BACK TO THE BASICS - WORSHIP Introduction The Meaning of Worship To worship is: To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God. To feed the mind with the truth of God. To purge the imagination with the beauty of God. To open the heart to the love of God. To devote the will to the purpose of God. (John 4:20-26 KJV) Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. {21} Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. {22} Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. {23} But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. {24} God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. {25} The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. {26} Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. I. It's important for us to understand what the Bible means when "worship" is used. II. Worship is a fundamental Bible concept and is absolutely essential to a right relationship with God. A. In the O.T., worship meant "to bow down, to bow down before God, to worship, to pay adoration, even without prostration." B. In the N.T., worship means "to kiss toward, an act of homage or reverence." III. Worship is a very important part of our existence (Eccl 12:13). A. Gordon Dahl, "Most middle class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship. As a result, their meanings and values are distorted. Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot." IV. This morning we will focus upon the Art of Worship, the Attitude of Worship and the Acts of worship. Body I. THE ART OF WORSHIP. A. Worshiping God is an art. 1. Webster says worship is, "Skill acquired by experience, studying, or observation." 2. Worship demands skill. a. Skill comes from study and experience (John 4:24). B. Worshiping God requires knowledge. 1. We must know the truth to properly worship God (John 4:24). a. The truth came unto men by Jesus Christ (John 1:17; 14:6). (1) Jesus always spoke the truth. b. The truth is found in God's word (Jn 8:32; 17:17). c. The truth was given by Spirit-guided men. (1) They orally proclaimed the truth (John 16:13). (2) They wrote the truth (1 Cor 14:37). 2. We must know God to properly worship Him (John 4:24; Heb 8:11). a. We know God through nature (Rom 1:20). b. We know God through revelation (Acts 17:23). c. We know God through Jesus Christ (John 1:18). 3. We must have biblical knowledge or our worship will be rejected. a. Some have worshiped in vain (Mat 15:8-9). b. Some have been guilty of will-worship (Col 2:23). c. Some have been in ignorance (Acts 17:23). C. Worshiping God properly is rewarding. 1. Worship is for God's glory (Psa 29:2). 2. Worship is for man's good (Heb 10:19-20). a. It allows us to draw near to God (Heb 10:22). b. It reinforces faith (Heb 10:23). (1) Worship reminds us of God's reality. (2) Worship reminds us of God's power. c. It provokes Christian living (Heb 10:24-25). d. It protects our souls (Heb 10:26-31). (1) We must not be sinners; we must be worshipers. II. THE ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP. A. We must worship God rationally and sincerely. 1. There is a difference between form and faith. a. The Pharisees were strong advocates of tradition. b. But worship must be of faith (Rom 10:17). 2. There is a difference between show and sincerity. a. Some want to be seen of men. (1) In giving (Mt 6). (2) In praying (Mt 6). b. We must come to worship with sincere hearts (Psa 51:16-17). (1) To the Pharisees, worship was a ritualistic ceremony. 3. There is a difference between hypocrisy and holiness. a. Jesus called some worshipers "hypocrites" (Mt 15:7). (1) The word "hypocrite" originally meant a play actor. b. God wants holy worshipers who are genuine (1 Chr 16:29). B. We must worship God spiritually. 1. From Isaiah 6, we see 4 things needed for spiritual worship. a. An insight into God's majesty (Isa 6:1-4). (1) Song - Holy, Holy, Holy. b. An awareness of the sinfulness of man (Isa 6:5). c. A sense of cleansing (Isa 6:6-7). d. A preparation for service (Isa 6:8-10). (1) There is a correlation in worship and service. C. We must worship God enthusiastically. 1. The Bible teaches God's people to: a. Go gladly (Psa 122:1). b. Worship reverently (Psa 95:6). c. Pray earnestly (Js 5:16). d. Sing joyfully (Psa 95:1-2). e. Give freely (Mt 10:8). f. Listen attentively (Js 1:19). g. Act unitedly (Psa 133:1). h. Live peacefully (Num 6:24-26). i. Do dutifully (Js 1:22). III. THE ACTS OF WORSHIP. A. Worship consists of acts (Mat 2:1-2). 1. A concise definition of worship is found in a footnote to Mt 2:1-2 (ASV). a. "The Greek word denotes an act of reverence whether paid to a creature or to the Creator." b. Worship is not just a feeling, mood, or attitude. c. Worship has always been an overt act from the heart (Gen 22:5; 2 Sam 12:20; Acts 24:11). B. Worship on the Lord's day consists of 5 acts of worship. 1. Singing is worship to God (Eph 5:19). 2. Praying is worship to God (Acts 2:42; Jn 14:13-14). 3. Giving is worship to God (1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:6-7). 4. Lord's Supper is worship to God (Mt 26:26-28; Acts 20:7). 5. Preaching or teaching is worship to God (2 Tim 4:1-4). C. Worship is on the Lord's Day, and not Saturday. 1. The purpose of the Sabbath has been accomplished. 2. The Law of the Sabbath has been abolished. 3. The power of the Lord's Day has arrived. a. Christ was raised from the dead. b. Christ appeared to His apostles. c. Holy Spirit came. d. Church began. e. Disciples gave. f. Church came together to break bread. Conclusion I. We have explored the art, the attitude, and the acts of worship. A. We have seen that we need to offer acceptable worship. II. To offer acceptable worship, we need to be acceptable worshipers. A. Become a Christian (Psa 95:6-7). ** If you have any questions or if you would like to become a Christian, please let us know. Alan C. Cole 26th St. Church of Christ 101-26th Street Huntington, WV 25703 Phone - (304) 522-0717 E-Mail - Cole8@marshall.edu Homepage - http://mupfc.marshall.edu/~cole8/