“Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’” [1]
We know how to worship; we have the act down pat. Worship is a Psalm, an invocation, two hymns, prayer, two more hymns, a sermon and a closing hymn. Simple! Right? But, what if what we call “worship” isn’t actually worship? What if what we are doing is for us? What if what we are doing is meant to make us comfortable? Will it be worship in that case?
In an article published on a ministry site I frequent, Sam Storms referenced a Matt Redman song, “Here for You,” to raise the question of whether we are insulting God in worship. [2] The lyrics in that song are:
Let our praise be Your welcome
Let our songs be a sign
We are here for You, we are here for You
[3]
Storms raised the question of what is meant when we say, “We are here for You.” Does this mean we are present to provide a service for the Lord? Does God need something that we must provide? Are we doing something that God cannot provide for Himself? Among too many of the professed saints of the Living God, we are unclear about what we are doing in worship.
Alternatively, we could mean that we are present so that God can meet us. Redman makes this evident when he writes:
Let Your breath come from heaven
Fill our hearts with Your life
We are here for You, we are here for You
[4]
It is God who infuses us with breath, and not vice versa. It is God who fills our hearts with His life; we don’t give life to God. The difference in the two concepts is the difference between worship and ritual. It is not reasonable to speak of all ritual as worship.
The message today is a call for the people of God to think through the issue of worship, asking what we are doing when we worship. Are we moving through something we call worship in an automatic fashion? Or are we truly engaged with the Living God?
THE SETTING OF THE MESSAGE — We are no doubt familiar with the temptation our Master faced. To ensure that each of us is on the same page, let’s look again at the account of Jesus’ temptation after His baptism. We read in the Word, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
‘“Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘“He will command his angels concerning you,”
and
‘“On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
“Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
‘“You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.”’
“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” [MATTHEW 4:1-11].
It is important to realise that our Lord did experience temptations that mirror what you and I experience. There was nothing in these temptations that are recorded that we do not face. Refresh your memories by recalling what is written in the Letter to Hebrew Christians. “Since … the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” [HEBREWS 2:14-18].
Jesus faced temptation—temptation to which you and I can relate. Before examining the actual temptations and exploring how they mirror what we face, note the tempter’s approach: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” [MATTHEW 4:3]. There was no question of who Jesus was; the tempter knew! Examine just a couple of incidents when demons confessed their knowledge of Jesus.
Opening his ministry of preaching in Capernaum, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in that city. Listen to Mark’s recitation of what took place at that time. “Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God’” [MARK 1:23, 24].
I had a similar incident one night in a major US city. It was the days before there were cell phones, and I and the two men with me needed an address. We stopped at a pay phone to phone the church to secure the address we needed. As Tony was phoning, a young man walked toward me. Not wanting to lose an opportunity to speak to people about the Saviour, I approached him and asked if I could speak with him. I briefly gave my testimony and asked if he would consider turning to my Master.
He turned to look directly at me, and never have I witnessed eyes more dead than I saw that night. “I know your Master,” he intoned. “He is a Good Master; but I already have a master.” And with that, he turned and walked into the night. I know that the demons know who Jesus is. I know that demonic powers know and fear the Saviour. That is what James has written. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder” [JAMES 2:19]! It is a dangerous thing to misappropriate the Name of Jesus, as seven sons of a Jewish high priest learned. When they misappropriated that holy Name, the demon responded, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you” [ACTS 19:15]?
Jesus had sailed with His disciples to the country of the Gerasenes. Upon alighting from the boat, “there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time, he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God’ [LUKE 8:28]? There was no question who Jesus was; and there is no question who Jesus is! The tempter knew assuredly that Jesus was the Son of God! Nevertheless, he would tempt the Son of God.
In the first temptation, Jesus experienced what it is to be deprived. Our Lord knew hunger; and undoubtedly, due to the extended period of fasting, Jesus experienced thirst during this time. No doubt the Master was fatigued—hunger and thirst will cause us to be easily fatigued. When one man volunteered to follow Him, the Master responded, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” [LUKE 9:58].
