Some Thoughts on Worship

Q: What does the Bible say about worship?

The Bible teaches that worship involves bowing down and giving glory to God, acknowledging His majesty and sovereignty (Psalm 95:6, Psalm 96:8-9). Scripture highlights the importance of worship by emphasizing our posture and attitude towards God. In Psalm 95:6, we are called to 'worship and bow down' before the Lord, signifying humility and reverence. Psalm 96:8 encourages us to give 'unto the Lord the glory due His name,' which implies that worship also involves acknowledging God's holiness and greatness with our offerings and praise. True worship is both a recognition of God's majesty and an act of submission, where we, as His sheep, respond to His voice with open hearts.

Q: How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

True worship is crucial for Christians as it expresses our dependence on God and acknowledges His sovereignty and holiness (John 4:23-24). Jesus taught the importance of true worship in John 4:23-24, stating that 'true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.' This highlights that worship is not confined to physical locations or rituals, but is rooted in our relationship with God. Acknowledging God as the sovereign ruler and reflecting on His attributes leads us to a place of reverence, gratitude, and communion with Him. This type of worship shapes our identity as His people and reinforces our dependence on Him for all aspects of life. Therefore, true worship is vital in cultivating a heart that honors God.

Q: Why is bowing down before God significant in worship?

Bowing down signifies humility and reverence for God's sovereignty (Psalm 95:6, Psalm 99:5). The act of bowing down is deeply rooted in the biblical tradition of worship. Psalm 95:6 invites us to 'bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker,' expressing honor and submission to His authority. This posture reflects an understanding of God's holiness and our need for His grace. In Psalm 99:5, we are encouraged to 'worship at his footstool,' illustrating the idea of recognizing our lowly state compared to God's supreme majesty. Bowing down is an external manifestation of internal reverence and a humble acknowledgment that He is our God.

Q: What is the relationship between worship and recognizing God's majesty?

Worship intrinsically involves recognizing and responding to God's majesty and sovereignty (Daniel 4:34). Worship is a natural response to the revelation of God's majesty. As illustrated in Daniel 4:34, where Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God's eternal dominion, true worship arises from recognizing who God is and His unparalleled greatness. When we consider His attributes—His sovereignty, power, and holiness—we are led to humble ourselves and praise Him. This acknowledgment not only shapes our worship but also transforms our lives as we seek to glorify Him in every area. Therefore, recognizing God's majesty is essential for genuine worship, as it fosters a spirit of awe and reverence in our hearts.

Q: How does true worship differ from mere religious activity?

True worship focuses on honoring God in spirit and truth rather than performing religious rituals (Matthew 6:1-2). True worship is distinct from mere religious activity because it centers on the heart's intention rather than outward appearances. In Matthew 6:1-2, Jesus warns against performing good deeds 'to be seen by men,' indicating that worship should not be about gaining human approval. Instead, it should stem from a sincere love for God and a desire to reflect His glory in our actions. True worship is about cultivating an authentic relationship with the Father, engaging with Him in every moment of our lives, whether in private or public settings. It acknowledges that our worthiness comes not from our deeds but from His grace and truth.

