Aug 30, 2020 Sunday Worship Service

Appreciate the presence of everyone here this morning and it's good to have the Hopkins with us. Both Katie and Chris and the kids. It's always good to have those little kids amongst us send up to breathe life into this place. When you have these little kids. There's a lot of energy going around and I think when you look at those kids, you can't help but smile and that kind of puts us in a good mood. So we're thankful for them thankful for again your time here with us this morning. We've been talking about back to the basics and we've been talking about several things that begin with talking about baptism and since were baptized into Christ and also baptized into his body the church. We began talking about the church following Today we'll be talking about the worship of the church. And and as we consider the worship of the church, I want us to think. Back to Leviticus chapter 10 to wear Aaron Aaron's the the priests and they come from the tribe of Levi and from this tribe would come all the priests that would follow made have a buyer who took their sensors put fire in them and added incense and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord contrary to his command. And obviously of the word we're looking at there that stands out when we read is that word unauthorized? They did something. God did not tell them to do. What kind of puts us? In a frame of mind we understand that God when he says something it rules out everything else. And when he doesn't say something. That means we are not free to act in the silence that God has put for we're only to act that What God Says what's the point of Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 29 where it says that the things that are written were written for you and for your children and their children. He said but the things that are not written the big three things they belong to God. So we are free to respond and to do what God Says by what he says. But we're not free to act upon her own will when he does not say a word and other words. That's that's a that's a zone or an area or region. We are not to enter into

So that's important for us to understand that that principle goes back to the garden. And of course in the garden. God said you can eat has everything that you like and in this Garden, but you cannot eat of this tree the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. And and what did they do? They hate of that tree. They obey the direct command and and so we find here that God authorized by what he says by what he says and we have no right where he does not say anything because God means what he says and that's exactly what happened about who won. Tell us today. He means what he says. when he told the people that the only folks who were to touch the arc or no one was supposed to but the only folks who were to carry the ark where the Levi's And you remember when the ark was taken into captivity? David decided that when he rescue the ark that he would just assign certain individuals to carry the ark and they put it on a dachshund car. Will God specifically said? Hundreds of years earlier that only the priests were to carry and they were to carry it on their shoulders with leavers. right And so that eliminates everything else. He said I want the priest akairiot upon their shoulders. And what did David do? Oh well.

And so he did and then while it was on the ox and cart. They hit rough roads and that Arc begin to Teeter and totter back forth and it begin to tip over to one side and a man named Musa he can up alongside any any any any put that our FAQ on stable ground as it were upon that car. And I can't help but think that man for doing that. You know you went out of his way to help God.

But the point is that God doesn't need help. Right. He doesn't need help what he desires of you and me is to Simply. Obey his word. That's what he desires. So we know that from the outset. Are the law of Moses? No one was to touch the ark no one and he says the moment one touches the ark does Shirley die. Insulusa died that very moment. And one would think while he was trying to help God again. There's a lot of people in the world today trying to help God by thinking what they think God was like us already what he likes what he desires and it's simply us to follow what he says God's silence is not permissive. That means it doesn't mean that if there's nothing said about something that we have the right and the privilege to act upon if we don't Where to live by the words of God right? Isn't that what Jesus said man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God the words that he has given through scripture are the words which we are to live by to the law and to the testimony if they do not do according to this word. It is because there's no light in them. Think about that. River water good people in Israel who were very moral people. But they were doing things contrary to God's word. Much like David did much like loser did. And much like many others did throughout the generations of Israel. But look what God says about that if you don't do and don't live and don't abide by what I said, there's no light in you. Think about that the light. That Divine Light comes through God's word comes through the words of which he has revealed to us. He's revealed his heart. He's revealed his mine and that's what those words symbolize their vehicles are thought to our minds. That's how God communicates and to communicate with God in another fashion going outside of his word or to ignore what he says or even to ignore the very words he has provided is to suggest to him. There is no Light Within Me. No matter how morally upright I might be. So it's important for us to understand these principles. It's not who I think is good. It's about who God is good that makes all the difference in the world. So we go back to earlier in John chapter 4 with a woman at the well, and since I owe you some time I'm going to speed up. And he says you worship what you do not know. Again, I can't stress it enough. There's a there's a form of ignorant worship and entering worship is not worshipping according to how the word says to worship. A lot of people don't understand that they think well, they're worshipping God and they're doing with with sincerity and with her heart because they love God. Well, I just gave you examples. Where people love God with all their heart and wanted to do the best for God wanted to help God but in the end they hurt God because they went against what he said. So there has to be within each of us a love not just for God, but for his word. Right. That's what Paul was talking about in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. He said they live their lives and unrighteousness because they did not receive the love of the truth.

