True Worship More Inward Than Outward

Q: What does the Bible say about true worship?

True worship is centered on the heart and faith, rather than mere outward rituals. True worship, as described in Matthew 15:10-20, emphasizes the condition of the heart over external rituals. Outward acts of worship are meaningless without genuine faith and love for Christ. The essence of true worship involves approaching God with a broken and contrite spirit, acknowledging that all true religion stems from an inward sincerity rather than external formality. God values a heart committed to Him above all else.

Q: How do we know faith is essential for worship?

The Bible teaches that worship without faith is useless and abominable to God. Throughout scripture, it is clear that faith is the foundation of acceptable worship. In Isaiah 66:3, God indicates that sacrifices offered without a true heart and faith are as offensive as heinous acts. The principle is reiterated in Proverbs 15:8, where the sacrifice of the wicked is called an abomination to the Lord. Therefore, any act of worship lacking a sincere heart of faith is worthless to God, demonstrating that true worship must be rooted in genuine belief and trust in Christ.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to have a right heart?

A right heart is crucial as it reflects genuine devotion to God and is the source of true worship. Having a right heart is vital for Christians as it determines the authenticity of our worship and relationship with God. In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus points out that defilement comes from the heart, revealing that our thoughts and intentions are critical to our spiritual integrity. Without a heart aligned with God's truth, even the most rigorous observance of religious practices becomes meaningless. A right heart signifies true faith, repentance, and devotion, which are essential for pleasing God and participating in genuine worship.

Q: How do you define false religion according to the sermon?

False religion is a system that opposes the gospel of God's free grace and lacks true faith. False religion is defined as any belief system or practice that contradicts the gospel of grace found in Jesus Christ. As highlighted in Matthew 15:13, Jesus declares that any doctrine not planted by the Father will be uprooted. This showcases that teachings which promote works-based salvation or compromise the core truths of the gospel are classified as false. It is crucial for believers to discern such errors and reject associations that dilute the truth of God's grace, keeping their faith anchored solely in Christ.

Q: Why should Christians avoid associations with false teachers?

Christians should avoid false teachers to protect their faith and uphold the truth of the gospel. The sermon emphasizes the importance of separating from false teachers and doctrines that oppose the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, believers are explicitly warned against being unequally yoked with unbelievers, highlighting the necessity of maintaining purity in faith. Associating with those who teach error can lead to compromises in one's beliefs and, ultimately, spiritual destruction. It serves as a reminder that true believers must prioritize doctrine aligning with God's Word to safeguard their own faith and the faith of their families.

Listen carefully to these first three statements that I'm going to make by way of introduction. Worship. Outward worship. All acts of outward worship without Christ is useless. Totally useless. without faith, no matter how zealously practiced, no matter how orthodox, no matter how consistent, religion without faith is useless. And a form of godliness without a heart for God is useless. Understand that? in all aspects of worship, faith, and obedience toward God, the most important thing is the attitude of our hearts.

You remember when the Ethiopian eunuch had been converted by God's grace, he saw a pool of water as they came by and he said, here's water, I want to be baptized. And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may. If you believe with all your heart. He said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that will stop taking us, take care of this business.

But the issue is the heart. Your heart. Now, having said that, please do not misunderstand me. I do not suggest that outward obedience is insignificant. Not at all. We must never become negligent in matters of worship or in matters of obedience to our God. public worship, the ordinances of divine service, the reading of Holy Scripture, prayer, all of these things are matters of great, great importance, and we must meticulously take care that we observe and do these things in accordance with divine revelation. So that all things with regard to our gathering together here as an assembly of believers, whether it's a small band of believers gathering, or whether we gather with a thronging crowd, when we gather with God's saints to worship Him, we must do things according to what the Scripture says, plus, minus, nothing. So, outward religion is not meaningless. Don't misunderstand that at all.

It is not something that we're to we can casually look upon or afflipantly deal with or just neglect altogether. However, if we observe all things outwardly and yet fail to approach God with grace and faith and love for Christ, the most careful, most strict observance of outward duties is an abomination to God. It's an absolute abomination to God.

