Worship in Spirit and Truth; John 4:19-26

Text: John 4:19-26                                                                  5/6/2012

Thesis: Jesus is the center and means of true worship

Jesus did not come to take people to a mountain for worship. Jesus did not come to take people to the temple for worship. Jesus has become the new center and means of true worship. Only by Him are we able to worship in spirit and truth.

Charles Spurgeon said, “it is far more difficult to worship God in spirit than in form. To patter through a dozen [Hail Marys] or [Lord’s Prayers] is so easy, that I can nearly go to sleep over them: to repeat a form of prayer in the morning and evening is a very small matter, and one can be thinking of the shop all the while; to go to church or chapel so many times a week is a cheap duty, and [with it all] one may still be a thief or a hypocrite; but it is hard, very hard, to bring the heart down to humble penitence, and the soul to holy meditation. The last thing that most people will do is to think. The noblest part of our nature is still the least exercised. Humbly to tremble before God, to confess sin before him, to believe him, to love him—this is spiritual worship! Because this is so hard, men say, ” No, no, let me crawl on my knees around a shrine!… Let me go every [week] to the steeple house and come out in half an hour, and feel I have done my religion.” That is quite easy, but the hard part of religion is the part of spiritual worship” (http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0695.htm accessed 5/1/2012).

Let us learn and actually worship in spirit and truth: John 4:19-26

I. The Jews and Samaritans were in a worship war (21-22)

• The place doesn’t matter any more (21)

In verse 20 the woman asked Jesus about the place of worship, “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” You see, the Samaritans believed that Mt Gerizim was the place that God chose to make his name dwell (12:5). But Jerusalem was the actual place where God made his name dwell. For centuries they had been fighting over the right place of worship.

In verse 21 Jesus destroys every argument for establishing a required place for worship. Verse 21 makes it impossible to say that true worship can only happen or must happen in a certain location be it a mountain in Samaria, a temple in Jerusalem, or a building in Hood County. “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”

It is not the place that matters. You can’t go to a place and expect to worship because of your longitude and latitude. That’s like expecting to become a NFL football player because you go to Cowboy’s stadium. The place doesn’t make you a worshipper.

• True worship requires saving knowledge (22)

The Samaritans believed that only the first five books of the bible were the word of God. They rejected the other 34 books of the bible. By rejecting the word of God they had purposefully embraced ignorance. So they ended up with this very weird religion that wanted to worship God without listening to God. They wanted to honor God while ignoring God. This sounds exactly like the religion in our day; people saying they want more of God while refusing to listen to His word.

Worship and knowledge go hand in hand, “we worship what we know.” But deeper than worship and knowledge is salvation; “for salvation is from the Jews.” Knowing God and being restored to God are the prerequisites for worshipping God. Going on, we are told that the way of salvation is from the Jews. The Jews had the full revelation of God. The Jews had the promises of God; they were His elect nation. And the Jews had the promise of the Messiah. Jesus, the Son of God our salvation, is a Jew. In every sense of the word, salvation is from the Jews.

Now we don’t worship the Jews. Instead, we are thankful for the Jews. The whole reason for their existence is the restoration of all of God’s people through the work of God’s Son. I think about it this way: the reason for the Jews is to provide a people for God who will be the recipients of God’s word and Son for the salvation of the nations. Salvation is from the Jews but now that Jesus has come being an Old Testament Jew is insufficient. Now what matters is being a true worshipper.

II. The three qualifications of true worshippers

Jesus makes it clear that there are three qualifications for true worshippers. True worshippers worship the Father, true worshippers worship the Father in spirit, and true worshippers worship the Father in truth

• Worship the Father

True worshippers engage the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship him. Therefore, worship must be boldly and clearly focused on God. This is why we must all work hard to hold out God to one another. David and I want to show you God so that you are summoned or called to worship him. We want to speak and act in such a way that you see God and are given reason to worship him. Here is God, now come and worship Him.

So who or what have you been worshipping today? Have you been worshipping God or have you been worshipping worship? Have your heart and mind gone God-ward or have you remained enslaved to the things of this world?

Has God revealed himself to you through his word and have you responded with worship (1 Sam 3:21)? Did you come here today for the expressed purpose of seeing God revealed by the word and worshipping Him? Or did you come to worship a Sunday tradition, a style of music, your friends, or a sermon?

Church, we must intentionally worship the Father. This will only happen as we look for him in and according to the word. That’s Jesus’ first qualification of a true worshipper: worship the Father. Now the second

• Worship in spirit

To make sure you and I dodn’t miss it Jesus said “you must worship in spirit” twice; once in verse 23 and again in verse 24. This is obviously important so let’s work to understand what it means.

1. Worship is primarily a spiritual action

Here, I believe Jesus is making a distinction. On the one hand you have what is spirit. On the other hand you have what is flesh. There is that which has been born from above and that which is according to this fallen world.

Think about Old Testament worship. Worship used to heavily involve a physical temple and physical sacrifices in order to go God-ward; but not anymore. Now we focus on that spiritual temple where Jesus has gone; that holy place not made with hands, that is, not of this creation (Heb 9:11). In worship we are not seated in a building. No, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Worship in spirit is worship by faith.

Christian worship believes that right now though my body is here located at 1625 Mambrino Hwy my spirit is located with Christ in the presence of the Father. Are you with Christ or are you not? Is faith real or is it not? Believing is not about getting to heaven when you die. Believing is about enjoying the presence of the Father through the Son by the power of the Spirit right now.

Worship is something done in the spirit. Romans 8:16 speaks of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. That is a spiritual action from God to us. In worship, your spirit speaks to God who is spirit. Worship is a spiritual action from us to God. Therefore, if worship is going to happen

2. Worshippers must have been born of the Spirit (John 3)

There is a reason John 3 comes before John 4; what comes first helps us understand what comes after. In John 3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, or born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:3). Later he told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (Jn 3:5-6).

If you and I are going to worship God we must get past the spiritual deadness of our flesh. And how does that happen? You must be born again. The resurrection life of Christ must give life to your dead spirit. How exactly that happens we don’t know. Jesus said it’s like the wind. We don’t know where the wind comes from or where it goes but we see its effects. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit (Jn 3:8).

Let me give you some of those effects of the Spirit so you can test yourself to see if you are even capable of true worship. First, you have experienced the Holy Spirit’s effects of convicting you of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Jesus said in John 16:8 that the Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.

Spiritual people are people who have tasted the bitterness of their own sinfulness. One way you see the Spirit working in your life and in the lives of those around you is in a brokenness over sin. We hate the fact that we have turned away from God, gone our own way, and not obeyed Christ. Spiritual worship involves the personal confession of sin.

Spiritual people are also convinced of the fact that Christ is righteous. He has been vindicated through the resurrection and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is righteous and he gives us his righteousness. True worshippers go the Father through the righteous Son. This is spiritual. It is the Spirit who convicts us of this truth.

And spiritual people are convinced that the ruler of this world is judged. He and his lies and his false guilt and his condemnation have been thrown down. Because of the victory of Jesus Christ you and I can cast off that sin and guilt and go to the Father. This too is spiritual.

There is more I could say but I must stop here concerning evidences of the Spirit. And I must ask if you see those evidences in yourself? Have you been convicted by the Spirit of your sin, the righteousness of Christ, and the condemnation of your accuser? Have you been freed by the new birth to worship in the presence of God?

If the Spirit is right now convicting you then follow him. Where he is leading you might be painful for the moment but it will produce joy for all eternity. Repent of your sins, place your faith in the righteous Christ, and you will be saved. You will be born again, you will be given a new living spirit, and that spirit can worship God who is Spirit. Worshippers must be born of the Spirit.

3. God requires worship to be in spirit like him

Back to John 4 verse 24, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” God is not like a president or king who has to be found in a place. He is spirit and isn’t bound up in this building or any other building for that matter. Since God is omnipresent spirit he can be worshipped anywhere.

And God does not have a physical body with physical appetites. He cannot be manipulated with the flesh of bulls or the blood of goats. He doesn’t get hungry! And he certainly doesn’t have sexuality as we define it so it is utterly foolish to try and manipulate God through lustful acts as false religion has tried to do throughout history.

No, God is spirit. He does not have a physical body. So if you are going to truly worship you must engage that part of you that is spirit. This is so hard to explain but it is necessary to understand. Think about it like this: does God consider it worship when you simply sing the words or bow your head during the prayers or half-heartedly listen to the sermon? No, worship involves all of you loving the Lord your God with Holy Spirit renewed heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Worship in spirit can be defined as worship from one who is born again and is all in. You know that God’s Spirit dwells in you (1 Cor 3:16). You are striving to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). You are loving God from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5). Do not fool yourself. Worship is work. True worship is a sacrifice. True worship must be offered in the spirit.

• Worship in truth

I’ll be shorter here because as a conservative bible believing Church we are big on the truth. And that is a good thing. But a good thing becomes a bad thing when it gets out of proportion. When we emphasize truth and ignore spirit we’re in trouble. When we emphasize spirit and ignore truth it’s equally dangerous. So what does it mean to worship in truth while keep the balance with spirit?

1. Worship according to Jesus

Jesus is the truth (Jn 14:6). There can be no true worship of the Father without the Son. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father but whoever denies the Son denies the Father (1 Jn 2:23). Hear me say it clearly. No person can worship the Father without believing in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who makes worship possible. The necessity of Jesus is precisely why we must sing, speak, and think a great deal about the Son.

But in spite of what some claim about the Spirit, worship in spirit does not mean worship un-tethered from the word. True worship demands spirit and truth.

2. Worship according to truth

What God’s word says do you must seek by the power of the gospel to do. Obeying the truth is worship. What God’s word prohibits you must not do. Ignoring or disobeying the truth will always poison worship. True worship demands that our lives and our actions match up with the truth of God’s word.

3. Worship must be genuine without deception and hypocrisy

This is similar to the previous point but needs emphasis. True worship is from the heart; it is genuine. If you are faking it and pretending to be okay with God when you are not then you are not worshipping in truth. If you are pretending that everything is fine when you know your brother or sister has something against you then you are not worshipping God in truth (Mt 5:23-24).

Charles Spurgeon helps us here. What does genuine worship look like? It comes from a person who truly loves, really adores, and sincerely bows. Worship in truth is real, hearty, and earnest. Worship in truth means your worship offering is a way of life not a show you put on for a few minutes on a Sunday.

Knowing this, part of my worship offering is asking God to make what is on my lips true in my life. While I’m singing I’m confessing to God that what I’m saying is not completely true but I want it to be. Admitting your coldness towards God and praying for him to warm us according to the truth, through Christ, and by the Spirit is worship. When we own our condition and pray to God for change that’s not hypocrisy that’s Christianity. Hypocrisy is when we know our hearts are cold and entangled with sin but we act like our hearts are glowing within us. Genuine worship acknowledges the truth and abhors deception and hypocrisy.

4. Worship according to the truth of who you were- a sinner who is chosen, holy, and beloved

Worship involves thankfulness for the truth of the atonement. If what God has done for you in Jesus Christ gets old then you are in a dangerous place. Doug Wilson said that it is a good thing to carry your old sins around with you. Carry them around with you like king David carried around the severed head of Goliath. Rejoice that you are cleansed. Shout because you have been set free. With thankfulness tell others of what God has done. Never get over the great love of the Father that caused him to send his only Son for you. But don’t flatter yourself. God didn’t send his Son because he worships you. God sent his Son to make you a worshipper.

III. Do you want to be a spiritual worshipper immersed in the truth?

• If you want to worship the Father in spirit and truth it is evidence of God’s grace in your life

If you have no desire to worship the Father in spirit and truth then that should be cause for alarm. Get with a mature brother or sister so you can read the Word and pray through what’s going on in your heart.

In Luke 19:10 Jesus said that he had come to seek and to save that which was lost. In John 4:23 Jesus said that the Father is seeking true worshippers to worship him. God, through his Son, by his Spirit, and according to the truth of the gospel is calling out and creating worshippers.

Are you among that group? Do you hear the voice of Jesus and are you following him? Does the Spirit convict you of sin, righteousness, and judgment? Do you sense when you live a life of worship and offer up thanksgiving that you are doing what God wants you to do? You were recreated to be a true worshipper.

The good news for us all is that if you are not living as a true worshipper, life can be different. Repent of your sins, put your faith in Jesus Christ, and you will be made into a true worshipper. By the power of the gospel root out the deceit and hypocrisy that is in you and you will be made into a true worshipper.

Church, God is working in and among us today. He is seeking out worshippers. Will you bow your head with me and do spiritual business with God today?

Spurgeon on John 4 Worship

If you are pressed for time, scroll down and start reading at II. ACCOUNT FOR THE EXTREME RARITY OF SPIRITUAL WORSHIP

Click here to read

Thinking about worship

Here is a link to a wikipedia article I found. The main thing that grabbed my attention were the paintings of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu throughout the centuries.

The Worship Offering Genesis 4:1-7

Text: Genesis 4:1-7                                                     3/4/2012

Thesis: Who you are and what you do in worship are incredibly important.

