John 4:24
Introduction – I opened my Email. What great wealth of knowledge would be arriving today? Along with the list of other things was an urgent message, forwarded to me by a well-meaning friend. “Beware of the new petition to remove religious broadcasting from the airways. Madeline O’Hair is at it again!” I sent back a note that Madeline O’Hair has been dead for several years now, and, with a little research, was able to track the history of the E-rumor and show why it was false.
There didn’t used to be E-rumors, only because there didn’t used to be Email. But, as soon as it was in use, so were the falsehoods.
With a little help from “TruthorFiction.com” I would like to relieve you of some worries today. Even though it was on the internet, these things just aren’t true:
• Liz Claiborne is not actually a Satanist who gives proceeds to Satanism.
• There is not a toilet paper shortage because of brush fires in California.
• Gel candles are not exploding and causing injuries.
• You don’t need to avoid sweets at bedtime because ants will invade your brain.
• There are no spy cameras inside digital TV converter boxes.
• Canadian Research has not proven that rubbing Vicks on the feet cures coughing.
• Cell phones have not caused explosions at gas stations.
• Listerine does not chase away mosquitoes (only people).
• Pepsi did not decide to remove the words "Under God" from a patriotic soft drink can.
• A new coin called the "Amero" Is not being minted as the future currency of the U.S.A
With the amassing and dispersion of information in our age, you have to be careful of phonies.
You know what? The Church has battled phony worship for centuries. It was once said that there were enough splinters from the cross to build 40 crosses! I was once on a short-term mission trip in Heiligenkreuz, Austria. Heiligenkreuz means “holy cross.” It’s named this because, in the 900 yr old monastery there is a relic of the cross, supposedly.
Martin Luther wrote, "What lies there are about relics! One claims to have a feather from the wing of the angel Gabriel, and the Bishop of Mainz has a flame from Moses' burning bush. And how does it happen that 18 apostles are buried in Germany when Christ had only 12?"
There's a search for a real worship experience out there.
Quote - A. W. Tozer, The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church - "Worship is the missing jewel in modern Evangelicalism. We're organized, we work, we have our agencies. We have almost everything, but there's one thing that the churches, even the gospel churches, do not have: that is the ability to worship. We are not cultivating the art of worship. It's the shining gem that is lost to the modern church, and I believe that we ought to search for this until we find it."
Ill – Back in 1978 Mario Rubio, rolling a burrito, notices skillet burns on a tortilla resembling the face of Jesus Christ. Shortly thereafter, 8,000 curious pilgrims trek to the Rubios' small stucco house in rural New Mexico to view the sacred icon. Mrs. Rubio leaves her house unlocked so that visitors may freely enter and examine “Jesus of the tortilla.”
2004, Fred Whan burns a fishstick making dinner, and what should appear but the face of Jesus? He hoped to auction it off and make some money. After all, it wasn’t long before that the face of the virgin Mary appeared on a grilled cheese sandwich, and its owner, Diana Duyser had bids as high as $22,000 on Ebay for it. – plenty of phony worship out there, isn’t there?
I have heard people say of a certain event they attended, "I just feel like I really worshiped! That's real worship!"
I'm very interested: What is real worship? I don't want a phony! I want the real thing. When have I really worshiped? What will happen if I do? How can I tell? What will it look like? I don't want to be hypocritical. I want to know what real worship is and how I can make sure it happens for me. So I want to make 3 comparisons today. The 3rd one is where we’ll spend most of our time.
Let's compare real worship with the fake...
I. Real Worship Comes From Me. Counterfeit Worship Only Happens to Me.
There are two main NT words that have to do with worship. One means "To kiss toward" or "to kiss the hand." The other means "to give honor to someone."
By its definition, worship is something you do, not something that's done to you. Worship has to be active, not passive. If you think you've worshiped, but you haven't involved yourself in giving something, what you're involved in is a counterfeit. It's possible to have the trappings of worship, but to miss the substance of it.
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."
Real worship isn't something that happens to you. Worship does something to us - but it's genuine only when we have an active role. Having something happen around us doesn't mean it happens to us.
Ill - My neighbor's house may burn down, 2 of them may, but it doesn't mean my house will burn too. Standing around or being around people who are truly worshiping isn't the same as worshiping. In other words, just being here this morning doesn't mean that you've experienced "real worship." It has to come from you.
That's why crediting or blaming what's around you for your worship experience may just be completely off-base. Real worship is active, not passive. It's what comes from you.
II. Real Worship Is In Spirit & In Truth. Counterfeit Worship is Missing One of These.
John 4:22-24 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
It was a worship question. The argument over worship is older than the Church! Jesus set it straight. (V24) "Neither of you is right. Real worship must be in spirit and in truth." The Jews had truth. The Samaritans had spirit. Both, by themselves, were counterfeits.
