On Worship

Unfortunately we didn’t capture the audio of todays sermon, but here is the manuscript. 

Over the next two weeks we are going to be talking about worship. My goal for this week is for us to develop a more solid understanding of what it is to worship and how we are to worship properly. And then next week the focus will be on why it is vitally important that we gather together (or “come to church”), and specifically what our gathering together has to do with our worshipping.

My prayer is that God would reveal the truth to us as we humbly come to His word and that by this revelation, we would come to experience new affections and new desires. My hope for us is that such a revelation, would begin and continue to progressively work itself out in changes to how we, at this church, worship individually and corporately. I invite you to join with me in making this your prayer and your hope as well. Let me pray for us.

Father in Heaven, we need a revelation. We need you to teach us what it is to worship You. God, and so we ask you to teach us, to reveal to us our weakness and need and Your greatness and worth. We confess this morning that too often we have been lazy and apathetic when it comes to worshipping You as a church and we know that this is because as individuals we have been this way. (I invite you to take just a moment before we finish praying, and confess your sins to God your Father.) We need your grace and mercy. We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus, and Amen.

I want to be clear about what I mean when I use the word “worship.” Our english word “worship” comes from the old english word, “worth-ship” which literally means an acknowledgment of worth. Pastor Tim Keller sums up beautifully the definition of worship. He says, “Worship is the act of ascribing ultimate value to something in a way that energizes and engages your entire being.”

Now, notice that this definition doesn’t mention God specifically. It says “to something.” The reason for this is very important for us to understand, and it is this: everyone without exception, worships. In other words, worship is not something that only Christians can do. Religious people worship. And non-religious people worship. Like breathing and blinking, it is something that all people, at all times do.

We are going to cover a few different texts this morning so I hope you have your Bibles with you. Our first text is John 4:7-24. I am going to read it and for time’s sake, I am going to make observations as we go so please follow along as I read. This is the word of the Lord:

vv. 7 – 9

This encounter isn’t happenstance. As we shall see later in the text, Jesus is using this to teach, not only the woman, but also His disciples. And the first thing that comes up in this conversation, is the issue of race. This morning we are talking about worship. This text is about worship, and yet here, in the same text, we are talking about racial relations. Interesting isn’t it?

vv. 10 – 15

“If you knew.” Jesus is saying, if you knew who I was, you would be asking me for a drink. If you knew ___ you would be doing ___ . In other words, what we know (which is another way to say, “what we believe”) is directly related to how we behave. In fact, what we believe determines what we do. This can be easily illustrated in a number of ways but we will let the following 2 illustration suffice.

First, if I were to ask you to walk to the edge of this stage and step off, most all of us would, and could do that fairly easily. But if I were to ask you to do the very same thing off the edge of a 60 story building, you would refuse. Why? Because in one case you know you will not be harmed and in the other case you know you will definitely be harmed. The action itself is no different in either case but because of what you know about the different circumstances, you would be willing to do one but not the other. What you know determines what you do.

The second illustration goes like this, if you and you’re friend are at the airport, neither of you have ever flown before. You are excited but your friend is terrified. Your plane rolls up and she doesn’t like the look of it and so she begs you to ask for another flight. You think she has lost her mind. You aren’t afraid. When just then an airplane pilot walks out of the tunnel and says, “There is no way I am getting back on that broken-down piece of junk.” At that point, I believe you are going to find it hard to stay excited for your first flight when it is time for you to board “that broken-down piece of junk.” Why now does your friend’s idea to switch flights not sound nearly as crazy? Because what you believe determines what you do. You believe that pilot’s assessment of the plane is more reliable than your own assessment from looking out the terminal window and so now you are going to argue for a new flight with the nice lady at the counter who is insisting that everything will be fine. Because what you know—what you believe, determines what you do.

The Samaritan woman doesn’t know who it is she is talking to and consequently, she is doing and saying the wrong things. “If you knew…”

vv. 16 – 18

First we’re talking about race and now Jesus is pointing out that this woman, however she arrived at this place, is a whore plain and simple. He is dredging up this woman’s sinful personal life, and for what? What is He getting at? Is He changing the subject? Is He just being mean?

