God's Call To Genuine & True Worship

Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
February 17, 2002 AM

God's Call To Genuine & True Worship

Reading - John 4.9-26, 28-29 & 39-42

A few weeks ago I was asked to preach a sermon or two on worship and our attitudes and behavior toward such. So today, both our lessons will be on this subject. I hope you will give serious consideration to coming back tonight in order to make this study complete.

Sociologists tell us that there has never been a people who did not worship. Man is a worshiping being. We tend to search, to seek and find someone or something superior to us... And thus worthy of our praise... devotion... and worship. You see... God has placed in us a desire... A longing... A Need... To worship. William Jennings Bryan once said... We are religious beings... Instinctively we seek for God. Paul supports this idea on Mars Hill, in Acts 17.27, saying that God has placed a mechanism in our hearts that causes us to seek and find Him.

The truth is, all men worship... Even the atheist worships... Be it...
- An idol,
- Self,
- Intelligence,
- Science,
- Something in nature,
- Money,
- Power,
- Pride,
- Or the true God of creation.

Church, this is why idolatry is such a damnable sin. It occurs at the very core of our being... Because it replaces Jehovah God with a man recognized substitute. Is it any wonder that the first three of the Ten Commandments in Exodus twenty addresses this problem.
- Thou shall have no other Gods before Me.
- Thou shall make no graven images.
- Thou shall not take God's name in vain, but worship Him.

Secondly this morning... Let us define worship. First from the dictionary. Webster says... Worship is a service or rite demonstrating reverence for deity. Worship is an intense love and admiration for a divine being, someone or some thing set apart as deity or some super natural power.

Worship is an old English word... WORTH-SHIP, meaning to send to another. So, worship is something of value... given... or sent to another. Listen to me church... If our worship and service to God is not giving Him...sending Him something of worth, then perhaps it is not genuine worship. Or at least it doesn't live up to the original meaning of the word worship.

The Standard Bible Encyclopedia says that worship is... honor... reverence... homage in thought... feeling... or act paid to man, angels or other spiritual beings or entities, ideas, power or qualities. But specifically and supremely to God.

Let's examine our word from a Biblical perspective. There are several words used in Scripture to describe worship... Both in the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament. The most frequent Old Testament word translated worship in our English Bible is SCHACHAH (SHAW-KHAW). It means to bow down... To kneel... To humble oneself. This is where we get the idea of a bowed head or kneeling in prayer.

Another Hebrew word is ABED (A-BED)... Meaning to serve. In the Old Testament, worship then meant to bow... to humble oneself before God... and to submit in service to Him.

In the New Testament Greek, the principle word is PROSKUNEO (PROS-KOO-NEH-O)... Which literally means to kiss forward. The idea here is to approach God in...
- Awe...
- Reverence...
- Respect...
- With humility and devotion.
The word is used to speak of a dog that leans forward to kiss, to lick the hand of its owner.
Pros-koo-neh-o is used in the Septugent to translate the Hebrew word shaw-khaw. This simply tells us that the translators of the Septugent, over two thousand years ago understood that the two words had the same basic meaning.

The other Greek word for worship is LATREUO (LA-TRUE-O). It is used some twenty times in the New Testament and means... To serve... To minister... In religious service. Our King James translators render the word sometimes... Worship... and sometimes service. Latreuo has the same basic meaning as the Hebrew word abed... that being to worship God by serving Him... By obeying Him in every word... deed... and attitude.

I believe it is significant to note that both these words appear together in Matthew 4.10 and in Luke 4.8... Where Jesus answers Satan's request to fall down and worship Him. Jesus replied... Get thee behind Me Satan for it is written; thou shall worship (PROS-KOO-NEH-O) the Lord thy God and Him only shall thou serve (LA- TREE-O).

You seen then... When we put the Hebrew and Greek together we see genuine Biblical worship as our coming before God in...
- Reverence,
- Humility,
- Devotion
While making every effort to serve and minister in ways that are to His honor and glory.

