I wanted to share with you the points of a sermon that I heard a few weeks ago that I thought was refreshing for me to be reminded of and convicting for me on my own attitude towards worship.
I. Not all worship is rea/true worship
a) geographical worship is not true worship
Luke 4: 7-26
b) Ignorant worship is not true worship
Acts 17:23 " For while I was passing thorugh and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you."
c) self serving or disobedient worship is not true worship
1 Samuel 15:20-22 Saul disobeys the Lord in keeping some of the livestock from the Amalekites, which he was to utterly destroy, with the excuse of using them to sacrifice to the Lord, Samuel corrects Saul in these verses by telling him that the Lord does not delight in sacrifice, but in obedience. therefore Saul's worship was not true
d) the worship of other god's is not true worship
Matthew 4:8-10 "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
10Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
e)irreverant worship is nto true worship, and it is innapropriate
Ps 2:11 "Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.
f)vain worship is not true worship
Matthew 15: 1-9 1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
2"Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
4"For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'
5"But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,"
6he is not to honor his father or his mother' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"
g)impure worship is not real worship
Psalm 96:9 9Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
II. True Worship is the ultimate priotiry fot all mankind
Daniel 3-4
III. True Worship is the ultimate Reality in human experience
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
In Spirit And Truth (John 4:23-24)
a) that the worhipper has a genuine desire to worship God for WHO HE IS!!
b) Sincere, genuine, a real and reverential respect for who God is
c) the worshipper has an admiring devotion to God
d) the worshipper has not allowed any devioation or taking away from who God has revealed Himself to be
True Worship brings True Satisfaction
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him
Without true worship, don't expect true JOY
The chief end of man is to glorify God and Enjoy Him forever!
IV. True Worship is a determined worship
Psalms 145:1-7 (notice how many times the psalmist says I WILL) (there is no subsitute for resolve)
V. True Worship Encompasses all life
Romans 12:1-2Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Phillipians 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh
VI. True worship is greatly enhanced by an ever increasing knowledge of God
Hosea 6:3 "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
That's a great verse to close with!!
