What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth?

To worship God in spirit and in truth is to glorify him in the public assembly of his people with biblical simplicity, true knowledge of God, and inner engagement of the heart by faith and repentance. All of these elements appear in the context of Christ’s teaching, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, King James Version). The worship in view pertains to the public assembly of his people, because Christ and the Samaritan woman are not discussing private devotion but the proper location for public worship, whether on the Samaritan’s mountain or the temple in Jerusalem (v. 20). Christ requires biblical simplicity when he tells her that worship no longer involves going to a particular holy place such as Jerusalem (v. 21), which for Israel involved all sorts of sacred persons, objects, and rituals that God ordained in the old covenant. Even then, God’s people were to worship only in the way that God commanded. In the new covenant, which Christ initiates (as he says, “the hour cometh, and now is,” v. 23), our worship is vastly simplified, stripped of outward pageantry, and focused on the Word and two sacraments. Christ requires true knowledge of God when he says to the Samaritan woman, “Ye worship what ye know not what: we know what we worship” (v. 22), and she acknowledges, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things” (v. 25). This is worship “in truth.” There is no authentic worship without knowing God through his Word. Christ requires inner engagement of the heart, for God seeks worship not only “in truth” but also “in spirit.” Since God is “Spirit” in his divine nature, he is not pleased with merely outward acts of worship but looks to the heart. This involves faith, for Christ had just been speaking to the woman of her need to receive the living water of eternal life that only Christ can give her (vv. 10, 14). It also involves repentance, for Christ did not give her this living water without first gently exposing the woman’s sins (vv. 16, 18).

What is the connection between worship and service?

Worship, whether private, domestic, or public, is a particular kind of service. To serve the Lord is to do his will for his glory. God put Adam in the garden, literally, to “serve” (‘abad) it by cultivating its plants and exercising dominion over its animals for the honor of the Creator (Gen. 2:15). Serving the Lord is our all-comprehensive duty: “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deut. 10:12). However, God also calls us to a particular kind of service in our worship of him. The Lord’s command to Pharaoh was, “Let my people go, that they may serve ‘(abad me)” (Ex. 8:1, 20; 9:1), but in this case the service is specified as holding a feast to the Lord and offering him sacrifices (Ex. 5:1, 3). This reflects our specific duty to glorify God in praise: “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100:2). We should never neglect worship for the sake of service, as if it were more noble to feed our hungry neighbor than to sing God’s praises and hear his Word. Worship is not selfish; the world’s greatest need is to see and hear the glory of the Lord in the praises of his people, as the Psalms say (Ps. 96:1–6). However, we should never complacently rest in acts of worship as if they excused us from serving God in our vocations as students and workers, husbands and wives, children and parents, citizens and officials. Worship should constantly remind us that God is to be honored in all of life, for he is Lord of all.

If the church is to be focused on truth, how important is preaching to the worship of God among the gathered church?

Preaching the Word is essential to the worship of the gathered church, for worship is always our response to God’s glory. Can we worship a God whom we do not know? Can we draw near to the holy Lord apart from faith in his Son? Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). How shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard (Rom. 10:14–15)? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Furthermore, preaching is not merely a preparation for worship but an act of worship. God’s people glorify him by receiving his Word with faith (Rom. 4:20) and contrite fear (Isa. 66:2). The psalmist says, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:12–13). The right response of gratitude to God for his salvation is to drink deeply and joyfully from the wells of the gospel (Isa. 12:3). We honor God when we come thirsty to the ministry of the Word.

One young man writes, “When it comes to family worship, I feel like I’m spending time herding cats. What advice can you provide for me as I seek to have a profitable time with family in God’s Word?”

Leading family worship, especially if your children are young or are not used to this practice, can indeed be a challenging experience. We should approach it with patience, a quickness to smile at our little ones, and a confidence that God is pleased with our stumbling efforts if we try our best. I (Joel Beeke) have written a booklet titled Family Worship with practical tips on this topic. Let me just state a few points of advice now. First, make sure that you are doing regular private devotions when you pray for your family by yourself. Second, if at all possible, work together with your spouse to plan your family worship times, to talk to your children about your expectations, and to direct your children during them. Third, keep it simple: read a passage of Scripture, pray, speak with your children about the main takeaways from the chapter read, and sing. Fourth, involve your children according to their level of ability and maturity. Have them read a verse. Ask them a question that they can answer. Give them an opportunity to pray. Fifth, use resources, such as the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible, that includes notes for family worship for every chapter in the Bible.

How vital is the assembly of the church for worship?

The assembly of the church is crucial for the worship of God. For thousands of years, God has directed his people to worship him not only in private or in their homes but also as an assembled people. This was the case with Israel, where God centered his worship around the temple on Mount Zion. Hence: “The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob” (Ps. 87:2). David Clarkson preached a sermon on this text, titled “Public Worship to Be Preferred Before Private” (Works), 3.1:187–209, for a summary see http://headhearthand. org/blog/2012/08/30/12-reasons-why-public-worship-is-better-than-private-worship/). The godly in Israel had a vibrant private prayer life, but they longed to meet with God at his temple (Ps. 42; 84). This is also the case today after Christ died and rose again. Christ promises his special presence to the church “gathered together in my name” (Matt. 18:20). In the context, it is clear he is speaking about the gathered church because he talks about church discipline (vv. 15–19). The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us to “draw near” to God’s holy places through Christ’s blood, and he has in mind public worship, for he says, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:22, 25). Therefore, if we desire to meet with God in the fullness of his blessings in Christ, we must participate in the public means of grace with the assembled church.

How is singing the gospel a central aspect of discipleship within the local church?

While our songs of worship are a “sacrifice of praise to God” (Heb. 13:15), they are also a means of grace for mutual edification in the church. Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Thus, when we sing in congregational worship, we are “teaching and admonishing one another,” corporately bearing witness to each other of “the word of Christ.” This is one reason why it is so important that the church sings God’s Word— “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Paul links this mutual ministry of singing to being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18–19), and there is something profoundly spiritual about singing God’s Word together. Singing engages the heart in a way that imprints truth on the memory for a lifetime and stirs the affections toward God. Singing God’s Word, when done with faith and reverent fear, has a tendency to bring theology down from heaven and settle it in the heart and life. God meets with us. Truly it may be said to the Lord, “Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps. 22:3).

    Why is it a disservice to true biblical worship to try to stir only someone’s emotions? As we discussed earlier, Christ criticizes worship done in ignorance and says that God seeks worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:22, 24). God-honoring and God-pleasing worship is a response to his Word. Furthermore, since the fall of man the human heart has been prone to wander from God and to whore after idols (Num. 15:39; Ezek. 6:9). If we simply stir up our emotions, then we will naturally seek after false gods, not the true God.

Considering the state of the American church—lack of biblical leadership or elders, lack of biblical theology and doctrine being preached and taught, lack of discipleship—how does one gladly submit and generously give financially in the local church?

This question presupposes that one is attending an unbiblical church. Why stay there? Every Christian should make it a top priority to find, join, and participate as a member in a church ordered by God’s Word and filled with God’s Spirit. If necessary, move to another place so that you and your family worship according to the Word. However, I recognize that it may be that circumstances presently prohibit one from doing so—though one should still pray fervently for God to change that. In the case of providential hindrance, a Christian should find the most faithful church he can (not a false church teaching doctrinal or moral heresy), support it with his tithes and offerings, submit to its elders, and seek to serve in it according to his gifts. We must remember that no church is perfect, and God calls us to show grace to our brethren just we ourselves need grace. Pray for reformation and revival in your church, model patience and meekness, and speak the truth of Christ. While we must separate from the world and its sins (2 Cor. 6:16–7:1), beware of proud and judgmental separatism that divides the body of Christ.

In a church setting, what would the role of women look like in leading music?

Again, to answer this question we must examine the presuppositions behind it. The contemporary approach to worship typically centers on the office of worship leader, a position given to a singer/musician who gives direction to the church’s praise. I understand that it is helpful to have someone who understands music to assist the pastors and elders in planning and implementing worship services. However, a worship leader often functions as a spiritual shepherd to the congregation, making extended comments before and after songs to stir people’s emotions and set their minds on the Lord. This approach tends to disengage pastors from a crucial aspect of spiritual leadership and to give that role to people who may not have the qualifications for biblical eldership, much less be chosen by the church for such an influential role. This problem is aggravated when the worship leader is a woman, for she then takes the role of giving authoritative spiritual direction to the church—which is contrary to Scripture (1 Tim. 2:12). Instead, God calls pastors and elders to lead the church, and specifies that they must be men (1 Tim. 3:1–7). If the worship service is the most important meeting of the church, then should not it be led by the office bearers that God appoints in his Word?

