Welcome to the stadium! This is now the 3rd week we’re taking a closer look at worship, and we’re doing that in the context of something that most all of us already think about – a stadium – how, just like a big football game, there are a lot of parallels between what you see in that picture and what we are doing here on Sunday mornings. There are observers, cheerleaders, coaches, and players on the field.
And we’ve been talking about it in terms of where you are in that picture. Remember, the goal here is begin to see ourselves on the field, as the players and participants, rather than fans in the stands. God is the audience we perform for here. So, remember, when it comes to worship, we’re here for exaltation, celebration, participation, perspiration, anticipation, resuscitation, and assimilation – NOT observation – or else we’ll have agitation, vegetation, stagnation, and finally expiration! I’m sorry, I have greater expectations than that!
So, this morning, I want to talk about making sure we’re playing for the right team.
One of the NT words for worship is a word that basically means “to bow.” All of us have learned, from some early point in life, what that’s about. We can see people all over the world doing it. It’s an expression of submission. It’s a way to show respect. Muslim men do it several times a day during prayers. We can even train killer whales to do it. I guess whether or not someone can bow or does bow isn’t all that matters. There’s more to worship than a bow. There’s the direction we bow. That’s really what Romans 1:25 is about…
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
Last week, we saw in John 4, where Jesus gave us 2 essentials for worship – that it must be in spirit and truth. I want to worship in spirit and in truth, don’t you? Jesus said that’s a must – an essential. So, we have to grasp what that means. This morning, I want us to consider how to make sure we are worshiping in truth – in other words, that we’re not just in the game here, but that we’re on the right team – that we’re not just bowing, but that we’re bowing in the right direction.
(video rolls as I speak:)
October 25, 1964, Minnesota Vikings vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Jim Marshall recovers a fumble and runs the entire 66 yards…into the wrong end zone. Thinking that he had scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall tossed the ball away in celebration. It landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety and 2 points for the other team.
August, 30, 2012, Kent State vs. Towson, the first week of the college football season. Andre Parker of Kent State picks up a muffed punt return and runs it for a 58-yard return…in the wrong direction! The funnier part of this story is that he had a teammate block for him and there were 2 players from Towson who tackled him – and that the rules don’t permit returning a muffed punt return!
The reason for this message is simple: It’s possible that, as we attempt to purposefully worship God, we can actually end up bowing in the wrong direction. I want to offer some helps this morning to assure that we’re always bowing in the right direction.
Worship in Spirit and Truth…
I. Is Always Directed Toward God
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
What are some of the created things that people sometimes worship instead of God? What shouldn’t I be worshiping?
Some wrong alternatives:
Not idols
Now, that’s easy, isn’t it? At least, in our culture it’s easy. There are many religions in the world today, caught up in the worship of idols. Every day, millions are bowing down and praying and making sacrifices to images of gold and stone and wood.
We don’t have idols. We don’t have images or things that we would actually place ahead of God, or devote our time or resources or adoration to. Right? (pictures of some of our “idols”)
Boy, I’m glad we don’t because that would just be the height of foolishness, wouldn’t it?
I love some of the OT looks at just how foolish idolatry would be.
Isaiah 44:19
No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
Isaiah 46:6-7
Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.
Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."
But, since, you know, we don’t have any idols, I really don’t need to say much about our worship being misdirected to idols – our time, our money, our emotions, our energy, our thoughts, our loyalty – pretty much we don’t have to worry about that, right?
I also shouldn’t be directing my worship to people.
Not people
Not to preachers, teachers, authors, musicians, celebrities, or even your perfect spouse. That’s not where worship belongs. Do we ever do it? We’re at least capable of it.
A man named Cornelius asked God for help. God sent that help in the form of Simon Peter. He came to Cornelius’ house.
Acts 10:25-26
As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
Cornelius wasn’t trying to do anything wrong. He just needed to learn about where to direct his worship. We need to be careful not to put people in a position that humans don’t deserve. Only God is to be revered. Only God is to be worshiped.
Not angels
A few years back, the subject of angels became very popular. People liked the idea of heavenly interaction here on earth. I went into a Christian bookstore at that time, and there were shelves full of books about angels. Why not? After all, they’re powerful, they’re good, and the Bible cites the way they’re used by God to help us. They’re awe-inspiring. What’s wrong with special attention to angels? Let me direct you to a scene in Revelation. It happens 2X. John is being shown the scene in heaven, and it becomes more than he can handle at times. There’s an angel showing him around. Here’s what happens at one point:
Revelation 19:10 - At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!