In Luke chapter 15 Jesus was talking to the Jews and talking to his apostles. Any comments in your pond? What did Jews or how the Jews were behaving and he says they practice the commitments and traditions of men and they undo the word of God. He said they come near to me with their lips. Oh, I love you. But what their heart is far from me? This gets back to a definition of love. that the Bible gives and it goes like this.

If you love me keep my Commandments.

John first John chapter 5 tells us this Is the love of God? That we keep his Commandments. There it is. That's loving God. Loving God says I submit to you and to every word that proceedeth out of your mouth. I will do that. Nothing else. Nothing more. Nothing less just do what he has said and so it's imperative that we understand the point. Jesus is making gear you worship what you do not know and Jesus. In fact when he said that those Jews We're practicing there. Commandments of men and their traditions of their fathers more than the scriptures. He said they avoided the scriptures. avoided gods were they made it null and void by doing so and so he says in vain. Do they worship me? shoulders of vain worship based upon an ignorant worship And people can worship God With all sincerity and far. What is it secirity based upon what they think and how they believe they should worship or sincerity based upon What God Says and how we are to come to him in worship. So as we consider the word assembly comes from the word EXO CF meaning church. We understand that the first century Christians assembled they came together on the first day of week. So there's another word that's a Jewish word, but it's Sunnah go gay and that means synagogue and it simply means coming together. So there was a church assembling but the church was also soon a dog a coming together. Because the church is based upon the practices of the synagogue. A coming together now, what did they do in the in the worship other synagogue? They worship God. They talk and they encourage one another and so we coming to the book of Hebrews and the heat was right. It tells us do not forsake the assembling of yourselves do not forsake. The assembling of yourselves as is the habit of song. And the whole point was so that you can encourage and strengthen one another but we also learned that strengthening and that encouragement comes from the very purpose. But that they went to worship to worship God. That love is an extension of our worship. And so the first century Christians demonstrated their love for God by doing what God told him to do for acts of worship. And so do we and so we come to the book of Revelation these are principles of worship and their principles of living life for God for I testified everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone ask to these things God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy God's will take away his part from The Book of Life.

Paul made a similar statement in Galatians chapter 1 verse 6 He said all those who pervert. the word of God twist the word of God Are anathema accursed damned that's how serious it is to Tinker with God's word. So he says I don't want you to the word of God and I don't want you to stop tracking anything for my word. I want you to do exactly as I say as it is written. That's what Jesus would say it is written. He turned back to the scriptures to say this is the very words of God. And so should we?

Now we coming to the book of Colossians another principal and whatever you do in word or deed that's teaching and practice do all in the name. That is by the authority of the Lord. Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him whatever you do. In your life and your work for God or in your worship to God do it in the name or by the authority of Jesus Christ in word or deed in teaching and in practice. That's what he's talking about. So it's imperative that we understand what God wants us there. He says true worshippers back and John chapter 4 true worshippers will worship God in what in spirit and in truth. A lot of people want to worship God in spirit. But they leave out the truth.

What worship just like our personal lives is regulated by God's word regulated by God's word. Now these things brother. I figure it to me transfer to myself and a Polish for your sakes that you may learn in us not to think beyond. What is written? So here's what God says. I don't have the right to think. Well, I wonder how I can get around that or I wonder what I can do to spice that up a little bit. He says don't even think that way. Whatever it is, whatever it is, if you think you could do a better job and providing you the necessary help and guidance then by all means you go ahead and do it. But in so doing you know that you'll end up dead. so God has provided us Perfection from his own heart his own will through the scriptures

