Transcript Worship-A Gift from God

Worship
A Gift
From God
“Why do we have
to go to church?”
People who love God
look forward to
going to Church.
Psalms 122: 1
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Hebrews 10: 23-25
Let us hold fast the c
onfession of our h
ope
without wavering, for 
He who promised is
faithful; 24 and let us consider how t
o
motivate one another to love and 
good
deeds, 25 not forsaking our own a
ssembling
together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another; ...
Those who respond when this
question is posed don’t always
give a good answer.
“It’s commanded.”
This morning we will look at the
biblical concept of worship and
see that it is a gift from God to
all those who are believers.
I. The concept of worship
predates history.
Archeologists have never unearthed
a culture that did not worship
something.
Many ancient societies were
organized around their religion.
Many surviving treasures from
antiquity are religious relics.
Organized religion predates Israel.
Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
out bread and wine; now he was a priest
of God Most High.
In fact,
organized religion dates back to
the very first family on earth.
God takes worship much more
seriously than does man.
( cf , Matt. 7: 21-23 )
Leviticus 10: 3
( 1-4 )
‘Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what
the Lord spoke, saying, by those who
come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be
honored.’
Changing the worship dishonors God.
Thus,
those who want to accept God,
or Jesus without the church or
organized religion defy God
and all of human history.
II. Why have all cultures
throughout history
worshipped something ?
It’s obvious that it’s within the
nature of man to worship.
- Born with instinct to worship
- Object of worship is learned
Man longs for a relationship
with his creator, his Father.
Those who do not worship
something are not normal
and they are not satisfied.
* * It’s like when a person craves a certain food,
but doesn’t know what it is; so he keeps eating
many different things, but isn’t satisfied.
Research has established that
religious people live longer
and are more healthy.
III. Worship is more than
performing rituals ...
called acts of worship.
Regardless of religion
there are most often
specified acts involved
in all public worship.
God understands man’s need
for a sensual experience.
We perform “act of worship”
but true worship is an exercise
of the heart.
Worship :
expressions of reverence
and / or devotion
Jesus disassociated true worship
from the fulfilling of specific acts
at specific places.
John 4:20-24
“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain,
and you people say that in Jerusalem is the
place where men ought to worship.” 21
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an
hour is coming when neither in this
mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship
the Father. 22 You worship what you do not
know; we worship what we know, for
John 4:20-24
... Continued
“salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour
is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth; for such people the Father seeks
to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in
spirit and truth.”
IV. The very words used for
worship show it to be an
expression of the heart.
Kneel : Gonu :
– Fall on one’s knees,
– to bow,
– prostrate self before
– humble self before.
Philippians 2:10
–
so that at the name of Jesus every knee
will bow, of those who are in Heaven and
on earth and under the earth
,
Eph. 3: 14
For this reason I bow my knees before the
Father, from whom every family in ...
The one who worships, must
acknowledge the superiority
and the authority of the one
being worshipped.
How do you show it ?
Worship : Proskunein :
– bow down to
– kissing the ground
– show extreme reverence
( Closest to English “to worship” )
Exodus 20:5
–
You shall not worship them or serve them;
for I, the Lord your God,
John 4: 24 –
God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.”
True worship flows from
the heart and motivates
the surrender of one’s will.
Serve : Latreuo :
Serve ( do acts ) with no
thought of reward.
* Those who serve DO things.
People who serve God cannot
serve the things of this world.
Exodus 20:5 –
You shall not worship or serve them for I
the Lord your God am a jealous
Cf – Matt. 6: 24 ; I John 2: 15
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God
require from you, but to fear the Lord
your God, to walk in all His ways and
love Him, and to serve the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul,
13 and to keep the Lord’s
commandments and His statutes which I
am commanding you today for your
good?
Joshua 24: 14-15
...
Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve
Him in sincerity and truth; and put away
the gods which your fathers served
beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve
the Lord. 15 If it is disagreeable in your
sight to serve the Lord, choose for
Joshua 24: 14-15 ... continued
.
..
yourselves today whom you will serve:
whether the gods which your fathers
served which were beyond the River, or
the gods of the Amorites ... but as for me
and my house, we will serve the Lord.
The prophetess Anna worshipped
and served.
Luke 2: 37
She never left the temple, serving
night and day with fastings and
prayers”
The actions one takes BECAUSE
of his surrendered ( loving and
worshipful ) heart is his service
to God. It is done to please
and glorify God.
When we worship or serve God,
He is looking at our hearts.
Matthew 15: 8
This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
The assembly restores the joy
to our worship
Psalms 122: 1
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us 
go to the house of the LORD.”
The assembly of the church
is a gift from God.
The assembly builds one’s
spiritual relationships.
All relationships require maintenance.
Yes …
God commands you to be here,
but you NEED to be here.
Anyone is welcome in the assembly.
But
one must be in Christ to
truly worship Him.
( To receive the full benefit )
Does God have your heart ?