Essentials for Great Worship
Hebrews 13: 10-16
June 7, 2009
Morning Service
Introduction
In his book, songs that were the heart, gospel singer George Beverly Shea tells of his friend Bert Frizen. While attending college, Burt distinguished himself as a fine baritone singer. But his college studies were interrupted by World War II. While serving in Germany, Burt was seriously wounded and lay dying on the battlefield. As he passed in and out of consciousness he was aware that he was dying. Burt began to seem a ham that his mother had time for many years before. As he lay there singing, a German soldier came upon him with his bayonet fixed. Burt feared the worst and was prepared to die. However, the enemy soldier carried him to a nearby stone ledge and left him unharmed. Minutes later, Burt was found and rescued by Allied medics.
There are two types of unfamiliar hymns. One is the hymn though we have never heard or sung before. However, another hymn that is unfamiliar is the one we have sung so many times that we sing it and never think about it. - Charles Allen
Worship holds special role in the Bible. One that we often forget, or fail to acknowledge. The Bible is filled with a multitude of examples of what is and what it means to worship God. The church today needs to carefully examine the role of worship in the Bible to find how worship should impact the church.
Here are a few examples of worship in the Bible
Noah built an altar and sacrificed to God after the flood
Moses praised God after the crossing of the Red Sea
David danced before God when the Ark of the covenant was returned to Jerusalem
Solomon led worship at the dedication of the Temple
Ezra led worship after rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem
Throughout the history of Israel, worship of God was central to community life. With several different festivals and times of worship, the importance of God was part of daily life. On an annual basis, there were festivals and specific days of worship. One example, is the day of atonement. On this day the entire nation would confess their sins before God and ask for forgiveness. On a weekly basis, the Sabbath was observed. Worship was conducted on the last day of the week. Worship would include the reading of Scripture, the interpretation of Scripture, singing, responsive readings, and various rituals.
Israel often experienced cycles in their worship dedication from being passionately dedicated to God to abandoning God and following pagan idols. Worship was understood as part of experiencing the presence and power of God himself. An excellent example of this is the holy of holies. The most holy Place was at the innermost part of the Temple. It contained Ark of the covenant and was considered a place of God’s presence with his people. Worship was at the center of Israel’s community life and a part of who they were as a nation.
Definition of Worship
Worship is the quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God. William Temple
Which leads to the question: what is worship? How do we know we’ve experienced worship? Before we get into these questions, we need to understand the purpose and the reason for worship.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:9-16
The problem of false teaching (13:9)
One of the major obstacles of the early church was the combat of false teaching. The writer of Hebrews makes false teaching a major concern. Verse nine makes it clear the false teaching was an issue to be dealt with. These strange teachings warped the doctrine and the belief system of the church.
Often false teachings focus on performance rather than grace. False teachings emphasize what a person does to become right with God or holy. No person can become holy with out the direct work of God in their lives. We cannot become right with God through our own personal effort. This is why we need grace
Grace is the only means to a right relationship with God. It is the purpose of grace that Christ came and sacrificed Himself. Is grace not ritual that gives a person right standing with God.
Emphasis on ritual over grace still is a problem church faces today. The issue of ritual and worship is found in sincerity and personal desire. No amount of attending worship services were participating in spiritual activities can make a person right with God.
A relationship with God is the foundation of worship (13:10-14)
The writer of Hebrews raises an important issue in verse 10. The issue of the altar is one that creates much confusion. The writer seems to refer to the Jewish altar of burnt offering and its implications to the Christian life. The altar from which the priests could not eat was the altar used on the day of atonement. Specifically, the animals used for this sacrifice were burned outside the camp.
Priests burned the bodies of sacrificed animals outside of the camp a location it was seen as unholy. Jesus was crucified outside the gate, at a location called Golgotha, another place deemed unholy. Genuine worship is not about religious rituals or some form of system.
No amount of sacrifices could make a person acceptable in the eyes of God without a personal relationship. Without a relationship with God there would be no desire to worship. A personal relationship with God must be the foundation of genuine worship. Worship is based on a personal relationship with Christ. There can be no genuine worship if there is not first, a right relationship with Christ.
The writer uses the illustration of the altar to symbolize the separation of Christians from the world. The world no longer has a place in the worship of God. Just as the world had no place in the day of atonement. To experience genuine worship, Christians must separate themselves from the impact and influences of the world. The worship of Christ is to help Christians experienced a taste of what heaven will be like. Our worship of Christ separates us from those who are not Christian. We are to be in the world but not of the world. Our worship and our relationship with Christ should be an example and a witness to unbelievers.
Relationship is the basis for personal and corporate worship. We walk in a right relationship with Christ, we also are able to have a right worship. Our relationship with Christ should create the desire to worship. Genuine worship begins in our desire to praise is and give honor to Christ.
Gratitude to God is with fuel of worship (13:15)
The writer of Hebrews states that we should bring the sacrifice of praise before Christ on a continual basis. Praise is the fruit of lips that confess the name of God. What the writer is trying to say is that if we proclaim ourselves be Christians, we should live a lifestyle of praise.
Praise is one of the means Christians can please God. Praise is nothing more than blessing God back with the blessings of we have received. There is always more than enough reason to offer praise to God. Take a few moments to think of the many blessings that God has given to you. Within about 60 seconds, there should be many reasons for you to praise God.
Genuine worship begins with grateful heart. Without gratitude worship is nothing more than formality. Gratitude fuels worship and becomes a central part of the motivation of worship. God desires our gratitude. It is Christ that our praises to be continual expressed in Thanksgiving and praise.
Service to God is the focus of worship (13:16)
Worship is not only an act that we participate in on Sundays. It is a part of who we are in the way we live. We worship God not only in attending services but also through our service to him. Worship extends into every aspect and area of our lives.
The Greek word here for service is koinoneo, which means to partner with one another. Our goal in corporate worship should be to experience the presence of God together. As a Church, our goal should be to serve one another and to serve the kingdom of Christ. Our service is an act of ongoing and continual worship to Christ.
Christ calls us to live in a manner that glorifies his name in to serve His kingdom. This means believers should not become attached to the world. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes this fact in chapter 11.
For he was looking forward to a city with foundations, architect and builder is God. (10)
Instead they were looking for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (16)
When we serve God our desire ought to be to worship him with all of our heart. Christ died so we could be a part of his kingdom, how can we not serve his kingdom?
Conclusion
Worship requires proper doctrine
Genuine worship requires us to have a proper doctrine or belief system about Christ. There can be no worship without the right beliefs about Christ. Worship is not about our desires, wishes, or wants but is about bringing glory and honor to the name of Jesus. There is no possible way to honor Jesus with false doctrine.
Worship requires a right relationship
Worship revolves around a right relationship with Jesus. Without a right relationship with Jesus we cannot have the right desire to worship. Our relationship with Christ is the central focus of our worship.
Worship requires a proper attitude
The sacrifice of Jesus makes a right relationship possible and part of worship is the expression of gratitude toward Jesus for His sacrifice on our behalf. It is possible to come to worship for the wrong reasons. Through history worship has been used and abused by the church. Genuine worship has a focus on what Christ has done for us. We share in the sacrifice of Jesus through worship.
Worship requires a correct focus
