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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
January 31, 2016
Worship: The Purpose of the Church
Selected Scriptures
Introduction
This morning we come to the fourth aspect of how we at Grace Bible Church strive to carry out our purpose of Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ. We do that by Communicating New Life in Christ – Evangelism; Cultivating New Life in Christ – Edification; Caring for New Life in Christ – Fellowship, and finally, Celebrating New Life in Christ – Worship.
(See: Fellowship: Life Within the Church)
(See: Edification: The Building Up of the Church)
(See: Evangelism: The Church Goes Out)
(See: The Identity and Commission of the Church)
A.W. Tozer referred to worship as the crowning jewel in the purposes of the church, and yet, even with worship being so fundamental and central in the basic purposes of the church, worship is too often, as one writer put it, the Missing Jewel of the church instead of its crowning jewel.
How can that be? Doesn’t even the ancient catechism teach that the very purpose of our existence is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever? How then could worship be the missing jewel?
The major reason is that it is too easy for true worship to be replaced by substitutes. Just as socialization is often a substitute for true Christian fellowship, so in a similar way erroneous or even false worship can easily substitute for true worship. It is our desire to avoid that from happening here. We want to make sure our worship is done the way that God tells us to worship Him, and not according to our own desires or the way we think best.
Examples of Improper Worship
Some people fall into the trap of form replacing substance which eventually results in a cold liturgy. This has happened in most of the main-line denominations since the early twentieth century. They lost their foundation in solid doctrine and their love for the Jesus Christ of the Scriptures, and all that was left was their rituals and traditions. The result is that they have been dying. Some are trying to revive themselves by changing their liturgies, but without the substance of Biblical truth, they will never have true worship.
Other people replace true worship with a shallow facsimile that has high emotion and energy but little substance. Frankly, that is the weakness of the church growth movement and what has branched out from it. The desires and felt needs of people become the driving force instead of God’s revelation of Himself. The result has been the elevation of musical style, drama, technological innovation and politically correct cultural sensitivity over Biblical preaching. This is not to say that use of various musical styles, drama or new technology is wrong. It is to say that too many have ended up diminishing or even replacing true worship with emotional hype which gives the appearance of life, but it is only a shadow of the reality. Instead of sermons that declare and explain God’s revelation, there are moral stories, platitudes and self help pep talks. True worship is founded in solid doctrine and not in catering to the emotionalism of felt needs. In addition, emotionalism is too shallow to hold onto people for they will either keep looking for more and greater emotional experiences or give up and look for something else. A person needs something solid to take them through the tough times of life.
There are also those churches that have kept their foundations solid, but in reaction to emotionalism, the modern church growth movement or to ritualism, they often try harder to demonstrate what they are not than what they are. The result is good theology lived poorly. There is a lack of warmth among the people. The heart is missing. It is correct doctrine with a lack of enthusiasm for God and joy in the worship of Him. That is not true worship either.
It is my duty as Pastor to make sure that Grace Bible Church avoids these various pitfalls and truly worships God. The best way to do that is to make sure you understand the nature of true worship so that you can do that at home and here when we gather together. Turn to John 4 to examine what Jesus says about worship.
The Nature of True Worship – John 4:19-24
As Jesus is traveling through Samaria, He stops at Jacob’s well just outside of city of Sychar and has conversation with a woman. In the midst of their conversation, the woman brings up the old conflict between the Jews and the Samaritans of “where to worship.” Jesus’ response was completely different from what she expected. He gave an answer that went beyond the place of worship and explained the nature of worship.
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem shall you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus points out four important points about true worship.
1. The places is not the issue (v. 21)
2. You cannot worship what you do not know (vs. 22)
3. The nature of God is spirit (vs. 24)
4. True worship must be in spirit and in truth (vs. 24)
This last point, that true worship must be in spirit and in truth is the essential requirement of true worship. You cannot do it any other way. Lets examine this first and then add the other elements.
