The Christian Handbook - True Worship

We are in our series called the Christian Handbook, and which we are trying

to get a good solid understanding of the fundamentals of our faith and so we

can have a better understanding of who we are in Jesus, so we can

have an understand of what we believe, why we believe it, and how

it shapes us as believers. Let's pray. We're got to thank you for

the opportunity to receive from your word today. I asked that the sermon I

prepared today would be your words to your church. Help me to deliver it

in a way that glorifies you, because you are the only one worthy of

the glory Lord, and I asked that it would edify us and change us

from the inside out in your name. Amen. So over the last few

weeks, Pastor Duncan and I have been talking about what we the church do

when we gather, and last week I spoke about the sacraments, about baptism

and communion. We looked at how the sacraments are outward signs that seal and

confirm the Covenant promises of God, and that they are activities ordained by God

and provide redeeming benefits to the believer, not redemption itself, but an understanding

and an application of our redemption in Christ Jesus. They are real means of

grace that convey the promises of God. Additionally, when done in faith and

obedience to God, the sacraments are acts of worship, which leads me to

my sermon title true worship. So today we're going to look at worship or

proscaneo. Nailed it? Proscaneo in the Greek. Actually I can't say I

nailed it. I don't speak Greek. I may have butchered that. But

it means to kiss the hand, to bow down before, or show obedience

or respect. Worship is not something we do when we sing songs of praise.

Only worship is the posture or the position of our heart, mind and

body toward God. Also, I should have said this earlier. It's family

service. If things get a little squirrely in here, that's okay. It's

gonna make that the normal. So k to b squirrely, casey, go

redhead. All right, So let's get into God's word and see how we

are to worship. We're gonna be in Romans twelve. This is our key

verse today. Verse one. This is Paul speaking to the Gentiles and Jews

in the Church in realme. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,

in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.

So when we break that down, before telling the church in realme what true

and proper worship is, Paul prefaces his statement by telling the people to reflect

on God's mercy. And that's our first clue to what worship is. As

you see, Paul wrote therefore, and it's important when you're reading scripture if

you see the word therefore, we need to go back in the text to

see what the therefore is there. For that being said, we're gonna go

back to Roman's eleven. In verse seventeen, Paul is speaking to the Gentiles

about Israel, or about the Jewish people. If some of the branches have

been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been

grafted in among the others, and now share it in the nursuring sap from

the olive root. Paul likens Israel to the branches of an olive tree,

which, if you read through the Bible you see is a common use of

imagery, but they are like broken branches due to the state of their hearts

and the rejection of Christ. And similarly, Paul caused the Gentiles wild olive

shoots that have been grafted in and now share in the nourishing sap of the

root of the tree. I love. What I love about Paul's use of

this imagery is it perfectly captures God's mercy towards gentiles, all of us.

A wild alive shoot means that it was growing separately from the tree, from

God's family, from the tree, but God grafted us in. I did

some research on YouTube and found a bunch of videos of talented gardeners and botanists

taking a week or broken tree or a sapling and physically grafting it onto a

healthy tree. And what you see is with great time and care, when

it's grafted in, they begin to thrive and live again. Paul continues to

warn the Gentiles of the appropriate way to respond to God's gracious acts. If

we continue in verse eighteen, do not consider yourself to be superior to those

other branches. So he's warning the Gentiles, because you are grafted in doesn't

mean you can't be humble. If you do consider this, you do not

support the root, but the root supports you. You will say, then

branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in. Granted. In

fact, if you read through this text, you see that Paul says that

God made the Gentiles, grafted in the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But

they were broken off because of unbelief, and you I can't remember it.

Thank you, Stephanie, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant,

but tremble. Know your position, Know who you are and God,

it wasn't from our works that we are grafted in. For if God did

not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore,

the kindness and sternness of God. Sternness to those who fell, but

kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you also

will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they

will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild

by nature, and contrary to nature, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,

how much more readily will these natural branches be grafted into their own olive

tree. So Paul explains in this chapter that the hardening of the Jews,

the hardening of their hearts, has occurred so as to allow the Gentiles to

come into the Kingdom. There are many privileges of being a part of God's

family, but we must never become conceited. We've just never become conceited that

we trust in Christ while others do not. All of God's people have been

chosen from the foundation of the world Redefesians one. But it is not due

to our own worthiness or anything that we did. It was all God.

We should be the most humble of all people and pray earnestly for those that

have not put their faith in Jesus. Let's continue in verse twenty eight,

chapter eleven. As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for

your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on

account of the patriarchs. Let me explain that a little bit. As far

as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake. As I

mentioned earlier, Paul tells the Gentiles that they were brought in and grafted in

so as to make Israel envious anyone apart from Christ, our enemies with God.

Before God regenerates us and saves us, we are enemies with God also.

But as far as election is concerned again Gorito Ephesians one, they are

loved on account of the patriarchs. Patriarchs being Moses, Abraham so on.

