By Pamela Rose Williams
“God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)
I see this verse of the day and think about some of the churches that I have attended. Spirit and truth. Some had neither. Some had both. Some had one and not the other. What I am saying is you can attend a church that has fabulous “spirit-ful” worship but if the truth is not being preached from the pulpit your worship is not what the Bible defines as worship.
I have seen disagreements in the church over the color of the carpet, or window treatments in the Sunday school rooms. People in the church disagree on the style of music, it’s too upbeat, or it is not upbeat enough. I have seen the church have disputes over whether or not we should minister to a certain group of folks because they smoke cigarettes, or they have been recently released from prison. I have seen gossip destroy relationships in the church. I have known people to leave the church because they learned that their children were not welcome there. I have heard church leaders complain because the children were bringing mud into the church, rather than rejoice that there are children at all — after all they are the future, right? Yet, you can get a preacher that is preaching heresy and no one says a word!
How does this happen? It happens when we live in Laodicea. This is what is known as the church where the people rule. They don’t want to hear the truth from the pulpit. They would much rather hear a “feel good” message. Hearing the truth might require them to make some adjustments to their lifestyle. Hearing the truth might be a little uncomfortable. Hearing the truth might remind them that they belong to Jesus and He is not only their Savior, but He ought to be their Lord as well.
In the book of Revelation, we are told of seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3). These were literal churches, yet they are also figurative churches from which we can learn. Each of those churches represented an “age” in which people throughout history have lived. We are in the age of Laodicea. This is an age where people can be neither hot nor cold for what they believe. They are lukewarm. Paul exhorted Timothy to:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
How do you know whether or not you are hearing the truth from your preacher? You must know the truth — and the only way to know it is to spend time in it! You must be daily in the word to know whether or not you are worshiping in spirit and in truth. Read your Bible and when you know what is truth, the lies will be blatantly apparent.
Don’t live in Laodicea, instead live in the peace and comfort that you can have when you are walking in a relationship with Jesus. He is the only Truth and when you believe in what He did for you at Calvary, you will know the Spirit too. Have you met my Savior? Meet Jesus today.
photo credit: Breno Peck via photopin cc