Turn to, hold your hands, well, you haven't turned there yet. Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 63, or 66, rather. Let me show you two scriptures, and then we'll look at our text. Isaiah 66, and verse 3. The Lord God speaks of those who are poor and with a contrite spirit and tremble at his word. He says, I'll look to such folks as that. But with regard to folks who come to me, who look to me and come in my house, come into my courts and pretend to worship me, but do not have a broken heart, a poor and contrite spirit. Those who do not come to me with a true heart of faith. This is what he says about the worship. He that killeth an ox. Do you remember?

Remember that God commanded the high priest to go and kill an ox, to kill a calf and offer his blood upon the altar. God commanded it. But here it says, he that killeth an ox. is as if he killed a man. He that sacrifices a lamb as if he cut off a dog's neck. God commanded you bring a lamb, an innocent lamb, and bring his blood to the mercy seat, sprinkle the mercy seat once every year in the Passover sacrifice. God said you do it according to this fashion. But he says, he says here if a man comes without a heart for me, if he comes without worship for me, if he comes without a heart for God and a heart for Christ, it's just as if he came and took a dog's neck and slit it and put his blood on the mercy seat.

Read on. He says, he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's He that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. Now look in Proverbs 15, Proverbs chapter 15 and verse 8. The wise man Solomon makes this statement twice in the book of Proverbs. The sacrifice of the wicked. is an abomination to the Lord. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.

Now what's he telling us? In these passages and in others throughout the scriptures, the Lord God is telling us that the essence of all true religion, the essence of all true worship, the essence of all true devotion to God is the heart. The heart. The heart. You must come to God with a right heart or you can't come to God at all.

Now having said that I want you to turn with me to our text this evening in Matthew chapter 15 verses 10 through 20. My subject this evening is true religion more inward than outward. I want to show you three things from this portion of the word of God and I pray that God the Holy Spirit will be our teacher. First, read with me verses 10 through 14.

And he called the multitude and said unto them, Hear and understand, hear and understand, not that which goeth into the mouth defileth the name, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth the name. Then came his disciples and said unto him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, every plant which my father, my heavenly father, hath not planted shall be rooted up.

Let them alone. They be blind, leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Now the first thing I want you to see here is this. Our Savior here teaches us that all false doctrine must and shall be rooted up and thrown down. All false doctrine must and shall be rooted up and thrown down.

In verse 13, he says, every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. Now with those words, the Son of God declares, that it is the duty of God's servants, the duty of every man who preaches the gospel, to oppose every doctrine that sets itself up in opposition to Christ, so that any doctrine that comes down the pike that is opposed to the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Jesus Christ, opposed to the declaration that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, it is my duty to oppose it, to identify it, and to denounce it, and to show you the truth of God with such clarity that there's no mistaking it. Every tree which my Father hath not planted shall be rooted up," he said.

All right? Those words also teach that the destruction of heresy is a matter of certainty. There's no question about it. Did you notice what Rex read back here in Isaiah 45? Isaiah 45, 16, you don't need to turn there, just listen. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them, all of them, that they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. So that all false religion, all heresy shall be destroyed and God's truth shall prevail.

There's no question about that. There's absolutely no question about that. Our Lord Jesus said, upon this rock, speaking of himself, and about Simon Peter's confession of him being the Christ, the Son of God, he says, upon this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now sometimes folks talk about that as being God's promise that his church, when it's attacked by its enemies, will not be overcome. But that's not what it says at all. The promise is that as we march into the dark kingdom of this world, As we march through this world as God's soldiers, with the truth of God against the gates of hell, the gates of hell will fall before us, so that we come in the world with the word of God, the sword of the Spirit, declaring the truth of God, and truth shall prevail, and heresy shall fall to the ground at last. Our Lord is also telling us that all who teach those things that are in opposition to Christ, in opposition to his gospel, in opposition to his glory, are to be forsaken by us.

He says, let them alone. Let them alone. Let them alone. Now I keep stressing this. I keep stressing it because the need is constant before us. There is within all of us, especially Us as believers, there is within us who worship the Lord God and seek to live peaceably among all men, and believers do. There is within us a desire to have unity and peace and harmony, but please understand, we cannot have unity, peace, harmony, and fellowship with folks who oppose our God. It can't be done. More than that, it ought not be done. We ought not pursue it. It is like believers in all association with unbelievers. If you associate much with unbelievers, the person who always bends and the person who always compromises is going to be you.

They're not going to bend. They're not going to, they're not going to placate you. You got to placate them. And as we endeavor, if we should endeavor, to associate ourselves and align ourselves with folks who oppose the gospel of God's grace, the only ones who will bend will be us. They're not going to. We must placate them to get along. And we can't do it. We simply cannot do it.

