Does It Matter How I Worship God?
Questions Of Eternal Consequence • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Today, we continue our study through “Questions Of Eternal Consequences” and will be asking and answering the question…
Does it matter how I worship God?
This, of course, has been a topic of conversation for many years as individuals struggle with the ever growing entertainment value defended as worship.
In fact a quick google image search of the word worship delivers these images.
But this ever growing need to “outdo” others in entertaining worship has led to many questions surrounding the more broad topic of our question such as…
If worship is based on personal preferences then, as Dan Wilt argues, “once you know Jesus then you instinctively know how to worship God.”
In other words, you will know how God wants to be worshiped because it will “feel right to you.”
But others, such as Ligon Duncan, have started saying if worship isn’t based on personal preference then, “when the people of God gather to worship God on the Lord’s Day, an axiomatic and self-explanatory definition of worship as giving one’s heart to God and singing praises to Him is inadequate.”
The truth is, far too many people, both inside the church and outside the church have forgot the source that is most adequate to answer this question “Does It Matter How I Worship God” and all the other questions that bear eternal consequences for our souls.
Thankfully, God has already answered this question for us in his word in a most succinct fashion.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
Now it is up to us to determine what worshiping in spirit and truth is, so let’s begin by admitting what it means to have…
Incorrect Ideas About Worship
Incorrect Ideas About Worship
There Is No Need For Worship
There Is No Need For Worship
The theological or philosophical idea behind this goes something like, “If God is self-sufficient he does not need human worship; thus, acts of religious devotion are futile.”
This ignores that God has actually commanded worship of Him, not because He needs it, but because it affords man the best possible life here on earth.
10 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.’ ”
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
This is most certainly and incorrect idea about worship.
Another incorrect idea about worship is that…
Everything We Do Is Active Worship
Everything We Do Is Active Worship
Again this theological concept is presented as, “All worship is emotional and because man is always emotional he is actually worshiping all the time.”
However, this again ignores the clear passages in the bible that indicate people going from a point of “not worshiping to worshiping” or vise-versa.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”
27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship.
These passages clearly indicate there is a time when one can worship and there are times when one can live and not be worshiping.
Lastly, and one that has led to far too many people answer incorrectly our question of eternal consequence for this lesson, is that…
We Can Worship However We Want
We Can Worship However We Want
This theology holds most closely to the “new hermeneutic” in typically is stated as “God has spelled out no formula for the worship of himself.”
In other words, there is no pattern, law, or desire given by God in his word for how he wants to be worship.
However, there are ample illustrations found within the bible to prove this simply is not true.
We find this clearly demonstrated with Nadab and Abihu.
1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
They worship God in an unauthorized way, meaning in a way God had not told them they could worship him.
King Saul waited for Samuel to come and make the offerings to God before his battle with the Philistines, but when Samuel had been delayed Saul took matters into his own hands and “worshiped God” as he wanted to.
8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
To worship however one wants is scripturally unsound.
Summary
Summary
So, if there is a need for worship, and there is a point when we can start worshiping, and we must worship God according to his pattern…
We have actually answered the question of “Does It Matter How I Worship God.”
The answer is a resounding YES!!!
But, I would be remiss if we didn’t take the time today to then dive into “how God wants us to worship him, in spirit and truth.”
So, let’s first look at what it means to…
Worship In Truth
Worship In Truth
What Is Truth?
What Is Truth?
Truth is the conclusion of the verifiable.
In other words, truth is based on information discovered that can be proven not just assumed i.e., facts.
And when we search the scriptures we find that the bible requires us to find the facts and react to them.
We see God expects us to use “logic or reason” during debates which requires facts.
18 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
God expects us to use information discovered within his word to prove what is and not just assume what is.
21 prove all things; hold fast that which is good
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ
Truth is the ability to determine or discern what the facts are and determine what is verse what isn’t.
This applies to worship in that…
Worshiping God Demands Facts
Worshiping God Demands Facts
Because God demands coming to him with logic and reasoning, and since the bible demands we make biblical judgments based on proof-finding, i.e., truth…
Does it not makes since that we must examine all the facts on worshiping God and how he wants to be worshiped before we can know we are worshiping in truth?
It’s no wonder Jesus made this statement to the Pharisees about worshiping God in Matthew 9:13…
13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Worshiping God according to the facts means worshiping God according to his pattern.
In the same way facts will always create a pattern.
Gravity will always produce a pattern of pulling towards it.
Cause will always produce a pattern of effect.
2 + 2 will always produce the pattern of the answer 4.
It is of no surprise then that we find God not only using the word pattern but demanding his people to adhere to his pattern.
9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
With worship there is no difference.
When it comes to worshiping him according to the pattern established by God there are five patterns of worship today for Christians.
The partaking of the Lord’s Supper every week.
The singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
The preaching of God’s word in season and out of season.
The prayers and supplications that are to be made to him who hears his children.
The giving back to God what he has blessed us with and made us stewards over.
Summary
Summary
Now in this lesson we are not going to through each of these and break them down this morning, but we will be here in the next month on Wednesday nights as we start a new class on “fundamentals.”
We need to be a people that seek to worship God based on the pure word of the Lord i.e., his pattern, and not our own desires.
We not only are to worship in truth but we are to…
Worship In Spirit
Worship In Spirit
Flesh VS Spirit
Flesh VS Spirit
Fleshly is all about human self-gratification.
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
Conversely spiritual is all about God.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
So then what does it mean to worship in spirit?
It means…
Spiritual Worship Is…
Spiritual Worship Is…
Acceptable Worship To God:
This means we are to worship him according to his pattern.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Spiritual worship is…
Holy Worship To God:
To be holy means to be separate from the world and found justified before God.
This, of course, we cannot do on our own but need the blood of Christ continually.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
To worship God as one who is holy means we have prepared our spiritual self for worship.
We have come with a pure conscience before God.
16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Spiritual worship is…
Heartfelt Worship To God:
This means we are coming to God with an honest and genuine heart.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
This means we are coming to God with a dedication to him.
This isn’t punching a time card saying I have put in my couple of hours of worship this week.
No this is coming to worship, worshiping God, and being left wanting more not wishing for less.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Surely no one can honestly think God is pleased when we are happy worship didn’t go “very long.”
Spiritual worship isn’t being upset at a long prayer, singing too many songs, or having a sermon go longer than expect.
Spiritual worship is being upset it is over, and longing for the next appointed time.
Summary
Summary
Worshiping in spirit is being emotionally invested in true worship, to the Father, Son, and Spirit who have made the hope of eternity possible for us all.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Does it matter how I worship God?
Most certainly it matters, because God desires us to worship him in spirit and truth and to worship him in any other way is not worshiping God as he wants, but how we want.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
