Consider what Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:21-24: “an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father”. Most believers read that as either and or, but it’s neither and nor. In fact, the Greek word can just as well be translated not. If there were a Dr. Seuss version that scripture it would read “you will not worship here, you will not worship there, you will not worship anywhere”.

So what does God want from us? Stop prostituting and prostrating ourselves, get out of the pig pens of our servitude and make haste our coming home to God, where He will greet us as sons, stand us up and introduce us to His household. He’ll clothe us with a robe (all who are baptized in Christ are clothed with Christ), place sandals on our feet the family ring our finger! God wants SONS who will stand up and be counted – who will embrace their complete inheritance in Christ – not worshipers of the prostrating / physical in the flesh type common in ‘houses of worship’ today.

Consider also Jesus other word in that passage “worship in spirit and truth”. IF the word of God is TRUTH (and it is), then God does NOT dwell / live in / abide in temples made by men. So, why go to a church to worship God as if He does live there? Isn’t that worshiping in vain? When we ignorantly say “God is in the house” or “God really showed up” during our worship, pray tell is God in the building because that’s where He lives, or, do you bring Him with you wherever you go? If in fact He is with you wherever you go, then why do you limit your worship to just those times when you’re in a building designated for worship? If He lives inside of you now (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, et al), then you are in the presence of God 24×7. Can you imagine being in the presence of God and worshiping Him for just an hour a week?

About that, consider the change from OT to NT with regards to worship; in the OT, their worship was physical because God lived apart from them – His presence on earth was in the holy of holies at the center of the temple in Jerusalem. Thus to worship God, the Jews had to travel to Jersusalem, face and bow down to the temple where God resides. OT worship was therefore directional and physical – turn and face God, prostrate yourself, and worship. In the NT, the one we worship is now IN US! Worship in the NT therefore is internal. So ask yourself this: how do we bow down to worship Him when He’s now INSIDE of us? The answer is Romans 12:1. The Cross is the answer – crucify your carnal nature – offer up your life a living sacrifice. Yield your life to Him.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)

Consider also Jesus first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Gallilee – He turned the water used by the Jews for ceremonial washings as required by the law of Moses, into wine taken internally. Thus Jesus’ first miracle signaled His purpose in minstry – to turn our worship from token external expression into internal celebration.

Of course we can still sing corporately, but it’s not worship when we do – our singing aloud per the Word of God is to teach, admonish and encourage one another. See Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16. Our singing is not worship – our singing is for ourselves – to encourage ourselves and each other. Worship is a matter of the Spirit – our inner being worshiping the Spirit within us.

Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. (Ephesians 5:19 NLT)

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16 NASB)

Paul draws clear distinction between what we do with our mouths – our bodies – and what we do in Spirit. I’ve been alive long enough to have witnessed the transition of church gatherings from what was called “church services” in the 50s and 60s- where a priest ministered the sacraments to the church (the congregation), to “worship services”, where many of those Biblical sacraments were struck from the order of worship to make way for the worship band to do weekly concerts.

Here’s what an assembly of the saints ought to look like:

What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God. Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33 NASB)

We really need to have a long hard think on what worship is and is not. It seems truly absurd to acknowledge the NT truth of our present blessing and inheritance – specifically – the Holy Spirit living inside of us, where we are IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD 24×7, yet “worship” Him once a week for an hour or 2? And for that we have to pile the kids in the car and drive cross town to a designated worship facility? How can that be? So could the truth be this: our Spirit within us worships the presence of God within us 24×7, and our flesh is just too ignorant to know what’s happening within us, spiritually? Are we walking talking examples of 1 Corinthians 2:14?

But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB)

For more about what worship is and is not as the Holy Spirit has shown me, please check out these articles:

Surprise! You’ve been Worshiping a Pipe Organ! (link)

Are Worship Services Biblical? (link)

To worship in Spirit and in Truth (link)