Right now is God pleased with you? Is God happy with who you are? What about the worship you have offered Him this morning? Have you offered up a sacrifice of praise to God? Have your lips acknowledged his name (Heb 13:15)? Or, like the people of Malachi’s day have you brought an offering that is lame, sick, or blemished? Have you given God the best of who you are or have you given him the sleepy scraps of a heart bent on serving other gods?

Now it would be easy for me to preach a sermon to the effect of, give God your best. Pay attention, don’t chit-chat, and sing out. But you and I both know that is insufficient. That is surface outward stuff that doesn’t address the heart. You see, if the people of Malachi’s day were guilty of bringing God their scraps then the people of Isaiah’s day were guilty of giving God the best sacrifices but withholding their selves. They honored God with their lips but their hearts were far away from Him (Is. 29:13). It is possible to do all the right things involved in worship and be rejected by God.

We must never lose sight of the fact that worship involves all that you are and all that you do. We’re going to look this morning at the story of Cain and Abel. John Sailhamer wrote, “The author’s purpose is apparently to use the narrative of Cain and Abel to teach a lesson on the kind of worship that is pleasing to God. Worship that pleases God is that which springs from a pure heart” (Sailhamer, 112).

Who you are and what you do in worship are incredibly important.

I. There is a God to worship

• Cain and Abel brought their offerings to the Lord (3,4)

It is evidence of grace that though mankind is banned from the Garden of Eden, God is not bound to remain in the Garden. So, verse 3 tells us that Cain brought his offering to the Lord. Verse 4 tells us that Abel did the same. These men are worshippers. We do not know exactly how or if this was prescribed. There is no mention of God telling anyone at this point to bring him anything. But what we do see is people trying to draw near to God and honor Him as God.

It seems almost ridiculous to say it but in our day it must be said. There is a God to worship. There is only one God to worship. We were made to worship Him and it is right to give offerings that declare His value.

I want you to pay attention to the fact that Cain and Abel do not bring sacrifices to God they bring their offerings to God. I’m talking about the difference between bringing something to God in order to atone for your sins and bringing something to God as a display of your gratitude. A sacrifice says that I am a sinner in need of cleansing. An offering says that I am grateful and want to say thank you.

You and I don’t offer atoning sacrifices. The body of Jesus Christ on the cross is our sacrifice once for all (Heb 10:10). Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins (Heb 10:12). The sacrifice of Christ cannot be improved upon and it cannot be repeated. There is no other atoning sacrifice to give. Oh but we can be thankful. We can display our appreciation for who God is and what he has done by bringing offerings. We offer up ourselves not as atoning sacrifices but as living sacrifices for God to use as he sees fit (Rom 12:2). We offer up the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name (Heb 13:15). We offer up our resources; our time and money and possessions as a display of gratitude.

When we bow in prayer it is our opportunity to give an offering. When we sing it is our opportunity to give an offering. When we pass the offering plate it is our opportunity to give an offering. When I preach and you listen you are offering up your mind to be equipped with the word of God.

Now notice that Cain and Abel didn’t go to an altar, tabernacle, temple, or church building. They were trying to bring an offering to God. Cain and Abel are fulfilling their priestly function worshipping the true God. Let’s bring what they were doing into what we must do.

• Worship demands faith (Heb 11:6)

Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Cain and Abel wanted to draw near to God and give Him their offerings. You and I have gathered together in the name of Jesus Christ in order to draw near to God and give Him our offerings. We are here because God exists. This also means you are never going to worship God if you do not believe He exists. It’s like sending the new guy to the lumberyard for a board-stretcher. He’s got to believe that there actually is a board-stretcher before he goes after it. But once he is convinced that there is no such thing then he’ll stop his pursuit. Our friends and family that do not believe there is a God will not worship Him. That’s why we pray that God will give them faith and invite them to worship. Read 1 Corinthians 14 if you want more information about what should happen to unbelievers who join us. Lord willing we’ll get there.

Back to the text, we’re talking about the fact that you must believe there is a God in order to worship God. Cain and Abel sought to bring their offerings to God. Hebrews 11:6 says,   “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists.” Then Hebrews 11:6 goes on, “he must believe that [God] exists and rewards those who seek him.”

You will seek God to the extent that you believe he will reward you. If the fish aren’t biting or if the deer aren’t moving then I’m not going; the chance of getting what I want just isn’t great enough. Cain and Abel understood that it was right to worship God. Hebrews 11:6 fleshes it out and tells us that its not just right to worship God but there is a reward. And what is the reward for worship?

James 4:8, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” It is not enough just to know that there is a glorious God. There are a lot of amazing things in this world but you’re not spending every Sunday trying to get there. No, you and I believe that there is a good to be had in worship. God rewards those who draw near to Him with Himself.

Simply put, God is the most stunning, satisfying, strengthening, helping, providing, loving, guiding, and forgiving person out there. There is nothing greater then God. So, we draw near to God in worship in order to get God. God is the goal. Worship is the overflow. We seek him so that we can gain the reward of finding him.

I wonder if that’s why you are here. Are you here in order to go to God and give him the offering of yourself? Worship is built on the truth that there is a God and He rewards those who seek him.

II. There are two kinds of worshippers

There is the accepted worshipper and the rejected worshipper

• Abel was accepted

Genesis 4:4 tells us, “and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.” To have regard for something is to look at it, pay attention to it, or respect it. Think about speed limits. You can regard the speed limit by looking at it, paying attention to it, and respecting it. Or, you can have no regard for the speed limit and ignore it. It is important to note here in Genesis 4:4 that God has regard for more than just Abel’s offering. We are told that God had regard for Abel and his offering. Why is that? We’re not told here in Genesis 4 but we are told in Hebrews 11:4.

Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.”

The offering and the one offering it cannot be separated. Who you are and what you do in worship matter. Abel had something that Cain didn’t have. Abel had faith. Wait a minute you may say. Cain had faith. He was there with his offering bringing it to God. How can you say that Abel had faith and Cain didn’t?

I think we get help with this from the description of each man’s offering in Genesis 4. Genesis 4:3 tells us that Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. Cain was a farmer and so he brought to God some of what he had worked to gain; nothing wrong there. There is nothing inherently better about being a shepherd. There is nothing wrong with offering produce. The Old Testament is chock full of God’s instructions on how to offer grain, produce, and first-fruits of the ground. So notice how Cain’s offering is described, “the fruit of the ground.” Now look at Abel’s offering in verse 4. “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.” Cain brought something that he had while Abel brought the best that he had.

