John 4:23
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Our Heavenly Father has a very specific quality of candidate in mind. He will not, and indeed cannot, just accept any semblance of worship we put together. Although He is worthy of all glory, God is not desperate for our worship.
In fact, the Bible does not say the Father seeks true worship. It says He seeks true worshippers. Because true worship emanates from the heart and life of a true worshipper. Any attempt to improve or polish the act of worship without addressing the “actor” is futile. Any focus on the ministry of worship at the expense of the ministers of worship is pointless. It’s the person not the performance that counts.
The term translated “true” in our text (alēthinos) denotes genuine. It’s about being real and authentic. It’s the opposite of being fake or false. True worship is not merely going through the motions. It’s not playing church.
The Bible exhorts us to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water (Heb. 10:22). Let that be our goal always!
Pastor Josh