The same thing, almost exactly, happens in ch 22. John wasn’t intending to mess up. He just temporarily misdirected his worship. When that’s directed to an angel, the angel says, “Don’t do it!”
Interestingly, there are a number of times that people directed worship to Jesus, but He never once tried to stop them. Jesus never said, “Don’t do it!’ That’s because worship given to Jesus isn’t misdirected!
Not nature
Another misdirected form of worship gives adoration to nature itself. It sounds very PC, very environmental, very green, very tolerant…and it’s very wrong. It’s a choice to worship created things rather than the Creator. Now, one approach to this is more blatant, but there’s another way we can misdirect our worship to nature and that’s to simply let our appreciation for nature replace our love for the One Who created it and sustains it. The Bible points to creation as a way that God’s glory is declared. I’ll be the first to tell you that everyone needs to spend some time in it and to wonder at it. But if you love the God who made green grass and beautiful bodies of water, then be consistent in your worship of Him rather than replacing it by playing golf or going fishing. Worship should be directed to God, not nature.
Not Stuff
Maybe you’ve seen a bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” I’d like to make an amendment to that: “He who dies with the most toys…is dead.”
God warns us that greed is actually a form of misdirected worship:
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Did you realize that living your life for stuff is just as foolish as the person who bows down to a block of wood and worships it? That’s because they’re both worshiping the created thing rather than the Creator.
Ill – Imagine a father giving his son a special toy for his birthday. And the boy likes it - a lot. In fact, he likes it so much, he goes overboard. He just wants to play with it all the time. Then, the father tells him it’s time to put it up. But the boy becomes disrespectful of the father. “Why should I put it up? I like it! It’s mine. I want to enjoy what’s mine.” About that time the father would be reminding him: “Son, you have that toy because I gave it to you. If it’s going to be a problem between you and me, I’ll just take it away. Your love and respect for me are more important than any toy you have.”
Parents don’t give gifts to their children so that their kids will turn away from them.
God didn’t give us metal or colors or sounds or technology so that we’d place them ahead of Him.
Worship that’s in spirit and in truth is directed to God and to Him only.
II. Is Always Directed Away From ME
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
Once upon a time, humans didn’t exist. God chose to make them exist, and poof, we exist; created, “creatures.” The only reason we exist keeps going back to God and what He wants. So, any way we choose to place ourselves on the throne to receive reverence, we’re pulling a Rom 1:25. We worship the created thing rather than the Creator.
It’s possible to be in this place today, go through all the right motions, to have all the appearances of rightly-directed worship, and all along the way to be completely self-absorbed and self-serving.
This is the very thing that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. They had all the right appearances, but in the end, their worship was really misdirected to themselves instead of to God. Their prayers were for show; their giving to the poor, their offerings, the way they dressed, their fasting, was all for show. In the end, their worship was misdirected because it all pointed to themselves and not to God.
Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Right worship doesn’t point people to ME. What was it Jesus said? “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and…
tell you you’re a great guy or lady?
give you the recognition you deserve?
see your worship and wish they were as good as you?
No! It’s to be done so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.
We can’t be playing for the right team and inwardly be making ourselves the center of it all.
When I say the word “worship,” what pops into the theater of your mind? Probably, for most of us, we picture a large group of people, gathered together, and singing. That’s certainly one way to worship, but let me tell you that if that’s as far as it goes for you, you’re missing out on most of what God has for you. Worship is a 7-day feature in the life of Jesus followers. And it’s certainly about more than just singing and music.
In the OT, God made music and singing a part of worship. There were even people whose job was to provide music as an expression of worship to God. There’s a whole book of songs, written for use in worship, right in the middle of your Bible! So how is it that music becomes a problem in the Church, not just today, but a long time ago too? How come, if music is too new or loud or repetitive, that’s a hindrance to worship, and how come, if it’s too old, or too mellow, or too familiar, that’s a hindrance to worship? Some would point to the year 1859 when a preacher named L L Pinkerton in Midway, KY allowed the introduction of a melodeon into the worship services of the Church of Christ, because, as he put it, their singing was so bad “it drove the rats from the church building.”
I wonder, when did music start being a problem rather than a help to worship?
