Prepared to
Worship.
Exodus 19:1-19
Welcome and good morning. As always it’s a honor and a privilege to stand before you, to speak a portion of God’s word.
My hopes and prayers are that you can apply these words to your life, and use them in your daily walk with the Lord.
We’re going to take a close look at Exodus 19:1-19, these people will be pledging their faith to an invisible King. Their very creator, and promising to obey the many stringent laws which are a part of the covenant.
It’s been approximately 635 years since God promised Abraham that he would make a great nation of Abraham’s descendants and bless that nation as his chosen people.
They have just been delivered from bondage in Egypt, they witnessed the plagues, they witnessed the parting of the red sea, and saw mosses strike the rock and drank the water that poured forth from it.
These people are now instructed to purify themselves and prepare to meet God.
Now, Exodus 19:1-19
1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.
3And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
7So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. 9And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever."
So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
10Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, "Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."
14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives."
16Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain[a] quaked greatly. 19And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
Throughout this account of events God instructs Moses to prepare this group to meet him. They are prepared spiritually, mentally and, physically. And that’s what I want to talk about today, because we also must prepare to worship God.
When preparing to do something we must understand exactly what it is we are preparing to do, so before we get into our lesson let’s look at the definition of worship. Our word worship from the old English word worth-ship which means worthiness
To worship is to declare God’s worth.
Webster’s dictionary shows 3 definitions of worship; #1 is, reverence for God #2 is admiration of love and #3 is to show religious reverence.
So if I gave you a blank piece of paper, how many words could you write on it that describe God, or declare His worth. Words like; holy, great, powerful creative, wise, honest and dramatic.
In a book of Lynwood Smiths sermons called Passing it on, there’s a poem that he said was found on the wall of an insane asylum. It was in a demented man’s room and it wasn’t found until after the man had died. It’s also in our song book. The poem goes like this.
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen could ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were all the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
What this poem is saying is that there’s not enough ink to describe God’s love for us, nor enough paper to write it on. So one ink pen full of ink shouldn’t be enough ink to describe our God. We should easily be able to fill a sheet of paper with words declaring God’s worth.
#1 SPIRITUALLY PREPARED
To give God the worship that He deserves we must be prepared…We send our children to school to prepare for life, how about weddings, you don’t just get married. When you move into a new home you don’t just move, you prepare for it. How much more should we prepare to worship God.
Those who fail to plan….. Plan to fail…….another words those who fail to prepare….prepare to fail.
So our reading today in Exodus God prepares this group of people to meet with Him, after Exodus 19 the ten commandments were given as Israel is camped on Mt. Sinai
Usually when we read these commands we think that Moses went up the mountain, God gave him the commandments and he came back down. In reality there were many trips up and down that mountain.
There were many preparations to be made, and as we go thru these scriptures, look at what the Israelites were asked to do… It will give us clues for how we should prepare to meet with God.
God invited Moses to come up the mountain, symbolically closer to the heavens and closer to God. Verses 3 thru 6 says;
And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation, These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Notice the reference to eagles, and God said “I brought you to myself” to safety
Eagles often push young eaglets out of the nest to teach them to fly. On the first attempts, the mother eagle swoops underneath , gathers them to safety and carries them on her strong wings.
God did the same with Israel, in rescuing them from Egypt. And guided them to the safety of the wilderness and closer to Him.
God had to remove them from the idolatry and sin that was present in Egypt in order to have the relationship with them that he wanted. So they could meet with Him.
You see the Egyptians worshiped many gods, so removal of the Israelites was essential so that they could meet the one true God.
For us today, you might say Egypt symbolized the world. it’s sin, immorality and idolatry. When we are washed by the blood of Christ we’re removed from the sin of the world.
John 15: 19 Jesus says Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,
We are in this world but we’re not of this world….
The first step in preparing to meet God in worship is to recognize that God is the awesome being that he is.
God is all powerful - We are weak.
He is all wise - we can only see the present.
He is the creator - we are the created.
He is Holy - we are sinners, in need of grace and mercy.
Sin cannot separate us. We have to meet with God on his terms, on his level,.. We must become holy as He is holy…. 1 Peter 1:16 says; “ It is written, "Be holy, for I am holy.
To do that we have to have the right relationship with his son Jesus Christ.
Jesus says in John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.
We do this by obeying the gospel. Repent of your sins, confess that Christ is the son of God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of your sins.
1 Peter 2:4-5, As you come to him ,the Living stone --- rejected by men but chosen by god and precious to him------ you also like living stones, are being built into spiritual house. To be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2: 24-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. V. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
We must be spiritually prepared, because God is spirit…John 4:24 says God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit.. And truth.
So when we approach God we must be clean and holy, and we must remember; every time we come before Him we are here by his invitation.
When we forget that …. Worship becomes meaningless empty , and even disrespectful to God
Not all worship is pleasing to God. Just look at Cain and Able, Genesis 4:3-5 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.
We show God …. We demonstrate His worth to us when we … obey Him. When we obey the gospel when we participate in things that please him.
When we assemble here together as a church, it is pleasing to Him If we worship as we are commanded to , it pleases Him, it praises Him. It honors that you are here…that his people have gathered here to worship Him.
Jesus says in John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Are you the kind of worshiper that God is seeking….Have you been washed clean by the blood of Jesus……Are you spiritually prepared to worship God?