True Worship is Regenerated in the Spirit
This text is not talking about just any spirit. It is talking about your spirit reacting to the working of the Holy Spirit. God created man to worship Him, but that relationship was broken because of man’s sin. It is the Holy Spirit that regenerates or “makes alive” (Ephesians 2) the spirit in a man or woman so that they can respond to the Holy Spirit and worship God. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 makes it clear that the natural man, those who are not born again, do not understand the things of the Spirit of God and refuses to accept them because they are foolishness to him. True worship must be regenerated in the Holy Spirit to even begin.
In addition, Romans 8:26-27 states that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf with God because He knows the Father and searches our hearts. John 16:14 states that the He glorifies Christ and reveals Him to us. John 16:7-13 reveals that the Holy Spirit is our helper, the one that convicts us of both sin and righteousness, and He guides us away from sin and into truth. The Holy Spirit is the first essential element in worship, and without Him we could not fulfill the second requirement of worshiping in truth, for it is the Holy Spirit that is the “Spirit of Truth” and who is the one who reveals the truth (John 14:17; 16:13).
True worship is Regained in Truth
Jesus’ words to the woman at the well were straight and to the point. “You worship that which you do not know,” and “True worshipers must worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:22,24)
Ignorant worship is false worship. At its very best it is just religion which is man’s attempt to fill his internal spiritual desires. True Christianity is not a religion. It is a living and dynamic relationship with God brought about by God! The woman thought she knew what she was doing and truly worshiping God, but she was actually lost in her ignorance. So it is with many. They believe themselves to be true worshipers of God, but in their ignorance they worship many things other than God. This is true of paganism, pantheism, eastern mysticism, new age religions, cultic and occultic religions and sects. Even many that come under the name of “Christianity” worship in ignorance. They try to worship God by ritual rather than in reality. And we must take warning on this point too because this also occurs within conservative, fundamental, evangelical Churches. It doesn’t take long for something to become “sacred” just because that was the way it was done for a long period of time. Whenever something is done simply because “we have always done it that way,” then you can be sure that the reason and meaning have been lost and it has become an act of ignorant worship. That is cold liturgy, not true worship.
True worship is regained in truth because it requires sound doctrine. This is why the early church put teaching doctrine as a centerpiece of their worship. Acts 2:42 records the “worship service” of the early church as “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer.” The requirement is to worship God in truth, for without the truth, you are worshiping something other than God! The next element of true worship arises from this foundation of worship in spirit and truth.
True Worship is Reverent in Heart
One of the Greek words used for worship in the New Testament is sevbwmai / sebomai. This word stresses the feeling of awe or devotion in the worship of God. Lydia, in Acts 6:14, was characterized by this devotion and was called a “worshiper of God” as was Titius Justus in Acts 18:7. In fact, without the heart, worship is false. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Scribes for this very thing in Matthew 15:8-9, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”
Let me caution you however to not let those times that you do not “feel” like worshiping the Lord be an excuse for not worshiping Him. This is not talking about your “feelings,” but about the direction of your heart, for in the Scriptures “heart” signifies that which is at the center of the life, not just the emotions. We will see as we go on that many aspects of worship can be and should be carried out regardless of your emotions at the moment. It is your heart, what is at the center of life, not your feelings, that make up true worship. Feelings are to follow action, not lead them. If your heart is set correctly on following God and you begin to worship, I can guarantee that the feelings will come as your heart, mind and will all agree on the wonderful character of our loving Lord. This can be seen in several of the Psalms in which David begins in despondency, but as his thoughts focus on the nature and character of God and what He has done, his emotions turn to joy.
True Worship is Respectful in Action
The root meanings of the main words for worship in both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures describe the respectful action of the worshiper.
There are several different words in the Hebrew Scriptures which are variously translated as “bow low,” “prostrate one’s self,” or worship. This refers to the oriental custom of bowing to someone as a sign of respect. A person would also bow down in reverence to the deity he worshiped. This was true of both idol worshipers and the true worshipers of our Creator God. The physical action of bowing low or prostrating one’s self was an act of worship.
