1. Does It Matter What You Believe As Long As You “Worship Correctly”? Regarding Worship

2. Beliefs and Behavior (Matthew 15:18-20) "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…" (Proverbs 23:7) “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”

3. (John 4:23-24) "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth ; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Acceptable Worship

4. TRUTH (1 Peter 2:5) you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NKJV) (Colossians 3:17) And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (NKJV)

5. Acceptable Worship Lessons Learned –Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10) –King Saul (1 Sam. 15:22) –King David (1 Chron. 13:7-10; 15:13) –King Jeroboam (1Kings 12:33)

6. Acceptable Worship “Will-Worship” condemned (Col. 2:22-23) –“worship which one devises and prescribes for himself, contrary to the contents and nature of the faith which ought to be directed to Christ” (Thayer, p. 168).

7. (John 4:23-24) "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth ; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Acceptable Worship

8. SPIRIT (Matthew 15:8) 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. (NKJV) More Than Formality

9. (1 Corinthians 11:27-28) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (NKJV) (1 Corinthians 11:27-28) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (NKJV)

10. (1 Corinthians 14:15) “… I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” More Than Formality

11. (Psalms 119:10-11) With my whole Heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! More Than Formality

12. (Romans 6:17) But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the that form of doctrine to heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. More Than Formality

13. What is in our hearts matters to God. Our outward conformity should be a sign of an inward compliance.

14. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:6-9) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

15. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship Maturity Level? (Hebrews 5:12-14) “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Limited Time Limited Opportunity Lack of Effort For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”

16. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship Maturity Level? (2 Timothy 2:2) And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (NKJV) Limited Time Limited Opportunity Lack of Effort

17. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship Maturity Level? How Vocal? (Acts 8:22-23) "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Matters of the Heart (1 Corinthians 2:11) “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (NKJV)

18. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship Maturity Level? How Vocal? (Luke 6:44-45) "For every tree is known by its own fruit… A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (NKJV) Fruit Inspectors (Matthew 7:16) "You will know them by their fruits…”

19. Factors To Consider Conditions of Fellowship Maturity Level? How Vocal? Fruit Inspectors  Encourage Bible discussion Who is talking? Who are they talking to? Why are they talking?  Guard against false teachers Balance

20. False Teachers (2 Peter 2:1-2) But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (NKJV) (Matthew 7:15) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Romans 16:17-18) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

21. Unity! (1 Corinthians 1:10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

22. (Ephesians 4:11-15) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- (NKJV)