How important is the public reading of Scripture, and what level of importance should the church place upon the public reading of God’s Word?

The reading of the Holy Scriptures is a divinely mandated part of public worship. Paul said to Timothy, “Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). This practice is rooted in the law of Moses, who read the book of the covenant to the people (Ex. 24:7) and required that the law be read to the assembly of men, women, children, and foreigners every seven years at the feast of tabernacles (Deut. 31:11–12). We see public reading of the Holy Scriptures practiced by the exiles when they returned to the land (Neh. 8:3; 9:3–5), and the Jews continued to do this weekly in the synagogues at the time of Christ and the apostles (Luke 4:16–17; Acts 13:27; 15:21). Paul instructed the church to have his epistles “read among you” (Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27). The last book of the Bible opens with a blessing on the public reading of Scripture: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3). Therefore, the public reading of the Bible in the church is a means of grace by which God blesses his people, and we must not omit it from our worship. Nevertheless, reading the Bible is not enough; we must “preach the word” with explanation and exhortation (2 Tim. 4:2). Preaching is the primary means of grace (Rom. 10:14; see the Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 155).

The perspicuity of Scripture is an important doctrine, but how is that doctrine essential in Christian worship?

The perspicuity of Scripture is the doctrine that God’s Word, like the shining of light, has an inherent clarity so that its main teachings on salvation and obedience can be understood by ordinary people, though certain texts need explanation and all doctrines have a depth that can be explored only by the help of faithful teachers. This doctrine is essential for Christian worship in several respects, for worship is regulated by the Word, and in worship we sing the Word, read the Word, preach the Word, see the Word in the sacraments, and pray the Word. First, the Bible’s clarity makes it possible for us to regulate worship by God’s Word, trusting that he has made it clear what he wants us to do in worship (and what he has not authorized us to do). Otherwise, we would have to rely upon our own thinking and feeling to guide what we do in worship. Second, the Bible’s clarity gives us warrant to sing the Word with confidence that the people can understand the meaning of what they are singing and thus be sincerely engaged and edified in worship. Third, the Bible’s clarity encourages the public reading of the Word, because the mere words of Holy Scripture can do much good to people. Fourth, the Bible’s clarity maintains the authority of Christ in the preaching of the Word, for the preacher does not unfold mysteries accessible only to him, but he exposits the message of Christ, who alone is King of the church and whose words can be understood by the church. Fifth, the Bible’s clarity guards the sacraments from human inventions, so that they can function as the “visible Word” in their simplicity as ordained by Christ. Sixth, the Bible’s clarity supports the practice of praying God’s words back to him in pastoral, congregational prayer. If the Bible were obscure, how could we use its words in prayer without confusion? Since the Bible is the clear light of God’s truth that even children can understand in its basic message, then pastors can pray God’s Word back to God and the lowliest persons in the congregation can join in those prayers.

When you examine the order of worship for most churches on the Lord’s Day, you typically see many things that do not belong there. What advice would you give to a pastor who is looking to lead the church to make some healthy changes to the way the church worships God?

Like the Reformers, go back to God’s Word to learn what God desires in worship. Bow before God as the only one who has the authority to direct our worship. Be sensitive to the changes in outward form that Christ brought with the new covenant. We are not to try to recreate the visible drama of old covenant worship but to worship in the simplicity of spirit and truth now that Christ has come and fulfilled the types. Pray much for the process of leading the church in this matter, gently teach them the truths of God’s Word, and be exceptionally patient with the people. Change is hard for everyone! However, persevere in leading, recognizing that thorough reformation is not a matter of a day but of decades.

Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homlietics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, MI, and a prolific author and frequent conference speaker.

Paul M. Smalley (ThM, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is faculty teaching assistant to Joel Beeke at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He previously served for twelve years as a pastor in the Baptist General Conference in the midwestern United States.