Why Bother with Worship?

Why Bother with Worship?

Rev. 4:8-11; 5:11-14 & John 4:20-24 & 1Tim. 3:15 

SUBJECT:  THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP

THEME: Let’s Explore Our God Given Privilege & Responsibility of Public Worship as a NT Church. Be Motivated to Accomplish this Mission when We Come Together.

Relevance: Worship is not always easy. Sometimes we don't feel like worshiping.  But we are not motivated by feelings! The fact remains that God anticipates our worship. If we do not understand how to worship, we may go through the motions, but true worship is not happening. The better we understand worship, the more likely we are to be faithful and find it satisfying.   Because worship is not always easy, it requires a commitment to worship and a willingness to look for the best Independent Baptist Church we can find and try to make it better through our participation.

Introduction:

There is much that takes place today in the name of worship; everything from pious ceremonies and rituals where no one understands what’s being said or either no one except the priests says a word.  Then there are those churches where they spend half the entire morning swinging from the light fixtures. Then there are those who come to church, but they have no idea why.  They sing the songs and never worship during a single verse.  They put on their Sunday morning faces, but they never engage their hearts.  They think that by going through the motions of religious exercise that God will be pleased with their “worship.”  When in essence God is not interested at all in outward expressions that are divorced from the inward convictions of the heart.

Message:

I.    Why should churches worship?  

Churches should worship because we are instructed to worship and because the example of the early churches teaches us to worship.

God certainly is worthy of the deepest devotion and worship of every true NT church. He is looking for true worshipers today and we must realize this is one of our God ordained purposes.

1. THE BIBLE CLEARLY DIRECTS US TO WORSHIP GOD.

Jn 4:21–24, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (See also Ps. 95:1-11; Matt. 28:8-9; Rom. 12:1)

In the NT Jesus was the true Lamb of God (Jn 1:29). Thanks to his death there is no need for further animal sacrifice (Heb 10:11, 12). The OT sacrifices illustrate Jesus’ achievements in bringing peace between God and man (Heb 8:5). Christians today simply meet for public worship in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:46, 47; Heb 10:25).

Ps 29:2, Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

The psalmist even called on the angels to glorify the Lord. O mighty ones is literally, “sons of the mighty,” that is, God’s angelic beings. The angels were invoked to give God the credit for His glory and power (strength). Such praise should be accompanied by holiness. -Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

2. GOD DESIRES THE HEART FELT WORSHIP OF HIS PEOPLE.

John 4:23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. The Father desires worship rooted in spirit and in truth. More will be said about this later.

3. THE JERUSALEM CHURCH’S EXAMPLE INSTRUCTS US IN WORSHIP. (Acts 2:41-47)

Luke gives us glimpses of the first Christians and Churches who were continually and steadfastly devoting themselves to the apostles' preaching, teaching, and to church fellowship, to the breaking of bread, food functions and to prayer meetings (v. 42). Then he mentions that every soul had a holy fear of God in the Church meetings—they felt the presence of God and worshiped in awe of His Majesty (v. 43). 

    1. They Offered Corporate Praise!

Then the same passage informs us that they were “Praising God” (v. 47). These things are at the heart of corporate worship.

    2. They were Persistently Faithful.

The phrase “they continued steadfastly” suggests single-minded faithfulness to church meetings. Apparently when these first Christians got together for worship they were serious about it.

    3. They were Marked by Deep Respect for God.

The phrase “fear came upon every soul” denotes something about their worship.   It does not mean “fear” in the sense of being frightened of someone. Rather, it means “awe” or “reverence” or “deep respect.” These people had been deeply impressed with the presence of God and His work in their midst. It showed.

The Early Church Worshiped the Lord Jesus with Great Joy!

Luke 24:49-53, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. [50] And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. [51] And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: [53] And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Jesus was taken up into heaven (see also Acts 1:9–11) and those early believers worshiped with great joy and kept praising God in the temple. Believers repeatedly praised Jesus with joy and praise.

A genuine worship experience ought to be empowering, encouraging, enlightening, enriching, and enabling. These are just some of the results of their worship; additionally, gladness and joy characterized their worship. These Believers were not prune-faced religious scrooges whose very presence dumped a cloud of gloom on others. Acts 2:46 says that “gladness” characterized their activities, and they favorably impressed all those who saw them. Joy and gladness should mark our very real worship as we reflect on God.

II.    What does it mean to worship?

To worship means to prostrate oneself before God.  We can’t truly worship God until we understand what worship really is.

A.    THE LITERAL MEANING OF WORSHIP.

Several Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible are translated “worship.” But there is only one main Hebrew word for “worship” in the Old Testament and one main Greek word for “worship” in the New Testament. Both mean the same thing.

       1.  What Worship Does Not Mean.

Yet it does not mean “to sing,” or “to gather together in a congregation,” or “going through a ceremony,” or even “to get quiet and solemn.”

     2.  What Worship Does Mean.

The word “worship” means, literally, “to prostrate oneself, to fall down on one's face.”   Worship means to bow down; to honor; to exalt; to pay homage; to reverence (Ge. 24:52; Ex. 4:31; 12:27; 24:1; 33:10; 34:8; Mt. 2:11).

EXAMPLES:  

1.  Abraham’s Servant before Laban and Bethuel: Genesis 24:52, And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

2.  Israel before Moses and Aaron:  Exodus 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

In each instance “worship” involved “prostrating oneself, or falling down on one's face.” I admit I was surprised by that. I don't think the literal meaning conveys the full Bible significance of the word. I don't believe for a second that we must merely come together to literally fall down on our faces, though the word does literally mean that. There must be more…. 

B.    THE COMPLETE MEANING OF WORDSHIP.

Worship can also mean, in a figurative sense, to spiritually prostrate oneself before God. Remember, worship means to bow down; to honor; to exalt; to pay homage; to reverence God (Mt. 2:11; Rev. 5:12-14).

What is intended by a word that means “to prostrate oneself”?

EXAMPLES:

1. The Wise Men before the Lord Jesus:  Matthew 2:11, And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

2.  The Heavenly 24 Elders before God and the Lamb:  Rev. 5:12-14, Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. [13] And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. [14] And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

These examples describe actions of complete sacrifice of oneself.

    1.  Figurative Sense.

When we prostrate ourselves figuratively before God, what are we doing? If we don't understand that we may not know what it means to worship.

   2. Figurative Significance.

Let's imagine what would be going on in our hearts and minds if we prostrated ourselves before someone else. If I prostrated myself before someone….

        a.  I would be recognizing his authority.

        b.  I would be affirming his superiority.

        c.  I would be demonstrating my submission.

        d.  I would be placing myself at his mercy and his disposal.

        e.  It would be a massive gesture of total personal offering and sacrifice.

In the land of the free and the home of the brave, in the land where all men are equal, in the land of rugged individualism, we can hardly imagine prostrating ourselves like that. But if we did, we would be saying, by our body language, “You are greater than we are, and we recognize that. You are the “Big Shot” around here and not us!  We humble ourselves before You, place ourselves at Your mercy and disposal, and agree to do anything You tell us to do.” This describes an act of total sacrifice.

       3. Fullest Surrender.

So, when the Bible uses the word “worship” it means more than we may have thought.

John 4:23-24, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. [24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

True worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God (Jn. 3:21; 14:6) and the one and only Way to the Father (Acts 4:12). To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. To worship in Spirit is to worship in the new realm which God has revealed to people. The Father is seeking true worshipers because He wants people to live in reality, not in falsehood. Everybody is a worshiper (Rom. 1:25) but because of sin many are blind and constantly put their trust in worthless objects. -Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary

To understand these verses in this light means that, God seeks people who will give themselves to Him totally. He is seeking people who will say, “You are greater than I am, and I recognize that. I humble myself to You, I place myself at Your mercy and disposal, and I agree to do anything You tell me to do.”

Is this what we do on Sunday mornings? Worship, in its fundamental meaning, is an offering of the complete self to God. Unless we understand that, we will misunderstand both what we do in worship, and what God requires. As a result, we will miss the deep and meaningful relationship with God that we all long for. Furthermore, consider these verses…. 

Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Peter 2:5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

 

 

C.    THE ENGLISH MEANING OF WORSHIP.

     The English word worship comes from the Old English word worthship, a word which denotes the worthiness of GOD to receive our deepest devotion, thus we are to ascribe worth to God. Worship is an act or practice expressing devotion, reverence, and adoration towards God. It often involves routines, ceremonies, prayers, or other spiritual practices. 

IN JOHN 12:1-8, MARY ANOINTS JESUS WITH EXPENSIVE OINTMENT. Worship in this instance refers to ascribing incredible worth to Christ Jesus. Mary counted the Lord worthy of the costly Ointment. This ointment could have been sold for nearly a year’s wages at that time (vs. 3).  One “pence” (denarii) was a days wages for a common labor or “three hundred pence” is a year’s wages. Today’s equivalent would be about 14 thousand dollars a year’s income for an individual; this is the poverty level in the USA as of 2023. To many today it would be considered a total waste to bestow that much honor on Jesus Christ! Check your annual giving records!  It appeared to be a great waste to the Lord’s closest disciples back in their time.

