Acceptable Worship
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ach Christian has the responsibility
of preparing his or her spirit for worship. God has given us the ability to
know, guide, and control our thoughts. Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians:
“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which
is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). [1]
It
is so important for all to prepare themselves and families for worship when the
church comes together on the first day of the week (Acts. 20:7; 1 Corinthians
16:2). [2]
1. Prepare To Worship
2. Resolve To
Worship
True
worship does not just happen by accident! The word of God gives us instructions
on how to use our minds for God. It is not enough just to be physically present
in worship although this is important (Hebrews 10:25). We must assemble to
worship—to sing, to pray, to remember the Lord’s death, to give to the Lord,
and to study His word. Therefore, we must resolve to worship in spirit. [3]
We must resolve to pray
with the one who is leading the prayer. He is not talking to the audience, but
being heard by the audience while talking to God. When he exalts God, we exalt
God. When he prays for the sick, we pray for the sick. When he prays about
sending the saving gospel to a lost world, we also pray for this effort. [4]
When
our minds drift from the prayer, bring them back—listen to the words and pray.
[5]
When
songs are sung, resolve to think about the spiritual message as you sing. Don’t
sit silently because you feel that you cannot sing! God listens to the notes
from the heart. [6]
When
the Lord’s Supper is served, resolve to think about the body and blood of
Jesus! When our thoughts wonder away, bring them back to the cross where the
sacrifice was made for our sins. If we eat the bread and drink the cup without
remembering Him, we are in serious trouble with God. Paul wrote: [7]
“For
as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of
the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink
of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks
judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body” (1 Corinthians 11:26-29). [8]
Therefore,
in all acts of worship, let us resolve to worship in spirit. Let us fully give
God our hearts, our love, our thoughts, and our minds as we worship Him! [9]
3. Must Worship In
Truth
The
truth that Jesus refers to is worshiping according to God’s word. Before
returning to His Father, Jesus prayed for His disciples. One of the things He
mentioned was for them to be sanctified. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your
word is truth” (John
17:17). Based on this Scripture, where do we find God’s truth for acceptable
worship? It is found only in His word. [10]
The
history of both the Old and New Testaments reveals that man has not been content in faithfully following God’s truth in worship.
However, God has never been pleased with the doctrines and commandments of men.
Jesus quoted from Isaiah and taught: “These people draw near to Me
with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8,9). [11]
The
apostle John set forth a fact that certainly applies to truth in worship: “Whoever
transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He
who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). The truth in worship
mentioned by Jesus, will guide all to follow ONLY God’s instructions for
worship. The honest, sincere spirit that honestly worships by following God’s
truth will please God. [12]
There
will be the singing of Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with the spirit and
with the understanding (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 14:15).
[13]
There
will be sincere prayers from honest hearts to be heard by the Father rather
than just to be heard by men (Matthew 6:5). [14]
The
Lord’s Supper will be observed only on the first day of the week to remember
the Lord’s death until He comes (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26). [15]
Giving
to the work of the Lord will be offered from a willing, cheerful heart that has
purposed—based on the amount that one has prospered (2 Corinthians 9:7). [16]
The
preaching of the word will be faithfully proclaimed the way Paul commanded
Timothy: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince,
rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2), for the purpose of
honoring God and producing the kind of faith that leads to obedience (Romans
10:17). [17]
Only
God determines what is truth. Those who go outside His word for instructions to
worship DO NOT worship in an acceptable way. [18]
4. Leave To Serve
The
fourth important factor in improving our worship is to leave the assembly of
worship to serve. There was a sign over the doors to the auditorium where I
preached for ten years with the words: “Enter To Worship—Leave To Serve!” [19]
Some
might object to the wording of this sign by saying, “All that Christians do is
