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Deuteronomy 12-13
! Introduction
Several weeks ago, at the conference, we were listening to the reports as we always do at conferences.
It was the turn of MB Communications and Dave Balzer got up and said, "I am going to lead you in worship."
I thought, "we are going to have a few songs now or a scripture reading."
Instead, Dave told us a story of how God had taken a confrontation between Promise Keepers and Peter Warren and made it into an opportunity to speak about God on a secular radio station for three hours every Sunday evening.
There was hardly anyone there who was not wiping their eyes as we saw what God was doing.
It truly was a worship service.
What is worship?
What do you expect to happen at a worship service?
Do you worship when you come to church?
What does God want in our worship?
Robert Webber says the following things about worship.
Worship is "a meeting between God and His people."
"God becomes present to His people, who respond with praise and thanksgiving."
"The worshiper is brought into personal contact with the one who gives meaning and purpose to life; from this encounter the worshiper receives strength and courage to live with hope in a fallen world."
In the wilderness wanderings, Israel had experienced the presence of God in the tent of meeting which was always with them as a group.
They had experienced the power of God leading them by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
But as they were now about to enter the promised land, conditions were going to change.
They were going to be scattered all over the land and would not be close to the temple.
They would experience all kinds of challenges because the people who lived there worshipped all kinds of gods.
As Moses instructed them about how to live as God's people in the promised land, he also instructed them about worship.
In Deuteronomy 12,13, Moses instructs the people about who to worship, where to worship and how to worship.
We can learn about worship from the things Moses taught them.
! I. Who To Worship
cartoon p.66 spring 86
Does the theology of our worship matter?
!! A.
Not Like The Others
The nations Israel was going to dispossess were nations that had all kinds of different worship practices.
They had many gods that they worshipped.
The symbols of their worship were all over the place on high hills, under groves of trees, in sacred stones and idols and poles.
Moses knew that if these different gods and all the symbols of pagan worship remained in the promised land, they would be tempted to quit worshipping God.
Therefore, in 12:1-3, Moses told them to get rid of all the trappings of pagan worship.
In 12:4, He warned them "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way."
Then again in 12:29-32, Moses told them not to inquire about the gods of these nations.
He is very direct, "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way."
In other words, theology matters in our worship.
!! B. Don't Let Anyone Deviate You
Sometimes it is hard to keep your theological focus.
Suppose someone came along who accuratly proclaimed amazing signs and wonders.
The evidence of the signs would suggest that this person had powers from above and should be listened to.
But if that prophet would then say, "let us worship other gods," would we follow them?
Their power would invite a following, but their message would not be right.
Moses warned Israel of just such a situation.
They should not listen to them because the theological focus of our worship matters.
Suppose a close friend or relative whom you got along with very well would come to you and say, "Let us worship other gods."
This can be very difficult because you want to remain friends, but once again, the response must be, "no way!"
In 13:6-11, Moses warned about this because the theological focus of worship matters.
In 13:12-18, Moses presents the case that if a whole town is found to have gone astray, severe action must be taken because the theological focus of worship matters!
!! C. God Centered
What is the theological focus of worship?
As we read these various warnings, we learn that the central focus of worship must be God.
In 13:4 Moses said to them, "It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere.
Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him."
Notice in this verse that this is clearly and powerfully presented.
By putting "It is the Lord..." first in the sentence, Moses was saying that our focus in life, our worship must center on God.
With the repetition of the word "him" or "his" with each element of worship, Moses again focusses our attention on the center of worship which is God.
True worship cannot be worship of idols or worship with pagan practices.
Worship is an encounter with God and the focus of worship must be on God.
!! D. Application
What was true for Israel must also be true for us.
The center of our worship must be God himself.
Today there are still temptations to mix worship of God with worship of other religions.
Idolatry and all kinds of worship symbols that are not focused on God are still out there.
In the name of pluralism, there are churches that want to accept many ways to God and the validity of other forms of worship which are not worship of God alone.
Although it is offensive to some people, God is the one and only and all worship must be focused on Him.
The focus of worship is also sometimes deviated by the worship of nature.
The spiritual experiences that people speak about related to experiences in nature are often much more worshipping nature than worshipping the creator.
Even as Christians, we need to be careful that when we enjoy nature we are continuing to focus not on nature itself, but on the one who made it.
The focus of worship must be on God.
For some, the value of worship is the traditions it upholds.
Tradition can be an important aspect in worship, but the focus must never be on tradition or ritual, but on God.
For some, stirring up certain feelings can become the focal point of worship, but this too is an idol that disapoints.
The focus of our worship must be on God.
For some attending worship is a way of meeting with friends.
The focus is the relationships that are built.
Relationships are a great joy in our life, but they must not become our focus, Worship must be focused on God.
In your bulletin, you will notice that the first part of the service order is called, "gathering."
In this part of our worship service, we have made a deliberate attempt to help each of us realize that we have gathered as a people of God in the presence of God to have a meeting with God.
We are trying to be intentional about the fact that worship must be focused on God.
Have you come here today to meet God?
! II.
Where to Worship
But is here the only place where we can go to meet God?
What is the proper place of worship?
After the meeting with God at Mount Sinai, the place of worship for Israel was very clear.
God had given them the pattern for the tent and it was in the midst of their encampment and they were to worship there.
When they would go into the promised land, however, they would be scattered all over the place.
Where would they worship God then?
In Canaan, they would encounter a people who had sacred places on hills and mountains because they believed they were closer to God there.
They had holy places in shady groves where as one writer puts it, "the shady gloom of which filled the soul with holy awe at the nearness of the Deity."
In an attempt to insure that Israel would not succumb to the temptation to worship in these places and perhaps to worship other gods in these places, Israel was told to destroy all these places.
If their worship was to be focused solely on the one true God, it would be necessary to have one central place of worship.
Moses instructed them that they should worship at the place which God would designate.
He said to them in 12:4,5, "You must not worship the LORD your God in their way.
But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling.
To that place you must go;" He also said in 12:8-11a.
" ".
At first when they entered the land, the place of worship which God chose was where the tent of meeting was pitched.
In I Samuel, we learn that it was at a place called Shiloh.
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