Abel brought the offering he brought because of his faith; because of what he believed about God. Cain gave his offering because of his faith. You have given your offering because of your faith; because of what you believe about God. Abel knew the glorious God and his offering reflected his knowledge of the Holy. Cain didn’t know the glorious God so he brought something apparently that he thought would do.

What have you given God? Have you given an offering that reflects your knowledge of the great God or have you given something that you thought would do? Have you given just enough to quiet your conscience; yeah, yeah, I know I should sing and pray and give. Or you have given according to the truth of the person of God? Your faith determines your worship. Because Abel had faith, because he believed the true God, he gave an offering worthy of the true God. Abel’s heart was in it so he and his offering were accepted.

• Cain was rejected

Let’s link up Genesis 4:4&5, “And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” I believe it is right to understand that God accepted Abel because of his faith and God rejected Cain because of his lack of faith. Simply put, Cain’s heart was not in it. He was going through the motions of worship. Maybe God had told them to bring an offering so Cain was just doing what he was told regardless of if he wanted to or not. It’s like gathering for worship because its Sunday instead of gathering for worship because you want to. Calvin wrote, “It is not to be doubted, that Cain conducted himself as hypocrites are accustomed to do; namely, that he wished to appease God, as one discharging a debt, by external sacrifices, without the least intention of dedicating himself to God (Calvin, 196).”

Are you trying to appease God with your worship? Or are you worshipping because you are pleased with God?

As we look at Cain we understand that there was nothing wrong with the offering. There is nothing wrong with giving God fruit and veg. What is wrong is Cain’s heart. Since Cain wasn’t where he needed to be then his offering wasn’t what it needed to be. Cain and his offering were rejected.

We are not told how Abel knew his offering was accepted and we do not know how Cain knew his offering was ignored. We’re not told because it’s not the issue.

• The heart is the issue.

When Cain found out that his offering was rejected, verse 5 says, “Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” Cain was not repentant. He was angry. Cain wasn’t interested in finding out what was wrong with his heart and his offering. Cain boiled with anger and then he was plunged into depression.

Just as God had done with Adam and Eve, God pursued Cain with a question (Gen 3:11). God is drawing out a confession from Cain. The Lord is extending Cain the opportunity to own the sin and find forgiveness. Verse 6, “The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?’” The issue isn’t Abel or Abel’s sacrifice. The issue isn’t God or his rejection of Cain. The issue is Cain. But like you and me Cain can’t fathom it that he is the problem.

So God presses him even further. Verse 7, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Get a grip Cain. You are tempted to blame shift like your mom and dad. You are being tempted to think that righteous Abel is the problem when really you are the problem. If you do well, if you walk in faith, repenting of your sin and worshipping God as he deserves you will be accepted. Cain there is hope for you but it’s going to be war. Sin is crouching at the door and it wants to own you and rule over you. But you’ve got to beat sin down. You’ve got to go postal on your sin.

And sadly, Cain chose not to. He decided to lick his wounds and take out the competition. But it is utter foolishness to believe that you can be a good person by killing all the people better than you. God wouldn’t accept you if you were the last person on earth. Your heart is the issue.

• There are two kinds of worshippers and two kinds of worship

Our culture has set up a model with three styles of worship: traditional, contemporary, and blended. But we’re not talking about styles of worship we’re talking about kinds of worship. If we can keep that distinction it will be a great help. The two kinds of worship are acceptable worship and unacceptable worship. And here again, it is not you and me who get to decide what is acceptable and unacceptable. God decides what acceptable worship is and it is God who rejects unacceptable worship. In this sense your opinions, likes, and dislikes really don’t matter. So what is acceptable worship?

Acceptable worship is worship according to the word, according to faith, and according to holiness. So if you want to do something that contradicts, disobeys, or is not in line with the spirit of God’s word then know that it will be unacceptable. Acceptable worship agrees with the word. And if you do something just because you have always done it or if you do something just because it’s the right thing to do without reference to your heart then it is unacceptable. Worship must come from faith; there is a God and He rewards those who seek Him. And worship must involve a commitment to holiness both individual holiness and corporate holiness. You cannot worship God with blood on your hands and unrepentant sin in your life. So, acceptable worship requires a pursuit of holiness and forgiveness.

1 John 1:6, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Therefore pursue holiness. 1 John 1:8, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Therefore pursue forgiveness.

Remember the two types of worship: acceptable worship and unacceptable worship. Unacceptable worship disregards the word of God while acceptable worship is always in line with the word of God. Unacceptable worship is just going through the motions while acceptable worship is going to God. And unacceptable worship shows no concern for holiness while acceptable worship always involves repentance for sin and a pursuit of holiness.

III. How to be a worshipper who is accepted

• Worship from the fact that you are accepted by faith

At the end of it all we are like Cain and Christ is like Abel. Christ did nothing wrong. He joyfully obeyed and offered up himself for God to use. But we are full of selfishness and self-righteousness and empty tradition and thoughts that God should be pleased with us. And we killed our brother.

But there is hope. Remember Hebrews 12? We don’t go to that terrifying mountain we go to Jesus. We go “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb 12:24). Abel’s blood cried out for Cain to be punished. Christ’s blood cries out for you to be forgiven. You, the one who killed your brother, is accepted because of the atoning blood of Christ. Your offering is cleansed and made acceptable because of the powerful loud blood of Christ.

So, “through [Jesus] let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledged his name” (Heb 13:15). Acceptable worship comes from a worshipper who has been cleansed by Christ. And acceptable worship is that offering that has been cleansed by Christ.

Let us thank our God for Jesus and through Jesus let us go to the Father and give Him the praise that he deserves.

Created to Worship; Genesis 2:4-17

Text: Genesis 2:4-17                                                   2/26/2012

Thesis: Mankind was created to worship God in all of life.

Last week we took a look at worship. I gave you this definition: worship is the right response to God by the Spirit through Jesus Christ. So, worship begins with the revelation of God. The holy and glorious God shows up and his people worship him. But we can’t just bust into God’s presence and do whatever we feel like doing. If sinful humanity is going to worship the holy God we need a redeemer, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And we need the Bible so we’ll know how to worship. According to the Word and through faith in the righteous One who took our sins upon Himself we come boldly into God’s presence. As we worship God it is the Spirit who empowers us to respond with fear and adoration, confession and commitment.

But the way it is now is not the way it has always been. Today we’re going to look at and learn from worship in the beginning. In Adam and Eve we see that you and I were created to worship. In these two people we see what we were created to do and I hope from this you will cherish the fact that in Christ you are a new creation. Because of Jesus sinful fallen people can again do what they were made to do. You were created to worship.