I think Batsell Barrett Baxter summed up these definitions of worship perfectly when he said, in the 1978 Harding University Lectureship... Worship is the outgoing of the human spirit toward God, recognizing Him as the source of all life, love, goodness holiness and righteousness. Worship is our response to God's revelation. Worship is a group; of specialized activities in which we draw near to, and commune with God, in an extraordinary manner. Worship is an act in which the redeemed person seeks to express his appreciation and gratitude for salvation, as well as to discover every fuller enrichment of life and fellowship; with God through Jesus Christ. Worship is the adorning reverence of the human spirit toward the Divine.

Perhaps a good practical illustration of worship would be to ask what do we instinctively do when we stand before the Washington Monument... the Empire State Building... the arch in St. Louis... or the Grand Tetons of Wyoming? Do we look straight ahead, or gaze at the ground? No!!... We are inevitably drawn to look up... Where we hope to ascend. So it is with worship... We look up with desire to come closer to God.

Next... Why do you suppose God wants us to worship Him? Before we answer this question... We must know that indeed God does desire worship. It is evident in Scripture that God expects us to worship Him. The Jews knew this and so did this Samaritan woman. Jesus confirms their belief was correct in verse 23... when He said that God now seeks... desires worshipers that will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

A little side trip here... I don't want you to take me wrong... But I do want to say that sometimes we pay more attention to HOW we worship than to WHOM we worship. Folk... There is no doubt that God desires and commands that we worship Him. We must always watch that we don't practice idolatry... Not that we would intentionally. But we, in the church, sometimes find ourselves worshipping:
- The Bible,
- The church,
- The Restoration Movement,
- Truth... etc.
All of these are important to our relationship with God, but they must never be placed before Him.

WHY!!... Why does God desire that we worship. I believe the Bible to teach that worship is not for God's benefit... But for ours.

First... It fulfills our purpose. God created us, so He knows what we need... what is best for us. You see, God created us for relationships, with Him, with one another. Church, worshipping and serving God properly always... always places us in a correct relationship with Him... with one another...and within ourselves. So, proper worship gives purpose...focus...and fulfillment to life.

Secondly... We become like what we worship. The worshiper becomes like the object of his or her worship.
- Some of us are money minded... Because that is what we worship.
- Others are pleasure crazed... Because pleasure is the god they worship.
- I know people who are eternal students... Because they worship and serve knowledge, education as their god.
- Still others worship their bodies.
- Those who worship at the alter of human ego... become egotistical.
You see... We become like that which we worship. I think this is the reason the Greeks and Romans never developed spiritually or morally... Because the gods they worshipped were neither spiritual nor moral. If we are not ALL that we ought to be, perhaps it's because we are not worshipping properly. Now... let's see what the Bible tells us about right and wrong worship.

Scripture speaks of vain worship. Jesus said... In vain do they worship Me teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. Vain worship accrues when we attempt to worship and serve God outside of what is authorized in His word. When we deliberately make the doctrines of men... or tradition equal to God's revelation.

Secondly... It is possible to worship God in ignorance. In Romans ten... Paul says this was the problem in Israel... Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they disregarded the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Simply because an individual is sincere and zealous, in his worship and service, does not make them right with God.

Righteousness is established by our conforming to His will, by knowledge obtained through the Word... through Divine revelation. Paul told the Athenians... God once winked at ignorance, but not anymore... But now commands all men everywhere to repent. Jesus came to John asking to be baptized... John said... Why have you come to me? Remember what Jesus said?... I came to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. True worship is doing the right things for the right reason... Because God commands it.

Then there is will worship. Will worship occurs when we know to do right... and don't... won't. The NASV speaks of self-made religion... Self-made righteousness in Colossians 2.23. Will worship is our doing in worship or in life what we want to... rather that what God asks. I believe modern day denominationalism is the direct result of this kind of attitude... RIGHT? I like biscuits and gravy on the Lord's Table, rather than unleavened bread and wine. I might want to partake once a year rather than each Lord's Day. It's called will worship... and it is always displeasing to God!!