In His vulnerable condition—tired, thirsty and hungry, the tempter suggested that Jesus satisfy His natural needs. Who of us hasn’t faced similar temptations? Perhaps it wasn’t hunger for food, or thirst for water, or a longing to rest, but it was the desire to gratify some craving. We knew we should not give in to sexual desires, but we did give in; we justified our decision because we just knew that needed to satisfy what was natural! Perhaps it was surrender to our natural drive to acquire things. We know that things never satisfy, but the desire is so great. Temptations to make satisfying our natural desires at the expense of spiritual standing abound; and who among us hasn’t faced such temptations.
Then, the tempter assaulted Jesus at the level of human desire to be known as someone. Being a nobody is hard on the psyche! Being a servant is impossible for us! If God didn’t intervene to give us strength, would any of us ever turn from this temptation? How Jesus’ words haunt us who want to follow Him. The Master taught us, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” [MARK 9:35]. It is unnatural to want to serve. I’ve heard children aspire to be a policeman, a fireman, a nurse, a doctor, an astronaut—I’ve never heard a child say, “I want to be a servant when I grow up!” It is foreign to human thought.
Personal gratification failed to tempt the Master, but the tempter would make another attempt. The tempter appears to have taken Jesus to the top of what was known as Herod’s royal portico at the southeast corner of the temple enclosure. This pinnacle overlooked the Kidron valley, 450 feet below. If Jesus would throw Himself from this pinnacle, people would see what He did and then they would be awed. They would come to hear what He had to say! The tempter was urging the Saviour to be presumptuous, rather than trusting. There is a fine line between trusting God and tempting God. The tempter used his powers of persuasion on the Lord, just as he uses his intense persuasion on each Child of God.
John Phillips presents the challenge in this manner: “You must do something daring, something spectacular. You say You trust Your Heavenly Father. Well, prove it. Exercise Your faith. Show Your faith by casting Yourself down. Take Your stand on the Word of God. God’s Word says, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ There! That’s in the Bible. You reminded me of what the Bible says—now I’m reminding You. You believe the Bible—then do what it says. Put it to the test. The world is waiting to see a man who will go all the way with God, one who behaves as he says he believes.” [5] It all sounds so reasonable. It would be easy to rationalise such a course.
Churches do this all the time. “We need to do something if we want to become known. If we want a crowd, we need to make ourselves known!” What churches do, individual Christians do. Can you relate? “Time is getting away! What are you doing! You need to do something. Don’t you want to do something great for God? You have to help God if you want to get anywhere!” We have all heard these inducements to tempt rather than trust.
At last, the tempter offered a shortcut to service. The glory and the pomp of this dying world were offered to the Master. The power of Assyria, of Babylon and of Persia were His; the splendours of ancient Greece and the majesty of Imperial Rome would be given to Jesus, and all He needed to do was honour Satan. Instant food and instant fame didn’t work to seduce the Lord; perhaps instant fortune would work. There was no need for the cross; Jesus could have it all, and without any suffering.
One of the more moving songs of recent years is “Hurt.” Johnny Cash sung this song only seven months before his death. Among the lyrics are these haunting words:
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
[6]
Though we doubt it, it remains true that all the glory of this dying world means nothing in the face of death. At the end of days, all that this world can offer is dirt. In your final journey, your hands will be empty; at last, gravel will fill the mouth. It is all the world can give.
Two truths remain I would have you see before transitioning to the heart of the message. First, we do not serve a God who is unaware of what we face. We need to be reminded of the Word that encourages us, “Since … we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” [HEBREWS 4:14-16]. I have no doubt that our Master was tempted repeatedly throughout His days in the flesh; and yet, He was without sin. If I will conquer the temptation to surrender to my own base desires, it will only be through His strength.
Secondly, in every instance when He was tempted, Jesus responded with an appeal to what is written. Gratify your cravings, Jesus! “It is written,
‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Gain notoriety, Jesus! “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” I’ll give You power and fortune without the pain. “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
‘“You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
If we would know God’s power, we must know His Word. If we would enjoy victory now, it must be that we will invest ourselves in His Word.