Matt 26:7-10, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. (8) But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? (9) For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. (10) When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

If we honestly Worship the Lord Jesus with our very existence, then people will label us as wasting our lives on foolish religion!  Even other ‘Christians’ will label us as such!

Missionary David Freeman is serving the Lord in Taiwan reaching precious Chinese people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Back in high school he played basketball and earned a scholarship to a major college to play basketball for them.  He refused the scholarship and went to Bible College instead to prepare for the ministry. Then after Bible college, he went to Taiwan as a missionary.  Years later, he went back to his old high school where he met his old basketball coach.  He was not a famous millionaire basketball player like he could have been, instead he was a poor missionary that nobody knew.  His coach told him that day that he basically wasted his life on serving God when he could have been a basketball legend.  I say that Bro. Freeman saw Jesus Christ as worthy of his Life and thus he Worshiped Him by pouring out his most valuable possession upon Christ. The “Ointment” of his life and one day its fragrance will fill all of Heaven as the blood washed band of hundreds of precious Taiwanese souls stand in Heaven as a result of his sacrifice! I believe that he will hear Jesus say, “you have wrought a good work upon me!”  No, he did not waste his life!

Conclusion: we have explored our God-given privilege & responsibility of public worship as a NT church.  May we now be more driven to accomplish this God assigned mission when we come together each Sunday morning and evening worship service.

Worship is not always easy, it requires a commitment to worship and a willingness to look for the best Independent Baptist Church we can find and try to make it better through our participation.

 Is Jesus Christ worthy of our time we spend in church, our offerings we give, the song of our hearts, and the adherence to His word?

 Am I here to ascribe worth to Jesus Christ or to get glory for myself?

 Is my life bowed to God in reverence and respect?

 Is my worship merely an outward form or ritual that is void of a deep heart-felt conviction?

 How much is Christ worth to you and me? Is he worth my time, my talents, my treasures, my testimony, my trust, and my true worship?

 Will you commit today to faithfully worship him at the appointed time and with your entire person?

Beloved, explore our God-Given privilege and responsibility of public worship. We need to become motivated to accomplish this God-assigned mission when we come together. Worship is not always easy. Sometimes we do not feel like worshiping. But we are not motivated by feelings! The fact remains that God anticipates our worship, and He definitely deserves it. If we do not understand how to worship, we may go through the motions, but true worship is not happening. The better we understand worship, the more likely we are to be faithful and find it satisfying. Because worship is not always easy, it requires a commitment to worship and a willingness to look for the best church we can find and try to make it better through our participation.

One Key to Finishing Well!

As Believers, our spiritual impact in our homes, communities, churches, or society at large need NOT be thwarted by difficulties. The Lord Jesus equips His people to overcome challenges and still see the will of God through to His intended goal. Too many of us are quitting on God. Some have quit trusting, quit applying God’s Word, quit reaching out in love, and even quit on their families because of unfavorable developments. Yes, life is unfair, the demands are unreasonable at times, the challenges come unrelentingly, and you hurt in the worst ways possible. Still…still…still you CANNOT give up on those aspects of God’s plan He has committed to your stewardship. God has entrusted you with some significant portion of His greater plan; do not squander His trust by giving in under pressure. The Scriptures teach that you can not only continue in God’s will, but you can finish your race well! Longsuffering, communicated into our experiences by the Spirit, is one key to finishing our course well. Note what the Apostle Paul wrote to encourage you and me.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Gal 5:22-23).

According to Galatians five, verses twenty-two and twenty-three, the Spirit’s dynamic work in believers also produces six other qualities of the Lord Jesus’ own character. Now that love, joy, and peace have been explored in previous essays, these can also be examined. This second triad of grace, “longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness,” reaches out to others (Anders). These traits are wonderfully relational in scope and significantly improve the quality of believers’ interactions with the people around them. Fortified by love, joy, and peace they enable Christians to overcome tremendous relational obstacles to achieve far greater goals for God’s glory. This means we have the power to go on refusing to quit and believing that completing God's assigned tasks are worth the hazards we may face. A believer’s spiritual impact in their home or society at large need not be thwarted by difficulties; we can still triumph by the power of God working is us. The Spirit equips His people to reach His intended goals, secure His desired ends, continue until the work is done, and persevere until it is finished correctly. As the Apostle Paul stated toward the very end of his earthly journey, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). The same can be true of us if we trust God for the power to suffer longer to achieve greater things consistent with His plan for us. "Longsuffering" is one key to finishing our course well.

"LONGSUFFERING" IS A WILLINGNESS TO SUFFER LONGER....

