During the devastating flood caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, which destroyed over 1,000 homes and claimed numerous lives, our social media platforms were flooded with pictures. One picture in particular broke my heart. It was a picture of a little girl in a life jacket, on a canoe, holding her puppy. She was terrified, and as I looked at that picture, I had to wipe away my tears. A few days later, I discovered this picture, along with several others, were AI-generated. They were fake, not authentic. Sometimes it can be hard to discern who or what is authentic. We may struggle to see what is real, but our Heavenly Father knows. He is not fooled. When it comes to worship, His desire is for His children to offer Him genuine, authentic worship that springs from purity, not from superficial, pious, or self-serving motives. One of my favorite passages in scripture that deals with the subject of authentic worship is John chapter 4, when Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well. The woman thought genuine worship was found in a location of worship (verse 20). To her, that was the only place or way to worship and encounter God. Jesus was speaking of a drastic change in perspective regarding worship. From Old to New Covenant. (verses 22-23) In the Old Covenant, you go to the temple. In the New Covenant, you are the temple. Worship is not about a place, a form, or a style, such as traditional or modern. God is not seeking a certain kind of worship; He is seeking a certain kind of worshipper, one who is authentic and worships in Spirit and Truth. If “Spirit and Truth” worship is the kind of worship the Father seeks and requires, it would be most important for us to offer this form of authentic worship to our Lord. We understand God is Spirit, so in worship we must communicate and express our love spiritually. It’s not the musical style or the song lyric that gains the attention of the Father but the heart of the worshipper He adores. When the worshipper’s heart is truly broken before God, uninhibited praise and passionate worship will flow.
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17
Jesus said He was the “way and the truth (John 14:6).” No one can have a relationship with the Father except through Christ. No one can offer acceptable, authentic worship unless “the truth,” Jesus Christ is exalted and is the centricity of their worship. Worship is not about us. It’s about Jesus! Every song, every word, every deed offered to God must sift through the grid of God’s word. If it aligns with the truth of scripture, it is acceptable worship to God. Authentic worship transcends the boundaries of the walls of a church and its worship service. Authentic worship is an everyday choice to live a life of obedience to God.
“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and acceptable worship.” Romans 12:1
Paul tells us authentic worship is more than a song, and it’s more than attending a service. Worship is a lifestyle. It is a daily offering of our minds, hearts, and bodies in service and obedience to God. Our Heavenly Father is seeking worshippers who will worship Him authentically in “Spirit and in Truth.” Jesus Himself said true worshippers must worship in this way. The Father’s heart is not moved by the sound of our voices, the eloquence of our speech, or even the outward physical expressions of our adoration. What moves the heart of God is the purity and motive of the heart and the surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Christ. This is the sacrifice of worship that is acceptable and pleasing to our God. It is truly “authentic worship,” the only kind of worship the Father receives.