But we are worshiping the Lord,
and we want to learn more about worship, and we want to be encouraged
in our worship. But in the book of Psalms, I
was looking at the subject worship, 95, 96, 97, 99. Psalm 95 first. Psalm 95, verse
6. David says, O come, let us worship,
and bow down, and bow down. Bob, in his prayer, said the
same thing. He said, Lord, let us bow at
the feet of our Lord. Bow down. Bow down. Come, let us worship and bow
down. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker, for He's our
God. And we're the people of His pasture and the sheep of
His hand. Today, if you'll hear His voice, harden not your heart.
But bow down. Bow down. Now, in Psalm 96, look
at verse 9. Verse 8, I'm going to make a
statement in a minute that Brother Ronnie Lewis gave me this morning,
but verse 8, Give unto the Lord the glory due His name. That's
worship. Give unto the Lord the glory
due His name. Bring an offering and come into
His courts. Oh, worship the Lord. Worship
the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before Him all the earth. Back in the Old Testament, the
fear of the Lord and the word worship are used interchangeably. People who worshiped the Lord
feared the Lord. Jacob feared the Lord. Abraham
feared the Lord. Moses feared the Lord. And that's
what this says here. Worship the Lord and fear Him.
Reverence. Verse 10, "...say among the heathen
that the Lord reigneth, bow down, worship him, fear him,
and declare that he reigns." All right, keep that in mind
now. Now, Psalm 97, verse 6. Psalm 97, verse 6, "...the heavens
declare his righteousness." And all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve
graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship him, all ye
gods, leaders, princes, kings, folks to whom others look. Worship
him. Now, Psalm 99. Psalm 99, verse
5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and
worship at his footstool, for he is holy. Verse 9. Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his footstool, for the Lord our God is holy. Churches write in their Sunday
bulletins, and we do too. This is in every Sunday bulletin.
Morning 10.15, evening worship, 6.30. Is it
worship? Is it worship in many places,
or should some places put in the bulletin, morning church
service and evening church service? Is it worship? Our Lord Jesus
rebuked the woman at the well in John 4. Turn over there a
moment. In John chapter 4, he rebuked her on the subject of
worship. She talked about worship. But
he had something to say to her about worship. In John chapter
4, verse 20, she said, Our fathers worshiped in this
mountain. At least they gathered in this
mountain. You say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought
to worship. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour
cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem
worship the Father. You worship. Isn't this an indictment against
1993 and this generation? You worship. You go through the
farm and the ceremony, so many places. You know not what. We know what we worship. He's
speaking here of true Israel. Salvation is of Israel. True
Israel. We know whom we worship. Salvation
is in Zion. My King is on the holy hill of
Zion, the Father said. But the hour cometh and now is
when, watch this now, true worshipers, true worshipers, worship God,
not in a mountain, not in Jerusalem, not in a place necessarily, but
they worship the Father in spirit, in spirit, in heart, in truth. For the Father seeketh such to
worship Him. God is spirit. You can just mark
out that A there. God is spirit. And they that
worship God worship Him in spirit and in truth. Now this is what
Brother Rowney said this morning when we were talking. He said to me, don't you believe
that the worship of the Lord has a lot to do with recognizing,
owning, and bowing before his majesty? Isn't that worship? Isn't that what worship is? recognizing
the majesty of God, the sovereignty of God, the reign of God, the
power of God, the person of God, and bowing before his majesty
and his glory. When a man truly worships God,
this is what he, when he's really worshiping, he confesses his
own inability, his own worthlessness, and his own dependence upon the
Almighty God, who has all power in heaven and earth. Oh, I do,
I do believe that's worship. I believe that's the sum and
substance of worship. Recognizing who He is, and in
worship, in reverence, in awe, in fear, in respect, in praise,
in thanksgiving, bowing before Him. Worship Him. Now let me show you some scripture.
Turn to Daniel chapter 4. And I ask you as you read this
with me. Daniel chapter 4. Is this not worship? In Daniel
chapter 4, reading verse 34. Is this not worship? Now read it. Daniel 4 verse 34. And at the end of the days, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven. I lifted up my
eyes to heaven. Now where is he? I don't know.
He may be out in the field, he may be out in the yard, he may
be in his house, but I lifted my eyes to heaven. And my understanding
returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised
and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion. And his kingdom is from generation
to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of this
earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest
thou? At the same time my reason returned
to me, and for the glory of my kingdom my honor and brightness