The scriptures never say, stay and reform. The scriptures never say that. I hear folks tell me all the time, well, I'm going to stay in this thing. I know it's corrupt. not according to the word of God, but I'm going to stay with it, we're going to reform this thing. The scriptures never say, stay and reform it. The scriptures say, come out of her, my people. Come out and be separate, saith the Lord. That's the command of the word.

Now having said that, without question, our text may be applied to individuals, to all who profess faith in Christ, and are numbered with God's people in this world. Every tree which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted up. And so for us that's a word of warning. Now you listen. Most of us here profess faith in Christ and we have hope before God. We profess that our confidence toward God is the salvation of God's elect.

But if our religion is not holy of God, if our faith is not that faith which God alone gives sinners, if our salvation is not that salvation which is a God brought salvation, If our faith and our repentance and our salvation is something that has been worked up by somebody else, if it's something that we've managed somehow out of our own necessity to come to this position with regard to religion and to come to this state of affairs, if we've been talked into a religious decision, if we've been talked into being, professing to be what we know we are not, faith, and our professed salvation, and we shall be rooted up. If our faith is not a God-given faith, if our salvation is not a God-wrought salvation, it will come to an end. It will come to an end.

God's elect will persevere to the end. Everyone every one of them. They'll continue seeking the Lord. They'll continue worshiping him. They'll continue to be found among God's saints in his house. They'll continue to hold on their way. The scripture says the righteous shall hold on his way.

He can't let go. He can't do it. God won't allow it. But the religious hypocrites, the plant in the father's vineyard that the father hasn't planted, like the tares planted among the wheat. God will see to it that it's rooted up. Rooted up. Now the scriptures are very clear. The end of that plant will be destruction, everlasting destruction. Turn back to Matthew 13, Matthew chapter 13.

Mr. Spurgeon said, no matter how fair the flower, if the father has not planted it, its doom is seen. It shall not be pruned, but root it up, and it'll be done by three things. This uprooting of the calves, this uprooting of the false professor, this uprooting of the plants that God hasn't planted in his kingdom, shall be done first by the trials of divine providence. In Matthew 13, 21, yet hath he not looked in himself, but dureth for a while.

For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, By and by he's offended. By and by. Not immediately, but by and by something will get him. Something will get him. You profess faith in Christ, you follow the Lord God, you line up under the banner of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, you identify with God's people and God's truth, it's going to cost you. It's going to cost you. There's just not any getting around that. If you start to line up with God's people and God's truth, it's going to cost you to do so. And if your faith's not real, you can't endure. You will not endure.

When the right thing comes, when the right opposition comes, when the right matter of cost is set before you, you've counted the cost. You say, I've counted the cost. And I said, I said, Christ is worth all, and you count the cross, Christ is worth all for one day. Now wait a minute. Now wait, no. I'm not going, I'm not going to go that far. And you're gone. You're gone. It'll be a gradual thing. It'll be a thing that sneaks up on you, but soon you're uprooted and out of here. I've seen it happen so many times, I can't tell you.

Not only are these plants uprooted by the trials of providence, but also by the temptations of Satan. In verse 22, he also that received the word among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, you become an unfruitful.

I drove up here this afternoon Notice Bobby planted or plowed the garden out here. Boy, that fresh-turned soil looks so good. You get anxious to get out there in it, and the thing looks so clean and fresh. You plant your seed. But you got to go back and tend that thing. Because if you don't go back and plow it, and tend it, and pull the weeds, and hoe it, take care of it, pretty soon that seed that's been planted watered and fertilized with weeds, wrapped themselves around it, and choked it out, it's gone. It's gone. And so many in this world, planted as those that are sown upon a stony ground, and sown among thorns, they grow thickly and look so good, but ask them why they care so much. And the deceitfulness of riches. Choke out the word. Choke out the word.

And they never miss it. They never miss it. They don't know it's gone. They don't know it's gone. They just never miss it. You go talk to them about salvation. Talk to them about faith in Christ. Talk to them about the Bible. They'll talk to you just like they always did. But they have no interest and no concern for the things of God. And then this, this is uprooted as well. These plants that the father has implanted by the preaching of the word.