For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Do you hear that God's gifts

and call are irrevocable? If you have ever doubted your faith? Have you

ever struggle with doubt about your faith? For God's gift and his call are

irrevocable. When you are saved, when God regenerates you, when the Holy

Spirit regenerates you, brings you to faith, and that's a genuine faith,

you're saved forever. God will not let you go. Just as you who

are at one time disobedient to God and have now received mercy as a result

of their disobedience, So they too have now become disobedient in order that they

too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For

God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them

all for God's mercy to be displayed. He allows people to live in their

disobedience like me. I'm sure that most, if not all, of you

can think of a person or people in your life that have fallen away and

rejected God's mercy. It's funny that I read that now, and I'm going

to get personal for a minute. I got a message from a family member

that's saying they are they are now Muslim, and it's natural to mourn the

state of their hearts, and we should. But when we do, it

should lead us to prayer for them, and it should lead us to humbly

praise God for keeping us in Him. It should lead us to praise for

Him. Even more so should they be led back to him, Praise God.

Paul closes his chapter by writing a praise or a doxology to God.

He says, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge

of God, how unsearchable his judgments and his paths, beyond tracing out who

has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor who

has ever given to God? That God should repay them for from them,

for excuse me for from Him, and through Him and for him are all

things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. I love that verse

so much. Who is worthy of praise? God alone? God alone is

worthy, and to God alone goes the glory. So, in light of

everything we've read so far, my first point to the question of what is

worship. Worship is a response to God for who he is. Worship is

a response to God, for who he is. Oh, the depths of

the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable his judgments and

his path beyond tracing out for from him and through him and for him are

all things. So now we come back to chapter twelve with the knowledge of

what the therefore is. Therefore, let's look at it again. All the

kids say, therefore, Wow, All the kids say, therefore, thank

you. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of

God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing

to God. This is your true and proper worship, Paul tells the church

in Rome, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a living

sacrifice. Imagine being one of the Jews in this gathering when Paul's letters read

to them, and hearing the words living sacrifice. When coming before God,

the worshiper and the Old Testament would bring a sheep or a bull pigeon,

and it would be sacrificed on the altar as an offering to God. At

the heart of it was that sin demanded punishment, and the slain animal represented

God's acceptance of a substitute, so that the worshiper might live and have an

ongoing relationship of forgiveness and joy with God. But the sacrifice of sheep or

bulls could not take away sin, and Hebrews ten four, it is impossible

for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. It was Jesus

who was the final sacrifice for sin, because he was perfect, and his

sacrifice was sufficient for all who believe Hebrews verse twelve. But when this priest

Jesus had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at

the right hand of God. And since that time he waits for his enemies

to be made his footstool, for by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever

those who are being made holy. Jesus brought an end to the Old Testament

sacrifices for sin, and he finished the great work of Atonement. And because

of that my second point, what is worship. Worship is a response to

what Jesus has done. So worship is first a response to who God is.

Secondly, worship is a response to what Jesus has done. All the

kids say to what Jesus has done. Thank you, June, all your

other kids step it up. Worship is a response to what Jesus has done.

So how do we respond in our worship to who God is and what

Jesus did for us? And this is not on the screen. We put

into practice a lifestyle of daily worship and sacrifice in humility. We put into

practice a lifestyle of daily worship and sacrifice in humility. Continuing on, if

we look at the story of Cain Enabel and Stephanie, I'm not going to

have this on the screen. If we look at the story of Cain Enabel

in Genesis chapter four, I'm going to read it for you. Those who

have your bibles turn there. Those who do not shame. I'm just kidding.

We have we have two more over there. If you need one.

You can pull out your phone too. I'll not judge you as harshly.

Genesis four. This is after Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. Now

Abel kept flocks and Kine worked the soil. In the course of time,

Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord,

and Abel also brought in an offering fat portions from some of the firstborn

of his flock. And that's key there, the firstborn of his flock.

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Kane and

his offering, he did not look with favor. So Caine was very angry

and his face was downcast. And I think we all know how that story

ended up. I'm sure why I should gigle at that's so dark June.

So what we find here is that God did not look on Kane and his

offering with favor. When we read the text, it almost seems as though

Kane's offering was like an afterthought or something he had to do. But with

Abel, God looked on him and his offering with favor because Abel intentionally selected

his offering from the firstborn of his flock. And if you continue reading through

the Old Testament, what God instructs his people, the Israel, when they

sacrifice, it should be the firstborn, the firstborn sheep, the firstborn calf,

the firstborn bull, and they should be without blemish. When we intentionally

offer to God the first fruits of our time, our resources, our love

to his people from sincere heart and position of worship. God looks on us

with favor when our prifice of worship is the giving of ourselves to Him wholly

w h O l y completely and intentionally. Let me read that again.