Scripture speaks of an outward show of worship. Jesus addresses this kind of false worship in Luke twenty. This could be correct Biblical worship... but with the wrong motive. Listen.. Beginning in verse 46... Beware of the Scribes, who walk around in long robes and love the preeminence of men. They seek the chief seats in the Synagogue and places of honor at banquets. They devour widows houses, while offering long prayers for appearances sake. They are condemned.

God hates hypocrisy!!!... God is never pleased when we dress up and come to church to be seen by others... and then go home to live as we want. God hates the outward show of worship where there is no sincerity of heart.

Then there is acceptable worship. Our text tells us that acceptable worship must have two components... It must be in Spirit... and in Truth.

In Spirit means worship that comes NOT from
- Ceremony...
- Ritual...
- Or form only...
But from the heart. Jesus makes this plain in Matthew 15... These people honor Me with their lips... But their heart is far from Me. In vain do they worship Me.

Can I preach a little here? Sometimes I see folk leaving the worship services...
- To go visit with friends in the foyer...
- To play with the children...
- To have a cigarette in the parking lot...
- They leave early to get a better seat at the restaurant.
Folk... Our worship must be with the proper spirit... With proper motive.. With proper thought... With a right mindset.

It is wrong to come here... just to be seen of others... and get our ticket punched for another Sunday...
- We are here to meet God...
- We are here to bow before Him in Honor... Awe... Reverence... and Respect.
- We are here to edify... admonish and encourage one another.
And sometimes our casual, flippant attitude and behavior in worship reveals an improper motive.
AM I RIGHT???

Secondly... Not only should our worship be with proper SPIRIT... It must also be in TRUTH... It must be Genuine... and according to truth. John, in 2 John 9, puts it in these words... Whosoever goes beyond and abides not in the teachings of Christ has not God: But he that abides, lives in, the doctrine, the teachings of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

I believe that we can conclude this morning that God has not left us without commandment and pattern for proper worship. We have noted from the Hebrew and Greek... that genuine... God intended worship has two distinct connotations...

First... Worship is PROSKUNEO... Coming before God in humility, awe, reverence and respect. PROSKUNEO is something that we do in ceremony and ritual that glorifies and honors Him. It is formal corporate worship such as we are involved in this morning. In fact, the Hebrews writer admonishes the early Christians.. and us...to not stop doing this... Do not forsake the assemblies. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Secondly... Worship is LATREUO... It is serving God, and ministering to others daily. Paul says in Romans 6... We are to become instruments of righteousness. In Romans 12.1 he says... We must be living sacrifices. Paul goes on to say that this is our reasonable acts of worship and service to God.

Church... LATREUO... Is not something we do once or twice a week... but daily!!

Let's conclude our lesson by noting who can worship?

I don't have to tell you what kind of lady this woman in our text was... Do I? She had been married five times and was now living with another man. Visiting the well at noon probably tells us she had been ostracized by the other women of Sycar. She was an outcast... The town floozy. But Jesus said... I came not to call the righteous... but sinners to repentance.
We all qualify here... Don't we?

Peter says... God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God loves the prodigal. He wants to forgive us... Save us... If we will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Folk... If this narrative tells us anything, it tells us that no sin is so bad that the blood of Jesus will not forgive, if we will worship and serve HIM in spirit and truth.... RIGHT?

Well, worship is more than just coming to church on Sundays... It includes our attitude toward God. It includes our response to God, not only on Sunday mornings... But in everyday living. Worship is an ongoing fellowship with God and with one another through the Word. Remember... We become like what we worship.

You see... Shallow... Self-willed... Hypocritical worship...
results in Shallow... Self-willed... Hypocritical living.

No wonder we hear Paul admonish us to... Do ALL... in WORD... and in DEED... Do all in the name of the Lord.

Personally... I believe... How we worship is... How we live.

The invitation is for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth... Are we Willing?

- Willing to become His child by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of our sins.
- Are we willing to not forsake our assembling together to honor and praise Him.
- Are we willing to become instruments of righteousness?... Living sacrifices?

If our worship is anything less than God demands... Respond to His call to genuine and true worship as we stand and sing this invitation song.
Will you come!!