For example, in Exodus 12:27 at the institution of the Passover, the “people bowed low (rr1q3 / qadad) and worshiped” (hj9v9 / shachah). In Psalm 95:6 the invitation is given to Come, let us worship (hj9v9 / shachah) and bow down (er1K2 / kara), Let us kneel (\r1B2 / barak) before the Lord our Maker.” In Isaiah 46:6 the prophet chastens the people for having goldsmiths make idols to which “they bow down [prostrate] (dg1s2 /sagad), indeed they worship it” (hj9v9 / shachah). Each of these word combinations describe a physical act of humility – bowing down, falling down, becoming prostrate – combined with the most common word for worship which also has a root meaning of bow down.
In Exodus 20:5 the second commandment is to not make any idols and to not “worship” (hj9v9 / shachah) or serve (db1e2/ abad) them. This commandment was stressed again in Exodus 34:14 for the Lord is a jealous God, and then again in Deuteronomy 5:8-9 as Moses prepared the next generation to enter the promised land. The practice of giving any kind of homage, bowing down to or worshiping any kind of idol has always been against God’s commands. He is Spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and truth, which is why we do not bow, kneel or “venerate” any kind of statue though some who claim to be followers of Christ perform such actions. It is improper worship best, but more often false worship and idolatry.
On the other extreme, it is regrettable that in the effort that most Protestants have made to distance themselves from the liturgy of Roman Catholicism and its practices which at minimum often border idolatry, that actions of bowing, kneeling and laying prostrate before God have also been largely eliminated. We do not have pews with kneelers, but it would be good if we did because the worship of God should include humble and respectful actions. Since my knees are still holding out, I find that kneeling is beneficial to praying. The call in Psalm 95:6 is still proper for us, “Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker.”
When we examine the Greek scriptures, the word translated most often as worship, proskunevw / proskuneo, literally means “toward to kiss.” It is an act of obeisance and reverence. We might think of the ancient custom of a person coming before a king, bowing down and kissing his feet. That is described in Psalm 2:12 where the nations are told to “kiss the son, lest He be angry” (KJV), or “give homage” (NASB). It is an act of respect to the king. Luke 7:37-38 describes this occurring when the woman at Nain who was seeking Jesus came into the home of the Pharisee, and when she found Him, she continued to kiss His feet, anoint them with perfume and wipe them with her hair.
This reverent respect can be demonstrated in ways other than a kiss. In the New Testament, proskunevw / proskuneo brings in the meaning from its usage in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, as the substitute word for (hj9v9 / shachah, to worship, to bow down. In Matthew 2:11 the wise men came to the baby Jesus and “fell down and worshiped Him.” In that verse the action of falling down is combined with the common word for worship just as often occurred in the Old Testament. Matthew 8:2 records that the leper who came to Jesus for healing bowed down before Him and Matthew 15:25 records that the Canaanite woman with the demon possessed daughter did the same thing when seeking Jesus’ help. After the resurrection, Matthew 28:9 records that the disciples ‘took hold of his feet and worshiped Him,” and you cannot grab someone’s feet without bowing down.
The examples in both the Old and New Testaments are of people combining actions of respect that match hearts set on worship. We are wise to be humble and do likewise, but again, respectful actions toward God in worship must come because of reverent hearts for Him and not because of mindless rote practices or concern about what other people might think.
True Worship is Rendered in Service
In addition to worship being Regenerated by the Spirit, Regained in the Truth, Reverent in Heart and Respectful in Action, true worship is also rendered in service. This idea comes out strongly from two other Biblical words translated as worship.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, service for God was part of worship. All the duties of the Priests and Levities (Numbers 3:7-8; 4:19, etc.) and all of their ritual service was part of worship. The reason that Israel was called out of bondage in Egypt by God was so that they could serve / worship (db1e2/ abad) the Lord (Exodus 3:12). Joshua worshiped the Lord following the conquest of Canaan with the ritual service of Sacrifice. Ritual service is true worship providing it is done from the heart with respect. Thus we are told in Psalm 2:11 to “Worship / serve (db1e2/ abad) the Lord with reverence.”