He looks on us with favor when our sacrifice of worship is the giving of

ourselves to Him wholly, completely and intentionally. Can I have the band to

come up? I know it's a little bit shorter than we're used to,

but I'm keeping in mind that it is family day. Thank you every family

day. But our time together isn't over because we get to have meal together,

we get to have communion together, and we get to praise. We

sing songs of praise to God afterward. It's gonna be great. In closing,

we're gonna look at Colossians chapter three because Paul clearly tells us why and

how we live a life that is pleasing to Him and that glorifies Him in

ways that are true and proper forms of worship. Let's go to Colaussians three,

verse one. Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your

hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not unearthly things. Later on, in

Romans chapter twelve, I believe it's first two or three, God says to

renew our minds. Renew our minds, and these are the things we should

set our minds on. For you died, and your life is now hidden

with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,

then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death. Therefore,

whatever belongs to your earthly nature, this is the application put to death,

the for sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed,

which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming.

You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived. But

now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these. Anger,

rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. From your lips. Do

not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with

its practices. Can you go back a verse I mentioned earlier that it's the

position and posture of our hearts that God cares about when we worship. If

our hearts are full of this, you think God will look on favor with

our worship. I can go to the next verse and have put on the

new self, which is being renewed and knowledge in the image of its creator.

Here there is no gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, Barbarian Scythian,

slave or free. But Christ is in all and is Excuse me,

but Christ is all and is in all. Therefore, I'm not going to

read the game, because we know what it's there for. Therefore, as

God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,

humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one

another. If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the

Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which

binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in

your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace

and be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you

teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from

the spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you

do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of

the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Now here's

more of the application pieces. When we worship God. As I mentioned earlier,

it's not songs of praise. Only God cares about the posture and the

position of our hearts. When we offer those sacrifices of praise, it extends

to our daily lives. It extends to how we submit to one another.

It submits to how we treat one another, how we speak to one another.

When we do those things in a place of human and genuine love,

God receives those sacrifices of praise with favor. Wives, submit yourselves to your

husbands as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, listen up, love your

wives, and do not be harsh with them. If you read the New

Testament, Paul instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ love the Church.

That means laying your life down for her and not out of a heart that

is bitter, but heart that is intentionally loving towards her. I had a

sermon several months ago about biblical submission. I'm encourage you all to go watch

it. I'm not giving myself a shout out. I just I had more

to say about it than I do. Right now, children, listen up,

children, this is how you worship God. This is how you worship

God. Or sea is ready for this. Obey your parents in everything,

for this pleases the Lord. My kid's hiding right now, kids say,

how do I worship Jesus? You obey your parents for this? Please?

As a lord, fathers slash parents. We're not off the hook. All

the kids look at your parents like, yeah, listen up. Do not

embitter your children or they will become discouraged slaves. To clarify here, I

think it was Pastor Grade who spoke about this several months ago. When you

look at slaves in the New Testament, they were in a position of paying

off a debt or they were earning a wage. Employees, this is us.

Obey your earthly masters in everything, and do it not only when their

eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity. Of

heart and reverence to the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with

all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Even

in our jobs, we have the opportunity to offer a sacrifice of praise to

our heavenly Father. Even in our jobs when we say yes to a project,

when we clock in and out, whether it's on the work site,

office or from home like some of us are doing now, I'm not a

fan of it. Even then, we have the opportunity, with our email

responses, with our virtual meetings, in the grocery aisle, on the job

site, wherever it is that you work, we have an opportunity to show

Christ through our actions and words as working for the Lord, not for human

masters. Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as

a reward, it is the Lord Christ you're serving, So to recap,

worship is a response to God for who he is. Worship as a response

to what Jesus has done. And lastly, worship is a posture of obedience

of heart, mind, and body. Worship is a posture of obedience of

heart, mind and body. And we get to put that into practice right

now. We always do this whenever one of us has done speaking. It's

our time of response. It's a time of worship. We are going to

go into a song of praise. We're able to lift our hands, kneel

down. There are examples of getting on your face in worship. It's about

our bodily posture. But more than that, what God cares about is our

heart. We can worship God through our giving. If you came prepared to

get, if you came prepared today to give, you can put that in

the offering envelope, drop it in the box outside, or put it straight

in there. If you need prayer, fill out the connect card. Please

put it private or anonymous on there. Well, if it's anonymous, you

just don't write your name. That's easy because no one can spell anonymous.

If they say they can, they're lying facts. But we also want to

pray with you, if you're comfortable coming to myself one of the other elders

through to pray for you, to pray with you. We're gonna be on

either side of the room. We would love to pray with you. So

I'm gonna close in prayer, and then we are going to worship with song

to our heavenly Father, Lord God, thank you for this time that we

can read your word and learn about the type of worship that is true and

proper, the type of worship that you look on with favor, that gives

you glory and with joy. Lord asked the song that we're about to sing,

the meal that we have together, the communion that we partake of together,

more songs that we're going to sing later on, that they would all

bring you joy. And I thank you that through that it also edifies us.

It brings us closer together as a family, and it reminds us of

our position under you, that we are children of God and that we have

an inheritance through Christ Jesus. Thank you for all these things. Lord,

We love you, we glorify you. Amen.