“Their worship is in vain.”  Jesus’s words to the Pharsees.  Jesus went on to specifically say why their worship was in vain.  They took their own traditions above the commandments.  When our traditions get in the way of God’s will our worship is useless.  “We’ve always done it that way” can be in the way. 

Before I went to sleep last night I read the verse in Luke 9 where Jesus was telling his disciples that they must pick up their cross and follow him. I thought about that and wondered how hard it was for Jesus to talk about his own death.  It must of also been very lonely to talk about it and no one get the true meaning.  How many times in life do we have to go “it” alone.  No one understands.  Yet, in those times we’re refined into our narrow path.  We die to ourselves.  CS Lewis had a good way to test yourself to see if you were filled with self.  He said you would dislike others who had pride because the flesh will fight with flesh.  Ouch. 

What is true worship.  John 4:21-24 Jesus said, “Believe me, woman. The time is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you actually worship the Father.  You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand.  We understand what we worship, because salvation comes from the Jews.  The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and that time is here already.  you see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 
I was thinking about worship in spirit and truth the other morning.  As I was digging deeper into this, I sensed the Holy Spirit.  From deep within my spirit I began to love the Father; I began to worship Him.  Jesus taught his disciples how to pray.  He started by saying, “Our Father”.  The truth is God is our Heavenly Father.  His name is holy.  As we allow the truth to permeate our spirit, the Holy Spirit will help us to worship the Father.    

Worship  Mark 6, Mathew 14 & John 6 all record the story of Jesus walking on water.  Taking all these accounts we get a complete picture.  Matthew 14 says – And those who were in the boat worshiped him saying, “You are certainly God’s Son.”  Yet, in Mark 6:52 it says, “They were astonished for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves but their heart was hardened.  How can one account say they worshipped and another say their heart was hardened?  I would suspect their worship was not of the Spirit and Truth.  Mark 6 says they were astonished.  We can be amazed at what God does and worship his miracles but that is not the true worship He’s looking for.  Young people can be amazed and worship rock stars – it’s the same result as the disciples worship -earthly.  Worship in Spirit & Truth is what God seeks. 

Keep your focus on the finishing line.  I think of snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis. She decided to show off on her way to the finish line, resulting in a fall that cost her the gold.  She rejoiced in her Olympian victory before she actually had it.  We need to guard our hearts with all diligence.  We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Lindsey put a lot of work into getting into the Olympics; she threw the gold away by momentarily taking her eyes off the finishing line.  

I was at a Men’s Retreat the past few days.  It was good.  I’ve been studying in Mark 6 where Jesus told his disciples: ”We should go away to a quiet place for rest.”  They didn’t get to that rest because the people followed Jesus to the “rest” place.  The disciples were still wired for rest because they wanted to send the people away so the people could get food. (I don’t believe that was their motive.) Jesus was moved by compassion for the people verses his own self.  One of the things I recieved from the men’s retreat is the selfishness that resides in me.  I would of probally been among the disciples in sending the people away for much needed rest.  Self is the problem.  I’ll press in closer to God today to cause “self” to die a little more.