Genuine Believers Worship God in Truth

Introduction
Good Evening. Tonight we are going to touch lightly upon the reality of truth. I say touch lightly, because this type of message is not something that we can just listen to and never hear again. This message must be life changing and tonight I desire to challenge everyone in relation to how they approach this subject on truth.

Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
John 4:23-24
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
May God Bless His Word, you may be seated.

Genuine believers in God will worship God according to His standards of truth. God insist upon those that worship Him to do it in Truth. Truth is an absolute requirement for salvation and to have a relationship with God.
This particular passage of scripture comes from the account of Christ’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. The Samaritans were considered by Jews as a ‘mongrel’ people, in blood and religion.
There was a constant enmity between the Samaritans and the Jews going back many years, and the Jews wanted nothing to do with this people. A lot of this comes from the fact that the Samaritans were willing to mix their own beliefs with the God of the Jews.
Apparently God had a plan for the salvation of these people in a chance meeting between a lone woman coming to fill her bucket with water, and a Jewish man requesting a drink.
This chance meeting still took place although Jesus told his disciples not to go into the land of the Samaritans as seen in Matthew 10:5.
Jesus knew the plan He had to save a people so separated from their ancestors, and it would be through this poor Samaritan woman.
Our world has had a massive influx of people being accepting of all things. This worldly theology has been viewed by the world at large as good & right. I have had more than my share of battles relating to this thought and I have come to the conclusion that many people today are trapped in this pattern of new age acceptance. Satan is alive, well & outspoken throughout the secular world & has a strong footing in the lives of people declaring to be of those genuine believers.
When Jesus proclaims His true followers will worship Him in Spirit & Truth, He leaves no room for acceptance of a perception of anyone else’s truth, but only an absolute standard of His absolute Truth.
1. Desire Truth
So the first thing that we as a seeking people need to look at as genuine believers & worshippers of the true and living God, is we must Desire Truth. Christians must Desire Truth.
Let us first take a short look at what truth is.
Webster’s defines Truth using some of the following words: FIDELITY, CONSTANCY FACT ACTUALITY Sincerity; integrity.
& Scripture defines truth the following ways:
Truth is
Righteousness – Pro 12:17
Forever – Pro 12:19
Faithful
W/O Truth there is only fables – 2 Timothy 4:4
W/O Truth there is no
Obedience – Jeremiah 7:28
Correction – Jeremiah 7:28
Judgment or Justice – Isaiah 59:14-15
Those not on the side of truth
Will not uphold it – Jeremiah 9:14-15
Will not plead for it – Isaiah 59:4
Are not valiant for it – Jeremiah 9:3
Are destitute of it – Hosea 4:1
Do not speak it – Jeremiah 9:5
And the Devil is devoid of Truth – John 8:44
In the context of what truth is, we know how we are to worship as believers. Our most prime example is God’s truth and we are to desire what is found in His Word.
Those that do not desire truth are on the side of the lie, they are on the side of the lawless one, they are on the side of Satan.

As 2 Thess. 2:9-10 says,
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
So, if we so desire to be saved unto eternal life, God has mandated that we must love truth and what truth stands for. Our desire should be simply truth.
2. Dedicated to Truth
Believers are dedicated to the truth. As Christians read and study God’s word, more truth is revealed to them through His divine word. We as believers are to study to show ourselves approved, as believers we are to be praying constantly, as believers we are to be seeking after God’s will in our lives which is absolute truth, as believers our very thoughts, emotions and deeds will reflect the absolute verity of truth.
Let’s look at King David for a second. Who would not want the reverence that he has been given in the scriptures. What an amazing man. He was referred to as a ‘man after God’s own heart.’ He was a humble shepherd boy that was not even considered by his father for royalty, but yet he was the one who killed Goliath. It was from his family line that the Messiah would be born. To this very day David is revered by the Jewish people. Who would not want to be like David. Yet, this man made many mistakes and sins. He was a liar, an adulterer, a deceiver and a murderer. Who would not want to be like this man? But David was dedicated to the truth. The Lord knew his heart. It was not that David remained in his sin that he was accepted by the Lord, it was that David knew the Lord and was willing to accept his sin and turn from it and ask for God’s forgiveness. David was dedicated to the truth. We see that all through the scriptures. David wrote most of the Psalms, and many times he wrote about delighting in the Law of the Lord. Through his life, we see a very dedicated man to God and His truth.


