Lesson 10 How Can You Recognize True Worship?
1. Is there only one true religion?
Jesus taught his followers only one religion, the true religion. It is like a road leading to everlasting life. Jesus said: “Few are finding” that road. (Matthew 7:14) God accepts only worship based on his Word of truth. All true worshippers are united in one faith.—Read John 4:23, 24; 14:6; Ephesians 4:4, 5.
[“Read” scriptures.] John 4:23, 24: Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.”
John 14:6: Jesus said to him: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Ephesians 4:4, 5: One body there is, and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 20: [Image:] Jesus teaching
Caption: “Be on the watch for the false prophets.”—Matthew 7:15.

Watch the video Does God Accept All Forms of Worship? See jw.org.

2. What did Jesus say about false Christians?
Jesus warned that false prophets would corrupt Christianity. Outwardly, they seem like true worshippers. Their churches claim to be Christian. But you can recognize such people for what they really are. How? Only true worship produces genuine Christians with recognizable qualities and ways.—Read Matthew 7:13-23.
[“Read” scripture.] Matthew 7:13-23: “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it. “Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men. “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’ [End of “Read” scripture.]
Pictures on page 20: [Image:] A religious leader speaking in church. Later he is blessing soldiers at war.
Caption: “They publicly declare that they know God, but they disown him by their works.”—Titus 1:16.
3. How can you recognize true worshippers?
Consider these five identifying marks:

 True worshippers respect the Bible as God’s Word. They strive to live by its principles. So true religion differs from religion that is based on men’s ideas. (Matthew 15:7-9) True worshippers do not preach one thing and practice another.—Read John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
[“Read” scriptures.] John 17:17: Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
 Jesus’ true followers honor God’s name, Jehovah. Jesus honored God’s name by making it known. He helped people to know God and taught them to pray that God’s name be sanctified. (Matthew 6:9) Where you live, which religion makes God’s name known?—Read John 17:26; Romans 10:13, 14.
[“Read” scriptures.] John 17:26: I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”
Romans 10:13, 14: For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” However, how will they call on him if they have not put faith in him? How, in turn, will they put faith in him about whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? [End of “Read” scriptures.]
 True Christians preach about God’s Kingdom. God sent Jesus to preach the good news of the Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is the only hope for mankind. Jesus continued speaking about it until his dying day. (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 23:42, 43) He said that his followers would preach about it. If someone approaches you to speak about God’s Kingdom, to which religion does he likely belong?—Read Matthew 24:14.
[“Read” scripture.] Matthew 24:14: And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. [End of “Read” scripture.]
 Jesus’ followers are no part of this wicked world. You can recognize them by the way they take no part in politics or social conflicts. (John 17:16; 18:36) Also, they do not imitate the world’s harmful practices and attitudes.—Read James 4:4.
[“Read” scripture.] James 4:4: Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God. [End of “Read” scripture.]
 True Christians have outstanding love for one another. From God’s Word, they learn to respect all ethnic groups. Although false religions have often strongly supported the wars of the nations, true worshippers refuse to do so. (Micah 4:1-3) Rather, true Christians unselfishly use their time and resources to help and encourage others.—Read John 13:34, 35; 1 John 4:20.
[“Read” scriptures.] John 13:34, 35: I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.”
1 John 4:20: If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Pictures on page 21: [Image:] A Christian gives a Bible discourse. He later preaches about God’s Kingdom, assists with disaster relief, helps the elderly.
4. Can you identify the true religion?
Which religion bases all its teachings on God’s Word, honors God’s name, and proclaims God’s Kingdom as mankind’s only hope? Which group practices love and shuns war? What do you think?—Read 1 John 3:10-12.
[“Read” scripture.] 1 John 3:10-12: The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Whoever does not practice righteousness does not originate with God, nor does the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. And for what reason did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked, but those of his brother were righteous. [End of “Read” scripture.]

For more information, see chapter 15 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach?