The Worship of God, Part 2

And so we're trying to help people understand what true worship is. So last week we talked about the importance of worship, how it was mandated in the Old Testament and modeled in the New Testament. How worship is that one element that was practiced in the past, prescribed for the present. And the prospect of the future. And then we move to talk about the experience of worship. What happens when someone really, actually, truly, biblically worships God? Well, number one, we talked about that there was a recognition, a recognition of his presence.

That is, we know that he's there and understand. Who He is recognizing the person of Jesus Christ and realizing that because He is there, we are to fall down before Him. We looked at the Am of Transfiguration over in Matthew chapter 17. How Peter, James, and John. The core group of Christ fell down on their faces prostrate before the ground because they saw the glory of the Lord being revealed. We moved from there to talk about the release of his power. When you recognize who Christ is, then there is a release of his power.

The reason a lot of us don't have our lives energized by God is because we haven't recognized God. Once you recognize him and you fall on your face before him and begin to worship him, he touches your life. The woman with a hemorrhage, Mark chapter 5, we talked about. She believed in faith that this one would heal her, that this one, that no one else could do, this one, the God of the universe, could heal her if she could just touch the garments of this one. And sure enough, there was a release of his power.

She recognized who he was. She believed in what he could do. And she felt the healing touch of Christ. And God transform her life. Tonight, we want to move to the third element of what it means to exper worship with God.

You move from a recognition of his person to a release of his power to a rejoicing in his presence. Are rejoicing in his presence. Over in Luke chapter 19, that's our text. Luke chapter 19, you have what is commonly called a triumphal entry. Our Lord on the backside of a donkey was riding into Jerusalem. And it says in verse number 36, and as he was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. And as he was now approaching near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice.

For all the miracles which they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees and the multitude said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. And he answered and said, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out. This is an amazing scene. You must understand that there is no worship leader present. There is spontaneous worship on the part of these people. They expressed outwardly what they experienced inwardly, and they would sing and shout loudly to the King of Kings.

I like what Mark's account says. When it says that they laid their garments on the road and they took the leafy branches and spread them out, very interesting statement because when you took your garments off and you put them on the road for a monarch to trample over or to walk over, what you were saying is that I. I am humbly submitting myself and all that I have to you. It was an ancient custom of the day. And so, as they took off their garments, they would say, We are submitting ourselves to you as our king.

And they would wave the leafy branches. John tells us that they were palm branches. It was a sign of joy. It was a sign of salvation. It was a sign of rejoicing. And these people began to speak loudly and sing loudly. And Mark gives us an account that says, They said, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David. Hosanna. In the highest, they would rejoice in his presence. They would rejoice over the fact that he had a plan. That plan was Hosanna, which means To save now.

The only problem with these people is they experienced or expected that that salvation would be a national salvation. And not a spiritual salvation. They did not understand that. But they wanted Him to save them now.

And so they would praise Him for His plan. They would also praise Him. For his person. Because it says, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord speaks of his character. If you read over Luke's account, it says, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. John says, The king of Israel. Matthew says, the son of David. And so they would rejoice over his person. They would rejoice over his plan. And thirdly, they would rejoice over his promise.

And what was a promise? The promise of his kingdom. That he was going to come and set up his earthly rule, that he would reign upon the earth, and every one of his enemies would be trampled under his feet, and so they would rejoice over. His promise. And then they would rejoice forthly over his position when they said, Hosanna in the high. You are the God above all. You are the one supreme God. The abode of God, the glory of God, and therefore we worship you and we praise your glorious name. You are number one.

And the question comes back: is he number one in our life? Have we rejoiced over his plan, his wonderful plan of salvation? Have we rejoiced over his person, his character? Have we rejoiced over His promise that he will one day rule and reign on this earth. Have we rejoiced over his glorious position and submitted to that position? And so we need to have a recognition of his person. That's why we spent so many months studying the attributes of God. That there also must be a release of his power, and with that comes a rejoicing over his presence.

A rejoicing. Fourthly, not only does there need to be a recognition of his person, a release of his power, a rejoicing in his presence, but a reverence for his purity. John chapter 2. It has been said many times over that too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship. Unfortunately, That's more true than we like to admit. But over in John chapter 2, it says this. In verse number 13, and the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and he found in the temple those who were selling oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated.

And he made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-chang, and overturned their tables. And to those who were selling the doves, he said, Take these things away, stop making my father's house a house of merchandise. His disciples remembered that it was written: Zeal for thy house will cons me. Every time I read that story, I'm reminded of the fact that this is Christ's first impress in Jerusalem.

This is how he came into the city. This is their first sight of the king. He's displeased with their so-called worship. His place, his father's house, was being used in a way that was displeasing to him. It was a house of prayer, and they used it to exchange money. They used it as a house of profit for their own means. And he was angered by it. The reason you go to the temple, the reason you go to the synagogue was to worship God. And as I read through this, I think to myself, how many times do people Go to church for another reason other than worshiping God.

You know, I got to be real careful what I say here because I don't want to offend anybody. But you know, people go to church for all kinds of reasons. But if you go to church for any other reason other than worship God, you go for the wrong reasons. God wants you to come to worship him, to honor him, to glorify his name. See, when I'm a pastor, now Things have changed now.

We're under a new covenant, and because we're under a new covenant, we don't go to a building to worship God. God's in us, which makes it even more emphatic. Makes it even more emphatic. Because our God doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, where does he dwell? He dwells in the lives of people. So get this. If our Lord is willing to take a whip and turn tables over, And become upset in a building because there are people there that dishonor his name. Just think what the Spirit of God will do in the life of an individual who dishonors his name.

Because our bodies are the temple of the living God. And so God dwells in there. God lives in us. What an amazing thing. And he doesn't want that temple defil. He doesn't want that temple to become defective in its operation. He doesn't want there to be anything in the temple that will hinder those who are outside the temple seeing him. And so, as Hebrews 12 says, don't be surprised. Because the Lord loves you, he chastens and scourges every one of his sons. Who lives in disobedience? God wants us to have a reverence for His purity.

And is it not true that if we have truly seen Him, if we have truly recognized His person, And we have truly re from him the touch of his power. And we have rejoiced over who He is that we will revere His purity in our lives. I would think so. And I would trust that that would happen with every one of us. That's the experience of true worship. Which leads us to point number three: the substance of true worship.

The substance of true worship. And what is that? Turn me over to John chapter 4, just a page or two over. And in John chapter 4, we have probably one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament that deal with worship. You know the story. It's a story where Christ is having a con with a woman, a Samaritan woman. And in verse number 20, she says this, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you people, that is the Jews, say that in Jerusalem is the place. Where men ought to worship. Now she asked a pretty legitimate question.

She asked a question that a lot of people today ask. Well, you know, my people, we worship at the Methodist Church. You people, you worship at the Baptist Church. And you people, you worship at the Bible Church down the road, and you people wor At the Catholic Church over there. She's asking, you know, my people, the Samaritans, we worship on Mount Geriz, and that's where we go. You Jews, you worship over here. Where is it we are to worship? She asked a good question. And Christ, of course, gives a great answer.

Always gives a great answer. But he says, This: Woman, believe me, an hour is coming. When neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem shall you worship the F. That 's a very significant statement. Because he sets down once for all this principle that worship is not relegated to a place. Worship is about a person. It's not where you worship, it's who you worship and when you worship. He says there's a new hour coming. And by the way, you're looking at the new hour. But there's a new hour coming, he says.

Where people who really are truly worship of me are not going to worry about Jerusalem nor Mount Geriz. He says this: You worship that which you do not know. We worship that which we know. For his salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is now is the hour when the true worshipp shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. For such people the Father Seeks to be his worship. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit. And truth. The reason we go to church on Sunday is to worship God.

But I want to let you know something. If you understand John chapter 4, the reason you go to worship God on Sunday Are you ready for this? It's because you have already been worshiping him throughout the week. If you don't worship God throughout the week, You will not worship him on Sunday. That's the point. Christ says, ye need to worship in spirit.

And in truth. What we want to do is look at the elements of that worship and then the deterrence to that worship.

First of all, the elements. There are four of them. When we talk about the spirit, we're referring to the inner part of a man, his human spirit. We are to worship God from the inside out. It's not a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right words, surrounding with the right music, creating the right mood. It's all about what happens on the ins of my life. So, we need to understand what it means to worship God in spirit. Principle number one is this: there must be a clean heart.

A clean heart. David said in Psalm 51, verse number 10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. There's got to be a clean heart. We've got to be men and women who are committed to repentance. Saying through the book of Revel, the seven churches of Revelation, five of the seven are told to repent. You got to repent from your ways. You got to go back and do your first deeds.

You got to turn around. There's got to be a radical transformation. There's got to be confession of your sin. There's got to be a realization that the road you're going on is a wrong road. You got to have a clean. Heart. If I seek true worship, then if you're going to be a true worshiper, you've got to be clean on the inside. Therefore, you've got to have a clean heart. There's got to be the attitude of repentance, the attitude of confession that says, Lord, I'm willing to get things right with you, no matter.