#2 MENTALLY PREPARED
Let’s look at V. 7&8 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said “all that the Lord has spoken we will do” So Moses brought back the word of the people to the Lord.
You see God wasn’t willing to speak unless Israel was ready to listen. They had to be mentally prepared in order to hear what God had to say.
We must prepare ourselves mentally to worship God…. Remind yourself who God is. Recognize your sin and your shortcomings
Reading Psalm 95:1-7 is a good way to prepare yourself before services, it says
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
Another one of my favorite passages is Romans 12: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---
Those of you who have sat close to me know that I can’t carry a tune, my tones are off. It makes my mind wander and probably yours too, if you sit very close to me.
I have to remind myself that it’s not the sound that comes from my lips, it’s the music that comes from our hearts that praises Him, lifts Him up, and glorifies Him.
Sometimes during services I get a lump in my throat, and that’s our challenge, to keep that lump in our throats, to not let worship just become a routine that we go through on Sundays.
And do you stay up late on Saturday night, wake up grouchy, or over sleep. Then have to scramble around the house look for your socks, put your make up on. Then run jump in the car and rush up here, barely making it here in time for the announcements.
I think everyone of us have been in that situation one time or another. It makes it hard to focus our attention on God. Get plenty of rest so that your sharp and mentally alert on Sunday morning.
Worship that is not offered in the right motivation and with the right heart is offensive to God.
God is offended by insincere, false, or half hearted worship.
Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets it’s self in remembering God… Worship celebrates the truth, God’s truth.
True worship doesn’t put on a show or make a fuss, true worship isn’t forced, it doesn’t keep looking at it’s watch, it doesn’t worry about what the person in the next pew is doing.
True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God no matter what…. Nothing is more important than worshiping God.
How can we can we hear what God has to say if we aren’t prepared to listen to the scripture being spoken.
We have to prepare ourselves mentally to enter the presence of God.
#3 PHYSICALLY PREPARED
We also have to be prepared physically, listen to what God has to say to Moses in verses 10-15
10Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, "Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."
14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.15And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives."
Why all the odd restrictions ?
Because God new that not only spiritual and mental preparation was necessary, the people had to be physically prepared also.
It’s the same in sports ,education, and on the job. We can be emotionally and spiritually focused but, if we’re not physically prepared we will fail.
God gives this ultimatum because they must prepare physically to meet Him. They not only have to be spiritually clean, but physically clean also.
Think about the young man going on his first date with that special girl of his desire .
He puts on his coolest clothes, splashes on aftershave even though he didn’t need to shave, then drives to her home. He looks in the mirror to make sure hair isn’t sticking up. Then…if your watching real close, he checks his breath and makes sure his deodorant is working.
And just before he rings the doorbell, he does a final check…. Why? Because he wants to look his best, he… he wants to put his best foot forward.
We should do the same thing to worship God We should plan on feeling our best, and looking our best.
We’re worshiping a super God, who’s great, powerful, and holy.
You see we have the spiritual side of worship, the music we make with our hearts, the bread that represents the body of Christ, the covenant that the cup represents and, the blood of Christ.
And over here we have the physical side of worship. Actually eating the bread, and drinking the fruit of the vine, and singing the songs with our lips.
And we have to be mentally prepared so we can bring them together to give God the praise, the glory, and the worship that He deserves.
Preparations have been made now, listen to verses 16-19
16Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain[a] quaked greatly. 19And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
If this building filled with smoke, and it began to lighting and thunder, the building began to shake, and a trumpet sounded loud and long……then a deep voice spoke from within the smoke……
Folks I don’t know if I could stay here or not. And if we did stay I’m sure we would gather the children up close to us, and pay particular attention to what was being said.
It seems like people today have lost a lot of reverence and fear of God.
A writer named A. W. Tozer wrote “ No one can know the true grace of God, who has not first known the fear of God”
Before the Israelites can approach God, they need to have an appropriate sense of awe, fear, reverence, and gratitude for God.
In Hebrews chapter 12: 18-28 the Hebrew writer refers to this to very event. He says in verse 18 For you have not come to the mountain that[a] may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness[b] and tempest, 19and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20(For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned[c] or shot with an arrow."[d] 21And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling."[e])
The Hebrew writer then told the people, and the writer is telling us, in verse
22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
Do you see, we’re not approaching a physical mountain…We are approaching something even greater, a spiritual mountain…Mt. Zion, the Church. Don’t you think we should be prepared, and approach God with fear and reverence.
Now listen to what the Hebrew writer says in verses 26-27
He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake[f] not only the earth, but also heaven."[g] 27Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
.The purpose of this shaking is to reveal the things that cannot be shaken,. And what will remain… is the Kingdom of God.
The things of this world will not endure, nations, powers, and even earth will not last.
Not even Mt. Sinai, the mountain were the Israelites met God will last forever.
How much more fearful should we be. We are approaching a spiritual mountain that cannot be shaken.
Hebrew chapter 12 verse 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may[h] serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
We prepare for parties, weddings, vacations, and the super bowl, how much more should we prepare to worship and meet our great God in heaven.
The trumpet has sounded… are you prepared to worship?… Are you prepared to meet God?...
Have you prepared yourself spiritually? If not, Having heard the word of God, do you believe? then you need to Repent of your sins, and confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God… and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of your sins.
If you have done this, and sin has overcome you. You need to repent, confess your sin ,and ask God for forgiveness.
Won’t you come forward and prepare yourself …As we stand and sing the invitation