3. Discern Truth
The next thing that Believers are to be doing in relation to truth is, they are to be discerning of truth.
The greatest problem, I believe, the Church is struggling with in relation to truth is not that believers are unable to discern the truth, but their refusal to discern truth. This is why it is so hard for anyone to love truth and be dedicated to it. If we are willing to accept any and all winds of doctrine, then we do not love God’s truth, but our love is for lies and deceit of the lord of liars.
Paul admired the Berean’s for taking the efforts in discerning the truth in relation to his preaching on the Messiah. He did not admonish them for their not immediately trusting in his teaching, but he celebrated the fact that they were willing to study the truth.
The Lord discerned the truth when the woman at the well said she did not have a husband. He did not worry about embarrassing her for her current relationship, instead He revealed to her that He knew what her current relationship was and what her previous relationships had been. She was thirsty for something deeper in her life, and the offer of eternal life was about to fill the very depths of her well. The Lord revealed to this woman the hidden secrets that she did not want anyone to know, let alone the Messiah.
And Jesus further stated that she was telling the truth in not having a husband, when she told Him that she was not married but that she was living with a man now that was not her husband. Jesus said you speak the truth when you say that man is not your husband. What incredible discernment on the Lord’s behalf.
No one should be discerning using perception of truths.
There are not many different perceptions and views on actual truths in the world. There is only absolutes.
Perception has only one facet of discernable truth when it is pertaining to truth as far as I can see, and that is that Perception has the Potential for Deception.
Those that Desire Truth, Delight in Truth, and seek to Discern Truth will not live lives according to perceived thoughts and variable ideas of truth. Christian’s should be and must live according to the absolute standard of God’s absolute truths.
2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
Our only choice as believers is to handle God’s word of truth, accurately and unashamedly for the glory of God.
If we are adhering to truth and accurately representing the God of all Truth, we will have nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, you may gain some enemies because of your love of who God is, but it will be because you have been diligent in representing absolute truth, and believe this, those that would be your enemies will only dislike the truth, which is not in them, it is not you they dislike, it is the truth that has been revealed to their lives and hearts and revealed who they truly are.
4. Delight in Truth
The next things we see is Believers delight themselves in truth.
Prov 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
The woman at the well was delighted in discovering the Messiah. Although He had revealed to her the depth of her self and sin, she acknowledged with delight in meeting the Lord.
David was so delighted in God he stripped and danced before all to see the praises he was giving to God..
Those that do not delight themselves in God, His Son, Holy Spirit and Word, flee due to their wickedness. The wicked are always looking over their shoulder. They have nothing to be bold about, but believers live lives of boldness, dancing before the Lord in righteousness because they know the true and living Lord and the maker and maintainer of all righteousness.
Paul, although he was imprisoned and was suffering delighted Himself in God and he encouraged those other believers who were under persecution to delight themselves in the fact of who God was and His promises. We as believers can trust in the truth and faithfulness of who God is. Although we might suffer under persecution and the world may hate us, we can still delight ourselves in God and His promises. We can delight in that God knows us so intimately we can not hide our deepest darkest secrets from Him because He forgives us of those if we are willing to seek His forgiveness, His truth and turn from the deception.
5. Declare Truth
Christians must declare truth in all the world. The Messiah’s great commission was for us to share with everyone the truth of who He is.
People that have accepted Christ, must declare the truth about Him.
The woman at the well believed in Jesus being the Messiah because He revealed the truth in relation to her life. She knew that only God could know such things about her life, and when He revealed her secrets to her, she believed in Him as the Messiah.
She revealed Him to others in the town as being the true Messiah because of His revelation to her.
The people of Samaria believed in the truth of who He was as the Messiah because they witnessed the truth within Him themselves. Christian’s declare the Truth of God. Those who’s lives declare nothing, it is because nothing has happened in their lives for them to declare. Are you declaring the truth of God? I am not asking if you are a preacher or a teacher, but does your life exhibit truth in it? Are you a Christian because you say you are one, or because the truth is that Christ has changed you into one. Many of us are more than willing to declare some truths about ourselves.
Here are a few things that are specific to me that are true:
Pepsi, Dove Chocolates, Ben & Jerry’s, Mopar i.e. Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, Eagle, Carrot Cake and Smallville.
All these things I am willing to declare to others about myself, but how willing am I to declare Jesus too??
How willing are you to share some things with others about who you are, but never mention the name of the One who saved you?
Christians declare the truth of Christ.