It may seem like this conversation is lurching from topic to topic rather than flowing but perhaps Jesus is actually weaving a common thread… Maybe worship has to do with our lives. With adultery. With racial conflict. With wondering what you will eat for lunch. With our daily chores and our jobs. With what we believe. Could it be that even uncovering our sin is somehow relevant to worship?

vv. 19 – 20

Doesn’t she react in such a text book way? Change the subject, or so she thinks. Shift the conversation off of yourself. We do this often I think. Next time you do this, know that you have probably just proven the point. Just like this woman who unknowingly falls right into Jesus’ net. She thinks she is changing the subject but finally, she has  come right to it. She asks Jesus how to worship, and He of course tells her and has been telling her.

vv. 21 – 24

“In spirit and truth.” That is the take away. That is how we are to worship. In spirit and in truth. Now what does that mean? When He says in Spirit, Jesus is talking about the how. And when He says in truth, He is talking about the object of our worship. John Piper says this, “Worship in spirit is the opposite of mere external show. Worship in truth is the opposite of worship based on an inadequate view of God… Worship must have heart and head. It must have emotions and thought.”

If you go through the motions, but don’t experience ravishing beauty, it isn’t worship. If you have a great emotional experience but there is no change to your character or behavior, it isn’t worship.

You see, Jesus was talking about the woman’s sinful lifestyle because that behavior revealed what she believed—what she thought. Jesus talked about Himself as the “living water” not because it was a cute word picture while they were at a well, rather because if that woman came to know the Truth that Jesus is the living water and that if she drinks of Him, she will never thirst again, it would change everything—her entire life.

But to talk about having our lives changed, has become nothing more than a cheap cliche hasn’t it? We pray that we would never be the same, that we would be transformed, that our lives would be changed often without even beginning to think about what that would literally imply. And so what usually happens is after we say our prayers, we go on without so much as a thought to what about our daily, mundane, routine lives and decisions could or should actually change. What would it mean for your life to be changed this morning? What would it mean for the Holy Spirit to reveal more fully who Jesus is and what He has done for you this morning in such a way that you would never be the same?

Jesus is teaching this Samaritan woman that knowing the Truth would mean that her every action, including her daily chore of drawing water, and her every affection of every moment of every day from then on would not remain unscathed by that ravishing, invasive knowledge of the Truth.

Borrowing again from Pastor Tim Keller (as I have done freely), let me say it like this, true worship isn’t conjuring up something that isn’t already happening. True worship is transferring your devotion and affection and your adoration and your awe to the only thing that is worthy—God.

Jesus tells a parable of a man who finds unimaginable treasure in a field. This man, because he knows what he has found, sells everything he has to buy the field. Put yourself in this parable. Are you the man who sees the field but passes because you don’t count the cost? Are you the person who looked into it but didn’t see just how valuable it would be to sell everything you have to acquire this treasure. Does this story accurately describe your life as a Christian who has abandoned all to follow Christ or does it condemn you as one who cannot see the value and worth of this treasure that could be yours but isn’t?

Do you see what Jesus was offering this woman? Jesus was offering this woman freedom. To truly worship is to be truly free. The man in the parable didn’t count it as a loss for him to sell everything in order to buy the field because what he was gaining so far exceeded all that he had.

Think about it. Right worship is the essence of being free. You see what ever it is we worship, controls our life. What we worship is our lord.

Like Bob Dylan says “you’re gonna have to serve somebody,” it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, everyone serves something or someone other than themselves. We cannot be our own lords. We are all dependent on and controlled by something that we ascribe ultimate value to, something that we couldn’t live without, that we couldn’t bear the thought of losing. When we are selfish, we are not our own lords, we are living for whatever it is that fulfills us—fulfills our desire and satisfies our longing. Whether it be power, wealth, fame, recognition, reputation, our spouse, children, sports, jobs, being needed, being wanted, sexual pleasure, food, and the list goes on and on and on.

To truly worship—to worship God, it to truly be free. No more fear of losing. No more rat race. No more trying to impress. No more convincing them to not leave you or trying to please people by putting up a front. No more incestuous pursuit of pleasure in the pathetic things that cannot ever come close to satisfying our deep longings.

No. To see God, to worship Him, this is freedom.

Let’s go now to Hebrews 12:28. We will be reading from 12:28-13:6, so let me set the scene for you a bit to give you some context. The author has just finished comparing and contrasting the old order of worship (Mt. Sinai, levitical priesthood, animal sacrifices, paralyzing dread in meeting with God, etc.) with the new order of worship (Mt. Zion, Jesus our High Priest and once for all sacrifice for sin, satisfying celebration meeting with God, etc.).

