Worship 25

.HEAD 1 + Title: The Six Most Important Words about Worship Text: John 4:23-24
Tracing: Preached January 5, 1992 AM at SDCC.

.HEAD 1 + INTRO

Today my sermon is can be summed up in six words — the Six Most Important words in Scripture about Worship: “WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” Got that? Repeat it. Now, keep that in your mind as we discover some wonderful insights from those six words!

As we dig deeper into what God’s Word says about Worship, there are two texts which must remain absolutely central to our study: John 4:23-24 and Romans 12:1-2. They are texts which are often skipped over lightly, but I consider them to be the most fundamental to our understanding of N.T. worship. We will wrap up our study of Worship in several weeks with Rom 12. But our focus today is on John 4:23-24

Give Background. Notice the stress given these six words: 1) this supercedes all previous systems of worship! 2) God seeks or DEMANDS this type of worship 3) If you would worship God, IT IS NECESSARY to worship in this way!

.HEAD 1 + BODY
.HEAD 2 + WORSHIP — Founded in a physical act

When a word outgrows its roots, it tends to become watered down and bland — meaning anything the user wants it to mean, or nothing much at all! That has happened to the word “WORSHIP”! Two people can use the word in a conversation together, yet come away with vastly different ideas of what was said. What does it mean to worship? To explain takes many words and much time in order to be certain it is understood because it has lost its roots! Worship can be explained fairly simply if we begin with a look at the words scripture uses for worship.

When we look at the various words which are translated by our English word “WORSHIP” we find an interesting fact — VIRTUALLY EVERY WORD USED TO DESCRIBE WORSHIP INVOLVED THE PHYSICAL ACT OF BOWING OR PROSTRATING ONESELF BEFORE GOD!

.HEAD 2 + The Problem is that we don’t do much bowing these days! We don’t understand its implications or motivations. Yet, if we remove the implication of physical actions from our concept of worship, we are left with no framework for understanding it.

.HEAD 3 + Sign of thanks to a benefactor. Gen. 24:26,48,52 Abraham’s servant having found Rebekah
.HEAD 3 + Form of petition to one in a position to help. Gen. 42:6 43:26,28 Joseph’s brothers, Mt. 8:2 Leper, 9:18 Ruler w/dead daughter .HEAD 3 + Sign of humility before a superior. Josh. 5:13 Captain of the Host. Mt 14:33 disciples in boat after Peter’s walk and calming of sea. .HEAD 3 + Request for mercy from one wronged. Gen 33:3,6-7 Jacob’s reunion w/ Esau Num. 22:31 Balaam upon seeing the angel.

.HEAD 3 + (Notice also that these things must also be things we are not to do towards beings other than God!)

.HEAD 2 + IN SPIRIT — Performed on a spiritual plane

Notice the emphasis in our text on LOCATION! If worship is bowing before God, WHERE SHOULD IT BE DONE? Jerusalem, Mt. Gerizim, a church building? Consider Dan. 10:12-13 Daniel and the angel after three weeks! Elish and 2 Kings 6:8-20 Elisha and servant. They were allowed to glimpse the

spiritual world which had been there all along! We exist in that plane as well, though we are seldom aware of it.

IT IS HERE THAT WE ARE TO WORSHIP — in that spiritual realm with that part of ourselves that exists eternally, our spirit, soul, consciousness, psyche, or whatever other term you want to use.

.HEAD 2 + IN TRUTH — Performed with sincere motives People can be remarkably deceptive in matters of religion. They can look so good on the outside yet be so corrupt on the inside. Jesus called the hypocrits of His day “white-washed tombs”!

But in true worship, deceit is of no value! If worship is a matter of external acts done in a set location (whether bowing in a Jewish temple or taking communion in a Christian church) then we can appear righteous without a change of the heart. BUT if the heart is what counts, external worship alone is no worship at all! We can decieve only ourselves — God sees the heart!

.HEAD 1 + CONCLUSION

WORSHIP — Bow yourself in humility, repentance, and petition before the

Almighty God!
IN SPIRIT — Bow not your body but your actual SELF to Him! Let your whole life

show your submission!
AND IN TRUTH — Don’t try to fake it, don’t do it half-way, don’t hold back

inside. You can only decieve yourself — God can SEE the heart!

.HEAD 1 + COMMENTS
.HEAD 1 + Prepared by Scott L. Purcell Minister of Stokelan Drive Christian Church 1501 Stokelan Drive Malden, MO 63863 (314) 276-2343 Reproduce, modify, and use freely for the glory of God and the Growth of the Kingdom! If these outlines are of some benefit to you, a note, postcard, or phone-call would be most welcome!