if anyone speaks let him speak just as the Oracles of God just asked you know the Old Testament he started talking about there's the last the language of Ash God, but why would you ask God you know what that was? It was Jews who were talking last to ask Donny ins? using their language their parlance their figures of speech And so God says but my people don't talk like that. Lake Charles Toyota they talk the way I talk in my word. That's how we are to talk. According to God's word just asked that's the meaning of calf meaning exactly and this is the word that Jesus uses in John 14:31 that the world man learn that I love the father and do exactly what he has commanded me now. That's Jesus and Jesus is our Master example We're supposed to emulate him and follow him and every word in action. So if Jesus had to do exactly what the father had that told him to do, what makes you think that we don't. What you do exactly as Jesus did who did exactly as the father? That's the same thought that Paul says imitate me as I imitate Christ if I'm doing something exactly for Jesus Christ, then you to imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Do not touch do not taste do not handle which all concern things which parish with using. What's that Paul according to the Commandments and doctrines of men? Well, he's talking about both, Jew and Gentile. the Jews had their traditions What the hell do you know? It's tradition tighter than they held the God's word. Set a course there were some things that the Gentiles held to traditions. And Paul says those are worthless those things that say don't touch this and don't do that and don't do this. Did God say that? No. So those things are futile. They're worthless. So why place your soul in them? And so he says which things goes things. Haven't seen a show of wisdom. You've heard of that give me that old time religion. There's that also give me that old show time religion in a lot of people love that show time.

Pause mentioning that point he says that show of wisdom in will worship will worship interesting phrase and notice what it mean.

Fair he says worship which one devises for himself contrary to the contents and nature of the faith God's word. Vines princess volunteering adopted worship self-imposed worship weather unbidden or forbidden and unbidden means without command on masked unwelcome unwanted in other words. God did not say to do it. So you have no right to do it.

And something that is forbidden. God came out specifically said don't do that. Don't do that. Don't eat of that tree. What do we do? We will worship the one we want to do things for ourselves and make a satisfied. In like Mick Jagger said I Can't Get No Satisfaction that way doing it yourself. You got to do it God's way so forbidden means prohibited and not too loud. Oklahoma football

where the Oklahoma Sooners play What are those white wines called? The boundary right? You got the play you got the field of play which is in that green area between the red and zones. That's the that's the field. But those white lines that go around the field, those are the boundary lines and if you step on the white line, you are what out of them you are out of the field of play.

This is the field of play. And when we do something that God has not said we guess what we've stepped either on the white line or we cross over the white line. or we have simply not done whatsoever. What God has told us to do which is still going out of bounds. So Look at those receivers. That's one of the beauties of football receiver is making a catch and he's getting that pass from the quarterback and he's about to step on that line their top when they catch the ball that they drag your feet. Which means when you drag your feet, you got to hold on to the ball, which means you don't have anything to help you when you land. You just have to hit the ground. so That's why it's important. And that's why they get paid big dollars to make those big catches. And so they're just look at those feet just outside that line. And of course the Dallas Cowboys making that last-second catch in the endzone and they still lost so

this is our field of play. I picked Ephesians cuz we're talkin about Ephesians notice the boundary lines to White. And then in that field a play or the words of God. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children walk in love as Christ also has loved us. Let me ask you to question if I'm not walking in love. Where am I? I'm out of bounds.

Have you stepped on that white line across that completely I might be in the stands. Because I've left the field to play the field of play says love one another. If I'm not walking in love, then I am out of bounds.

And then he says but fornication and all uncleanness of covetousness, let it not be even named among you. So if I have a heart of covetousness. or fornication in uncleanness Where am I? I'm out of the house. I am no longer in the field of play. I have left the word of God. I have left the field to play. no bounce and this is just something I wanted to show you. In the man who's the Greek manuscripts they didn't have verse numbers. And I didn't have little little subtitles, right everything just ran one long sentence right that have to count to Pages 1, and a second, All right. That was one thing kind of like our Bibles today to call Holmes. But there was no there was no periods. There was no, there's no things like nothing like that no punctuation, and then just one continuous sentence. So, where do you where do you know when to stop and where do you know when to begin? And how do we know those verse numbers are correct?