The same is true in the New Testament. We get our word “liturgy” from a Greek word, latreuvw / latreuo, which is translated as “worship,” but it carries the expanded meaning of “service of worship.” It is used that way in Philippians 3:3 in which Paul says, “we are the true circumcision (the ones truly following God), who worship (latreuvw / latreuo) in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no glory in the flesh.” The same idea is also seen in Romans 12:1 – “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present you bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (latreuvw / latreuo) (literally = “logical service of worship”). Therefore, when you are using your spiritual gifts, whatever they may be – helping, teaching, exhorting, giving, leadership, showing mercy or anything else – that is part of your worship of God for it is serving Him.
True worship is Radiated in Proclamation
Worship also occurs whenever you proclaim the character of God or speak of His works. This idea comes out very strongly in the Psalms for they were written for worship. Here are some examples.
Psalm 8 describes the Lord’s glory
Psalm 19 proclaims the works and word of God
Psalm 34 remembers the Lord’s provision and deliverance
Psalm 50 warns of God’s judgment
Psalm 68 is a song about God’s character
Psalm 77 & 78 recount God’s dealing with the nation of Israel
Psalm 91 declares hope in God’s security and protection
Psalm 139 exalts God’s omniscience and omnipresence
Psalm 145 praises God’s goodness
Add to these the centrality of the teaching ministry in both ancient Judaism and the early church and it is easy to see the importance of proclamation in the worship of God.
Let me add that the confession of sin is also proclamation. Confession is openly agreeing that God is right and just and that you are wrong. That can be and is an act of worship. That is clearly seen in the story of Achan in Joshua 6 & 7. The army is defeated at the little village of Ai because Achan did not obey the ban that God had placed on taking spoils from Jericho. Achan is found out, and in Joshua 7:19 Joshua says to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give Praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” Achan confesses in verse 20 based on giving glory and praise to God and not on bargaining for a leaner sentence.
Worship is given when you proclaim either the truth about God or the truth about something in relation to God. By proclaiming Him, you radiate His glory, and that is an aspect of true worship.
True Worship is Resounded in Praise
This is related to proclamation. To praise is to commend, to glorify, to express approval of something or someone. That is central to worship. We commend God to others, we glorify Him and we express approval of all that He has done and all that He is. Psalm 96 speaks of singing to the Lord, telling of His greatness, and ascribing to Him glory. This is the worship of praise.
Praise is not something that is always easy to do. Hebrews 13:15 speaks of it as a sacrifice. “Though Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” What is the sacrifice that is required to praise? Several things. First, it takes time, so there is a sacrifice of your time. Second, in order to praise, you have to turn your thoughts to God, so there is a sacrifice in what you think about in order to focus your attention on Him. Third, in order to give thanks, you have to realize that you are a receiver of God’s blessing and that you need Him. That is a sacrifice of pride. Fourth, in order to continually offer up praise, you must learn to see all things from God’s perspective and not your own, so you have to sacrifice your self-centeredness and self-pity.
Praise is best when it comes from a heart that is already full of the joy of the Lord, but there are times when your must start your praise to God as a sacrifice. And when you do, it is amazing at how fast the joy of the Lord will return. Praise is the aspect of worship which echoes back and forth. It resounds the greatness of our Lord.
True Worship Responds in Prayer
When a man or woman has their heart right with the Lord, then they will be controlled by the Spirit of God resulting in their serving Him and telling others about Him, so it is only natural that they are also going to also respond in prayer. Too often we tend to think of prayer as bringing our “wish list” to God, but prayer is so much more than that. Prayer is intimate fellowship with God. Prayer is that personal communion with the Father. Talking with Him and letting Him know personally your love for Him and the things that are on your heart. True prayer begins with adoration of God and confession of sins, which are two acts of worship, before any requests are made.
True Worship is Reflected as Individuals and as a Congregation
We call this the “Morning Worship Service” because it is that time when we come together as a manifestation of the local Body of Christ to worship our Lord. However, whatever occurs here in this building corporately will only be a reflection of what has occurred in our lives individually throughout the week in our personal worship. It takes individual preparation to have a good corporate worship service. What do I mean by that? If I prepare myself properly, I will be able to worship the Lord properly myself when we gather together. I will also be able to encourage others to do the same. If I do not prepare myself, I will have difficulty in worshiping the Lord properly myself, and I may be a detriment to others in their worship. Let me give you some suggestions on how to improve both your individual and the corporate worship on Sunday mornings.
