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THE ESSENCE OF TRUE WORSHIP

TEXT:

"But in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." (I Timothy 3:15)

 

INTRODUCTION:

  1. What is the essence of true Worship?

  2. In order to properly answer the question, we must first answer the question what is worship?

  3. Whatever worship is, it is important because one of man's most basic instincts has always been to worship something.

    1. In India, even before the words of the Pentateuch were penned, men were worshipping stones, sticks and statues.

    2. In modern American we have everything from high church to Pentecostalism, from legalism to antinomianism.

    3. In Iran men flagellate themselves.

    4. To date, anthropologists have never found evidence of a society that was not a worshipping society.

  4. Perhaps it was this way because even the ignorant savage of past millennium could not stand at the edge of night (awed by the millions of twinkling stars and thrilled by the sounds of a thousand different life forms issuing from the jungle surrounding him without realizing that someone or something of incredible power had to be responsible for creating this universe. Such realization has moved men everywhere to worship someone or somthing.

  5. But the question we must answer is, "What is this thing we are universally motivated to perform???? What is worship and What is the essence of true worship?

DISCUSSION:

I.    Definitions.

  1. Etymological definition (origin):

    1. The word worship comes to us from the old Anglo-Saxon "Worth ship".
    2. When we worship God we are declaring his worth.

  2. Dictionary Definition:

    1. "The act of paying divine honor to God; a feeling of respect or reverence for power, position, merit, virtue etc." Webster.
    2. "Great honor and respect; as, the worship of God... 2. pay great honor and respect to. People go to church to worship god. 3. ceremonies or services in honor of God...." Thorndike Century Junior Dictionary.
    3. "Honor, reverence, homage, in thought feeling, or act, paid to men, angels, or other "spiritual being,. specifically and supremely to Deity..." International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

  3. Lexicographers:

  1. Old Testament word SHAHA: "to depress, bow down, or prostrate. (Ex. 4:31), "Bowed their heads and worshiped" found in 95 places. ISBE.

  2. N.T. word proskuneo: to kiss the hand or the ground. found 59 times. ISBE.

II. Three kinds of worship

  1. Contrary to popular belief not all worship is acceptable to god. In fact there are at least three kinds of worship mentioned in the Bible.

    • Ignorant worship (Acts 17:23-30).

    • Vain (empty or worthless) worship (Mark 7:7-9)

    • True worship (John 4:24)

    1. Vain (worthless) worship is that which follows the doctrines of men instead of God. Jesus declares it to be unacceptable to God.

    1. The Pharisees had great pride in their worship to God and yet, Jesus declared their worship of no value whatever.
      (Mark 7:7-9 NKJV) And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' {8} "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men; the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." {9} He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

    1. Ignorant Worship - The Philosophers of Athens were considered the most highly educated men on earth. And yet Paul declared their worship to be ignorant and unacceptable to God.

      "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you." "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:23,30)

  2. Worship that is not authorized by the Word of God is unacceptable

      (Leviticus 10:1-3 NKJV) Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. {2} So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. {3} And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace.

  1. What is the essence of true worship? True worship is in spirit.

    John 4:23-24 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

 

  • What does it mean to worship in spirit? To many it means that the service must be loud and kinetic. To others it means that they must experience overwhelming feelings or speak in tongues. But! the Bible does not define the phrase "in spirit" that way.

  • "In Spirit" means in the inner man: the mind, the attitude, the heart.

    • Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

    • John 13:21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." Romans 12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

    • 1 Corinthians 5:3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, concerning him who has so done this deed.

    • 1 Corinthians 7:34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world; how she may please her husband.

    • Colossians 2:5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

  • This leaves no room for high church or the emotional excess of the Pentecostals.

    1 Corinthians 14:31-33 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

  • True worship is worship that is in truth.

    • Worship that is not in truth honors the creature rather than the creator.

      (Leviticus 10:1-3) Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace.
      (1 Samuel 15:21-23 NASB) "But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." {22} And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. {23} "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."

    • To worship God in any other way than that which he commands is to worship self instead of God.

  • There are two spheres in which we are to worship God.

    • We are to come together to one place to worship God. When we do that the Lord is with us in a special sense.

      • 1 Corinthians 11:17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.

      • 1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 1 Corinthians 11:20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.

      • 1 Corinthians 11:33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

      • 1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

      • (Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, {25} not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

    • When we do this we draw near to God in a special sense.

      • Exodus 12:48 "And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

      • Exodus 19:22 "Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them."

      • Ezekiel 44:15 "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," says the Lord GOD.

      • Ezekiel 45:4 "It shall be a holy portion of the land, belonging to the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the LORD; it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. Summary.

  • There is a sense in which we are to worship God in our every day of lives.

    • (Romans 12:1 NASB) I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

  • The Greek word translated "service" in the King James and "service of worship" in The New American Standard Bible is, LATREIA. It is found five times in the New Testament

  • "Latreia virtually means sacrifice, as shown by the verb."

    • Romans 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;

    • Hebrews 9:1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

  • "The concrete idea seems always to cling to the noun no less than to the verb."

    • John 16:2 "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

    • Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

    • John 16:2 "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

    • For our collective worship to be Acceptable to God, our Daily life must also be one of worship in spirit and truth.

    • Exegete Romans 12:1-2.

    •  Timothy 2:8 Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

    • Even in the O. T. God did not want occasional worshippers (Isaiah. 1)

    • Do we worship or do we just "Go to Church."

    SERMON HISTORY:

    April 24, 1992 Michigan State Lectures, Redford, MI

    May 17-92-AM Waterford MI

    August 1998 Family Camp

    © David E. Parks 1998

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