Turn to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. Our Lord Jesus has been preaching. He had been telling these folks that salvation is by the will of God. That man has no ability to come to him. That faith in Christ is the gift of God's free grace in Christ. He'd been telling them that faith is a spiritual thing. You've got to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. You must yourself take Christ for yourself. You must do so personally. And then he says it's the spirit that quickens the flesh properly.

And when he got done in verse 66, from that time, many of his disciples, they weren't really his disciples, but they professed to be, and they looked to be, and they acted as though they were. Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Many are uprooted by trials, many by temptation, and many by the preaching of the truth. And they're gone.

Now those who are uprooted by the word are uprooted indeed. Sometimes you have folks in congregations or in fellowship with you, and you preach to them, and you instruct them in the word, and after a while, something in the word offends them. Something in the word offends them. Something of God's truth, of the gospel of God's grace offends them.

And they don't mind letting you know they've been offended. They'll let you know right quick they've been offended. And they expect you to turn around and say, well, I didn't even say that. I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to say that so that you, you must have misunderstood.

Let's, let's work this out. And preachers generally do. They generally will back off and backpedal and compromise. But when the Word's offended somebody, let them be rooted up. They'll be rooted up. And when the Word uproots them, they're uprooted. Now we're concerned about that. Every time I see it happen, my heart breaks. And I keep hoping, maybe not this time, maybe there's just some trial and God will deliver them, they'll be back. But every time it happens, our hearts break concerning it. And I hate to see it happen to me. I love you, and I hate to lose you. But listen carefully to this and understand.

When the tares are uprooted, when the plants and the trees that our Heavenly Father has not planted are uprooted, nothing is lost. Nothing is lost. You understand that, Rex? Nothing is lost. I know, well, those folks are gone. But nothing is lost. The body of Christ is not maimed. The kingdom of God is not injured. The cause of God is not injured. When the tares are uprooted, it's necessary, for the tares would destroy the wheat as they could. It's necessary that those trees that our Father has not planted be uprooted.

Now that's an application of the text. Certainly it may refer to each of us and give warning so that we persevere in the faith. We make certain that we continue in the faith. Every time, child of God, every time there is in you any temptation to cease from any aspect of Faith and obedience to Christ and the worship of Christ. Every time you sense any temptation or any inclination to do so, say no to the lust of the flesh and walk in the way of truth. Make certain that you do it.

But primarily, this text is talking about those who teach and preach another gospel. You say, well, Pastor, how do you know that? Look in verse 12. Then came his disciples and said unto him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended? They were offended after that they heard this say? And our Lord is answering the disciples' rebuke. They came and they didn't really give an open rebuke, but they were heaps like more concerned about what the Pharisees thought than the master was.

They said, Lord, don't you know who these fellows are? Don't you understand that everybody in town thinks there's somebody? Don't you understand these are the religious leaders? Don't you understand these are the fellas that everybody pays attention to?

And they were offended in jail. And our Lord gives this response. Every tree which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They're blind leaders of the blind. Leave them alone. The disciples were shocked that the Lord had so spoken, so bluntly spoken, to the Pharisees and had offended them.

But the Master here shows us that he intended to offend them. That was his purpose. He shows us that those who teach for doctrines the commandments of men are people to whom we are to show no mercy and no kindness. Now, Don, you didn't mean to say that. Those who teach for doctrines, the commandments of men, are a people to whom we as the people of God, and me particularly as a messenger of God, must show no mercy and no kindness. It mattered not to him that they were planted in high office if his father hadn't planted them. It mattered not to him that they so highly were esteemed in their own eyes and in the eyes of men if his father had not planted them. Those, you see, who are the enemies of the cross, are the enemies of men's souls. Do you understand that, brother? Folks are the enemies of the cross, are the enemies of men's souls.

Turn over to Philippians 3. Philippians chapter 3. Let's never be mean-spirited, let's never be harsh, let's never be unfeeling, and never never be cold and calculating, but be honest and deal with things honestly. Which of you men, which of you men, if you saw anyone, anyone, attempting to violate or destroy your wives or children, would stand back and say, well now brother, I disagree with you about this, but I want to pray for you, and I hope you'll see the error of your way. Anybody feel like that? Anybody? And yet, with regard to those things that are of eternal consequence, men expect us to act like men, be timid, be timid, be timid sisters, who have no regard for God's glory. But God doesn't speak that way.

