Excel in Worship

Deuteronomy 12:1-6 ““These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.”

Introduction:

What is your relationship with God? Worship begins with our hearts. Worship is an outward exhibition of your inward relationship with God.

Worship has nothing to do with how others see us but everything to do with how we see God.

Worship is not an act nor a performance. Worship is a response. Worship is the awed response to the saving acts and praiseworthy character of God. When we worship we are responding to the grace, mercy and love God has shown us. Bowing down in the presence of God was an outward display of an inner attitude of reverence before the Creator . Worship may also be described as a person “lifting up” or “exalting” God with praise. Together, these these descriptions provide a rich image of worship: People both bow before God and lift him up in praise and wonder.

In our text today we take note of the people of Israel just about to enter the land of promise. They know the works of God having witnessed His wonderful works before their eyes. The Ten plaques, The Red Sea, The defeat of Pharaoh’s army, Manna from heaven, The defeat of the Amalakites, Water from a rock, and the list Goes on and on. They were witnesses of the greatness and graciousness of God. They have both seen and experienced the wrath of God, but have experienced the mercy, grace and love of God. Moses knew the hearts and the sometimes fickleness of these people and desired remind them of their covenant as God’s people. So, just before they move in to Canaan to possess it , Moses gives a speech

Moses' objective in this speech to the nation of Israel was to instruct them on how to properly worship God.

He begins by challenging them to implement principles that will be passed on to their offsprings and continuously exemplify what God expects from His children

Transition: The first of which we find in the first four verses.

1. Worship God Exclusively (Deuteronomy 12:1-4)

Deuteronomy 12:1–4 (ESV)

1 “These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way.

a. Moses instructs Israel of God's requirements for worship. (Verse 1)

Moses says that worship begins with the heart of obedience. Worship is to be done on God’s terms not on our terms. Moses tells the people of Israel, pay attention and follow what God says to the letter. He further admonishes them to do this for the entirety of their lives. Worship cannot be done only when it is convenient but it is to be done always. Convenience is not an option in worship. The kingdom of God does not function by the principle of convenience, it functions by the principle of obedience. So, the heart of obedience will find it easy to make worship exclusive to God. Look at v.2-4

b. Reject all false worship (Verses 2-4)

The people of Israel are commanded to destroy “all the places” in which the Canaanites worshiped their gods in the promised land. The Canaanite places of worship were apparently open-air shrines “upon the high mountains and upon the hills.” These pagan shrines were scattered widely throughout the countryside. Moses instructs them to be aware and destroy them all. He tells them not to become attracted by the ways of the Canaanites. In fact, He says don’t emulate their manner of worship. Their worship is to be exclusive to God. It only goes toward God and Him alone. Moses is intentional as he warns them not to indulge in idolatry.

Transition: Let’s be clear these instructions are not reserved for the people in the text today. These principles are for us today. we do not live in a time where idolatry takes its form as it did in the days of Moses. You and I face the temptations of the world that may slowly cause idolatry. The principles we must take from this lesson is:

- Don't idolize man

- man will fail you and turn on you. Man is fallible. We live in a time when celebrities, sports figures, rappers, and social media influencers captivate our attention and leads to a slippery slope toward idolatry. No man, movie or athlete deserves God’s worship.

- Don't idolize things

- Things should always be secondary to God. What we have is because of God. Many of us have gone beyond appreciation and began serving things that can do nothing for us. Our cars will quit running, money and luxurious items can be gone tomorrow. Place your faith in God. Worship Him for the things He has provided. Do not place those things before God. They must be secondary.

- Don't idolize self

- When you become more important than worship of God you have made yourself an idol. How many times have we heard people say things like I got to do me. I mean when it comes to giving God their attention. I got things to do. Pastor got to understand I got a life. My only question is how’s it going without acknowledging God wholeheartedly. When we are unwilling to make sacrifices for God we are saying to God we are more important than He is.

ILLUS:

Application: Is God sacred to you? Make God first in your life. Make worship about Him. Worship is not a show. Worship is an opportunity to brag on God to God. I’m going to say something many do not enjoy hearing. That is, your family, your friends, your grass, your phone, your soap opera, game show, football team, fishing, concert, movie or celebrity; I mean nothing comes before God. You and I are mandated to worship God exclusively.

Transition: Moses further instructs these people to worship God in His Place.

2. Worship God In His Place (Deuteronomy 12: 5)

Deuteronomy 12:5 (ESV)

5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,

Though heaven is regarded as the exclusive place of God’s abode the focus of attention here is on the eradication of all forms of pagan worship in the promised land that would pose a threat to the covenant loyalty YHWH demands of his chosen people. God designates His place of worship there in the tabernacle. Do not worship in any of the places the pagans worshipped, Moses says to them.

a. God has designated a place for His people to worship Him

- God's house is created for worship of Him.

b. The place where He put His name

- Jerusalem, the temple

Deuteronomy 16:2 (ESV)

2 And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there.

Deuteronomy 26:2 (ESV)

2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there.

2 Chronicles 6:5–6 (ESV)

‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

2 Chronicles 7:12 (ESV)

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

ILLUS:

Application: Make being in the place of God with the saints of God a priority in your life. God’s name is not on your favorite football team, basketball team, club, sorority, facebook page, instagram, or Netflix movie. I can tell you where God’s name is though. . . it is on His church.

3. Worship God With Our Substance (Deuteronomy 12:6)

Deuteronomy 12:6 (ESV)

6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

In the Old Testament, worship encompassed a variety of activities. Bringing forward an offering to God was an act of worship (קָרַב, qārab). Moses reminds them that God wants their best offering and to bring the offering. In fact, Moses is teaching them to set aside God’s offering and give to God first. He is explaining that the offerings, sacrifices, contributions, and tithes are to be given to God without reluctance or hesitation. God requires them to worship Him with their substance.

a. Giving is worship

Allow me to correct some thinking, Giving is not a part of worship. Giving is worship. It is not a recess in worship. When we give to God we are worshiping Him. She giving honors God. When we fail to give God our substance we are telling God that we are in direct objection to the worship of God. When we criticize others for giving and refuse to give to God we are dishonoring God.

b. God required Israel to worship Him through giving.

- Giving is expected

- Giving is required

- Giving is obedience

Deuteronomy 12:8–12 (ESV)

8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.

ILLUS:

Application: Bring God your gifts without reluctance. Think of His tithe and your offering not as a debt but as an act of worship. Be obedient to God and give. Do it because you know its the right thing to do because you know God expects it. Know this we have not fully worshipped without giving to God.

Conclusion:

God expects us to worship Him, Exclusively.

God expects us to worship Him in His place.

God expects us to worship Him through giving.