True Worship
Notes
Transcript
Pastor Pete is out on his 50th class reunion in Ohio.
I remember when I first became a christian, I struggled with Worship.
I use to always look around at people
I didn’t know if I should close my eyes, raise my hand or just sit there
I also thought in church was the only time and place that we worship God.
So the more I meditated on God’s word and spent more time with God and growing my faith, I wanted God to show me what true worship is, and what is the best way to worship you God.
So I titled this message True Worship.
The Woman At The Well
The Woman At The Well
John 4:19-20
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
The woman switches the subject from her sinful acts to an ongoing issue between the jews and the samaritans. Both groups believed that under the Old Covenant God directed his people to worship Him in a specific location.
So she wanted to know which of us is right?
John 4:21-22
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Jesus knew that this issue would soon be irrelevant. Decades later the temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed and thousands of Samaritans will be killed on the very mountain they worship on.
And to add, the new covenant will cease all the external ceremonies and rituals.
Jesus then tells her you worship what you don’t know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Jesus main point here is that the source of salvation, the source of having access to God, the source of true worship is through Him, who was a jew.
Under the new covenant, the place of worship will not be an issue, but rather the nature of worship.
John 4:23
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Now this spirit John is speaking of is not of the Holy Spirit but the human spirit.
To worship in spirit it must originate from within, from the heart; it must be sincere, motivated by our love for God and gratitude for all he is and has done.
What this means is all physical postures must be infused with a heartfelt commitment and faith and love and zeal.
To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus.
To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus.
John 14:6
John 14:6 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The location of worship is not important, but the Object is!
The location of worship is not important, but the Object is!
Hebrews 9:9
Hebrews 9:9 (ESV)
According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,
In the temple, under the Old Covenant all the ceremonies and rituals, the forms of worship was imperfect! The cleansing was entirely external, so do these externals in worship never gave a person a clear conscience, a deep and abiding sense of forgiveness.
It was only to symbolize what's to come, until the true and effective sacrifice was made, the sacrifice that will re-form you and me from the inside and not just on the outside.
So how do we move from this, we understand it’s not about location, its not about rituals or ceremonies. I believe Paul helps us with this in Romans.
Romans 12:1
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Holy Indicates that the sacrifice is set apart for God.
Holy Indicates that the sacrifice is set apart for God.
1 Peter 1:16
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
The difference between God and us is that He is inherently holy while we, on the other hand, only become holy in relationship to Christ and we only increase in practical holiness as we mature spiritually.
We are not commanded to be all-knowing like God, or all-powerful like God but to be holy like God! So we honor and worship God, Not just by the expressions of our devotion and love, nor by our rituals of worship or service as important as they are. But the way we truly honor and worship our holy God is to be holy in our hearts and lives becoming more and more like Jesus from the inside out!
And this is what's acceptable (click slide)
Romans 12:1
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Logikos = “spiritual”
Logikos = “spiritual”
Logikos = “spiritual”
Logikos = “spiritual”
Logikos = “Reasonable” or “Proper”
Logikos = “Reasonable” or “Proper”
Logikos = “Reasonable” or “Proper”
Logikos = “Reasonable” or “Proper”
So there are 3 key things we need to understand about true worship
True worship involves more than externals.
True worship involves more than externals.
Isaiah 29:13
Isaiah 29:13 (ESV)
And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
Worship is not just about ritual or artistry, although ritual and art can be valid expressions of worship. Worship is not just about expressing ourselves, although David’s “dancing before the LORD with all his might” was an act of true worship. Worship is not just about music, although music is often used by worshipers. But TRUE WORSHIP is about God. We give him reverence and honor, not simply because of what He does for us but for who He is.
True worship produces a change of heart.
True worship produces a change of heart.
If we go back to the woman at well,
We see the intent of Jesus’ ministry, to bring people to a realization of the state of their life in order to lead them to repentance and a new life in Him. This new life is a life that honors and worships God in spirit and truth in our daily life.
This calls for a change of heart.
True worship leads to the conviction that worship is a lifestyle.
True worship leads to the conviction that worship is a lifestyle.
If worship is only a Sunday thing for us, we set ourselves up to fail the rest of the week.
Hebrews 12:28-29
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, for our God is a consuming fire.
God wants to tear down the shakable things in our lives and reveal the unshakable realities that are eternal. Too many people (including Christians) are building their lives on things that can shake.
But the Word of God is our stability in a unstable world.
So how do we live this out?
Setting aside moments to reach out to those we care about
Setting aside moments to reach out to those we care about.
Sacrificing in our finances.
Setting aside moments to reach out to those we care about.
Sacrificing in our finances.
Offering our gifts and talents to help others.
Setting aside moments to reach out to those we care about.
Sacrificing in our finances.
Offering our gifts and talents to help others.
Daily devotions, prayer and meditating on God’s word.