Our Response In Worship
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
On the heels of what we talked about this morning, that is God’s worthiness of being worshipped, I would like to take some time tonight to expound upon our responsibility after coming to know that timeless truth.
In other words, once we understand in our hearts God’s worth-ship, what is our response in Worship?
Now again, I want to be clear from the outset that what we are going to talk about tonight, is meaningless unless we grasp what we discussed this morning!
If we by the grace of God could somehow offer perfect physical worship to God as he has commanded, meaning we physically offered prayers perfectly, if we physically sang songs of praise perfectly, if we physically partook of the Lord’s supper perfectly, If we gave perfectly, if we preached perfectly, If we could somehow do that perfectly our whole lives yet fail to worship in spirit, fail to understand God’s worthiness of our praise, fail to be born of the water and of the spirit, we gain absolutely nothing.
Again, Worship is NOT A LIST OF CHECK BOXES THAT BY CHECKING THEM OFF THAT WE EARN ANYTHING.
Which is why we started with what we started with this morning, What we will be talking about tonight better come from the outpouring of a inner understanding of God being worthy of our submission and honor, of our service, and of our devotion and reverence. Far too often when we teach these “Acts of Worship” we fail to reiterate that fact and pat ourselves on the back for having things right. No, our attitude ought to be reverent and respectful and thankful for God’s instructions that we can be pleasing in our worship to Him.
We spoke about what we did this morning in preparation for tonight because without knowing God and his worthiness to be worshipped, We are all too often inclined to treat worship as a time to do what WE want to do instead of asking what it is that God wants from us.
But a right heart seeks to worship God in Spirit and in Truth and when we understand that God’s word is truth, we diligently seek within it how God desires to be worshipped, and when we do that we realize that when people throughout history have tried to do what they want in worship to God, it has not turned out well for them.
There is Worship that displeases God
There is Worship that displeases God
There is a notion going around in religion today that seems to think that any act done with good intentions as an act of worship toward God is one that will automatically be pleasing to God.
But when we study the scriptures we see that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”
1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 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. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. 10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.” 17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
Saul believed on both accounts that he was doing the right thing, yet what he was doing directly contradicted a commandment of God and it cost Saul his kingship.
The lesson here conveyed by Samuel is clear:
v. 22
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Our submission to his divine authority and righteousness demands our obedience to His will and not our own!
This is further proved in
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. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace. 4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.”
What was Nadab and Abihu’s fatal error? They offered unauthorized fire before the lord, that is, they had done something in which God had not commanded them, and they presumed that what they were doing would be pleasing to God.
The world today presumes all sorts of things regarding religion does it not?
Many presume that baptism is not for the remission of sins, even though scripture clearly teaches that it is.
Many presume that changing the name of the church to honor men is acceptable to God.
Many presume that Worship bands can replace the congregational singing of the church.
Many presume that Women can now preach and teach in the public assembly and an increasing number presume that openly gay men and women can assume leadership roles in the church.
But these and other assumptions run contrary to the word of God and falls directly in the line of fire of the worlds of Jesus when he said, “In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
New Testament Worship
New Testament Worship
Prayer
We are expected to pray
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
We are to pray at all times
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Prayer is powerful
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
We are to pray in worship
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
Praise
Singing
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
Proclamation
Preaching
Is commanded
Is shown as having happened in the NT worship
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
It enables outsiders to participate in worship
23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 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.
Is commanded
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Lord’s Supper
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
Proclaim his death until He Comes.
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Participation
2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And this is how we one way in which we participate in the work of the church. For example the collection that we took up last week for Eastern European missions is going to go towards putting Biblical materials in the hands of teachers and kids in Ukraine and other European nations and we ought to rejoice in the fact that we have a part in spreading God’s word to those who so desperately are asking for it!
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
We rejoice in our giving because we know our giving goes to spread the gospel to our friends and neighbors, and around the world. It’s a great privilege that we get to participate in the spread of the Gospel.
Lastly, it’s important that we realize that everything is to be done orderly.
Conclusion
Conclusion
I would like to close with
And while you are turning there I want to remind you that what we just talked about as authorized in the public assembly of the church, this is not some kind of list that we get to check off and pat ourselves on the back as if we’ve done something. But we do these things understanding the honor and great driveler that we enjoy through our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.
25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Church we’re encouraged to offer acceptable worship to God with reverence and awe, why? Because while our God is as we talked about this morning a
The Creator God
And a God who sent the savior to reconcile us back to himself
He is also the perfectly righteous God, which makes him a consuming fire to those who disobey Him.
But we can’t be deceived into thinking that these elements of worship are all Christianity is about.
The Hebrews writer goes on to say in
13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
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