary, a church, truly guided by the Spirit, is
led to order. If not, something should not be right. As
simple as that.
Paul points out that if an unbeliever enters the
temple and there is no understandable message,
unbelievers will think that Christians are insane and
rightly so (1 Corinthians 14:23). It must not be forgotten
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that the final purpose of the Holy Spirit in the Church is
to lead sinners to Christ (John 16: 7-8).
II. LITURGY ORDER IN THE TEMPLE

The house of prayer
 The liturgy of Christian worship should be centered on
the worship of God alone, from beginning to end.
Since anyone reaches the temple, the Christian must
separate that time for God. The Bible points out that
Jesus was filled with zeal to see that the house of God
had become a market:
15
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple
courts and began driving out those who were buying
and selling there. He overturned the tables of the
money changers and the benches of those selling
doves,
16
and would not allow anyone to carry
merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he
taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will
be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you
have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ (Mark11:15-17).
The temple must be used to worship; not for trade,
meals or conversations.

The purpose of meeting in the temple
Meeting in the temple is first a divine mandate
(Hebrews 10:25), but it has the purpose of giving God
a congregational worship, as a single body. It is God's
delight to see his people worshiping him as one body,
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just as we will worship him in heaven for eternity. God
sends blessing and eternal life when his people meet:
1 How
Good and pleasant it is when God’s people live
together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the
head, running down on the beard, running down on
Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as
if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For
there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life
forevermore. (Psalm 133:1-3).
That is a reward for our worship, but the purpose of
meeting as people is to give God a magnified
worship.
Our mentality of going to the temple should not
be just to receive blessing, as we meanly think, but to
attribute praise and adoration to the King of kings
and Lord of lords.
Traditionally, Christians believe that we go to the
temple only to receive something from God, and yes,
He is good and pours blessing into our lives, but the
reason for going to the temple must be the opposite,
we should move more thanks to God than the simple
fact of receiving something from his hand. When the
Church changes its way of thinking in this line that it
has followed for centuries, the worship of God will
cause more joy to Christians and more delight to
God.
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
The worshiper longs to be in the temple
There is a burning desire in the heart of the worshiper
for being in the temple, in order to worship God and
learn from his Word:
4
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days
of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to
seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4).

The joy of being in the house of God
Only the fact of knowing that one goes to the temple
to worship God must be a cause of joy in the heart of
every true worshiper:
1I
rejoice with those who said to me, “Le tus go to the
house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1).

The attitude when arriving at the temple
The worshiper must come with joy and words of
exaltation to God in the temple:
4 Enter
his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with
praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
(Psalm 100: 4).
The temple is to worship God. Not to make friends or
talk. That should be left at the end of the worship
meeting.

The presence of God in the midst of his people
Jesus said:
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20
For where two or three gather in my name, there
am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20).
God dwells in the praises of his people:
3 Deliver
me from the sword, my precious life from the
power of the dogs. (Psalm 22:20).

The joy of worshiping together with the brothers
The Lord pours blessing when his people gather in
worship:
1 How
Good and pleasant it is when God’s people live
together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the
head, running down on the beard, running down on
Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
3b
For
there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life
forevermore. (Psalm 133: 1-3b).

The exhortation and the duty to congregate
There are Christians who for various reasons do not
like to congregate. These fall into conformity. The
Bible teaches that it is the Christian's duty to
congregate:
25 not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and
all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:25).
Whoever does not gather is in disobedience and sins.
Sin, it is simply disobeying the Word of God:
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17
If anyone, then, knows the Good they ought to do
and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17).
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ANNEX - II CONSIDERATIONS OF THE WORSHIP IN THE HOUSE OF
GOD

The church must create a pleasant atmosphere of
worship
The Bible says that we should praise God with
intelligence:
6 Sing
praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our
King, sin praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise. (Psalm 47:6-7).
A worshiper must be ordained in his praise and
worship.

The attitude in the house of God
1. Teach the congregation that we are not going to the
temple to receive, but to give glory to the eternal
king. He will know how to reward you by supplying all
your requests and needs.
2. Do not notice who goes or does not go to the
temple. Simply, worship God.
3.
Do not worry or be distracted if others do not
worship. Try you to worship.
4. Teach the congregation to devote that time of cult
worshiping God without distractions that divert them
from purpose or conversations inside the temple. If
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someone wants to talk to you, tell them you will speak
at the exit of the temple.
5. Teach them to worship God with all their mind and
heart. That implies that there is no other thought than
God.
6. See you before the throne of God and think what
quality of worship you are giving to God.