What it costs. We got to be careful that if we worship God, we have a clean heart. Do you have a clean heart when you come to worship Him? Are you confessed up? Is your heart right with God? When you come to church on Sunday, spend your time in confession before you ever enter the place of worship. You have a clean heart? Number two, you got to have a clear heart.

You got to have a clear heart. You must have a focused heart, an unclouded Hearts. Over in Psalm 86, Psalm says in verse number 8: There is no one like thee among the gods, O Lord. Nor are there any works like thine. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and they shall glorify thy name. For thou art a great, art great, excuse me, and doest wondrous deeds. Thou alone art God. Teach me thy ways, O Lord. I will walk in thy truth, un my heart to fear thy name. I will give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify thy name forever.

The psalmist says, All my energies need to be un. Everything about me needs to be focused. Everything about me needs to be centered on you. So that I might fear thy name, which is a euphemism for worship. David wanted to worship God, but he needed to have his heart united, totally focus, no distractions. No divisions. David was admitting that there are times he was distracted. When we come to worship God. Everything on the inside must be clear. No fog, no distractions. But a heart that's steadfast upon God.

That he would unite my heart. If my heart's divided, it needs to come together. I can't serve God in gold. I can't have my heart divided towards some other affection. It's got to come together that I might fear the name of God and sing praises to His name. I've got to have a clear heart, a clear mind, no fog. So clear that it's together. A clean he and a connected heart. A connected heart. Psalm 57. Psalm 57, verse number 7 says this. My heart is steadfast, O God. My heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, awake my glory, awake, harp and lear.

I will awaken the dawn. I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to thee among the nations. Thy loving kind is great to the heavens, and thy truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Let thy glory be above all the earth. David says, I want my heart fixed. I want my heart steadfast. I want my heart connected to one thing and one thing only, and that's you, Lord. I don't want there to be any other things that my heart's attached to. I want to connect with you and you only.

What is your heart attached to? When the center axle is secure, everything around it is secure. David says, I want my heart steadfast on God. Connected to God and God only. And fourthly, Psalm 139. There needs to be a compliant heart. David said in Psalm 139, verse number 23: Search me, O God, and know. My heart. Search me, O God, and know my he. You lead me in the right path, God. He wanted to go the right direction. Do you do what I do then? That's the kind of heart God wants. A clean heart. A clear heart.

A connected heart, a compliant heart. If we're going to worship God in spirit, from the depths of our soul, God says, make sure you're right on the inside.

And then he says, worship in truth. Worship not only in spirit, but in truth. What is truth? Pilate asked Christ that question, John:. In John 17, 17, Christ says to the Father, Thy word is truth.

Psalm 119, 142, Thy law is truth. Psalm 119, 160, Thy word is truth. If we're going to worship God in spirit and in truth. Then the word of God must be understood correctly. We must worship God in spirit and in truth. For that to happen, four things must take place. And I must do it quickly. First of all, there's the responsibility of the preacher.

Then there's the receptivity of the people. First of all, the responsibility of the preacher. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. In addition to being a wise man, the preacher also taught the people knowledge. Verse number 9. And he pondered, searched, out, and arranged many proverbs. The preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails. They are given by one shepherd. Beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.

Solomon says, look, the preacher has a responsibility. The preacher has a responsibility to ponder carefully the text, to carefully evaluate the text. He's going to search things out. He's got to diligently study the text. And when he does, when he gives the word, the word of God is like goads. It's like those sharp sticks. Iron rods that they would stick in the backside of oxens to get them to move as they would plow the fields. That's the way the Word of God is in the lives of people. And when people are goaded by the Word of God.

Solomon says they're like well-driven nails in a person's life. You heard the testimony of one of the young ladies in our church who was baptized not too long ago, and I'll close with this. Who said that she gave up everything, everything, because she realized that to marry the man who would give her a brand new car. a brand new home, everything she ever dreamed of. To marry him, to marry him, would be disobedience to the Word of God. She took a strong stand. And those of you who are here heard that testimony and were touched by her testimony.

I never spent one minute ever talking to her individually. Not one. She just came to church week after week after week after week. And the Spirit of God would use the Word of God to drive home truth. So that she would say, you know what? This is wrong. And it's happened in countless other people in our church because they've seen what God wants to do. And therefore, they are beginning to grow deep with God because they want to be obedient to the Word of God. And you see, friends, if preachers are committed to the truth and worship in spirit and in truth, then they will be able to say, This one thing I do.

That I give to you the truth of God's Holy W. I can't think of anything more great than that. And when that young lady first called me in the phone and she told me what happened, I tell you, it was probably one of the most exciting days of my ministry life.

Because I saw the effects of what the Word of God does through the Spirit of God touching the life of a person. Who wants to worship in spirit and in truth?