Look here in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 18. The Apostle Paul says, for many walk, He says in verse, go back to verse 17. He says, brethren, be followers together of me. Follow my doctrine, follow what I've taught you, follow what I've shown you, followers together of me, and mark them which so walk as you have us for an example.

That is, when you see somebody who puts you something contrary to this, you mark them. You mark them. You just put your great big red question mark by them. Mark them. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. They're the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their burial, whose glory is their shame, who bindeth with their hands. They're not seeking your souls. They're not seeking the glory of God. They're not interested in the truth of God. They serve themselves and use you to do it. Now those are plain words.

Those being who are the enemies of the cross are the enemies of men's souls. Those who are the enemies of our God must be accounted as our enemies. I don't know how on this earth I can say this and not be accused of what, God help me, I hope not so, not be accused of malicious and mean spiritedness, but say it I've got to whether men accuse me of otherwise or not. Those who are God's enemies are to be treated by me as my enemies. Now God commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us, but he doesn't command us to love his enemies and pray for those who despitefully use him. You understand the difference? It's one thing for me to be vengeful and self-certain in opposing men who oppose me. It's another thing altogether for me to be honest and upright and forthright in opposing those who oppose God.

Let me show you an example in the scripture. I'll give you two of them. Turn back to 2 Chronicles chapter 19. 2 Chronicles chapter 19. Now remember, our Lord is talking about the Pharisees. The disciples came and said, The religious leaders were offended when you said this concerning their doctrine. They were offended. They didn't like it. And our Lord says in response to those religious leaders, every tree which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.

Back here in 2 Chronicles chapter 19, Jehoshaphat had been out to battle. And he returned as king of Judah to his house and he came back in peace in Jerusalem. And Jehu came to be, in verse 2. Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him, the king, and said to the king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? That's a pretty good question. Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord, therefore is the wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

Turn to Psalm 139. Psalm 139. This is one of those psalms in which David just extols the matchless attributes of God. He speaks of God's omniscience and his omnipresence and his omnipotence. And then he says, how precious, verse 17, also are thy thoughts unto me, O God, how great is the sum of them. If I should count them up, they're more in number than the sand.

When I awake, I'm still with them. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O Lord. Depart from me therefore, you bloody men. Now look what it says. For they speak against God with tithe. And thine enemies take thy name in vain. I lay that charge at the door of every preacher of Arminian, free will, works, religion, wrong. They take God's name in vain every time they speak. And they are enemies of our God. Now this is what David says.

Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies. And he says it to God. You can't love God and love his enemies. You can't love God and support those who oppose him. You can't love God and hold to those who fight against him.

Now the word hate here, malicious spirit, not at all. It simply means I am for God. That means I'm against you. I'm against you. Not only is it true that God's servants must oppose expose, denounce, and condemn them because of their doctrine. God's people must forsake them. Must forsake them. Do you see what our Lord said? Let them alone. Let them alone. Turn over to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 7, or chapter 6, rather. Verse 14.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? Now, you can apply that text in lots of ways. Indeed, it must be applied to every aspect of life. Do not choose for your companions folks who oppose our God. Don't do it. But Paul is specifically talking about religious association. He's specifically talking about lining up with folks who are opposed to our God and religious organizations opposed to our God.

For he says in verse 15, What concord hath Christ with Bibio? Or what part hath he that believeth with infidel? And what garment, or what agreement, hath the temple of God with idols? Do you see that? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For you're the temple of the living God. As God said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I'll be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I'll receive you.

Now, he doesn't command us to come out of the world. He doesn't say, no, you go quit your job. Don't you touch those wicked people unless they contaminate you. He's talking about coming out of the world religion. and touch not the unclean thing, the idolatry.

And he says, I'll receive you, and I'll be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So he commands us and calls for us to come out of Babylon. to come out of all these religious organizations that are opposed to our God and to his glory and to his gospel. Now listen carefully, and I'm saying this for your benefit and for the benefit of everybody listening to this tape who gets it with the go hundreds of them all over the world.

And so you'll bear with me for a minute if I talk somebody else through you, will you? If you submit yourself, and your family, to the counsel of the ungodly, and to the doctrines of Antichrist, your blood, and the blood of your children, and the blood of all who are influenced by you, will be upon your head. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Folks ask me all the time, what would, what are we to do?