Read Genesis 2:4-17

 I. We were created to serve and keep (Gen. 2:15)

• The priestly Adam and Eve

Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” I want us to do some work here in verse 15 because this is worship language.

The Lord God took the man he had formed from the dust of the ground, the very man he had blown the breath of life into, and he put him in the garden. Now this word ‘put’ is important. It’s not the word like we use when we say, “I put some tomatoes in the garden” or “I put my socks in the washing machine.” That word does occur in the creation account in Genesis 2:8. But here in 2:15 the word is different. I like the translation “The Lord God took the man and set him in the Garden of Eden.” “Placed him in the Garden of Eden is equally attractive.” I like this translation because it makes the connection with worship more explicit. Let me show you what I mean.

Genesis 2:8 uses the common word for put but Genesis 2:15 uses a different word. In Exodus 16:33 Moses instructed Aaron to “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.”  When a worshipper brought his offering of first fruits to the temple he would say, ‘And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ Then the priests are instructed to “set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God” (Deut 26:10). This word translated as put or place or set or even deposit is not the normal everyday word but one that often carries the idea of putting something in the presence of God.

If we look back to Genesis 2:15 we’ll see the reason God put Adam in the Garden, “to work it and keep it.” Now don’t run straight for your shovel and hoe. Working and keeping are two words that are often used to describe the work of the Levites and priests in the tabernacle and temple. To work can also mean to minister and most of the time it means to serve (Num 4:23, 24, 26, 30, 37, 41, 47). So we get the idea that Adam was created to minister, to serve, or to do the work God had given him.

Now, to keep means to guard or to obey like when the people kept the feasts or when Abraham kept God’s commands, statutes, and laws (Gen 3:24; 17:9; 26:5; Exod 12:17). Four times the words work and keep occur together in the book of Numbers and every time it describe the work of the priests  (Num 3:7, 8; 8:26; 18:7; Deut 12:30; 13:4; Josh 22:5). Here is the point: Adam and Eve had a priestly function in the Garden. They were not just working to pass the time or fill their bellies. They were serving, working, ministering, keeping, tending, and obeying.

You see, the Garden of Eden was where heaven and earth converged. The Garden became the dwelling place of God. Remember your geography at the beginning. You have the earth, then Eden, then the Garden of/in Eden. I’m not denying the omnipresence of God I’m saying that physical humanity needed a physical way to meet with and commune with God. In this sense, God would come down and meet with his people in the Garden. So the Garden became a sanctuary with Adam and Eve serving and obeying Him.

Let me define sanctuary. A sanctuary is a holy place where the presence of God dwells (Ross, 83). In the Garden Adam and Eve would meet God. They would function as priests. This is how it was in the beginning humanity enjoyed God’s presence, served him and kept his commandments. I want you to grasp that mankind was created to serve God as priests. Adam and Eve exercised dominion over all of creation in obedience to God. Adam and Eve tended to and cultivated the Garden according to the wisdom of God. Everything Adam and Eve did in creation had to do with God. They belonged to Him, served Him, and served all of creation as His representatives.

So it doesn’t surprise us that when God called his people out of Egypt he called them a kingdom of priests (Exod 19:6). And it makes sense that he calls us a holy and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5, 9), It is what God has always intended for his people.

In the Garden we see Adam and Eve working and keeping, serving and obeying. This has been true worship from the beginning. Now I want to flesh out some specifics concerning serving God in his presence and serving all of creation as God’s representatives.

II. We were created to be with God

• Worship involves focusing on God (Gen. 3:8)

In Genesis 3:8 we get the idea that the pattern has been disturbed. After Adam and Eve have rebelled against their Creator and disobeyed his commands we read this: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

As history progresses and Israel builds the tabernacle the term “walking” will be used to describe God’s presence in the Israelite tent sanctuary (Lev. 26:12; Deut 23:14; 2 Sam 7:6-7). In Leviticus 26:12 God promises, “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” In Deuteronomy 23:14 Moses said, “Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy.” God walking in the tabernacle, in the midst of the people, and in the Garden emphasizes the relationship between the garden and the later shrines. Walking among the people is what God does. So in Genesis 3:8 it is not God’s walking in the garden that was unusual, but the reaction of man and his wife” (Wenham, WBC, 76).

What Adam and Eve did in these times is unknown to us but what the people of God did as God walked in their midst is not unknown. The whole point of the presence of God was to know and worship him. The highlight of visiting the temple or tabernacle was being purified from all uncleanliness so that the worshipper could enjoy the presence of God. The world with all that was sinful and separated from God was blocked out so the worshipper could admire God.

The beauty of the tabernacle and the temple would have brought the beauty of the Garden to mind. There was gold everywhere and precious stones like that found in Havilah. There were plants and trees graved and embroidered everywhere like that found in the lush garden. There were even cherubim embroidered on the veil “guarding” the holy of holies the place of God’s presence. That is exactly what we expect since it was cherubim who guarded the way back to the garden the place where God walked with his people (Gen. 3:24).

The tabernacle, temple, and Garden were places where people could commune with God. God’s presence dwelt there and he walked among his people. After the purifying sacrifices the people would pray to God and ask for his wisdom. They would praise him thanking him for who he is and what he has done. They would sing and shout and dance celebrating the close relationship they had with the holy and glorious God. All eyes were trained toward the Father.

Worship has always involved giving God our undivided attention. It was true then and it is true today. The need to focus on God and give him our attention has many implications on the way we are to worship. Let me name a few:

David and I must work to minimize distractions. We do not want what we say or do to distract you from God. So, we work on the music, think about the words, check the sound system, and try to point you toward God.

The need to focus on God also means that you need to minimize distractions. Saying mundane unnecessary things during the time dedicated to worshipping God is unhelpful and can be distracting to the people around you. Ringing cell phones, clipping finger nails, and chit-chat can easily get in the way.  We are to be mindful of one another to help one another. We are to be mindful of God.

Husbands help your wife worship. Wives help your husband worship. Parents help your children and children help your parents. One of the regular things I talk to my children about is how important it is to not be a distraction in worship. So,  it is my responsibility as best I can as the preacher to train my children to focus on God. If worship involves focusing on God we must give think about how to do this better and how to help one another improve.

Adam and Eve focused on God and he walked  in their midst. Mambrino Baptist Church must focus on the Father and how do we see him? We see him as we gather in the name of Jesus Christ for the purpose of going to the Father. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in his name he will be there among them (Mt 18:20). The presence of the Son makes any place a sanctuary; the place where God’s presence dwells so that his people can focus on him. This is worship.