WORSHIP? OR RITUAL? In the moments remaining, I believe it will be beneficial for us to focus on the Master’s response to the final temptation. Satan had asked the Son of God to worship him, much as he seduces many of the professed people of God to worship power, or position, or possessions, or pleasure. Don’t say it will never happen to you—it happens all the time, and each of us has experienced the siren call to bow down to some inducement or another. The Master had just faced a temptation similar to that which many of us have faced or will face.
Ultimately, Jesus responded to the tempter by pointing to worship of the Living God. Worship is simple to define, and yet, oh so difficult to practise. An extended discourse on the differences between worship and ritual would not prove helpful, but it will be advantageous for Christians to know what is meant whenever we speak of worship. Worship is the spontaneous response of the individual who becomes aware of the presence of the Living God. Ritual is what people do, hoping that God will accept them. If we accept these definitions, it becomes evident that one can engage in ritual without worship, just as one can worship without ritual. Worship and ritual are not synonymous.
Worship, if the definition I presented is correct, should be a continual experience for the individual who claims to know Christ. If the Spirit of God lives within each believer (He does), if Christ is ever with us (He is) and if the Father always watches over us (He does), then we should be conscious of the presence of the Living God at all times. That we are not continually aware of His presence and His oversight says more about us then it does about God. The fact that we allow our minds to be absorbed with the cares of this world speaks volumes of what we truly value. What we need is to permit our hearts to focus on God with greater regularity!
Jesus answered the tempter each time through appeal to the Word of God. During His days of fasting, I suggest that the Master invested time in worship. Each of the responses to the temptations He endured during these final hours were from the Book of Deuteronomy. The first temptation to gratify natural desires was met by the words of DEUTERONOMY 8:3:
“Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
The second temptation to seek notoriety was met by referral to DEUTERONOMY 6:16: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” And the final temptation was met with citation of DEUTERONOMY 6:13:
“You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.”
I suggest that Jesus had meditated on the words recorded in Deuteronomy six through eight that very morning. In other words, I believe it is likely that Jesus had been worshipping by meditating on the written Word—the Word that He had given! While the final citation would be an appropriate response to any of the temptations, it was an especially appropriate citation for the tempter’s inducement to seek power and fame. Worship flows naturally out of study of the Word of God. If you would worship on a Sunday morning, I suggest that reading the Word before arriving at the House of the Lord will prepare you to meet the One Who gave the Word!
It has long been a source of dismay for me to hear worship leaders refer to choruses and even hymns as worship, indicating that their music is somehow superior to prayer, to the reading of the Word or to the proclamation of the message of life. There are not two standards for worship—music and everything else! Christians should come into the service of the assembly expecting to meet the Living God in this place. As we sing, as we pray, as we read the Word and as we hear the message that is proclaimed, we should anticipate that we will meet Him who lives forever and ever.
Each Christian is responsible to come to the service expecting to meet the Risen Son of God. It is not the responsibility of the worship leader to “get you in the mood” to worship or to “set the tone” for worship. It is not the responsibility of the Pastor to make you worship. Worship spontaneously occurs when you meet the Risen Saviour! It is telling that when John describes the One Whom he saw when he received the messages for the Seven Churches, he wrote, “I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest” [REVELATION 1:12, 13]. The Risen Son of God clearly states that the lampstands are the churches when He says, “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” [REVELATION 1:20].
Think about that! What is written means that when the congregation of the Lord meets, there is Jesus in their midst. He promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:20b]. In this context, the citation found in HEBREWS 2:12 seems applicable:
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
The Son of God is present at this moment and in this place. He waits to reveal Himself to you, if you are prepared to receive the revelation. And when you witness His presence, you will worship. You will know the glory of the Risen Saviour and you will worship.