I know I ought to go to church somewhere. And I would just quit telling them you ought to go to church somewhere. I quit telling them years ago. I would no more attend church where a man did not preach particular effectual addiction by the blood of Jesus Christ than I'd go down and bow at a temple in a shrine of Buddha. I wouldn't do it. I would not have my family subjected to the influences of Arminian, free will, works, religion, any more than I have them subjected to pimps, pushers, and prostitutes.

How do you know? Because their souls are at stake. Their souls are at stake. The glory of God's at stake. The truth of God's at stake. Well, don't you think we ought to go to church with Grandma? She gets so upset because we don't go to church with her. No! No! Don't go! Don't give any credibility to it. Don't ever give any allowance to false religion. It's never right to follow somebody who's blind into the ditch. That's crazy. Don't do it.

I got a letter a few weeks ago. I'm thankful I forgot who it was almost immediately. I answered his letter. Some preacher up in New Jersey. Maybe he'll hear this tape. That'd be all right. Some folks had been listening to him on radio, and we sent him this track, Just In Case You're Interested, I wrote several years ago. And somebody started comping the thing, passing it around. I don't know who it was, don't even know where it was, but somewhere up in New Jersey.

And this guy wrote to me, and he had taken the track and smeared it with his dove, and tried to deny it, and perverted the truth of God. And he said, you're going to have to quit this. I said, lots of folks left our church because of you. I wrote about it and I said, I said, I'd leave too.

Absolutely. Well, where are you going to go? I'd leave. I didn't have anywhere to go. Anywhere. I'm not going to align myself, period, with folks who hate God. It's not going to happen. And I urge you not to. Well, Mama and Daddy always attended church here. I reckon I'll stay. Well, if you want to follow Mama and Daddy to hell, go ahead. But I'm telling you, your soul's at stake. The glory of God's at stake. The truth of God's at stake. And the fact is, God will overthrow that doctrine that opposes him. And he will overthrow those who preach that doctrine. Babylon must and shall fall.

The sooner, the better. The sooner, the better. Turn to Revelation 18. Revelation 18. Now we have friends and brethren and companions in different churches and different denominations to differ with us about various things. I don't dare say matters of insignificance because nothing in this book is insignificant. But some things are vital to your soul and some things are not. I'm not suggesting by any means, don't you ever imagine I'm suggesting someone must be a member of Grace Baptist Church or a member of a church like Grace Baptist Church to be saved. I'm not suggesting that.

I am telling you, you've got to believe the gospel of God's grace. I am telling you, you cannot worship God in Babylon. I am telling you that if you stay with false religion, you're going to perish with false religion. Listen to what God says here. Revelation 18 verse 1, And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud, strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

So how do you know that's talking about Arminian free will works religion? He's talking about the religion of the world. the religion of the world. The merchants and kings of the earth made themselves drunk with the wines of her fornication. And the merchants and kings of the earth were disturbed because of her fall. So that the whole world goes after Babylon. Now what does that mean?

If you reduce the religions of this world down to their essence. Pull them all down to their essence. Just take everything out down to its essence. Doesn't matter whether it's Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Catholicism, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Methodist, just anything else. I'll type them all in there. I don't want to be prejudiced against anybody. Put them all in there.

You reduce all the religions of the world down to what they are in their essence. Take away the robes and the crosses and the hats and the ceremonies and the confessions and the creeds and the liturgy and just get them right down to the essence. They're just two religions in this world. They're just two. Free will and free grace. That's all it is. The reason all the religions of the world get along.

Now they might fuss and fight about whether you ordain women. They might fuss and fight about whether you ought to have, you ought to have a backwards collar. They might fuss and fight about whether you ought to say the rosary or not say the rosary. But the religions of the world in essence get along in a great umbrella of ecumenism because they all believe salvation is in your hands. They all do.

Now either you're coming out of Babylon or you're going to perish in Babylon. Look at verse 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people. Come out of her, my people. Come out of her, my people. It's repeated throughout the scriptures. Come out of her, my people. And be not partakers of her sins, that you receive not of her place.

What are you going to do when Babylon falls? I'm going to sing and rejoice. I'm going to sing and rejoice. That's what our Lord said, look at verse 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath convened you on her. Rejoice, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Every tree which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be looted up. and one means by which God will do it is through the preaching of the word. Now, having said that, let me carefully, carefully say this.