Real worship must be based on truth. How can you hope to please God if you don't know what pleases Him? No matter how "worshipful" a church might seem to be, if their teaching is wrong their worship's a counterfeit. Worship without truth is a phony. The Prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel had spirit - cutting themselves and yelling. Jesus said those who want to worship God must do so in truth!
Real worship must include our spiritual selves. The Jews had the truth part down, but their hearts were far from God. In other words, they had all the externals down, but they were lacking worship from the heart. They didn't worship in spirit. No matter how "right" a church might seem to be, if their worship doesn't include a heart-based response to what they know, their worship's a counterfeit. Worship without spirit is a phony. Jesus said those who want to worship God must do so in spirit.
When either spirit or truth is left out, worship is a counterfeit. It isn't real.
OK, so where and how do we live this out? Worship is active. It involves our whole selves and is based on truth. How does it happen? This is where I want us to really tune in this morning:
III. Real Worship is First Personal, Then Corporate. Counterfeit Worship Skips the Personal Part.
We compartmentalize our lives. It's neater that way. So...
• parenting doesn't spill over or interfere with our careers. To quote a former President: "No person should ever have to choose between a career or having children."
• knowledge of God doesn't mix with our choices of movies
• language we use outside these walls is different than inside the "sanctuary."
• work of sharing Jesus with people is relegated to the preacher -- that's his job
• parents are able to tell kids to follow their instructions, but to ignore their example
• the joy of the Lord doesn't cloud the business of the work week or classroom
• my relationship with Jesus doesn't make it inside the locker room
• convictions don't interfere with politics (So what? He's still a good President. That's what matters!)
• and worship doesn't spill into the rest of our week or day.
For some reason we've developed the idea that worship is a thing we do here for an hour once each week; that worship is what happens when a group of Christians get together and sing. We even call this a "worship service." And when a certain time rolls around, "worship is over," until next time. That's a counterfeit!
Usually, when we think of worshiping God, we think of the assembly all gathered together. But the Bible gives us scores of snapshots where godly people are with God, alone, in worship. Jesus warned about praying and doing acts of righteousness to be seen by men, and it was in that context that He said to go into your closet, alone, and pray. We’ve already talked about the way Jesus would often get up early and go away into lonely places to pray.
He worshiped on His own.
Ill - It’s great to watch a well-rehearsed marching band on the field. It’s great to watch them all working together, following the drum major’s lead, all in step with each other, in tune with each other, forming lines that are sharp. It takes a lot of hours for a group like that to put together a quality field show. But behind it all is a lot of practice by each individual member. It takes a lot more hours in a lonely practice room, memorizing music, learning to play an instrument, learning how to march, developing musical knowledge. The best bands are those where the members have each spent enough time working on their part, alone. My older brothers Dan and Jim both played in the high school band in Joliet, that required every band member to be taking private lessons.
Sports teams are the same way. A baseball team has its players spend time in the batting cage, throwing and catching, doing physical conditioning, because until the individual players have sharpened and developed themselves, they won’t be an effective team. Football players have to spend time in the weight room, lifting and conditioning, because even if they practice together a lot, unless each individual player is in good shape, the team as a whole isn’t going to perform very well.
Give this some thought.
We want to have a quality “worship experience” when we come together on Sunday mornings. But what if, when you come, you haven’t trained yourself to focus on that? What if, when you come, you don’t have the right words to use, you’re not used to spending time with God? What if you come and you haven’t sung a word of praise to God all week? It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that the team as a whole isn’t going to do very well?
We can spend a lot of effort and thought on the times we have together as a body worshiping, but it’s relatively a very short time. 168 hours a week, and we’re going to spend about an hour of it worshiping together. Figure in the times you had to take a baby out, times you were late or had to serve in the nursery or something else, and it averages out to even less. Somewhere around 1% of our waking hours are spent together worshiping. What about the other 99%?
I want to challenge you with a thought this morning: if the only time you spend in worship is an hour on Sunday morning, if the only time you’re mind shuts out the distractions and focuses on the Lord is when you’re in a church auditorium, if the only time you listen to or speak words of praise to God is in a setting of corporate worship, you’re hindering the team. You’re not doing your part. Worse yet, you’re not giving your relationship with God enough attention, and that’s jeopardizing your salvation!
"Sunday morning is a culmination of a people who've been simmering all week in the presence of God. When we simmer every day in the presence of God and then come on Sunday morning and mix all of it together, there's an aroma and a smell of the grace and the goodness of God that lifts up to heaven."
