THE WORSHIP OF GOD A SOLEMN PRIVILEGE & DUTY

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Shachah” – to prostrate, to bow down. Exo 34:8 – So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Exo 20:4-5 – You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Proskuneo” – to make obeisance; to fawn or crouch by prostrating oneself in homage, reverence & adoration. Matt 2:8 – Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." Matt 4:10 – Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Sebomai” – stresses the feeling or sense of awe & devotion. Matt 15:8-9 – These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Latreuo” – to minister or render religious service to God. Phil 3:3-4 – For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Latreuo” – to minister or render religious service to God. Acts 24:14-15 (Paul before Felix) – But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

WHAT IS THE MEANING? “Latreuo” – to minister or render religious service to God. Heb 10:1-2 – For the law [of Moses] having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

WHAT IS THE MEANING? The position of the body; the sense of devotion, & the service of one who is in awe of God the Creator, Provider & Judge of all. Worship is active!

WHAT IS THE MEANING? To worship is to quicken the conscience to the holiness of God, To feed the mind with the truth of God, To purge the imagination by the beauty of God, To open the heart to the love of God, To devote the will to the purpose of God. –Batsell Barrett Baxter

HOW SHOULD IT BE DONE? Rev 4:8 – The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" –WITH THE RIGHT WORDS –WITH EFFORT

HOW SHOULD IT BE DONE? Rev 4:9-11 – Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him…and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." – REVERENTIAL RESPECT –SUBMISSIVE POSITION OF BODY

HOW SHOULD IT BE DONE? Rev 5:11-12 – Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!“ –ENTHUSIAM –EMOTION

HOW SHOULD IT BE DONE? Rev 5:13-14 – 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, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" 14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. –ENTHUSIAM –EMOTION

Improper Worship Sin & injustice in the heart Sin & injustice in the heart – Amos 5:21-24 Traditions & doctrines of men Traditions & doctrines of men – Matt 15:8; Col 2:8, An untaught & unprepared heart An untaught & unprepared heart – John 4:23-24

EFFECTIVE & ACCEPTABLE Worship is an act of REMEMBRANCE 1 Cor 11:23-24 – For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

EFFECTIVE & ACCEPTABLE Worship is an act of REMEMBRANCE 1 Cor 11:25-26 – In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

EFFECTIVE & ACCEPTABLE Worship is an act of REMEMBRANCE Psa 77:10-14 – And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." 11 I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? 14 You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.

EFFECTIVE & ACCEPTABLE Worship is an act of REMEMBRANCE Heb 3:7-11 – Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.' 11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" Israel Failed To Remember

God is the audience – We perform not to one another, but to HIM Psalm 95 – Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving ; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

Forgiveness of Sin & Eternal Life Leave the State of Sin: Leave the State of Sin: Believe: John 8:24 Believe: John 8:24 Repent: Acts 17:30 Repent: Acts 17:30 Confess: Matt 10:32 Confess: Matt 10:32 Baptism: Acts 2:38 Baptism: Acts 2:38 In Christ In Sin Obey Him Obey Him 1 Peter 1:14 1 Peter 1:14 1 John 1:7 1 John 1:7 Christian Christian Forgiveness Forgiveness of sin Rom 8:1 “there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” Rom 8:1 “there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”