What's the Difference Between Worshipping in Sprit and in Truth?

Pastor Ben Diaz
 

“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24 NLT

As a follow-up to last Sunday’s message, Pastor Ben reminded us to keep sharing the Salvation Cards—and not to overlook the power of simply telling someone, “Jesus loves you.” He also encouraged us to “stay dead,” meaning we must die to ourselves daily. Growth is our responsibility. “Your growth is up to you,” he said.

Continuing in the series How the Kingdom Works, Pastor Ben taught us more about what it means to live as a citizen of heaven. Our eternal home is not the United States—it’s heaven. And if we’re going to bring heaven to earth, we must understand the principles of the Kingdom we truly belong to.

This week’s focus was on worship. What does worship look like in the Kingdom of God?

Pastor Ben made it clear:
“Worship is not a song we sing—it’s an offering we bring.”

It’s not about what we look like on the outside during worship. It’s about what’s happening on the inside—what’s reflected in our heart.

True worship, according to John 4:23-24, is in spirit and in truth. That means if there are true worshipers, there can also be false ones—those who worship from the flesh, led by feelings or emotions rather than truth. But real worship takes our thoughts, emotions, and will captive and submits them to who God is and what He has said.

Worship is the outward expression of an inward reality.

Romans 12:1 says it this way:
“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.”

When we lift our hands, it shouldn’t be out of performance—it should be the natural response of a heart overwhelmed by His love. When you reflect on all He’s done for you, it stirs something inside that makes you want to shout, dance, and praise Him boldly. Pastor Ben said our praise should be like dynamite—powerful, authentic, and full of life!

But if we hold back out of fear of what others might think, we’re stepping into the flesh—not the spirit. Each of us brings a unique offering of worship. No two stories are the same. Some of us worship through pain, heartache, loss, or disappointment. And yet—when we lift up our hands and worship Him because He brought us through—it becomes a living sacrifice. That’s Kingdom worship.

Don’t worry about what people think. Worship the Lord with freedom, with joy, and with truth. Worship Him in spirit and in truth!



Pastor Ben shared such powerful stories and examples throughout the message—you’ll definitely want to watch the full teaching.
Click here to watch the full message.