The weapons of our warfare, we, the men and women of Grace Baptist Church of Danville, Kentucky, we, the men and women who worship God in spirit and in truth, we, the men and women who believe and preach the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace are in a warfare with all the religions of this world and the princes and powers of darkness and the spirit of disobedience. We're in a warfare. But the weapons of our warfare are not the sword or the ballot box or legislation. It's not it. It's not it.

Folks wonder why we don't get involved in crusades against abortion, because that doesn't do any good. If you shut down all the abortion clinics in America, you haven't changed men's hearts. You haven't done one thing to change the spiritual nature of man. Why don't you try to shut down the porno shops and the places that sell pornography and wine and alcohol and beer and clean up society, because we're not here to clean up society. Why don't you try to join the political causes that will help bring us back to our conservative roots? Because that's not what I'm here to do. That's not what I'm here to do.

The weapons of our warfare are spiritual. We're pulling down strongholds and bringing every imagination and captivity to Jesus Christ the Lord. And it's just two things, preaching and prayer, and prayer and preaching. That's all. If I could have the power to vote a law into existence by which we could shut down every Arminian synagogue of Satan in America, I would vote against it. I would vote against it. We do not fight with the sword. We don't even fight with a ballot box. We fight with the word of God. That's all. We're reaching hearts of men. You understand the difference? We're here to deal with the hearts of men.

And if God gets hold of man's heart, it'll take care of the way he lives in this world. The apostles living in the New Testament era faced all of the corruptions we face. They faced all the homosexual perversion, the moral depravity and decadence and the abortion and the breakup of the home. They faced all of those things in the Roman world that we face. But did you ever see anywhere in the New Testament where they got an organization together and said, let's go change things? They didn't do it. They just go preach the word. Go preach the word. Go preach the word. We're not concerned with the kingdoms of this world. We're concerned with the kingdom of our God. You understand the difference? That's our business.

Another thing our Lord teaches here in Matthew 10, or Matthew 15 rather, and I'll just be very brief here. He teaches us that the source of all sin and defilement is the heart of man. Peter said, declare to us this parable. Verse 16, Jesus said, are you also without understanding?

Do you not understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draft? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

These are the things that defile the man. but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man. The Pharisees of old, and the Pharisees today, taught that holiness, righteousness, and godliness depended upon abstaining from certain meats and drinks, and carefully observing religious ceremonies, and washings, and purifications. And our Savior overthrows the whole thing. He just, he throws it all overboard. He says, what goes in the mouth doesn't defile a man.

You can't defile that which is spiritual with that which is material. You can't defile your soul with something that you eat or something you drink. That's not possible. Our Lord tells us it is not what you put in your body or for that matter what you put on your body that defiles you. but rather what comes out of your mouth. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Material things can't defile your body in using them, and material ceremonies can't cleanse your soul in enduring them. Carnal things can neither corrupt nor cleanse the soul. If we will worship and serve our God We've got to have something more than a separated life and a form of godliness. Somehow people think that godliness is out.

A dear lady, I've been trying to help her for months now. She's been writing and wanting to know about dressing. You know, should you wear slacks? Should a woman wear long skirts? And should she wear a veil? religious nonsense, and it's just religious nonsense. Why, God likes what you put on your body.

What fool ever invented the notion that somehow God looks down from heaven and he gets up sick or sometimes wear long hair, sometimes wear short hair? That's nonsense. What fool invented the idea that God looks down from heaven and he's concerned whether you button your breeches or zippers? Foolishness, that's just foolishness. Those things have nothing to do with righteousness. The kingdom of God and righteousness and godliness has nothing to do with society and time and age and place. Those things are the inventions of man.

I don't know how this much and more things kind of get mixed up. When I was a boy, down south, You didn't even consider the possibility of what they called mixed bathing. Of course, down south, I don't know why they fought against it. I didn't saw fellas taking a bath together with women anywhere, but they were talking about swimming. They said, no, no, that's horrible. You don't, boys and girls don't go swimming together. Don't go swimming together.

Up north, they didn't care a thing about it. I'm talking about the same folks, from the same denomination, from the same religious camp, down south, they fight tooth and toenail against big spades up north. There's always something possibly wrong with that. Up north, they get frightened and mad about tobacco. Down here, they don't yet. Why? Because down here it's accepted up there, they don't like it. And they call this godliness. Godliness has got nothing to do with regional caboons. Godliness has got nothing to do with what men liked or disliked a hundred years ago or today or a hundred years from now.