III. We were created to listen to God

• Worship involves obedience (Gen. 2:16-17)

There were two commands given by God to Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1:28 God told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” We’ll talk more about this in a moment. Let’s look at the next command in Genesis 2:15-17, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”

One of the ways we worship God is by obeying His commands. The reason obedience is worship is because we are proclaiming the supremacy of God when we listen to him instead of others. When Adam and Eve obeyed the voice of Satan instead of the word of God they were making a value statement: Satan’s word is better than God’s word. Satan knows best, Satan speaks a better word, follow after the supreme Satan. Every sin of mine and yours says the same. Every sin says God is a fool and I know best. Every time we listen to God we value him. We worship him when we given primacy to him and listen to him instead of ourselves, our friends, and our culture.

So when the church caves to the homosexual agenda we’re saying something about God. We’re worshipping something. When the church listens to the culture and rejects the God-given roles for men and women we’re saying something about worship. When we gather together we are to value God by listening to his word. So we read it and we obey it. One of the best ways to improve our worship is for you to listen to God and obey; every day valuing God and walking according to his wisdom. Worship entails obedience.

IV. We were created to act like God

• Worship involves the God-ward realization of potential (Gen. 1:28; Rom 12:2)

We are God’s image bearers. In Christ we become new creations. This has big implications for worship. What we’re talking about here is not worship proper or worship in the sense of personally entering the presence of God to give him the praise that he deserves. Instead we’re talking about that sense in which all of life is to be God-ward. It is that sense in which we acknowledge God and give thanks to him in everything (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:18). A God-ward life seeks to do everything in a way that honors God, reflects God, and matches the will of God. Romans 14:23 tells us that everything that does not proceed from faith is sin. What does that mean exactly? What does it look like to live a life in which everything you do comes from faith? How can we worship God through all of life?

Let’s look at Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed [Adam and Eve]. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” It was God’s original plan for mankind to take what God had given him and order it in such a way that it continued to flourish. Now to subdue and to have dominion do not mean to exploit. Humanity was not given the license to strip-mine the earth because good gold and precious jewels were there (Gen. 2:10-14). To subdue a perfect and good creation is to tend to it so that it reaches its potential. To have dominion over the creation is to rule over it for the good of all and the glory of God. There were no lobbyists or special interests groups in the Garden. All of creation and all of life was to be used for the good of all and the glory of God.

Think about it this way: did God create Adam and Eve with a mature knowledge of all the potentials and when the fall occurred that knowledge was lost? What I’m asking is did Adam and Eve fully understand electricity, lose that knowledge through sin, and then mankind spent thousands of years trying to get it back? Or maybe scientists invented electricity or God injected electricity into the world when mankind was ready? Obviously that is foolish. Electricity has always been there in creation; the potential was there. What needed to happen was for humanity to develop that potential. The same is true for art, math, music, science, relationships, physical strength, and even culture. God didn’t intend for there to be only two image bearers but an entire earth full of image bearers living in harmony; a harmony that imaged the Trinity itself.

So, I believe part of what it means to be made in the image of God is ruling over ourselves and fulfilling our God given roles so that the potentials therein are discovered and maximized. So, what potentials are in you? Do you have a strong back or a mind that thinks abstractly or more logically? Do you have a compassionate listening ear, an artistic bent, or the ability to teach or lead? Maybe you are good with your hands, have a beautiful voice, or have some particular skill. When you begin to harness every avenue of life as an opportunity to live for the glory of God you are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:2).

Men, man up. Are you maximizing your potential for the glory of God or are you wasting away on the couch, in front of the computer, or in your man cave? What has God blessed you with and how are you using it? Are you using it? Do you know the potentials that are in your wife and are you working to help her realize them? What about your children and grandchildren? What about the church? Or are you exploiting your wife, your friends, your work, the church and even the earth for selfish gain? You were made to exercise a God-ward dominion that seeks to subdue every potential so that as it matures it sings the praises of our great God.

With this biblical worldview all of a sudden changing a diaper or scrubbing the toilet become an offering. Eating in such a way that maximizes the potentials of your body and the church body is an offering- whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

You were made to worship God and live for his glory. Christ redeemed you from your sins and the Spirit is transforming you more and more into the image of the faithful God-man Jesus Christ. In Christ, you have everything you need to realize the God-given potentials in yourself, your family, and your church. The question is if you are doing what God made you to do?

Our perfect Triune God created humanity in order to share himself with us. He doesn’t need your worship any more than he needed the bulls and goats sacrificed to him in the temple. But we need to worship Him. We were created to enjoy the holy and glorious God. We need to focus on him because there is so much out there that sucks the life and dulls the soul. We need to gather and enjoy the presence of God.

As we close this morning have you been able to do what God made you to do or has your sin and disobedience gotten in the way? Know this morning that worship can occur. Just as the Hebrews would offer a sacrifice, be cleansed, and again enter God’s presence. So, you to have a sacrifice. Christ has died as your atoning sacrifice, his blood has been spilt so you can be cleansed and again enter God’s presence.

Maybe you haven’t focused on God until right now. Maybe you haven’t been honest about your sin or struggles but now because of Christ you see that you are free to own your sin and be cleansed. Now is the time to worship. Let’s stand together as we give God the praise that he deserves.

What is Worship?

Text: Hebrews 12:18-29                                                         2/19/2012

Worship is the right response to God through Jesus Christ

I want our worship of God to be as glorious as it should be. I want what we do in Jesus’ name to lift people out of their mundane cares and fill them with adoration and praise. Worship was designed to be a life-changing and life-defining experience. So what we need is a vision so great and so glorious that what we call worship stops being a routine gathering and becomes a transcendent meeting with the living God. When that happens, then we will be caught up in our spirits to join the heavenly choirs of saints and angels who even now are gathering around the throne of God. After this, our hearts and minds will be filled with the hope of glory so that we may truly love and serve the Lord in this life (Allen Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory, 39).

So, how do we get there? My plan for the next several months is for us to dig deep into what it means to truly worship the true God. This morning we’ll start with a definition of worship that will give some direction for the future.

Worship is the right response to God through Jesus Christ.

Let’s begin our journey in Hebrews 12:18-29.

I. Worship is the right response to God

• Worship begins with the revelation of God

Even before Adam and Eve sinned they needed God to show up and talk with them if they were going to know God. Remember, they had the heavens declaring the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). They had all of the good creation speaking to them about God. Romans 1:20 tells us that even today this created world speaks to us about God. All of creation puts the invisible attributes of God on display. We know from looking at this vast universe that the Maker is eternal, powerful, and divine. We should worship Him because of what is revealed about Him. Since Adam and Eve, God has revealed himself and given us reason to worship Him.

