Topic: WANTED! TRUE WORSHIPPERS?
Text: John 4 : 20—24, Jer. 26: 3-11
OUTLINES
Introduction
1. Ignorant Worshippers
2. Adamant Or Unyielding Worshippers
3. Deceptive Or Hypocritical Worshippers
4. Angels’ (or) Devils’ Worshippers
5. Vain Worshippers
6. Self-Willed Worshipper
7. True Worshippers.
Introduction:
Our Lord and Master Jesus made known the great yearning of God. He seeks for those that will worship Him.
But many generations of people would lay claim to being worshippers of God! Yet, it has been known that MANY have worshipped the God they do not know. They are either ignorant worshippers, adamant worshippers, deceptive worshippers, worshippers of angels or devil rather than God, vain worshippers, self-willed worshippers, or TRUE worshippers. Let’s find out more about these various kinds of worshippers in order to have a mirror of ourselves.
1. Ignorant Worshippers, Acts 17:22-31
These ones offer worship in the absence of a knowledge of God’s will concerning who He is and how He is to be worshipped.
Ø They have false concepts of God. v. 25
a. Lives in shrines made by human hands, v.24 – a restricted God.
b. Served by human hands, as though He needed anything. v. 25 - a limited God.
c. Like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals, v. 29 – a perishable God.
My God is not: - restricted
- limited
- perishable
Ø True concept of God
- the creator. Lord of heaven and Earth, v.24
- the giver of life and breath and all things, v.25
- the maker of man. He is the great designer, v.26
· From one ancestor he made all nations ….
· He allotted the times of their existence
· He allotted the boundaries of places where they would live.
You are not a Nigerian by chance. The great designer is behind it all.
· He formed a shape in man in which ONLY Him can fill, hence man searching for Him though He is not far from us, v. 27
· We are His offspring, v. 28, 29.
- Time of ignorance God has overlooked, v.30
· repentance commanded to all men
Let us worship His majesty:
Oh Come let us Worship and bow down
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker
For, truly He is God.
We are the people of His pasture,
We are the sheep of His hand.
Psalm 95:6,7.
2.. Adamant or Unyielding Worshippers
Characteristics Jer. 26:3-11
· Spiritual deafness, v 3,5
· Unrepentant, v.3
· Stubbornness, v4
· Developed itching ears
· Wants to hear palatable preaching suitable for their way of life, v.9, 11.
· Murderers, v. 9,11; Rev. 9:20-21.
3. Deceptive or Hypocritical Worshippers. Zeph. 1:5
· They swear to the LORD, but also swear by Milcom.
· Double-mindedness in God’s worship not acceptable
· Jesus said “You cannot serve two master. “ Mt. 6:24
· Herod was hypocritical too, Mt. 2:8,16.
· Flatterers, Ps. 78:36, 37.
4. Angels’ or Devils’ Worshippers
· Rev. 9:20; Col.2:18
· Rev. 19:10; 22:8 – John’s attempt to worship an Angel.
5. Vain Worshippers
- Characteristics
· Worships with their mouth and lips but not with their hearts, Is. 29:13
· Heart far from God, v. 13, Is.59:2
· Worship made up only of rules taught by men.
· Jesus quoted here in Mt. 15:7-9
· following men’s traditions rather than God’s word.
6. Self-Willed Worshippers
- Closely related to vain worshippers
- Doing what WE like and WE think is good. Col.2:20-23; Is.2:8,20.
7. True Worshippers, Jh. 4:20-24; Phil.33:3,
Not just any worship is acceptable to God. There are different kinds that can be offered, but only ONE is acceptable.
- Not restricted by place of worship
- Not restricted by articles of worship
· Special clothes, burning of incense, anointing oil.
- Not restricted by dos and don’ts.
- Heart is the place of worship. The spirit man must be involved.
- Worship is God’s own acceptable way, as commanded in His word, not one after man’s traditions and commandments.
If you worship on Sunday, what happens on Monday?
A.W. Tozer writes:
“We come to the Lord’s house, made out of brick and wood and lined with carpeting. We are used to hearing a call to worship. ‘ The Lord is in His holy temple – let us all kneel before Him.’ That is on Sunday and that is in church. Very nice!.
But Monday morning comes. The Christian layman goes to his office, the carpenter, teacher etc and the mother also in their duty posts.
Is it not a beautiful thing for a businessman to enter his office on Monday morning with an inner call to worship? “The Lord is in my office – let all the world be silence before Him.”
If you cannot worship the Lord in the midst of your responsibilities on Monday, it is not very likely that you were worshipping on Sunday! ----
Many people have and idea that they have God in a box. He is just in the church sanctuary, and when we leave and drive toward home, we have a rather faint idea of leaving God in the big box.
God is not confined to a building any more.
If your do not know the presence of God in your office, your factory, your home, then God is not in the church when you attend…..
If there is to be true and blessed worship, some things in your life must be destroyed, eliminated. The gospel of Jesus Christ is certainly positive and constructive. But it must be destructive in some areas, dealing with and destroying certain elements that cannot remain in a life pleasing to God….”
- A.W. Tozer - Whatever happened to worship? page 117 ff.
Think of this Worship song
When I look into Your holiness
When I gaze into Your loveliness
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You
When I’ve found the joy of reaching Your heart,
When my will becomes enthroned in Your love
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You:
I worship You….. I worship You…..
The reason I live…is to worship You….
I worship You….. I worship You…..
The reason I live…is to worship You.
