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…Did you know that you can attend a worship service and never really worship
the Lord? It happens all the time. It is a sad fact that in our day much that
passes for worship is not worship at all. Moreover, many who sincerely desire
to worship the Lord do not know how to go about it.
…Yet, worship is the most urgent, the most glorious activity that can take
place in a human life. The Westminster Confession asks the question; What is
the chief end of man? It is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!
…Our text this morning is the key portion of the Bible dealing with the nature
and necessity of worship. It is here that Jesus discusses worship and tells
us what it is and how to do it.
THREE QUESTIONS HELPING YOU TO WHOLEHEARTEDLY WORSHIP THE LORD
OUR WONDERFUL GOD.
I. What
Is Worship?
A.
What it isn’t:
1.
It is not
attending a worship service…even in a beautiful building.
2.
It is not going
through the ritual of a worship service…sing, pray, stand, give, listen…
3.
It is not
merely emotionalism…feeling good, having joy, tears with music…
B.
What is it?
1.
If you lived in the
1500-1600s you would not even know the word “worship.” It was called
“worth-ship,” and you would mean by this that you were assigning to God His
true worth. This is the same as praising God or to glory in His name.
2.
The Greek word
for worship used here means “to bow the knee.” (humble adoration)
3.
A formal
definition of worship:
…It is a redeemed heart occupied with God, expressing itself in praise and
adoration.
…It is one of the three marks of a redeemed person…Phil 3:3…he worships God.
…It is a quiet, reverential occupying of
the worshipper with God Himself.
II. What
Does Jesus Mean That Our Worship Should Be In Spirit And Truth? (23)
A.
For our worship to be real, it must be “in spirit.”
1.
This does not
refer to the Holy Spirit, as there is no article before the word spirit.
…yet, we recognize that the Holy Spirit is
the One who regenerates us…etc.
2.
With the death
and resurrection of Christ, a new day would be ushered in and the worship of
God would not need to take place in the Temple. (temple worship was the
pattern and shadow of Christ.) (The veil was torn…meaning…finished with
this!)
3.
Since God Himself is
spirit (v.24), redeemed men and women are to worship Him in the highest part
of their humanity, their spirit. This part of us was made alive at our new
birth, and is associated with our new nature in Christ. “Nothing is true
worship of God except what takes place in man’s spirit.” (Boice) True
worship occurs only when our spirit, which is akin to God’s nature actually
meets God and finds itself praising Him for His love, wisdom, beauty, truth,
holiness, mercy, grace, power, and all other…
4.
If you omit
“the spirit” of redeemed men in worship the result is a dead formalism…
B.
For our worship to be real, it must be accordingly to “truth.”
1.
We must
approach God truthfully, honestly, wholeheartedly, and openly.
…Jesus said this, (Matthew 15:8-9), “lips honor me, but their hearts are far
from Me.”
2.
We must worship on the
basis of Biblical revelation. (John 17:17) God’s Word is truth and in it He
tells us who He is. We must worship according to the Biblical principles…
3.
We must
approach God in the way He prescribed, and this is through Christ alone. (John
14:6) “Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…”
4.
If you
omit “truth” in worship, the worship will become an abomination to God.
III. How
Can You Become One Whom The Father Seeks To Worship Him?
(v
24)
A. You
must commune daily with the Lord by spending time with Him through prayer and
the study of His wonderful Word. You were made for this high and noble
activity.
B. You
must join together with other believers at church for corporate worship. Be
faithful in your weekly attendance. Be prepared by getting your rest, and come
early to be ready.
LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES:
1. Your
worship comes from your redeemed heart occupied with God.
2. Don't
confess the worship service at church with the real thing.
3.
Worship the Lord everyday that you live.
4.
Prepare yourself for public worship.
5. To
first worship the Lord, you must be quickened by the Spirit of God.
Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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