returned unto me. and my counselors and my Lord
sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent
majesty was added unto me. Now I never can there is a praise
and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are
truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase." Is that not worship? I wish I had said
that. That's worship. Turn to 1 Chronicles, still in
the Old Testament. Listen, is this not worship in
1 Chronicles chapter 29? This is David. I want you to
listen to him here. This, to me, is worship. In 1
Chronicles 29, verse 10, and David blessed the Lord. before
all the congregation, and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God
of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever. Here's worship. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness,
and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.
For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine
is the kingdom, O Lord. Thou art exalted as head above
all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over
all, and in thine hand is power and might. In thine hand it is
to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our
God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." That's worship. In that worship season, David, one time the scripture
said, just went in and sat before the Lord. just sat before the
Lord and counted his blessings and counted the mercies of God
to him and his people. And he said what he said in that
next verse, who am I and what is my people, that you should
show such mercy. That's worship. Worship's not
activity, hook to do, excitement. Worship is lying low before God,
bowing down and acknowledging who He is, and giving thanks
for who He is. Worshiping God. Matthew 8, listen to this. Is
this not worship? Scripture says it is. Matthew
chapter 8. It says here in verse 1, Matthew
8, now this is a man We've been reading about David, the man
after God's own heart, and then we read about a king whom God
was pleased to visit in judgment and grace. Now, here's a man
that's a leper, an outcast, one who was exhorted by the law to
stay away from people and to cry unclean if anybody came anywhere
near him. But he did what he wasn't supposed
to do. It says, when the Lord came down
from the mountain, verse 1, great multitudes followed him, and
behold, behold, there came a leper. He wasn't supposed to do this.
He was violating the law when he did it. He came into the presence
of the Lord. He came and fell at the feet
of the Lord. But listen. and worshipped him. And worshipped
him. How did he worship him? Listen
to the words. And he said, Lord, if you will, you can make me
clean. That's worship. He acknowledged
his own disease and his own inability and his own corruption and his
own filth. But he said, if you will, you've
got the power, you've got the ability, you've got the authority,
If you will, you can make me clean. That's worship. And it says in verse 3, And Jesus
put forth his hand and touched him. And he said, I will, be
thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. Worship doesn't have anything to do with who I am.
It has to do with who he is. Worship doesn't have anything
to do with who I am. altogether to do with who he
is. We've seen that. Here's a man after God's own
heart, worshiping God. Here's a man who's recently been
brought out of heathenism, a mighty king, and here's a leper. But
all of them acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and King
and Sovereign and has absolute control over all things. That's
worship. Turn to Hebrews 1. This is what
the Father said about him in Hebrews chapter 1. Listen to
this. This is the one whom we extol and magnify. We're worshiping
right now. When I'm standing here before
you with your consent and with your agreement and with your
amens and so be it, I'm extolling and magnifying, exalting the
name of Christ. We're exalting his name together.
We're worshiping him. Hebrews 1. God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, number one, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
number two, by whom he made the worlds, number three, whose being
the brightness of his glory, Number four, who's the exact
image of his person. Number five, who upholdeth all
things by the word of his power. Number six, he by himself purged
our sin. Number seven, he sat down at
the right hand of God. Number eight, being made so much
better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained
a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels
said the Father at any time, Thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. And again, I'll be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son. And again, when he bringeth the
first begotten into the world, he said, Let the angels of God that even the angels of God worship
him. And of the angels, he saith,
who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of
fire. But unto the Son, he saith, thy throne, thy majesty, thy
greatness, thy glory, thy excellence, O God, is forever. That's the
song of a worshiper. A scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of our kingdom. It's not who I am. It's who he
is. And secondly, in worship, it's
not where I am. It's not where I am. It's where
he is. Oh, I wish we could learn. We
keep, folks keep building. We don't. I say we. This, this