I said that worship should be a continual experience for the child of God. The Spirit of God is always with us, Christ the Lord is ever with us and the Father is always watching over us; shouldn’t we recognise the presence of the Living God with us at all times? I am suggesting that each of us are privileged as those who are known by God to recognise His presence throughout the day and in the varied activities in which we take part. As a mother tends to her children, shouldn’t she witness the beauty of the Lord in her little ones? As a father witnesses the fruit of the womb advancing toward God and toward His glory, will he not see God’s glory in his children? Can a Christian read the Word and actually fail to realise the glory of the Living God delivering that Word for the benefit of each one reading? If I see God, I will worship!
That worship is automatic is revealed by even a cursory examination of instances when mortals encountered God. When God revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, we read, “Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped” [EXODUS 34:8].
When Joshua met the pre-incarnate Christ, we witness the following interaction. “Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?’ And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so” [JOSHUA 5:14b, 15].
Gideon saw God’s might at work as two enemy soldiers spoke of a dream, and one confessed, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp” [JUDGES 7:14]. Notice Gideon’s response to this revelation. “As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped” [JUDGES 7:15a].
When the glory of the LORD was displayed at the dedication of the Temple, all the people present worshipped! This is the account provided in the divine text. “As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever’” [2 CHRONICLES 7:1-3].
In the days of His flesh, Jesus revealed His glory from time-to-time. For instance, we recall the instance when Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the water. Peter asked the Master to call him to come to Him. Of course, when Peter looked around at the raging storm, he began to sink. Jesus rescued him, delivering a mild rebuke, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt” [MATTHEW 14:31b]? Note the response of all the disciples, however. “When [Peter and Jesus] got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” [MATTHEW 14:32, 33].
Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth. That man refused to deny Jesus, though he didn’t truly know Him yet. Jesus did reveal Himself to that man and he worshipped. This is the account. “Jesus heard that they had cast [the man] out [of the synagogue], and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him” [JOHN 9:35-38].
What will it take to get you to worship? What will it take to make you open your eyes to see the glory of the Lord in the midst of His people? What will be required for you to see the glory of God revealed through the Word He has given His people? Peter has testified, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” [2 PETER 1:16-21].
Understand what Peter has said. Grasp the import of the declaration the Apostle to the Jews just made. What you read in the pages of Holy Writ are the very words of the Living God! When the preacher declares the Word of God, he is proclaiming the message of the Living God! How, then, can we trade God’s glory for false fire because we have generated a feeling? Mere emotionalism generated by a song, feelings manipulated by mood lighting, sentiment created by mere passion can never satisfy when one has actually met the Risen Son of God. Then, having met Him, we will worship. What is required, then, is for us to meet the Risen Son of God!
Let me ask the hard question, inviting your honest response to the question. Did you meet the Saviour today? Have you heard His clarion voice calling through the Word that has been read? Did you recognise His presence as your fellow believers offered up praise and petition to Him who lives evermore? Are you conscious of His presence in the life of your fellow worshippers? If you have not met the Saviour, what has gone wrong? Either we have somehow failed to open our eyes to His presence, or we are in the wrong place.
APPLYING THE WORD —
“You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.”
[MATTHEW 4:10]
Two thoughts come from the passage Jesus cited: worship the Lord and serve Him. Consider each of these thoughts as together we think of how to apply the message we’ve just shared. Worship the Lord your God. It must be the aspiration of each Christian to worship on a continuing basis. To worship, we need to know Who we worship and then recognise His presence.
As I prepared the message, I read again one of the Psalms that speak of praising God.
“Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
“Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
“Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
“Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
“Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!”
[PSALM 148:1-10]
As I read those words, I thought of something I had read of Spurgeon. “[Spurgeon] couldn’t resist walking outside in thunderstorms (‘I like to hear my Heavenly Father’s voice in the thunder’), he … had a keen interest in botany. Like us all, Spurgeon was uniquely himself. Yet his big-heartedness and joy as he walked through his Father’s creation displays exactly the sort of life that will always grow from the theology he believed.”