Let me ask another question that I think will answer that. You listen, and you chew on this for a while. God gave us music, the ability to produce it, to appreciate it, to sing it, play it, record it. Just like any other thing He has given into our hands, it’s ultimately to be used for Him, right? - to bring Him glory. I’ve begun to wonder:
When did we have to label music “worship music”? When did music go from being something God gave us to express praise to Him to being instead something we listen to in order to please ourselves or make ourselves feel a certain way? When did we cease to judge its worth by what God thinks of it? When did the important thing about music become what I like, what I want, what sounds good to me? I don’t mean just on Sunday mornings. I mean all the time. When did we decide that the purpose of music is to entertain me or make me feel or think a certain way, rather than to be something that I do that simply brings glory to God as I present it? When did it become a way to make money and win awards and become famous? When did that change take place?
Now, I’m not trying to settle whether or not there’s anything wrong with any of that…I just wonder when that’s what music became.
While you think about music in the context of worship, just remember – worship in spirit and in truth is always goes out from me and never to ME.
Finally, worship in the right direction…
III. Is Always Gracious Toward Other Worshipers
Let’s read it one more time:
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
Jesus told a parable in Mt 20 about a man who owned a vineyard. He went out early in the morning to hire men to pick grapes. He promised to pay them the standard day’s wages, and sent them out. A few hours later, he found some more guys and hired them too. “I’ll pay you whatever’s right.” 2 more times, he went out and found some more guys. So, the long day was over, and the workers were all lined up to be paid. Some had worked all day, and some had worked just a few hours. The guys who had worked just a few hours were paid first. They were all given a whole day’s wages. The guys who’d worked all day were watching. They figured they’d be paid more, but they got the same thing – standard day’s wages. You can imagine how they felt. So, they complained. “Hey! These last guys worked one hour, and you’ve made them equal to us. We worked all day! That’s not fair!” The owner basically told him to stop complaining. He wanted to be generous, and that’s his business if he wants to.
The point of the story is that God will be generous with people who don’t deserve it, because He chooses to be generous. I’ll tell you as a person whom God has forgiven that I’m one of those undeserving people. Now, am I in any position to get jealous about God’s goodness to someone else?
It’s the end of the gospel of John – ch 21. Jesus has just finished reassuring Peter that He wants to use Peter to serve Him. Peter has been specially told by Jesus to be a leader among His people. In fact, one day it would cost Peter his life. Then, with the same words He had used to first call Peter to join Him, Jesus said, “Follow Me!” In v20 it says that Peter turned and saw that John was following them. What about him? Peter has just been told that one day he’ll be suffering for Jesus. What about John? What does he get? Will he get by with something less difficult?
John 21:20-22
When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
Loosely paraphrased, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “So?”
Now, put this all the context of worship.
Is it possible that we could come into the presence of Jesus and wrongly have our eyes on the people around us instead? I don’t mean caring about their well-being; I mean having feelings of jealousy or resentment - you know, the kind that Jesus said shouldn’t exist between fellow-worshipers.
Do you really think that God wants us to approach worship to Him with that kind of an attitude?
I’ll tell you, if we can all just get this straight, if we can all get our worship pointed in the right direction, it has the potential to make us all concerned with the right things when we worship together. Like: what about our corporate worship might help others come worship with us?; how might my presence here, my being on board, paying attention, being sincere, participating, encourage someone else to worship? How might the way I speak Sunday afternoon help the people around me? That right amount of concern for fellow-worshipers is one of the ways we show we’re playing for the right team.
Conclusion:
There’s some more about our worship in:
Philippians 2:10-11 (HCSB)
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
One day, every person is going to express its honor for the right team. Every knee is going to bow in worship to Jesus Christ. Did you hear that?
One of the ways we show that we’re playing for the right team is meeting together around the Lord’s Table, or the Lord’s Supper. Sometimes we call this time Communion. It’s really the main reason we’re here today. Jesus said that as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are declaring His death – and we are to continue doing this clear up until the time He comes again. As we do this together, we’re declaring to God that we regard Jesus and His death for us to be important. We’re declaring to the world that Jesus really did live and die for us, and that He’s coming again. And we’re declaring to one another, you, my brother, my sister, you and I are on the same side here. We’re here to serve the Lord together.
(Prayer)
After LS:
Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. For some, that’s simply going to be the great performance we’re practicing for right now. For others, it’s going to be a moment of terror. It doesn’t have to be a moment of terror, but bowing before Jesus, the King of all creation, is going to be done by every one of us. Why not be prepared? (invitation)
(After invitation):
Skit – “Refrigerator Art”
(end by saying, “Let’s make a beautiful picture for God”)