Whatever it is, it's the same in every age and in every generation. What is it? It's heart, faith, and worship. That's what it is. That's what it is. All sin and defilement originates in and springs from the heart. This is what we are. Sinners. And all the sin in the world is right here. Right here. I think I told you before, Brother Jack Shanks, when he was pastor at Pine Grove Church in Houston, Texas, they started a religious school. And Jack's philosophy is every preacher ought to have the privilege one time, having a religious school.

He said it'll make you pull your hair out if you got in. But he, Jack likes to go to bed early. He's in bed by 9, 9.30, 10 o'clock at the latest. And he doesn't like to get disturbed. So when I call Jack, I call him early. I don't call him after about 9.30, 10 o'clock at night.

But one night, this gal brought her boy to school and signed him up, one of the ladies She decided she wanted her boy to go to Christian school and get him out of bad influence. About 11th or 13th phone rang. Jack leaned over and he said, hello. And the lady said, this is Miss So-and-so. She said, my little boy Johnny, I brought him to school today and I want to be sure he doesn't get in the wrong crowd. He said, what's your name? And she told him again, and your boy's name? And he said, honey, your boy is the wrong crowd.

And I'm telling you, you're the wrong crowd. And I'm the wrong crowd. Because the corruption, Narachanda, it's in here. You don't learn it at school. You don't pick it up on the streets. You contribute to it there. The corruption's here. The corruption's within us.

God looks on the heart and he sees corruption never matter. And one last thing, the overall teaching of this entire text, and of the scriptures as a whole, is that true religion is indeed more inward than outward. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. Broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Joel said, rend your heart, not your garments.

You remember reading in the scriptures how men had great lamentations and expressed great sorrow. They would rend their mantle or they would rend their garments. Job rent his garments. He just rent his garments when the Sabians had come and taken everything. And he sat before his wife and his family and he was in great sorrow and rent his garments. And then when his friends came and saw him and saw what God had done to Job, They sat there speechless for seven days and read their comments. It was a sign of great anguish and sorrow and repentance.

Did you know God never commanded anywhere that those things be done? God never commanded anybody to rip his mantle or to rip his robe or to rip his shirt. Nowhere. It just became a custom that men everywhere associated with repentance. And so that when a man was really in great sorrow, and he wanted to express great sorrow and remorse for something, he would rip his garments and put sackcloth and ashes on his head. But God said, rinse your heart, not your garments. But we were glad to be in our garments, and I'll tell you why. That's something we can do. And that's something people see. And that's something folks applaud.

God says, bring your heart unto Godliness. We must come to God in faith, brokenhearted, with heart of commitment to Christ the Lord. That's what worship is, in its essence. It's more inward than outward. What is a broken heart, or what is a heart that's riding God's side? It's a broken heart, and a believing heart. Maybe you're asking, well, pastor, how can I get such a heart? The scripture says, when God pours out his spirit upon men, they shall look unto me whom they have pierced, and looking to Christ, shall be in bitterness for me, and mourn for me as one mourneth for his own message.

Look to Christ and worship God with a true heart. Worship God with a true heart. Our Father, bless now your word to our hearts and to those who shall hear this message. We ask that you make it effectual for the glory of Christ And we pray that you will enable us by your spirit ever to look to our Redeemer. Give us grace. God, keep our hearts fixed on Christ. Whatever it takes in your providence, whatever it takes in the loving discipline of your hand, our Father, we submit ever to look to our Redeemer and looking to him to have our hearts broken before you because of our sin and because of your matchless grace. And cause our hearts ever to be drawn out to you in true faith, commitment, consecration, and love. You say it in your word, he that trusteth in his own heart shall prove. God keep us from that folly, cause us to trust in your son. For the glory of your son, I pray. Amen. God bless you.

True Worship More Inward Than Outward

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about true worship?

How do we know faith is essential for worship?

Why is it important for Christians to have a right heart?

How do you define false religion according to the sermon?

Why should Christians avoid associations with false teachers?

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True Worship More Inward Than Outward

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about true worship?

How do we know faith is essential for worship?

Why is it important for Christians to have a right heart?

How do you define false religion according to the sermon?

Why should Christians avoid associations with false teachers?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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