A. Worship is a word that is often used today but little understood. It is not hootin’ and holleren’ during a church service. It is not a warm fuzzy feeling during a song. It is not any of the things that most modern Christians do.
B. Jesus said to the devil that God alone is to be worshipped, and that man is to worship him, but do we?
C. Let’s look at three essential things that must be in us if we are to really worship. And we are supposed to worship according to what Jesus told Satan.
I. The first essential is found in Psalm 96:9
A. The beauty of holiness means that the worshipper must be holy. How is this done?
1. It begins with salvation. You cannot be holy without having Jesus as your savior.
2. Holiness is something that is born in the soul and moves to the actions and attitudes of the person.
3. God tells us to be holy because He is holy.
B. To be holy and worship in the beauty of holiness, we must change.
1. Eph 4:22-32 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. (26) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: (27) Neither give place to the devil. (28) Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
2. It is a conscious decision that we make to stop some things and begin some new things with God’s help.
II.The second essential is found in 1 Chron. 16:29
A. It is giving God the glory due Him. What does this mean?
1. It means that we understand what he deserves as our God. All power, all knowing, all holy.
2. Look at what is said about Jesus in Rev 5:11-14 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
3. The word worship means giving God his worth. The amount of worship you give is in direct proportion to what you think God is worth. “humbling isn’t it?”
4. A small boy asked an aged sailor, "What is the wind?" The old man replied, "I don't know, son; I can't tell you what the wind is, but I can tell you how to hoist a sail."
It is not really necessary to know all about the wind if we know how to set our sails. We simply make them ready, and let the wind come.
This is what we are doing in worship service-setting our sails for whatever gale the tomorrows may bring. Here, as it were, we adjust the wind-catching paraphernalia of our lives. Then we will be ready for life's gentle zephyrs or its howling storms. Here we align ourselves, set ourselves right with reality, and then, whatever winds may blow, we can receive their forward-thrusting force and sail on.
B. If you are giving God the glory due Him, then you will do as Paul exhorts in Rom 12:1-3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
III.The last essential you need to truly worship is found in John 4:23-24
A. Jesus was speaking to a woman by a well outside the Samaritan city of Sychar. The discussion turned to the proper way of worshipping and Jesus said if you ever worship it will be in spirit and in truth. What does this mean?
1. It means that it cannot be done with rites and ceremonies. Even modern ones like praise band concerts and worship services.
2. It has to be done in the soul of the worshipper and the “spirit” is a proper attitude of the worshipper. It is literally where you offer your heart, mind and your all to God.
3. Psa_51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
B. Worship must also be in the truth of the Word of God. It is possible for a person to try to worship God but we are not allowed to design our own worship. It must be according to God’s teaching.
1. The ancient Jews often mixed up the worship of God with that of the idolaters around them. The created the gold calf and tried to use it to worship God. They sacrificed their children and called it worship of God.
2. Paul on Mars hill in Rome saw all their dedicated monuments to god’s and said, ye worship but not truly.
3. If we want to worship God, we must do it by His ways, not our made up ones.
4. Many will get an idea and then do it and in essence say to God, here I did this for you now accept it. Look at Gen 4:3-7 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (4) And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (6) And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
a) Cain tried to worship God the way he wanted, and it was not accepted.
b) To worship God, come to him his way and worship according to His instruction.
Worship that is accepted by God is a privilege unique to the Christian 1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
It is not a right. I am permitted to offer acceptable worship only by the grace of God.
Therefore it is disheartening when children of God deliberately reject this privilege and wantonly absent themselves from the public assembly God has ordained for His glory and our good.
Consider briefly the significance of worship:
A. It is obedience to a divine command.
B. It is a means of nourishing the spirit.
C. It assists in achieving spiritual growth.
D. It encourages others in their spiritual development.
E. It shows the world where my priorities are.
F. It is one means of expressing my love for God.
G. It is an avenue God has provided by which I can praise His name.
H. It is the offering of spiritual sacrifices.
I. It is a way of showing my thanksgiving to God for all He has done for me.
J. It is a period of communion with God with the world shut out entirely.
K. It is an experience that should make the heart of every Christian glad!
Learn to join your fellow Christians every Lord's day as they assemble to honor His name? Your Father will be looking for you.