I read through the Psalms. I figured, if ever there was a manual for the people of God on how to worship, that's it. But I noticed many of the Psalms that weren't about people. They were about one person and his God:
Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
Psalm 9:1-4 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
Psalm 16:7-11 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 86:1-7 Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.
Psalm 139:1-6 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
I ask you, where are the multitudes in these Psalms? Where is the "sanctuary," the organ music, the praise band, the suit and tie? It’s a counterfeit when we skip this personal adoration of God and try to let the once-a-week crowd experience make up for it.
When we're all together and praising the Lord, that's called "corporate worship" - from the Latin word for body - corpse. "Corporate worship" is when the whole Body comes together -- it's the putting together of our already existing worship. The Body shouldn't be a "corpse." It should be alive! But the body can't worship as a whole unless the parts of it are suited to worshiping.
First, these particular Psalms are all David and God. No one else. Then, they're something else. They're written to be read! And in that, we have a great model of real worship: It's 1st personal, then it's public! It's 1st written in our hearts, then it's expressed outwardly. First these psalms were from David's heart, then they were expressed to God, then they were written for Israel, then they passed on into the NT Church, and today they're here for us! But look where it all started: an individual and God. Worship has to be in the center of our personal lives and go out from there. It’s a whole-life feature.
-Ill - God instructed Israel in Num1 & 2 how to set up their camp in the desert. The tabernacle, the place of worship and of God's presence, was to be in the center. The priests were to stay with it. From there, the tribe of Levi was to set up their tents, so they could assist the priests. Outside of them, the rest of the tribes were to set up their tents. Even the arrangement of the camp of Israel reminded them that worship was to be central in their lives, not just some other part of it.
So let’s bring this home: How has the arrangement of your personal "camp" helped remind you of this eternal truth? What about the set up of your day, your week, shows that worshiping God is the central focus of your world? How does your schedule reflect that priority? What about your home, your checkbook, your eating schedule, your routine in the morning shows that worship of God is the central focus of your life?
You see, even some of the most routine things of life can be done in such a way that helps emphasize that God and worshiping Him are #1 in your life:
You can make prayer the first part of your morning routine.
You can make your giving to God the first thing you do with your checkbook each week.
You can plan family time together around the meal table so that it happens regularly.
Your home can be decorated and arranged in a way that shows God's place in your life.
Your calendar can contain priorities that make sure your worship of the Father doesn't get pressured out by "stuff."
Arrange your camp, or someone else is going to do it for you, and it won’t include worship on your own.
Some years ago, Don DeWelt put together a series of personal worship guides called “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” I’m not trying to sell materials for College Press, but they put a lot of Don’s work into printed form. And I am in favor of getting people together with things that will help them to grow in Christ.
Many people might look at one hour of personal worship time and say, “What on earth would I do for 1 hour by myself in worship?”
So, let me give the short version of Don’s “Sweet Hour of Prayer.”
He simply divided an hour up into 12 5-min. segments. For each 5 minutes you do something different.
• Praise for God – for Who He is
• Praise to God – for the great things He has done and is doing for you
• Confess Sin
• Sing a Prayer
• Read His Word to Him
• Read His Word for Yourself
• Read His Word in Thanksgiving
• Read His Word in Meditation
• Read the Word for Daily Petitions
• Listen – to His voice from the 5 previous uses of His word
• Intercession – especially for the lost
• Sing a Prayer of Praise
Don even suggested that if you spent 2.5 minutes on each of those things, that would end up being 30 minutes of worship on your own. And Don would sometimes tell certain people who needed to hear it: “You say an hour can’t happen? Even 30 minutes would be more than what you’re doin’ now, which is nothin’!” (followed by monkey grin)
If not this, find a way. Plan it to happen. With the zeal of a 2-yr old who suddenly wants to prove that he can do things on his own, prove to your family, your God, your friends, yourself that yes, you can do this. You can worship your own.
Conclusion:
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How do you offer a sacrifice partially? Our response to the mercy of God is to give ourselves, our whole selves, to Him as living sacrifices.
Worship begins with my personal adoration of God, expresses itself in all my life, and joins together with the Body to bring glory to the Father.
I’m glad I belong to a great church family. It wasn’t a difficult adoption process to be considered one of the bunch at Central. It’s great to be identified with a group of people who are involved in some excellent things.
But that’s not where it started. The reason I could belong to this body of believers is because I am a part of the Body of Christ. It began with my personal acceptance and my personal adoration of Jesus.
You can be here every week, blend in with the crowd, and receive a warm welcome every week. But until you make the decision to worship Jesus on your own, you’ve missed the whole foundation for it.
You need to make this personal. You need to begin today a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