The order of the liturgy, in the cult of God
1. Start the cult with a prayer presenting all the
worshipers, so that God may receive the worship with
pleasure. Ask God for forgiveness for the voluntary
and involuntary offenses of the people.
2. After
praying,
go
immediately
to
the
next
participation (Bible reading, etc.).
3. Avoid counting entry testimonials. Leave them for
after praise. Try to make way for the ministration of
music first.
4. Try that musicians or singers enter with songs of
worship. This causes people to clear their minds, while
preparing for praises or choruses.
5. Avoid the pulpit being a place to tell jokes, celebrate
birthdays, etc. The temple is exclusively for worshiping
God.

The type of music
1. Look for songs that are directed to the worship of
God. Not to "how we feel" or to mention more to the
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devil than to God. If you praise God, the devil will
undoubtedly flee from your side.
There are songs that speak more of our mood
than of God: “Tired come to you, I can no more”. This
type of song has its place, but they do not exalt God
in the congregation.
The purpose of gathering together in the temple
is to exalt the greatness of God, not to tell God how
we feel. He already knows our condition, but it is
better to express it in prayer.
The lyrics of the music sung in the congregation
should be directed to the exaltation of the holy
name of God. The diligent musicians will spend time
selecting and practicing this type of music to give an
intelligent praise and of quality to God, within the
resources that are at hand.
In the temple, we are before a great king in
adoration and we must be selective of the rhythms
we choose to worship God. Not because the musical
rhythms are bad in themselves, but because we
should worship God, without imitating the musical
rhythms of the world, which were created to satisfy
the appetites of the flesh and others were created
openly, for the worship of Satan and are used in
certain satanic cults.
Sometimes, the cult deviates so much from God
that people devote themselves to dancing in the
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congregation. The cult is not to satisfy our flesh. The
worship should please God, not the congregation.
When worship pleases God, a spontaneous
spiritual dance may even manifest itself in the
congregation, but it is not a dance learned in a
dance course.
Ask God to give you wisdom so that the cult does
not get out of its sublime and sole purpose, which is
the worship of God.
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ANNEX - III THE BODY AS TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT
 The temple of the Holy Spirit
The true cult begins from the temple of the Holy Spirit,
which is the body of the Christian. This living cult is
given
continuously,
through
the
voluntary
obedience of the worshiper to God, which among
many things includes:

Obedience.
Nobody can please God; if it is not through
obedience to his Word:
22
But Samuel replied: Does the LORD delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the
LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is
better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22).
This passage does not mean that God does not like
sacrifices, what he does not like, are sacrifices
without obedience.

Faith
The Bible points out that without faith it is impossible
to please God:
6
And without faith it is imposible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6).
If what is supposed to be done for God, is not done
with faith, it becomes sin:
“and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
(Romans 14:23b).

Love
Whoever does not love does not know God,
although he says with his lips that he loves him:
8
Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love. (1 John 4:8).
This includes forgiving, which is a divine mandate, to
which our forgiveness is conditioned:
14
For if you forgive other people when they sin
against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you.
15
ut if you do not forgive others their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15).

Service
The Bible points out that the children of God must
serve one another, out of love.
“rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
(Galatians 5:13b).
There are no chiefs in God. Only a sovereign king,
Jesus Christ. He said that whoever wants to be
greatest, should serve others:
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35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said,
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last,
and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).

Humility
Everything worshiper must be humble to recognize
that every gift, talent or possession has been
received from God:
7
For who makes you different from anyone else?
What do you have that you did not receive? And if
you did receive it, why do you boast as though you
did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Jesus told his disciples that they should be humble of
heart:
29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls. (Matthew 11:29).
So true worship is not about music; but of a life of daily
surrender and a permanent cult in our complete
being.

Fidelity
This is a very important part in the life of every true
worshiper. There are very talented people in
Christianity who serve in ministries or who sing to God
with wonderful voices, but they are not faithful
worshipers. Jesus said that whoever is not faithful to
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
the things of this earth will not be faithful in the
eternal:
10
“Whoever can be trusted with very Little can also
be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with
much.
11
So if you have not been trustworthy in
handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true
riches?
12
And if you have not been trustworthy with
someone else’s property, who will give you property
of your own? (Luke 16:10-12).
Some rob the glory that belongs to God, others are
unfaithful to their tithes and yet they are serving in the
church, believing that they are pleasing God. The
rule for judging what is written in the Word of God, is
not consciousness or feeling; but, the same Bible,
which is the Word of God.
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ANNEX - IV CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE WORSHIPER

A true worshiper, in advance, has prepared his
mind and heart through a prior knowledge of the
Bible, and then live a life in full worship. True worship
of God must be with intelligence, for this will give a
purpose
and
a
reason
to
worship.
When
knowledge is lacking is worshiped by emotion and
the human heart is deceitful.