6. Dwell in Truth
Finally, we see that Believers also abide in truth. We dwell in the existent truth. What is existent truth? It is everything that has been proven. It is fact. It is reality.
We never depart from the truth, we are forever dwelling in it.
The woman at the well, did not leave the Lord after she met Him, she told everyone how He changed her life, and who He was, and how she knew it was He who is the Messiah. She dwelt with the Lord and does so this very day, because of the salvation that was given to her that day.
People who are not dwelling with the Lord and in truth, Jesus says this about them,
John 8:44 "You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature,} for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:45 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
Those that hear the Lord, know the truth. Those that know the truth, hear the Lord and dwell with Him.
Jesus says further on in
John 10:26 "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
We must abide in the truth of Christ to know Him. God said, we must know truth in order to be able to worship Him, and we can only worship Him if we are saved. Do you know the Truth; Do you know the Lord?

Conclusion
The Lord seeks such as these that worship in Spirit and in Truth. If Christ is the absolute authority on Truth, and He resides within His chosen of those that desire Truth, then our lives will reflect the absolute authority of Truth.
Those that seek the depth of absolute truth and not a derivative, those are who God desires and are worthy to worship Him. We can not even approach His throne of grace without a heart of purity in truth & righteousness. For those that will continue in anything and everything apart from God’s absolute standard of His truth are in danger of His wrath and everlasting punishment. These are they that do not know our Lord, have never known His Son, and the Holy Spirit is not in them. What we see here too is that man is not the only one seeking, as the scripture states, it is God who seeks him. Adam & Eve hid themselves after their eyes were open to their shame and sinfulness, yet God sought them in the garden, and He sought them to reveal the truth. “Where are you?”, He said. And all that Adam was left with was his sin and shame before God, and He had to come clean. God wants children that live lives of truth, and this is why He reveals the truth of our hearts to us and we are called to repent from our sinful lives. It is never easy to realize the truth of our hearts. When God reveals the truth to us, our only choices are to harden our hearts to it, or fall prostrate before the Holy God of truth and seek His forgiveness in genuine worship.
Has God revealed His truth to you today? What is your heart telling you about your relationship toward truth?
Christian, if you have not been living in the ways I have described that God desires of His children, you are living outside the standards of where God has called you, and it is your responsibility today to turn and repent of this sin.
All those that don’t know where they stand in Christ, can surely change that by accepting the Truth of God’s word, believing in Jesus as the true Lord and savior, turn from your sins, self, and false teachings of the world and satan, and receive the Holy Spirit into your heart and worship the True and Living Lord. This is a true statement, ‘Today is the day of your salvation.”
Please pray with me.
Dear Father,
I believe the truth of Your Word. I know I am a sinner and You have revealed the truth to me. Please forgive me of believing and accepting the lie. I want to repent and turn from those sins, and I want to live for You and according to Your will. I believe in Your son, Jesus as Lord, and I know He died on the cross for my sins, so I can be forgiven and saved. I know that you love me and forgive me. In Jesus name I pray to You, Amen.
If you have said this prayer, I will be here for you to talk to and guide you in seeking more of God’s truth and His will for your life.
Please see me afterward.
Christian if you need to repent of your sins of accepting the lie and not adhering to truth, I will give you just a moment to talk to the Lord privately, and then I will close this evening in prayer.