1) Get into the habit of spending time daily in individual worship. Read your Bible, pray, sing praises, and give thanks. Again, the foundation for corporate worship is our individual worship of God throughout the week. 2) Prepare for Sunday on Saturday night. Be careful about how late you stay up. It is harder to give to God in worship when you are tired. Also, decide what you are going to wear the next day before you go to bed. If you have kids, do the same for them. This will help keep Sunday morning from being a flurry of rushed activity. 3) Use your time on Sunday morning wisely, which starts by getting up early enough to do everything you need to do. Plan to leave early enough so that you can enjoy a leisurely drive to church. Begin to praise God while you drive. You might even want to point out some of the beautiful things of God’s creation as you drive – trees, birds, animals, ponds, rivers, mountains, beautiful scenes, etc. These simple preparations allow you to come ready to respond to God in true worship even as you receive truth from His word and encouragement from His people. The less prepared you are when you arrive at church, the longer and more difficult it will be to get your mind and heart focused properly to be able to worship properly corporately.
Let me close with a quote that has been attributed to several different men, but regardless of who said it, it is thought provoking.
“Some have felt that the coming to a church service is similar to going to a theater. The platform is a stage upon which the preacher, the musicians, the Scripture readers, etc. are performing before the congregation. The congregation is the audience that can then show their approval by how much they leave in the offering plate. In truth however, the preacher, musicians, Scripture readers, etc. are simply the prompters of the congregation who are the ones that are on stage, and it is God Himself who is the audience of their worship”
Folks, true worship takes work. Worship is not a passive activity, but a very active one. You are not here to be entertained but to work hard at giving the best of all you are to God. That is the final thought I want you to leave with today.
True Worship is Rigorous Work.
It takes work to set aside the thoughts and emotions of daily existence to focus your mind on the Scriptures. It takes work to prepare your heart to praise Him. It takes work to pray thoughtfully. It takes work to sing to God’s glory. It takes work to keep your mind focused as God’s attributes, work and commands are proclaimed in what you read or listen to. It takes work to do this daily as an individual. It takes work to do this when you gather together to worship God corporately.
It also takes work to make sure that all the other aspects of fulfilling our commission to make disciples is about God’s glory and not something else. We are to be making disciples of Jesus Christ, not calling others after ourselves. We evangelize because we want others to know the good news of Jesus Christ and turn from their sins, be forgiven and follow Him. That takes work because you must be wise in what you say and not compromise the message even though you know that many will reject the message and some will persecute you for it. It takes work to resist the pressure of the world to conform us to itself and instead build each other up as we are transformed into the image of Christ. It takes work to keep fellowship from descending into mere socialization for you must keep your pride at bay and consider others more important than yourself as you seek to edify others with whatever gifts, ministries and abilities God has granted to you. Evangelism, edification and fellowship are all to be done as acts of worship of God in the effort to increase proper worship of God
True worship is:
Regenerated in the Spirit,
Regained in Truth,
Reverent in heart.
Respectful in Action,
Rendered in Service,
Radiated in Proclamation,
Resounded in Praise,
Responds in Prayer,
Reflected both as Individuals and as a congregation,
Rigorous work.
I pray that today and every day that God will find our worship, both as individuals and as a congregation acceptable to Him.
Sermon Notes: Worship: The Purpose of the Church
Selected Scriptures
The Purpose of Grace Bible Church: Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ by
Communicating New Life in Christ (Evangelism);
Cultivating New Life in Christ (Edification),
Caring for New Life in Christ (Fellowship), and
Celebrating New Life in Christ (Worship).
