Ship Shape: Worship
Ship Shape: Worship
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Matt 2:2 “and have come to worship him”
John 4:24 “his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth”
Rom 12:1 “this is your spiritual act of worship”
In view of God’s mercy (as opposed to his wrath in chapter 1)
1. God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness (Rom 1:18)
2. They worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25)
3. How much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him (Rom 5:9)
4. “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of wrath – prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory – even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?” (Rom 9:22-24)
5. Ingrafted branches (Gentiles) – demonstrates God’s kindness and mercy
“For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” (Rom 11:32)
6. After this great discussion on God’s mercy, Paul breaks out into praise (Rom 11:33-36)
7. “Therefore, in view of God’s mercy…” (Rom 12:1)
Satan: “bow down and worship me”
Jesus: “It is written, ‘Worship (to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand; prostrate oneself) the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Matthew 4:10)
“Whatever we worship, we will serve. Worship and service must go together.” (Wiersbe)
It is written in Deuteronomy 6:13 “Fear (revere, stand in awe) the Lord your God, serve him only”
To fear the Lord and to worship him is the same thing
Worship includes both an internal and external reverence for God
Rev 1:17 “When I (John) saw him (Jesus), I fell at his feet as though dead.”
Rev 19:10 “At this I fell at his feet to worship (to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand, bow down) him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it…worship (to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand, bow down) God!’”
Happens again in Rev 22:8-9
Happened to Peter in Acts 10:25 “Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence (same word as worship). But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up. I am only a man myself.”
John Wesley: “Have all his (Peter’s) pretended successors attended to this?”
Philippians 2:10 “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”
Heb 10:1 Animal sacrifices weren’t enough for those who came to worship. Christ is the final sacrifice.
OT – people brought an offering (sacrifice) to obtain God’s mercy
NT – we bring an offering (sacrifice) in response to God’s mercy
We bring a sacrifice of praise
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
We bring gifts/firstfruits (Deut 26:10; 1 Chr.1 6:29)