[7]
It should be out definite experience that we witness God’s glory in the heavens He created, in the earth which His hand created and which He filled with beasts and livestock, and with trees and grasses. We should remember that the storms are controlled by His hand, that He sends the sun as well as the rain. When we witness nature’s wrath, we should be humbled at the thought that God has given us not only the earth to enjoy, but He has given us the capacity to see, to hear, to taste, to smell and to touch so that we may enjoy His handiwork. As we recognise God’s might and majesty, we will worship, for we will see that He is not in nature—He rules over nature. Who could not worship such a God.
Glorious as it is to witness God’s power and majesty in nature, it is an even greater source of awe to witness His love through the Word He has given. And how shall we know this love if we neglect reading what He has given? Of course, I am speaking to Christians who know this God and are able to call Him “Father,” as He has taught us. Outsiders may attempt to call Him “Father,” but they may only pretend that they have a Father in Heaven.
Jesus rebuked Jewish leaders, challenging them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” [JOHN 8:42]. Therefore, this is the question which each person listening must answer: “Do you love the Master? What evidence do you present that you love the Lord Jesus Christ?” Mere words are insufficient to prove your love.
Let me be quite pointed: It is impossible for you to love the Saviour if you never spend time with His people, whom He loves. John writes, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments” [1 JOHN 5:1, 2]. I iterate—mere words are insufficient to prove your love.
Again, to the redeemed of the Lord, if you worship throughout the week, then prepare yourself for worship as the people of God gather on Sunday. I want to transform your worship. It is five weeks until Easter Sunday when we celebrate the Resurrection of the Saviour. During the days leading up to Easter, I call on Christians to dedicate themselves to worship on a daily basis. Perhaps a family will set aside time to actually reflect on the presence of the Saviour, whether witnessing His power in nature, seeing His touch in the routine of life in the family or experiencing His power in transforming someone’s life—make it your aim to know the presence of the Master and to allow yourself to worship.
Assuredly, as individuals and as families set aside time to read His Word, let them pray for God to reveal Himself, showing His mercy and His grace. What would happen if it was our daily prayer that we would know Him and worship because He revealed His presence to us? I believe we would be transformed; and I know that God would be glorified in us.
The Psalmist prayed a prayer suited to Christians that would accept this challenge, “When I awake You will reveal Yourself to me” [PSALM 17:15b NET BIBLE].
In similar fashion, Habakkuk pleaded with God,
“LORD, as I listen to what has been said about you,
I am afraid.
LORD, revive your work throughout all of our lives—
reveal yourself throughout all of our lives.”
[HABAKKUK 3:2 ISV]
Indeed, Lord, “Reveal Yourself to me! Reveal Yourself throughout all of our lives.” Amen.
Then, as you prepare to come to the House of the Lord for each Sunday leading up to our celebration of the Resurrection, specifically ask God to reveal Himself in the services of that day. Pray that God would break through during the singing of hymns and Psalms and spiritual songs. Pray that God would be known through the reading of His Word. Pray, asking that the Saviour would make His presence known through the prayers offered up before His throne. Especially pray that God would break through as the message is presented.
I have no doubt that as we worship we will be fitted for effective service. Surely, we will find our way to the House of the Lord, for we shall anticipating meeting Him here. As He gives opportunity to serve others, we will effectively invest the gifts He has entrusted to each of us in the lives of others and to the praise of His glory. It is time to worship the Lord.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Sam Storms, “Are You Insulting God in Worship?” ChurchLeaders.com, June 26, 2015, http://www.churchleaders.com/worship/worship-articles/256066-insulting-god-worship.html, accessed 18 February 2018
[3] Matt Redman, “Here for You,” http://www.songlyrics.com/matt-redman/here-for-you-lyrics/, accessed 21 February 2018
[4] Ibid.
[5] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch, 2014) Mt 4:6b
[6] “Hurt,” Trent Reznor, © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
[7] Michael Reeves, “10 Things You Should Know about Charles Spurgeon,” February 19, 2018, https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-charles-spurgeon/, accessed 24 February 2018