True worship is the _______________jewel of the church because it is too often replaced by substitutes
Examples of Improper Worship
Form replaces substance resulting in cold, religious _____________
The shallow facsimile of high emotion and energy replaces the substance of ______________and holiness
Proclamation of good theology ______________of warmth, heart and joy in worship
The Nature of True Worship – John 4:19-24
1. The places is not the issue (v. 21)
2. You cannot worship what you do not know (vs. 22)
3. The nature of God is spirit (vs. 24)
4. True worship ______________in spirit and in truth (vs. 24)
True Worship is Regenerated in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit regenerates (_____________) the spirit of a person so they can respond to God and worship
The Holy Spirit’s ministry to ________includes: intercession, helping, conviction, guidance, revealing truth
True worship is Regained in Truth
Ignorant worship is ________worship and is at best just religious attempts to fulfill internal spiritual desires
True worship requires truth and therefore ______________doctrine – Acts 2:42
True Worship is Reverent in Heart
sevbwmai / sebomai – the feeling of _______/ devotion in the worship of God – Acts 6:14, 18:7, Mt. 15:8-9
In the Scriptures, “heart” signifies that which is at the ___________of the life, not just the emotions
Feelings are to _____________action, not lead them
True Worship is Respectful in Action
Many Hebrew words include the idea of _________low, prostrating oneself as part of worship
hj9v9 / shachah + rr1q3 / qadad – Exodus 12:27; + er1K2 / kara – Psalm 95:6; + dg1s2 /sagad – Isaiah 46:6
Worship includes ________the Lord – Exodus 20:5 hj9v9 / shachah +db1e2 / abad (Exod 34:14; Deut. 5:8-9)
Bowing before, giving homage to any kind of idol is contrary to God’s commands – worship Him ________
Worship – proskunevw / proskuneo = “toward to ___________” – Psalm 2:12; Luke 7:37-38
Septuagint: proskunevw / proskuneo = hj9v9 / shachah = bowing low / worship – Mt. 2:11; 8:2; 15:25; 28:9
Actions of respect are to be accompanied by reverent ____________to be proper worship
True Worship is Rendered in Service
Worship was given in the ______of the priests & Levites (Numb. 3:7-8; 4:19) & people (Ex. 3:12; Ps. 2:11)
Phil. 3:3; Romans 12:1 – latreuvw / latreuo = ____________of worship
_________________occurs as you use your spiritual gifts in ministry
True worship is Radiated in Proclamation
The Psalms were written for worship and they are filled with ______________of God’s character and works
__________________ministry was central in worship in both ancient Israel and in the early church
______________is also an act of worship that proclaims God – He is right, you are wrong – See Joshua 7:19
True Worship is Resounded in Praise
To praise is to ____________, glorify, express approval of something or someone – see Psalm 96
Praise requires ______________- Hebrews 13:15 – of time, focus of thought, pride, selfishness
Praise that starts as a sacrifice will quickly fill the heart with __________- see Psalm 31, etc.
True Worship Responds in Prayer
Prayer is a _______________response of worship in intimate fellowship with God
True Worship is Reflected as Individuals and as a Congregation
Whatever occurs in corporate worship is a reflection of the _______________worship of those who come
Spend time ____________in individual worship of God
Prepare for corporate worship ______________hand: Get ready and rest the night before.
Leave early to arrive without _____________
______________, not the congregation, is the audience of corporate worship
True Worship is Rigorous Work
It takes work to set aside the cares of the world to _____on God, pray thoughtfully, give praise, pay attention
It takes work to fulfill the Great Commission to the ____________of God
Evangelism, edification & fellowship are all ____of worship of God in the effort to increase proper worship
KIDS CORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many times the term “worship” is used in the sermon. Talk with your parents about how to properly worship God.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Why can true worship be easily missing in the church? What are some of the things which are commonly substituted for true worship? What are the essentials of true worship? What is the importance of the Holy Spirit in our worship? How does His ministry enable you to truly worship God? Why is truth so important in worship? What is the result if truth is missing in worship? What does the Bible mean when it talks about your “heart” in worship? How important are your feelings in true worship? What should your attitude be? What physical things might you do to improve your worship of God? How are you worshiping God through your ministry service? What have you learned from the Psalms about true worship? How do Service, Preaching, Praise, and Prayer fit in true worship? Explain how each element in fulfilling the Great Commission is part of worship. Is your worship active or passive? What can you do to improve your worship of God? How will you prepare during the week for next Sunday’s corporate worship?
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