Religious Acts
Biblical Worship • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last several weeks we have been studying through the theme of “Biblical Worship” with the goal of being more accurate and consistent with our worship of God through studying the five New Testament words translated as worship.
Thus far we have examined four of the five which means we are looking at our last lesson in this particular series.
Today we are going to be examining the Greek word “latreuo” which is translated as “worship” 11 times in the New Testament.
It is also found 10 other times in the N.T. and 90 times in the LXX.
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,
When breaking down the word “latreuo” what do we find concerning it’s definition?
What we find is the word means is “to perform religious rites” or “religious service in worship of deity.”
Now this can refer to performing religious rites towards a creation and thus idolatry.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
This can also refer to performing religious rites or service in worship toward our Creator.
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.’ ”
The word translated was worship here is “proskyneo” or “to bow down before.”
In our lesson on “sebomai” or “Expressed Devotion” we talked about how that word, in its secular usage focused exclusively on the acts of worship towards idols to gain favor from the particular god that was being worshiped and how God expanded that definition to better represent what he wanted from our acts of worship.
In other words God wanted our express devotion while performing those acts of worship.
Our word this morning is similar in that it focuses on the “acts of worship” but unlike “sebomai” it does have a focus outside of the acts themselves.
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson.
Acts Of Worship
Acts Of Worship
Five Religious Actions
Five Religious Actions
The five acts of worship, in the New Testament, are essential to understanding the worship of our God.
Without a proper understanding of these religious acts we cannot worship God in “spirit or truth” (John 4:23-24).
The five acts of worship are the “memorial feast, prayer, giving, singing, and preaching.”
In Acts 20:6-7 we see the great importance of the memorial feast also known as the Lord’s supper.
6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. 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.
We find not only did Paul wait seven days to worship with the saints but a major focus of gathering together was to fellowship with one another in the breaking of bread or the participation of the memorial feast.
In Acts 2:42 we see the early church’s devotion to several of the acts of worship listed, one of which is “the prayers.”
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
In this we see “the prayers” which deals specifically with a focused service on prayer.
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 we see Paul directing the early church in how to “take up collections” so as to do the work of the Lord.
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 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.
Notice not only was there to be the “taking up of that which was laid aside” but there was to be a “storing up” as well.
In Ephesians 5:19 & Colossians 3:16 we find the exhortation for singing in worship.
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.
Notice that we are to sing with the instrument of our hearts and only those songs that are “psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs in worship of God.
In 2 Timothy 4:2 we see a direct command from the apostle Paul to his preaching student Timothy one his public preaching to the church in Ephesus.
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Summary
Summary
When it comes to the “true worship” of our Creator, the Ancient of Days, these acts of worship must be performed to be pleasing.
If we want to have our worship as a “sweet aroma” (Numbers 28:2-6) we must worship our Most High God.
With that said, how does knowing there are “religious rites or acts of worship” help us in…
Our Worship
Our Worship
Focus On The Facts
Focus On The Facts
There are two major facts that we must focus on when it comes to our latreuo or worship of God in the “acts of worship.”
These two facts are vital for us to understand and if we don’t, we are in danger of be “vain worship.”
The first latreuo fact we must not only understand but also teach fervently is that there are acts of worship.
As we just briefly discussed in the previous point there is a pattern established by God concerning his religious acts and we must adhere to them.
It’s sad that so many in the church, unfortunately, have starting buying in to the false doctrine that there are no “acts of worship” only “fervent emotional gesture.”
However, one cannot worship God any other way and it be worship. One cannot worship God with “sacrifices,” as an illustration, and God consider it worship today.
That fact is latreuo demands worship be done through the specific religious or regulated acts of the memorial feast, prayer, giving, singing, and preaching.
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness.
The second latreuo fact we must not only understand but teach fervently is that these acts are not based on intent alone.
By that I mean that if we perform an act of worship, even if we aren’t intending to worship, we are still worshiping yet we are doing so sinfully.
Remember the word “sebomai” deals with the intent behind the acts of worship the word latreuo only deals with the acts themselves.
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
What does that mean practically?
This means if we are singing along in the car to psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs set to mechanical instruments we are worshiping God in a way he has not prescribed.
If we are listening to a prayer that is lead by a false teacher and we bow our heads and allow ourselves to be lead by it even “saying amen” after it we have worshiped God in a way that he has not prescribed.
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Summary
Summary
There is no getting around these two facts concerning the word “latreuo” translated as worship.
We cannot dismiss that the only way to worship God is through these five acts nor can we dismiss that these acts “when performed” are worship whether we “intended to or not.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Whether we are bowing before, expressing our devotion, being inspired by the God’s awe, or loyally revering our God in worship all of these are tied to the religious acts prescribed by him who is to be worship.
Let us love worshiping God according to spirit and truth.
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,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess 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.