THE NEW MAN AND HIS WORSHIP || ALL SERVICES || 17TH MAY 2026 || PASTOR POJU OYEMADE

Worship, as Jesus names it in John 4, rests on this reality, God is a Spirit, so true worship must be in spirit and in truth. Worship therefore begins where the will bows. The call is not Lord, Lord while standing in clear disobedience. Worship is the surrender of one’s will, the adoration of the Source of life, and the entry into the innermost courts where consciousness of the environment fades and intimacy with God deepens.

The spirit, the soul, and the body cooperate in this. The spirit leads, the soul gives understanding, and the body acts as an instrument. Spiritual songs rise from the spirit by the Holy Ghost, while songs in the understanding carry the burden of revelation. The content matters. The burden of the song is the thing revealed. David’s audacity came here, new song opened his ears, and what looked like a violation of Moses was an upgrade, the tabernacle of Christ breaking in through revealed praise.

The body participates as yielded members. Scripture calls it yielding your members as instruments of righteousness. Encounter compels posture. Daniel fell on his face. Joshua loosened his shoe, God now determining the steps. True worship therefore orders steps, not self-choosing but yielded pathways.

Worship also differentiates between singing with the spirit and singing with the understanding. Blessing God in tongues gives thanks well. Then understanding pours out shaped content, Christ’s faithfulness, God’s ways, truth learned in scripture. Private worship ministers to God. The spirit sings, the understanding agrees, the body bows.

Worship then becomes warfare. High praises in the mouth with a two edged sword in the hand releases the word at its most potent. The rod of his strength goes out of Zion. Out of the mouth of babes God perfects praise, and that perfected praise steals the enemy and the avenger. Warfare is not hoping that God will do; warfare is taking a stand in what God has said is done. Yielding oneself as alive from the dead, acknowledging Christ’s finished work, and offering the sacrifice of praise turns position into experienced condition.

The inner court pattern shows the outcome. From the altar, waters issue. First ankles, then knees, loins, then a river to swim in. The waters of Judah move into deserts, heal what they touch, and produce great multitudes of fish. Intimacy releases flow, flow produces life, and life multiplies fruit. This is worship in spirit and in truth, heart to God, word in praise, body yielded, waters flowing.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship begins where will bows [14:02] Surrender is not mood, it is movement, loose thy shoe because God now orders the steps. Worship cannot coexist with conscious refusal of known light. Where will bows, intimacy opens and instruction flows. Without surrender, songs stay at the surface and never become doors. [14:02]
• 2. Sing in spirit and understanding [16:31] Tongues lets the spirit give thanks well, while understanding carries revealed content back to God. The soul does not lead the spirit, it interprets and agrees with what the spirit utters. A life that practices both gains depth, clarity, and steady joy in the secret place. [16:31]
• 3. Posture reveals encountered glory [11:35] Yielded members answer real revelation, faces to the ground and strength drained before majesty. The body is not a distraction, it is an instrument that tells the truth about the heart’s alignment. Casual posture often signals a casual grasp of God’s presence. [11:35]
• 4. High praise wields the word [21:42] When praise carries revelation, the word becomes a two edged sword released in song. This is the rod of strength out of Zion that stills the enemy and stops the avenger. Contentless choruses soothe, but perfected praise dislodges resistance. [21:42]
• 5. Warfare stands in finished grace [30:32] The fight is not to make God act but to stand as one already made alive, healed, and free. Position before God must precede pressure on conditions, and the sacrifice of praise enforces that order. Yielded thanksgiving keeps the heavens open while symptoms and lack lose their voice. [30:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:15] - Confession and series link to warfare
• [01:55] - God is a Spirit, true worship
• [03:15] - Worship begins with surrender
• [04:07] - Intimacy and loss of self-consciousness
• [05:18] - Spiritual songs and the burden of revelation
• [06:08] - David’s new song and opened ears
• [08:28] - Spirit and soul in song, content matters
• [10:40] - Body as instrument, posture in worship
• [12:09] - Examples, Daniel and Joshua fall before God
• [14:02] - Loose thy shoe, God orders steps
• [16:31] - Sing with the spirit and with understanding
• [20:05] - Transference in worship and praise
• [21:42] - High praises and the two edged sword
• [22:21] - Rod of strength out of Zion, perfected praise
• [27:31] - Yield yourselves as alive from the dead
• [30:07] - Position vs condition, sacrifice of praise
• [31:07] - Inner court pattern and open gate
• [32:42] - Waters from the altar, ankle to river
• [34:13] - Waters heal deserts, life multiplies
• [36:32] - Closing prayer and announcements

1. According to John 4:23-24, what two essential components define true worship?
2. In the sermon, examples like Daniel falling on his face ([12:38]) and Joshua loosening his sandals ([13:26]) were given. What do these actions reveal about their posture toward God?
3. What distinction does 1 Corinthians 14:14-18 make between singing "with the spirit" and singing "with the understanding"?
4. How does Psalm 149:6 connect "high praises" with spiritual warfare?

1. Why is surrendering one’s will described as the starting point of true worship? How does disobedience hinder intimacy with God?
2. The sermon mentions that "casual posture often signals a casual grasp of God’s presence" ([11:35]). Why might physical posture reflect the heart’s alignment in worship?
3. How does "perfected praise" (referencing Psalm 8:2) differ from repetitive or contentless singing? What makes it a weapon against spiritual resistance?
4. The "inner court pattern" in Ezekiel 47 describes waters flowing from the altar, deepening progressively. What might this imagery symbolize about the relationship between intimacy with God and outward impact?

1. In what area of your life do you sense God asking for deeper surrender? What practical step could you take this week to yield your will to Him?
2. How can you incorporate both singing "with the spirit" (e.g., praying in tongues) and "with the understanding" (e.g., declaring Scripture) into your personal worship? Which of these feels more challenging, and why?
3. Reflect on your physical posture during worship (standing, kneeling, etc.). Does it align with the reverence described in Daniel 10:7-10? What adjustment might help you express humility before God?
4. When facing a challenge, how could you use "high praises" (specific, Scripture-based declarations) instead of merely asking God to act? Share an example.
5. The sermon states, "Warfare is not hoping God will do something but standing in what He has already done" ([30:32]). How would applying this truth change your approach to a current struggle?