generation of religious people keep building these monstrosities
and cathedrals and temples and churches and and trying to make
them places where people can worship, and worship hadn't got
anything to do with a place. Turn to Acts 17. It doesn't have
anything to do with where I am. It's where John wasn't in a church
on the Isle of Patmos. You remember in Revelation 1
when John, in his nineties I think, he was the only disciple who
survived. The rest of them were martyred.
Ten of the others were martyred, and Paul, eleven of them were
martyred. John was exiled on the Isle of
Patmos. They just put him out of civilization. They put him out there on an
island by himself, surrounded by the sea. And that's what he
wrote in Revelation, in glory in heaven, there'll be no more
sea. There'll be no more sea. That meant something to him.
When I was in the Navy, it meant something to me. There'll be
no more sea. But he said, I was in the Spirit of the Lord on
the Lord's Day, worshiping God. And I heard a voice behind me.
It was the voice of many waters. And I turned, and I saw Him. And He spoke to me. And I fell
at His feet as a dead man. How in the world did John worship
the Lord? There wasn't an organ playing, no great cathedral,
nobody in religious uniform, no processional. No choir, no
chanting, out there on an island, in the middle of the sea, sitting
on a rock, worshiping God, worshiping God. And the Lord spoke to him. Paul said in Acts 17, verse 24,
God that made the world, that's who we're worshiping, who made
the world, and all things therein, seeing he's Lord of heaven and
earth. dwelleth not in temples made with hands." Who is this
we're worshiping? The Lord of heaven and earth, who made the
heavens and the earth. "'Neither is he worshiped,' verse
25, "'with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he
giveth to all life and breath and all things.'" That's worship. I've given some thought today,
since we talked this morning about this business of worship.
And I believe, I believe that God's given us a little light
and understanding here through the years on this subject of
worship. It's not who I am, it's who He is. It's not where I am,
it's where He is, exalted and magnified. God who made the heavens
and the earth, God who's Lord of all, God does not dwell in
temples made with hands. He said to David, you're going
to build me a house? Why, the heaven of heavens won't
contain me, the earth is my footstool. Where's the house you're going
to put me in? It's not only who, not who I
am, it's not where I am, it's not what I've done. Turn to Psalm
103. It's what he hath done. That's
the basis of worship. Psalm 103. Listen. Bless the
Lord. Psalm 103, verse 1. Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that's within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, for
getting out all His benefits. I'm going to show you in a few
moments in Matthew, if you've done anything, don't tell anybody. Tell them what He has done. When
our Lord healed the madman in the land of the
gatherings, remember the fellow in the tombs that cut himself
and they bound him with chains and he'd break the chains, demon
possessed, and the Lord cleansed him and gave him a sound mind
and sent him on his way. He said, I'll go with you. The
Lord said, no, you go home. You go home and tell the people
what great things God has done for you. Religion today keeps telling
me what they're doing, and how many people they're reaching,
and how much noise they're making, and how many books they're writing.
They keep talking about these things as if somebody's going
to forget it. And David said, bless the Lord. Oh my soul and
all that's within me, bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget
not all His benefits. He's forgiven your iniquities.
He's healed your diseases. He's redeemed your life from
destruction. He's crowned you with love and
kindness and tender mercy. He's satisfied your mouth with
good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. And
He executed righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
He did it. He did it. He did it. That's
worship. And if we talk about ourselves
and brag on ourselves and sing about ourselves, that's not worship. We're not going to do anybody
any good. Because we're not very good examples. It's not who I am, it's who he
is. It's not where I am, it's where he is. Enthroned. It's not what I've done, it's
what he's done. It's not what I will do, it's what he will
do. God hath appointed a day in which
he'll judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained, Jesus
Christ the Lord, whereof he gave this evidence, he raised him
from the dead. Now really, and let me add this,
and I'm not being critical, trying to be truthful, I really think,
really do believe that today's religious activities And just about all of them, really.
And organizations are not helpful to worship. I think they're detrimental.
I really do. It may be the greatest blessing
if God would destroy all of the monumental buildings and all
of the organizations and disband all the denominations. because it's detrimental to true
worship, true spiritual worship. I believe it is. You know, me and, here, now listen
to me, let me point out three or four things. We're all religious
by nature. We're religious by nature. Now