But God’s revelation in creation is insufficient for a relationship with God. All creation says is, “There is an eternal and powerful God that you should worship.” Creation doesn’t tell us if God cares about us or wants to have anything to do with us. Creation doesn’t tell us how to live or how to relate to this eternal and powerful God. You see, even Adam and Eve needed God to come and talk to them. Since the beginning of time the right worship of God has depended on God speaking so humanity could respond properly to Him. Never, at any moment were we left to try to figure out God or the right response to God on our own.

Throughout history God has shown up and revealed Himself.  Throughout time God has been speaking to his people and that word has been recorded for all to see. So what has God told us about himself in his word?

Let’s do a brief overview of the worship of God throughout the ages. God told Job that at the beginning of creation the angels were singing together and shouting for joy because of what God had done (Job 34:7). When the prophet Isaiah got a glimpse of worship in heaven there were fantastic creatures who saw God and cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” The ones who see God every day, who remain in his presence, cry out “He is completely and perfectly holy.” When the Apostle John was given a glimpse of the worship of God in heaven he also saw these creatures and they, some 500 years after Isaiah saw them, are still crying out, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty” (Rev 4:8). Then John was given a vision of the end of time, 2000 plus years later, and he saw those living creatures again falling down and worshipping God, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” (Rev. 19:4). The record of the worship of God in heaven is consistent throughout the ages: God is holy and therefore worthy to be praised.

God is holy

To be holy means to be distinct, to be different, to be set apart, and unlike other things. To be holy is to be without sin; perfect in every way.

God said in Isaiah 55:17 that his name is holy. A good definition of holy is “other, almost incomprehensibly unique, set apart from all that is creaturely and corrupt, distinct from the physical and fallen world” (Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory, 43). And God’s holiness is described by his attributes (44ff). Let me explain what that means.

God is omnipotent which means he has infinite unlimited power. So in respect to power God is holy. God is also omniscient which means God knows everything perfectly. So in respect to knowledge God is holy. God is also omnipresent which means he is everywhere. So in respect to space God is holy. God is also eternal so in respect to time God is holy. God is also righteous which means he does everything right. So in respect to his ways he is holy. I hope you see the point because if you do not you will never be able to worship. Worshipping God depends upon seeing and responding to his holiness.

God is glorious

The display of God’s holiness is his glory. In the bible the word “glory” has the literal meaning of weightiness. We use the concept when we say that something was heavy. It is important, it is big, and it changes things. We also use the concept when we talk about someone throwing their weight around; they are exercising their authority. So the display of the importance and weightiness of God is the display of God’s glory.

Living for God’s glory means you live in such a way that demonstrates the fact that God is the most important person in your life; what He says is more important than what others say or even what you think or how you feel. God is supreme. So, to live for God’s glory at work is to live in such a way that demonstrates the fact that God influences your work more than anything else. You work for Him and in agreement with him. For this person the job is not about the bottom line. The job is about the glorious God. To live for God’s glory in your home is to live in such a way that it is evident to those around you that God and his desires are what shape who you are and what you do. The same is true concerning living for God’s glory at school.

So, would you be able to call in credible witnesses for your defense? Would the people around you say that you are living for God or for something else? This is why worship matters. What you worship is what you live for and God will not settle for second place. God will not share his glory with another (Isa. 48:11).

What I am about to say is important for worship, for life, and for our days ahead. If you miss this concept you won’t understand why it is crucial that we focus on worship.

For a Christian to live for the glory of God he must have a desire to see the glory of God. This is true because a life that exalts God can only come by actually seeing the exalted God. Without this fundamental desire to see the holy God there can be no true worship. We need to see God for who He truly is; as we see this holy God and his glory is displayed to his people, worship will occur. Moses prayed, “Please show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18) Every time we gather the desire of Moses should guide our hearts, be in our minds, and come out of our mouths. God, show us your glory so that we might worship you. Worship depends on revelation. Worship is the right response to God.

II. Worship is the right response

• Worship matters

When any person sees God there is a response. If you have spiritual eyes to see who God is, what He is doing, and how others have responded then you’re headed toward a right response. But if your eyes are blind to who God is, what He is doing, and how you should respond then you’re headed toward a wrong response. Let me show you what I’m talking about with some illustrations from the Bible

1. Trading God in Romans 1:18-32

Human history, from Cain till today, is full of people who think they have life figured out. They think they have God figured out but they don’t have anything figured out. These people do not see God clearly and they do not prize God above all else. God is not supreme he’s secondary or inconsequential. So, they trade what is truly glorious for lesser things and lesser people. They exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever more.

Humanity has traded the soul satisfying joy of worshipping God for the soul numbing worship of money, pleasure, and power. Now money, pleasure, and power are not wrong but to worship them by pursuing them for your joy is clearly wrong. And it is frightening to know that in God’s perfect wisdom there are people who he gives over to their unholy pursuits. We don’t know who they are and we don’t have the wisdom to label those who we think might be given over to their appetites. But what we do know is we must guard ourselves and our church family from being unholy like them (Hebrews 12:16-17). Keep a close watch on the desires of your heart. Have you begun to seek your joy outside of God? Have you traded the right worship of the glorious God for the pursuit of things or worldly pleasure?

2. Nadab and Abihu

Now this one is a bit harder for us because these two men had been given a clear view of God. They were there for the Exodus, and the parting of the Red Sea and the presence of God at Mt. Sinai. They saw God and they understood what God was doing but they still chose to respond sinfully to God.

We read this two weeks ago in our daily bible reading. Leviticus 10:1-3, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’”

Nadab and Abihu thought they could do whatever they wanted in the presence of God and God would be okay with them. God wasn’t monumental in His holiness and treated as such. No, to Nadab and Abihu God was cool with whatever they had in mind. Nadab and Abihu responded to God in an unbiblical demeaning way and they paid for it.

The way you treat God, the way you respond to God, matters because it flows out of what you believe about God. You and I don’t have the right to define God however we want. And you and I don’t have the right to define for ourselves what is acceptable worship and what is not. Who He is and how He is to be worshipped has been defined by God himself.

He is to be exalted in our eyes. He is to be treated as holy in all we do. We are to listen to Him and obey Him. Nadab and Abihu teach us that how we treat God specifically in worship matters.

• So what makes up a right response to God?

