Sermon Tone Analysis

! Hebrews 12:25-29

The One We Worship

 

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.

If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

| G |

od is looking for worshipers, not just worship.

This singular truth, once grasped, will transform our efforts to worship.

Churchgoers today seem to have misplaced the true meaning of worship.

God is looking for people whose minds and hearts are bent toward him.

Jesus, confronting the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, said,

a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth [*John 4:23, 24*].

When we worship in spirit, we worship in sincerity and from the heart.

Many miss the act of worship by about eighteen inches.

Their worship is all in their minds.

There are four requirements to worshipping in spirit.

Those who worship are to be *born again*; they must *give adoration and praise to God*; they must *maintain a repentant and contrite heart toward God*; and they must *focus on God*.

To worship in truth means people are willing to confront, confess and abandon their sins.

Worshipping in truth also means that during the service more time will be spent reading and examining God's Word than giving announcements or singing.

Compare the time spent making announcements and greeting guests to the amount of time reading Scripture and praying.

Announcements and greetings routinely require ten or so minutes, whereas prayer and Scripture reading can be counted in seconds.

In many churches the minds of our people are focused such different things as where are they going to eat lunch, who's going to win the football game, problems in their marriages, illness or lost jobs.

As we worship, we are to discipline ourselves so that we exclude such intrusions, permitting us to focus on the One we seek to worship.

We are not to focus on the pastor, the worship team leader, the musicians, the soloist, or even on each other.

We are to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The pastor is to so preach that the people hear not a man, but the voice of Christ speaking through His Word.

The worship team is to so sing that the people hear not a song or a chorus or a hymn, but so that they discover the Spirit urging them to lift their voices in praise to God.

And we wonder why we are not experiencing the power of God in our worship services.

Many of our worship services are little more than concerts or performances.

God is not just seeking worship; he's seeking worshipers.

Otherwise we could insert a CD of praise music and be done with it.

Do not misunderstand.

I am convinced that we are responsible to ensure that those who lead our services must work to present their leadership with confidence and to the best of their abilities.

We are not to be content with slipshod efforts at leading the people in worship.

One reason I think we Baptists have trouble worshipping is because we are afraid of what somebody else is going to think about us.

Real worship means I'm focused on Jesus.

I've come into complete God consciousness and I'm praising him, not worrying what somebody else is thinking.

In order to do this, we must know intimately the One we worship.

The text for the message today points to the Living God, whom we worship.

Join me in discovering in a fresh manner the Lord God whom we worship.

Precursors to Worship — Whenever we endeavour to worship we must prepare, just as we have seen in previous messages.

The passage preceding our text speaks pointedly to the issues which must be addressed before we seek to enter into worship.

In effect, they are a specific application of *Romans 12:1, 2*.

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Now, focus on the passage preceding, beginning with the *14th verse*.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected.

He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel [*Hebrews 12:14-24*].

God is not seeking worship; He is seeking worshipers.

Satan is pretty good at distorting the true meaning of worship, and consequently we ceased to be worshippers.

Some of the ways Satan distorts worship are through the traditions, words, persuasions and pleadings of men.

What I mean is that we convince ourselves that worship consists of certain acts or certain rituals or a particular style of music, and thus we cannot worship unless all is done according to our plan.

Satan uses the perpetuated fads and the allure of popularity to distort true worship.

Most services of worship begin at eleven o’clock sharp and end at twelve o’clock dull.

We know what is coming and thus we are comfortable.

Each church develops its own liturgy as surely as though the “worship” was scripted.

We cannot “worship” unless an organ is played… if drums are beaten… if choruses are sung… unless the pastor wears a three-piece suit.

We assure ourselves that our rituals are the only way to please God, forgetting that we are to live in peace with all men and to be holy.

We need to remember that without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Worship is misplaced when people venerate the auditorium.

How can you tell when this is happening?

You can tell when people fight over pews, get upset over the P.A. system or argue over material things at the church.

I remember an incident in a church when I was but a new member.

I arrived early for the service and selected a seat.

After a few minutes an elderly woman approached me and began to berate me.

“Young man,” she began, “I have been a member of this church for over fifty years.

When I was saved, I sat in that seat you are sitting in.

I have sat in that seat ever since.

I cannot worship unless I can sit in that seat.

Now, let me have my seat.”

To say I was astonished is putting the issue mildly.

I arose, bowed deeply and said, “I always defer to history, madam.”

I doubt that that woman had worshipped since she was saved.

I suggest that she had missed the grace of God and could exhibit only a bitter root which would always cause trouble and defile others.

Worship is also misplaced if people adore a person, such as a pastor, music leader or other type of minister instead of God.

When people find out their pastor or music leader is not perfect and they leave the church, then where was their focus?

We need our people to understand they are not to place their focus on a person—pastor, minister of music or church leader.

We're not worthy of worship.

Worship is misplaced if people clamour for power on committees, value absolute perfection in administration or care more about church programs than giving reverence to God.

Such individuals have sold their inheritance rights for a mess of pottage.

Some among us think that power comes from holding a position, not realising that power comes from a humble walk with the Master and through serving others in a spirit of humility.

Such people struggle, but seldom worship.

When people are focused on things rather than the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our responsibility to teach them what it means to truly worship the Lord.

The devil is working overtime in getting our people to misplace their worship.

If we will worship, we must invest our days preceding the act with making every effort to live in peace with one another and in making every effort to be holy.

If we will worship, we must seek the grace of God in every aspect of life and shun bitterness.

If we will worship, we must seek to enter into the realm of the spiritual where the True and Living God reigns.

I invite the people of God to cease focusing on coming to a church building in order to worship, seeking instead to enter into the presence of the Risen Son of God.