that can be proven by the, you can travel all over this world
and wherever you find people, you'll find some kind of religious
ceremonies. some kind of religious belief,
some kind of worship, some kind of sacrifice. You'll find religion
everywhere, all different forms and types of religion. Like I
pointed out in the Bulletin Sunday, an article by someone, I believe
it was Arthur Pink, who said, but in heathen religions, there's
no word for grace. There are words for works, but
there's no word for grace. Because grace is divinely given. And all religions are based on
works. Only true worship is grace. And we're all religious by nature,
but it's true faith and true worship, that's the result of
the Spirit of God in the heart. Now, let me show you four things.
Listen to this. I have no difficulty believing in God. Do you? I never
have had. I've always, far as I can remember,
believed in God. There are too many evidences
of the existence of a higher person and power than man. I
always have believed in God. But worship is not believing
in God. The devil believes there's a
God and trembles. Worship is to believe God. That is the difference. Abraham didn't believe in God,
he believed God. He believed God. He did not stagger
at the promise of God, but he was strong in faith and gave
glory to God. He believed God. When Paul stood
on the deck of that ship, and they'd thrown everything over
the side to lighten the ship, the storm was raging, and the
wind was blowing, and the waves were sweeping over the ship,
and those men who made their living sailing the seas were
getting ready to abandon ship. They said, we're getting out
of here. And Paul stood in the midst of them and said, hold
it. And they all stopped and looked at him. He said, men and
brethren, There stood by me this night the angel of the Lord,
whose I am and whom I serve. And he said unto me, Paul, the
ship will be destroyed, but there'll be no loss of life. But stay
on the ship. Wherefore, sirs, I believe God."
Stay where you are. It doesn't matter how dark the
night is and how desperate the situation is and how desperate
Your thoughts are, God said, stay where you are, and I believe
God. Now, that is my problem. I don't have any trouble believing
in God. I have trouble believing Him. And when I believe Him, that's
worship. All right? Secondly, I have no
difficulty believing man's a sinner, do you? Man failed. There's no problem
there. I've always believed man failed. There's too many evidences
about me and in me to convince me that we're sinners. We're
sinners. But faith and worship is not
to know I'm a sinner. Faith and worship and looking
to Him is to feel my sinnerhood. To cry with the Apostle Paul,
Oh, the sinfulness of sin. To cry with David in Psalm 51,
God, be merciful to me. My sins are ever before me. Cleanse
me. Purge me with hyssop and I shall
be clean. Wash me and I'll be whiter than
the snow. That's worship. That's faith.
Or to cry with the Apostle Paul, O wretched man that I am. Or
with Isaiah of Isaiah 6. I'm a man of unclean lips and
I dwell among a people of unclean lips. Worship is not to find
fault with others, it's to find fault with myself. Worship is
not to see the sin of others, it's to see my sin. Worship is
not pleading for help for somebody else, it's pleading for help
for me. That's worship. I believe we're worshiping. I
believe you're sitting there saying, Amen. I do believe that. Amen. What's that old black spiritual?
It ain't the preacher or the deacon. It's me, oh Lord, standing
in the need of prayer. And then thirdly, I have no difficulty
believing Jesus Christ was born 2,000 years ago to you. I don't trace my salvation to
the time in my life when I believe a person called Jesus was born
of a virgin. I've always believed that. He
lived on this earth. He died on a cross. You can look
at a calendar and find that out. 1993 A.D. in the year of our
Lord, Anno Domini. B.C. is before Christ. He rose
again, ascended to heaven, and He'll come again. I have all
my life given consent to the most orthodox creeds. I believe. I'm a fundamentalist from the
time I was a little boy. But true faith and worship is
not mental agreement with the facts about Christ. True worship
and faith is a living union with that Christ. It's not Christ on the cross.
It's Christ in you, the hope of glory. It's not Christ in
a manger, it's Christ in you and me, the hope of glory. It's
not Christ on a throne, it's Christ in you. Is that right,
John? That's worship, that's faith.
You say, I'm a Calvinist. Won't save you. Won't save you. I believe in the doctrines of
grace. I learned the doctrines of grace. I did too, but it didn't
save me. Christ did. It pleased God. Now, here's my
Calvinism. It pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb. Here's my confidence. He revealed
His Son in me. I don't have any trouble believing
what God did. He did from eternity. If He didn't,
He's not God. I don't have any trouble believing
God loved me in before the foundation of the world. If He loves me
now, He loved me then, because He can't change and be God. There's
no problem there. Calvinism's no problem. Revelation
is the problem. Christ in you. Galatians 4, 19. I prevail till Christ be formed
in you. 2 Corinthians 13, 5. Examine yourselves,
whether you be in the faith. Know ye not your own selves,
how that Christ dwelleth in you? In you? Turn to Romans 8, look at, I