Before I answer that question let me offer a word of warning: worship will have these elements but it will not always have them in the same intensity. Every time Isaiah worshipped God it was not an Isaiah 6 moment. Every time the Apostle John worshipped Jesus it was not a Revelation 1 moment. The Apostle Paul wasn’t caught up into paradise every time he worshipped (2 Cor. 12:3). In fact, the way these guys wrote it looks like these amazing times of worship happened only once in their lifetimes.

So we must be on guard against demanding that every time we open our mouths to sing God’s praises it will be identical to the worship of the glorified saints in heaven. We must also guard against the mentality that says worship will always be dull and dry this side of heaven. Sometimes worship will come quickly because of God’s grace or because you have cultivated a life of worship. Sometimes worship will come slowly because of sin or dullness or unbelief. Sometimes God will visit us powerfully and we will worship. Other times we will be more concerned about visiting a restaurant or a friend or taking a nap and we will miss God.

All right, with that word of warning what makes up a right response to God?

1. Fear and adoration

Fear is a New Testament, New Covenant, Christian response to God. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus tells us to fear God. 1 Peter 2:17 in a two word sentence says plainly, “Fear God.” In Hebrews 12:28-29 we find this truth: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming God.”

Fear and adoration, reverence and awe, these should be present in every moment of worship but let their amounts be fluid. God is infinite and you are finite. There should be fear. He is holy-different from us and that is not good news for sinful people who are compared to fragile jars of clay. He cannot be stopped or destroyed and you are easily broken. But alongside fear should be adoration or awe. Be amazed that God is God. Have you taken a boat right up close to the thunder of Niagara Falls? Have you peered over the edge of the Grand Canyon? In those times you experience fear and adoration, reverence and awe. I had fear and reverence because I am so small and weak compared to such grandeur. I had adoration and awe because the greatness of each of those wonders was amazing. I just stood there afraid but I didn’t want to run away. Such is worship. Do you have reverence and awe for God? What about

2. Confession and commitment

Confession is the response of a sinful person to a holy God. Sometimes there are grand terrifying moments of confession like Isaiah’s in Isaiah 6. At other times confession looks like the steady thoughtful confession of Isaiah 1 where sins like scarlet are made white like snow, people are cleansed, and what is evil is removed from his people. If you expect to gather with God’s people and worship him with reverence and awe without repentance then you are expecting the impossible. You are no more free from sin than I am free from my skin. To neglect confession is to derail worship.

And it is also true that if you try to worship God from a heart that refuses to obey God, worship will never happen. True worship will always bear the mark of genuine commitment. James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). What I’m saying is that true worshippers will be ready followers. So let’s take it in reverse. If you spend your entire week not following God and worshipping the idols of worldly pleasure or sinful sloth, worship is going to be hard. Do you think that on Sunday you’ll be ready to enter the presence of the God you have refused all week?

Check your commitment level on your way to worship. The Spirit may point out some sin or thing left undone that must be confessed before you engage God in worship.

The fact of our sinfulness leads us to our next main point

III. Worship is through Jesus Christ

• Christ is our atoning sacrifice

I’m going to read you some passages that may be familiar. They’re familiar because they talk about what it means to be saved. These verses tell us about getting reconciled to God so that we can one day be in heaven with God. But these passages also speak to us about worship. Listen and think about what it means to be in God’s glorious presence today, even right now.

1. Hebrews 10:19-22

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ‎and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

We are able right now to enter the presence of God only through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We even have confidence to enter his presence. Now, the Father cannot tolerate sin in his presence. Habakkuk 1:13 tells us that God “cannot look at wrong.” That means God cannot endure sin without punishing the guilty. We need forgiveness and the righteousness of Christ in order to worship God.  The righteous life and atoning work of Jesus Christ make salvation and worship possible.

2. John 14:6

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Certainly this has to do with salvation but do not overlook what Jesus is telling us about worship. You cannot come to the Father in worship except through faith in Jesus Christ.  Because of Jesus we have confidence to enter God’s holy presence and worship him. Jesus is our atoning sacrifice.

• Jesus is the ultimate revelation of the Father (Heb. 1:3-4; John 14:9)

Therefore, worship should focus on Jesus. The incarnation and the New Covenant bring an update to Moses prayer. Do you remember his prayer? He prayed in Exodus 33:19, “Please show me your glory.” So we pray, “Please show me Jesus.” Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” In John 14:9 Jesus told Philip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” An eyewitness and close companion of Jesus wrote, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is the full and final revelation of the Father.

So, worship without Jesus just simply is not the true worship of God. Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father so we must focus on Him. 1 John 2:23 says, “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” Jesus is the means to the Father so we must worship in Him. Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father so we must worship Him.

Worship is the right response to God through Jesus Christ.

What about the Spirit?

The Spirit is the car, the Son is the road, and the Father is the destination

Some people refuse the car, ignore the road, and still think what they are doing honors the Father and will ultimately lead to the Father. So we hear things like this: “All roads lead to the same place right?” and “Just believe in something and God will be pleased; just having faith in something is all that matters.” This is unbiblical and damning.

Other people want to jump in the Holy Spirit car and go off-roading. Some want to go where ever they want without much concern for the road; without concern for the word of Christ. “It’s all in the ride right?” or “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom so let’s do whatever we want!” This is unbiblical and harmful; think Nadab and Abihu.

Still others are afraid of the Holy Spirit car so they’ll just walk on the Jesus road thank you very much. Some, because they are afraid of or don’t understand the Spirit’s power try to worship on their own. This also is unbiblical and harmful.

The only way to worship is to worship God by the Spirit’s power through faith in Jesus Christ. The Son purifies us and the Spirit empowers us so that we can worship God. In the weeks ahead I’m going to try and unpack the specifics of all that so you can be better equipped to respond to God.

What about the Word?

The Word is our manual and map

The Word, the Bible, tells us how the Spirit works. So, if what you think and feel in your heart is the Spirit but it doesn’t match the manual then it is not the Spirit. It doesn’t matter how good it feels or how good your intentions are. God will never act in ways that contradict his Word. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17). We must worship according to the truth of God’s word.

The Word is also our map constantly pointing us to the true God who is our destination. The word corrects us and rebukes us when we start trying to make worship the destination. Every time we gather together the purpose is to go to the Father. We will do so as we rely on the Spirit’s power and trust in Christ’s provision of righteousness.

According to the word we learn that God is worthy of our right worship. But the word also tells us that we are sinful and cut off from God. We need a savior and He is Christ the Lord. Because of Jesus’ death and life we are given access even boldness to go to God in worship. By the power of the Spirit we are drawn to God through Christ and empowered to worship. In that place- according to the word, through Jesus, and by the Spirit we see the Father and worship him. He is holy and glorious. He is worthy of worship.