Now I should warn you, if we aren’t careful we will assume that at the chapter break going into 13, the author is changing the subject. That would be a mistake. Listen carefully.

Here is the word of the Lord: 12:28-13:6, Therefore…

He then goes on to exhort us to imitate our leaders as they remain faithful. To not be led away by false teaching but rather to have our hearts strengthened by grace and not by rules and restrictions. He points us to Jesus our King and to the city that is to come, and then He brings it back home in chapter 13 verses 15 and 16 and He says this, “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

What sacrifices are pleasing to God? Maybe, if you are familiar with the Bible, the words “sacrifice” and “pleasing” and “worship” in the same sentence, makes you think of another verse. Maybe you even have it memorized. Romans 12:1-2. Here is the word of the Lord by way of the apostle Paul,  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Now, can you see it? Biblical worship. Oh so much more that singing. So much more that just clapping or kneeling or bowing or raising our hands on Sunday morning. So much more. Biblical worship is knowing God such that everything about us is ravished never to be the same. Biblical worship is experiencing God such that every affection, every desire that once captivated my soul has now been replaced with brand new affections because of Jesus coming to this earth as a baby, His life, death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father in Heaven. Every other object of worship now pales in comparison. In the light of who He is and what He has done,  every old affection falls eternally short of satisfying.

Our greed and selfishness is replaced with generosity and hospitality. Our idolatrous pursuit of wealth is replaced with a pursuit of righteousness and holiness. Our doggish desire for sexual gratification at any and every cost is replaced with a desire for a covenantal union with one spouse who will not merely satisfy sexually but will satisfy a longing for intimacy in spirit, soul, and body that mirrors Christ and His bride. Our love of fame and recognition and power is replaced by meekness and humility and weakness and a desperate need to see God glorified and magnified as we are slowly consumed by His power and the radiance of His glory until we are completely unseen in and of ourselves.

Like before I was married I was Caleb and she was Ej, but now we are Caleb and Ej. Our identities become interwoven where now it is difficult to think back to the way it was before. And certainly the thought of trying to rip that apart is gut-wrenching. It is like that except so much greater. We become completely unidentifiable apart from our love.

When talking about God, the psalms are replete with the attribute “worthy of praise” or “greatly to be praised.” This is because biblical worship is ascribing to God, in the totality of our lives, ultimate value and worth. Ascribing ultimate value and worth in such a way that engages and energizes all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is what it is to worship properly.

Now when I said I was going to talk about worship, you probably thought I was just going to go on about singing louder. No. Worship is so much more than singing loudly. But that being said, it is certainly not less. This is because if we believe that God is eternally worthy of praise. How then could we keep from singing?

And further than that, if God is eternally worthy of praise, then this must include all praise. This is why we proclaim the good news of who He is and what He has done to the heathen because our God is worthy of their worship too. This is the goal of making disciples: that God would be glorified. That the glory of God in Christ  Jesus would be manifest in all of life in all the world. Amen.

Please stand.

I am going to pray for us, and then together we are going to lift our hands and our hearts and sing the Doxology, and finally I am going to leave you, the congregation, with a charge, a responsibility, and a blessing.  After that you will be dismissed and at that point if you have questions about what we talked about, or would like the elders to pray for you, you are invited to please come forward.

I tell my sons when we pray to listen and get ready for the amen. Because when it is time to say amen, it is time, not just for the one speaking, but for all have heard and who agree, to say amen. You will have a few chances to say it before you are dismissed, so please be ready. Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your word. We thank you that it teaches us to worship You as we ought. We ask that you would make us, your children bold to be witnesses of your great and unimaginable worth. We ask that You would teach our hearts to sing Your praise. That You, Sovereign God, would lead us to worship You in the way that You require. Father, we confess that in so many ways, we have not worshipped You as You deserve.  And we are thankful that, just as our earthly fathers teaching us to ride a bicycle, lets go of the seat and then picks us up when we fall, You are merciful and gracious in our weakness. You will never leave us nor forsake us and for this assurance we are thankful. It is in the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray, and amen.

As we sing the Doxology, please raise your hands and raise your hearts to your Great God and the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow…

The charge to you is this: In your homes, schools, at your jobs, in your dealings with your neighbors, live and sing and love this week, so as to proclaim to the world that God is the inexhaustible fountain of every blessing, supremely valuable, and eternally worthy of all worship.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.