can't quote this one, Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 verse
9 and 10. This is worship. So then they
that are in the flesh can't please God. We can put on all kind of programs
and shenanigans and burn candles and hold hands and recite the
creeds and all these things, we can't please God in the flesh.
But you're not in the flesh, you're in the Spirit. If so,
be the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he's none of His. And if Christ be in you,
the body's dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive because
of His righteousness. The person of Christ. Christ
in us gives us the peace of Christ, gives us the mind of Christ.
gives us the love of Christ which shed abroad in our hearts for
the Holy Ghost, gives us the Spirit of Christ. That's worship. That's faith. And it's not confined
to a time, not confined to a service, it's not confined to a place,
it's not confined to a gathering. It's all the time. We live in
a spirit, in an attitude of worship, Gratitude, praise, humility,
confession, surrender, grace, worship the Lord. I have no difficulty,
and we'll get to Matthew 6, turn over there now. I have no difficulty
with the scriptures which command generosity. I have no difficulty with the
scriptures that command and exhort us to pray. I've tried to pray
since I was a little boy, saying, now lay me down to sleep, I pray
the Lord my soul to keep. I started giving to the church
when I got a paper out, and I was 13 years old, because that's
what my church taught. Ten percent, that's what I gave.
I have no trouble with scriptures that command generosity or prayer
or worship. or faithfulness, I don't know
in my lifetime, except the two plus years I spent in the Navy,
I could count the Sundays on that hand where I hadn't been
in church somewhere in my 66 years. And there's no difficulty for
me. But the area of difficulty is doing these things as unto
the Lord. Because they're not worth that.
if they're not done as unto the Lord. Doing this for the glory of God,
in an attitude and spirit of worship, not to be seen of men,
not motivated by fear of hell, nor motivated by the whip of
the law, nor motivated by reward in heaven, but motivated solely
and completely by one driving principle, because I love Him. That's what I'm talking about.
That's the critical area. And that's what we teach here,
and that's what you believe, and that's what God's taught
us, and that's what we're trying to do here. Look at Matthew 6. Bob read this. It says, Take
heed, you do not your alms. What are alms? Your righteousness,
your good deeds, your helping one another. Don't do it before
men to be seen of men. Otherwise, you have no reward
of your Father, which is in heaven. We just can't... There's some
way we have to set an example. There's some way we need to exhort
and encourage and teach our children and others to give and to share
and to help others. And of course, when you do a
deed, the man you do it for is going to know it. His wife's
going to know it, you know. And if you do it through the
church, the treasurer's going to know it, and the secretary's
going to know it, and possibly the pastor's going to know it.
But here's the thing, you don't do it for that reason. That's
what I'm talking about. You're not motivated. to do these
good deeds to be seen of men, for somebody to brag on you and
praise you. You do it because God's enabled
you to do it, and God's blessed you with the means to do it,
and God's blessed you with the heart that wants to do it, and
you just love the brother to whom you're doing it and for
whom you're doing it. That's what I'm talking about. You see,
verse 2, when you do your good deeds, don't sound a trumpet
before you. That's what the hypocrites do
in the synagogues, in the streets. that they may have glory of men.
There's a beggar out here holding a cup, and the Pharisee goes
behind. Bang! He drops his money, and so it'll
ring and echo, you know, and the people, it does it with a
flourish, so everybody will see him. And they'll all say, isn't
he kind and generous? That's his reward. He says here,
they have their reward. In other words, he's not saying
God's going to damn them. He's saying, when you do something
to be seen of men, and when men see you, that's what you did
it for, and that's your reward. But when you do alms, do it secretly,
as unto the Lord, for the glory of the Lord. And don't let your
left hand know what your right hand doeth. That's kind of stretching it
a little bit, the right hand, left hand. But he's saying here
that do it in such a manner that you don't broadcast it. Don't
broadcast it. And your arms may be in secret,
and your Father which seeth in secret himself will reward you
openly. God will bless you. God will
bless you. You're doing it, and that's what
I'm talking about in this thing of worship. It's unto the Lord. And then he talks about prayer.
When you pray, don't be like a hypocrite. He loves to pray
standing out where he's heard and seen, in the synagogues,
in the corner of the streets, to be seen of men. And I say
unto you, when men see him, that's his reward. But when you pray, enter into
your closet. Shut the door. Pray to the Father
in secret. The Father which seeth in secret
shall reward you openly." Well, I can't pray, preacher. I don't
have the words. That's just what he's saying