By previous knowledge about adoration, the true
worshiper maintains a pleasant relationship and a
living communion with his creator, wherever the
worshiper may be.

The true worshiper is committed to God because
he loves him. Just as a man and a woman engage
in marriage for love.

Worship and service are a privilege and not a
burden for a true worshiper. The true worshiper
enjoys himself serving his Lord, even though he may
suffer for the sake of his cause.

A true worshiper is diligent to be early and punctual
in every meeting of his congregation. It implies that
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you know the days of your church meeting and do
not commit that time to anyone. He even makes
preparations in his work to be early in the house of
God. If a job prevents him from congregating,
requests arrangements schedule or ask God for
another job.

A true worshiper avoids tasks, jobs or commitments
of any kind that could prevent him from reaching
the temple in time.

A true worshiper knows that since the beginning of
the service there is a rain of blessing in the
congregation that will be unrepeatable.

A true worshiper does not excuse himself thinking
that he is tired and that it is the will of God that he
should stay resting in the house, instead of going to
the temple to worship.

A true worshiper knows that the meeting has two
parts: In the first, we worship and praise God, we
speak to God and we express gratitude. In the
second part, God speaks to us through the
preaching of his Word (Bible). Therefore, neither of
them should be lost.
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
A true worshiper knows that he is a Christian not
only in the temple, but that he is a worshiper in his
work, in his house and wherever he is, he is a
worshiper twenty-four hours a day. This implies that
he takes care of his behavior, measures his words
and weighs his actions when he is alone and in front
of others.

A true worshiper reaches all the cults and does so
in a timely manner, because the cult is the great
king. Just as any employer would not accept that
their employee is late for their work. Sometimes
Christians are more faithful to our work than to the
cult of the great king, who gives us life and fills us
with great blessings.

A true worshiper does not lose his humility, although
God exalts him. A true worshiper is also considered
a servant of God and a disciple every day of his life.
That implies that no matter how much God exalts
him on this earth, he just remains an administrator
of the divine goods.

A true worshiper surrenders all the glory to God for
what he allows him to do, because it is not about
what we do for God, but about what God does
through us (1 Corinthians 15:10).
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CONCLUSION
In Christianity, we have many ministers, singers,
musicians, teachers and preachers; but not all are
worshipers in spirit and in truth.
Adoration embraces the whole lifestyle of the
worshiper. It is not the talents, ministries or gifts that
make us pleasing before God as worshipers; but, our
fruits as Christians.
The ministers and singers must be careful not to
please the hearts and ears of the people; if not to
please the heart of the heavenly Father in their
preaching and songs.
The Church has collaborated so that many singers
and ministers, who were genuine worshipers, will
deviate from their calling as a worshiper, by exalting
them and offering them large sums of money for their
conferences and concerts.
On the one hand, there are those who take
advantage of singers and ministers to make money.
On the other, the singers and recognized ministers who
charge for their presentations and lectures.
A true worshiper should be satisfied with the offering
that God puts in the hearts of the people, because
what they carry in their songs and preaching is the
story of Jesus, who was crucified for love. He did not
charge to die for humanity.
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WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
CHRISTIAN BOOKS WRITTEN BY JOEL PERDOMO
1. THERE IS NO CURSE FOR CHRISTIANS
2. THE TITHE FROM ABRAHAM TO CHRIST
3. THE PROPHECY AS A MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH
4. EFFECTIVE PRAYER
5. THE LAW AND GRACE
6. THE CALL TO THE MINISTRY
7. THE MINISTRIES OF THE CHURCH
8. WORSHIPERS IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
9. FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS
10. WITHOUT HOLINESS, NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD
11. LIFE AND MINISTRY, AUTOBIOGRAPHY
12. THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL AS SIGNS OF THE END
13. THE AUTHORITY - THE CHRISTIAN CHALLENGE
14. HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
15. ANSWERS TO DIFFICULT QUESTIONS FROM THE BIBLE
16. INTERESTING THEMES OF THE BIBLE
17. JESUS, NAME ABOVE ALL NAME
18. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
19. BECOMING ONE FLESH - Marriage - Divorce –
Remarriage
20. SINGLE – How to wait on God?
21. ADOLESCENCE. How to face the changes?
22. DIVINE WISDOM
23. THE FIRST STEPS
24. CHRISTIAN LIFE – Reflections
25. TREASURES OF THE BIBLE
26. NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL VISION
27. TESTIMONIES OF THE POWER OF GOD
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