I know that when I read some some are correct. I would probably move them around those things are not sacred. God did not put those things in the word of God that came with the printing press. Which came about 1400 ad? So some 600-700 years ago. The printing press came along with the verse numbers along with page titles along with chapters in all of that. So I just wanted to show you how that worked back in the old days. But now we come to the book of Ephesians and it says do not be drunk with wine and which is the cipitation but be filled with the spirit. That's a man be filled with the spirit.

What follows are? participles and they're attached to the command. In other words. They carry out the command to be filled with the spirit. So that's why we say when we ask a question when we read be filled with the spirit be filled with the spirit speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Number 1 number 2 singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

And giving thanks unto God the father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is not up there. But that's the point of having the spirit being filled with. And so he says here the O singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. This is the sticking point.

Between what we do is worship when it comes to singing and what so many others do. So singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord is what we want to look at. Here's the Greek. And Beyond the Greek is under the English singing I Dante's. Comes from the word adult do I and that means to sing? But so doesn't the next word. Salon teased which is translated as making Melody Salon tease means singing. It's use that way in the Old Testament in the septet septage in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and that Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is what Jesus and the apostles quoted from. So it has a little bit of authority to it. Addante's singing and Slot ace mean singing But the rule is that when Silo Salon taste is used with a Dante's. That means to play. literally to pluck the strings of pluck the strings of so let's go back singing and playing. The word in is not in the Greek manuscripts that was added by men. So singing and making Melody the heart. Is what said? Singing and playing the heart to the Lord. That's what it says now. What's the instrument that were supposed to play? the heart figuratively So it says singing and playing the heart to the Lord. That's what we're to do. Now. Does it say singing and playing the heart and drums and trumpets and guitars and horns and Bongos and whatever else you want to throw in there. Does he know remember the principles do not add to do not take away from do not twist do not prefer beyond. What is written what is written? Singing and playing the heart to the Lord. That's a command. We can add to What the Lord Has Come ended. Now if the Lord did say sing and play whatever is cements. And with your heart to the Lord we could and would and should do that because he come in today. But this is what he commanded and so many people don't understand that. It's not about love you're too poor to have instruments or or you don't like instrumental music or you just don't like music know we love music. I love you. I love instruments. But this is what God said. He says this is what how I Want You To Worship me how I want you to approach me. You see the pagans? The pagans they have instruments to their gods as so there's a little bit of a division there that God makes you worship the way I Want You To Worship me. And so it's imperative. We understand those points. So we go back. And I won't read the the upper part what it says, but be filled with the spirit speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and playing the heart or your heart to the Lord.

So that's the place that's the appeal to play.

If I add a drone. If I had a home. if I had a piano I have crossed the line. I have stepped on the boundary line. The playing field does not allow me to enter into those things to add. Those things are not add to the word of God. I'm not to go or think beyond. What is written this is what is written. That's the field of play. And so it is when we come to worship that were supposed to be regulated according to what truth worship me in spirit and in truth according to God's word. So God's word plays a very important role in how we worship because God tells us how to approach him through his word and worship Him correctly. So it makes all the difference in the world. And we love God and if we love God, we need to keep his Commandments and not to do anything else anything less or anything more?

but most importantly

Jesus says he that believes and is baptized shall be safe. But elsewhere in scripture. We find that we need to hear. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God and then we have to have faith. It is impossible to please God without faith repent or perish Jesus told the crowd if you confess me before men, I will confess you before my heavenly father. If you do not confess me before men. I will not confess you before my father who is in heaven confession is important. So we need to hear we need to believe have faith. We need to confess. We also need to be baptized what Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. That's what I must do to be saved that someone was able to lift Safeway. Well if you have faith you continue in that day. So that's what we must do to be saved and then we look to the Bible to find out how we must behave after that how we must worship after that, which is the whole point of the Great Commission. Go therefore Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them what teaching them all things that I have commanded you and lo I Am With You Always even unto the end of the age of Jesus Christ this morning, and you decided to put Jesus Christ on in baptism for the remission of your sins. You can do that now by safe, perhaps you've done that perhaps you Not been faithful. Your face has been sweet. Jesus says repent again. If you're subject to that open invitation that Jesus Christ kids want to come forward as Together We Stand and sing.