The fruit of the Spirit includes "longsuffering" when the situation or project is not progressing fast enough. Longsuffering is the quality of forbearance under provocation, irritation, aggravation, and frustrating delays (2Cor. 6:6; Col. 1:11; 3:12). Paul’s usage of the term coincides with this definition quite faithfully. It is the ability to endure injuries, distresses, and even agonizing afflictions for extended periods without answering in kind. Longsuffering includes the capacity to tolerate unpleasant or abrasive people, or difficult circumstances for a higher cause.  It is the ability to forgo a reaction that would demonstrate impatience, frustration, and quitting because conditions are less then favorable. How many folks have quit their jobs before they could reposition themselves to secure a better opportunity? How many writers, painters, and professionals gave in under the pressures without realizing their best work? How many pastors walked away from the ministry God had surely given to them because they were tired of starving and barely getting by from week to week? How many missionaries left their field of service because they were not seeing the results they anticipated? And the list could go on and on....

The longsuffering believer understands that life is often inconvenient, taxing, problematic, tiresome, and inopportune. We cherish no such unrealistic or idealistic notions of an uncomplicated and convenient life, job, or ministry.  Our feet are firmly grounded in the cold realities that life can be exceedingly hard and even worse it is often unfair—harshly unfair. Such Christians look at the unreasonableness of their situation squarely without entertaining any thoughts of quitting or retaliating even when wrongfully mistreated (Js. 5:1-13). The thoughts of regret and even retaliation may cross our minds occasionally, but we must not ascribe any credence to them. We refuse to ventilate or give life to these negative emotions. This grace, longsuffering, enables us to be patience in afflictions, annoyances, and even persecutions (Rom. 12:12-21).  If we are ridiculed and misunderstood for Christ’s sake, we simply endure it to sustain a testimony commensurate with professing Christ (1 Peter 3:9-18).

The supreme example of longsuffering is found in none other than Christ Jesus in Luke 23:34, where He prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”  He chose to be on the cross, but He did not deserve to be there.  Humanly speaking He had every reason to be concerned with His own welfare, but He was not.  If He had protested a little in a passive manner, or sighed by reason of the discomfort and pain, no one would have blamed Him. If Christ murmured under His breath because He felt He deserved better treatment, than everyone present would have understood.  If He was secretly seething within with resentment for His unhappy situation, all but a few would sympathize with Him. But, the fact remains He did not!

Furthermore He had the latitude to command ten thousand angelic warriors to His rescue, but He did not. Christ could have called down fire from heaven to utterly consume His murderers and He would have been justified to do so.  But, the truth is these ‘reasonable options’ never even crossed His holy mind. No, he was willing to endure harsh suffering under cruel provocation for a much higher cause (1 Peter 2:19-25).  The Father’s will was uppermost in His righteous mind, and not saving face. His was not a quest for personal justice, rights, comfort, convenience, or sympathy from His contemporaries. Christ’s longsuffering character enabled Him to successfully complete the most horrifying mission ever. Why did He do it? For sinners who did not deserve it and many will never appreciate it. Is this not the most brilliant instance of longsuffering ever? The Lord Jesus knows how to finish well!

Dr. Tim LaHaye in Spirit Controlled Temperament said, “A longsuffering person is one who can do the menial (LaHaye 1966, p. 50), forgotten and difficult tasks of life without complaining or seething, but graciously, as unto the Lord.” Such believers finish their tasks, projects, ministries, jobs, careers, and assignments well. They do not get mad and quite when suffering affronts. They persist in manifesting the loving Spirit of Christ.

In a day when road rage on the freeway and parent rage at the children’s athletic events is common place, a generous dose of longsuffering can only help.  Numerous marriages end in divorce, and too many young people run away from home because they never grew in this invaluable grace of the Spirit. How many people would have rejected the temptation to escape from their ugly harsh reality through drugs, or alcohol if they possessed this quality of longsuffering? What if they were empowered by the Spirit of the Living God to suffer a little longer trusting God to come through with real answers (Js. 5:4, 7, 8)?  No, life is not a bowl of cherries, but there is help in the Spirit of Christ to cope with it as it is.  However ugly reality is. Christians do not need a quick and easy ‘get away’, we need to entrust our situations to a sovereign God and depend on the Spirit to give us longsuffering grace to suffer longer (1Pet. 4:14, 16, 19). To achieve something far greater than personal comfort, merely obtaining preferences, and securing our guaranteed rights…we must learn to continue. Yes, we will finish well when we do so. As Believers we must be able and willing to endure further extenuation for Christ’s sake. Living in the will of God is not convenient, but it is worth it to advance our Lord's will. We endure to insure that task He assigned us is completed, finished, and finished well. The Spirit will gladly facilitate such endeavors. As a result such Believers will finish their course well.