in the next verse. It's not words. It's not eloquence. It's not
repetitions. Don't pray that way. They think
they'll be heard for their much speaking. Be not like unto them.
Your Father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask
him. You're not asking God to notify God or to make God aware
of your need. He already knows your need. You're
confessing your dependence upon him to meet the need. That's
what prayer is. Study the prayers of the scriptures,
especially this one here. Look how simple it is. Our Father,
this is an example. Our Lord said, Our Father, which
art in heaven, hallowed, holy be thy name. Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, as it is in On earth as it is in heaven,
give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive
those who sin against us. Don't lead us into temptation.
Deliver us from evil. The kingdom is yours, and the
power is yours, and the glory is yours. Amen. So be it. That suits me fine. You read the prayers of Scripture.
They're simple, to the point, glorifying to God, confessing
dependence. And one other thing, moreover,
verse 60, when you fast, and fasting may include doing
without, but I think fasting here includes not only doing
without food, but it's a period of devotion, a period of spiritual
conflict, a period of personal a contact with our Lord, our
God, a period of trial and testing and trouble, a period of visitation
of God in different ways, a period of time of great weight, a time
of growth, a time of revelation, a time of understanding, a time
â€“ all these things included in this time. And when those times
are upon you and in you and God is visiting you in a special
way, don't be like a hypocrite, putting on a pious face of a
sad countenance. They disfigure their faces that
they may appear unto me in the fast. I say unto you they have
their reward. When they talk about they had
to get up at 4 a.m. to spend some time with the Lord
and pray and have God visiting them and talk to them how they
just didn't feel like eating, and it was such a heavy time
of spirituality and conflict and burden, and God made these
certain revelations, and they want you to know about these
things, you know. Verse 17, But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint your head, wash your face, that ye appear not
unto men to fast, but unto the Lord which is in secret. Thy
Father which seeth in secret will reward you openly. I really believe that all is
included in this thing of fasting because it's also being burdened
and doing without food and other things, I'm sure. But I just feel like that, like I
said one time in this pulpit, overly religious spiritual people
are tough to live with. Folks that are always trying
to show you how godly they are spiritual they are, and how holy
they are, and how much they pray, and how studious they are, and
how righteous they are, are pain. That really are. And that's what
he said. They have their reward. Oh, he's
such a godly man. How do you know? He told me. Yeah. That's what I'm talking
about. It is comical, isn't it? Godliness will leak out on you
over a period of time. It may take a while, but it will
finally be evident. It'll be evident. But God knows
it all along. All along. Now then, I close
with this. So, I believe we're worshiping
the Lord here. I really do. So don't try to,
don't be unhappy. and try to add to and bring in
and cultivate any kind of programs of worship. Worship's not a program,
it's a person. Activity. We say we need certain
activities. No. Here are our activities. Number one, we come together,
whatever the time, in the name of the Lord. He promised to meet
with two or three if they meet in his name. Secondly, we come
together to exalt and magnify his name. His sovereignty, His
right to reign. Our watchword is, the Lord reigneth. Let the people tremble. Thirdly,
in psalms and hymns, and carefully selected psalms and hymns that
glorify Him and His attributes, we make merry in our hearts unto
the Lord. Worship, sing in His praises. Sing in His praises. Fourthly,
we preach. in spirit and truth, in faith
and love. We preach in the spirit of God,
we preach the truth of God, we preach believing God, we preach
loving Him and loving His people. And we strive together for the
unity of the body of Christ. Worship. Worship. Worship. I hope that's helpful
to you and a blessing to you. and encouraging to you, and I
believe it's honoring to God. All right, let's turn in our
hymn books to number 290 and sing together this song that
speaks about what I've been dealing with, Be Still My Soul. Be still.

Some Thoughts on Worship

What does the Bible say about worship?

How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

Why is bowing down before God significant in worship?

What is the relationship between worship and recognizing God's majesty?

How does true worship differ from mere religious activity?

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Some Thoughts on Worship

What does the Bible say about worship?

How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

Why is bowing down before God significant in worship?

What is the relationship between worship and recognizing God's majesty?

How does true worship differ from mere religious activity?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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