worship.” Is this true to the
teaching of the Bible? Let us
study God’s truth! [20]
First
of all, please learn that even though there are ten Greek terms used to
translate “worship,” there are two that are most often used. For example: proskuneo
(pros-koo-neh'-o) is used fifty-nine (59) times, and latreuo (lat-ri'-ah) is
used eighteen (18) times. [21]
Now
consider the meaning of each of these words:
1. proskuneo
(pros-koo-neh’-o)
In
New Testament times, the word proskuneo meant to kneel down or to fall down to do homage to
someone superior, specifically to God. [22]
This
is the word that Jesus used when He said “...those who worship Him must worship
in spirit
and truth” (John 4:24). In the assembly, Christians
bow their hearts down in honor and adoration as they follow His truth in the
various acts of worship. God has specified the way He wants His children to
worship. In fact, Jesus was very explicit when He said: “... MUST worship in
spirit and truth” (John
4:24). [23]
This
word latreuo is
associated with service—it involves the duties assigned to Christians—”to
perform sacred services.” [24]
The
apostle Paul instructs the Christians at Rome: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). [25]
The
context in these verses represents what Christians must do when they leave the
assembly of worship to serve—the way they must live their lives in the daily
arena of life. They are not to be conformed to this world, but transformed! Like
beautiful butterflies, true Christians have experienced metamorphous—they
have been trans- formed into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), to walk in
newness of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:4). It can be truthfully said that
old things have passed away and all things have become new. [26]
We
cannot offer this kind of service while following the world with its many works
of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). But our lives are offered as a living
sacrifice while bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). [27]
In
these verses to the Romans, Paul is using the service of the priests officiating at the altar to
illustrate the way Christians are to serve. Please observe the comparison: [28]
The
apostle Peter also compared all Christians to priests rendering service to God:
“you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ” (1 Peter
2:5). [29]
The
Hebrew author wrote: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the
sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to
His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices
God is well pleased” (Hebrews
13:15,16). [30]
Review Questions For Lesson 15
(Circle the Most Correct Answer: A,
B, or C)
1. Something that
Christians must offer to God in sacrifice (Rom. 12:1,2)
(a) Hearts (b) Lives (c) Bodies
2. Two things by which Christians
proclaim the Lord’s death (1 Cor. 11:26-29) ------ and ------
(a) Prayer and Singing (b) Bread and Fruit of the Vine (c) Passover and Giving
3. The kind of giver that God loves (2
Cor. 9:7)
(a) One Who Tithes (b) A Hopeful
(c) A Cheerful
4. Something of Christ in which all must
abide (2 John 1:9)
(a) Doctrine (b) Cross
(c) Works
5. Something that Christians should NOT
do regarding the assembly (Heb. 10:25)
(a) Forget
(b) Belittle (c) Forsake
6. “------------ the word” (2 Tim. 4:2)
(a) Show
(b) Share (c) Preach
7. “For what man knows the things of
a man except the -------- of the man” (1 Cor. 2:11)
(a) Spirit
(b) Heart (c) Ways
8. The kind of worship that comes from
the commandments of men (Mt. 15:8,9)
(a) Sincere (b) Vain
(c) Acceptable
TRUE OR FALSE: (Circle “T” for true; “F” for false)
T F 1. Something of men that causes worship to
be vain (Mt. 15:8,9) Religions
T F 2. The second thing mentioned that must be done in worship [3] Pray
T F 3. Something that God has made possible for all to do [1] Prepare
spirits
T F 4. That
which Christians should leave the worship assembly to do [19] Serve
T F 5. Something of the Lord that is
proclaimed while taking the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:26) Ministry
T F 6. The way Jesus defined the word of
God (John 17:17)
Truth
T F 7. That which is capable of offering
fruit to God (Heb. 13:15,16) Hearts
T F 8. “I will ------- with the
spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Cor.
14:15) Play
T F 9. A word that Jesus used to show that only worship in spirit
and truth is acceptable (John 4:24) Must
T F 10. Something personal to be done before eating the bread and drinking
the cup (1 Cor. 11:28) Relax
T F 11. Something living that must be offered with ones body (Rom. 12:1) Sacrifice
T F 12. The giving of a Christian is to be based on this principle (1
Cor. 16:2) [16] Tithing
T F
13. The kind of message to look for while singing in worship
[7] Spiritual
T F
14. A kind of sacrifice offered to God [29] Cheerful
T F
15. The third thing mentioned when the word is preached (2
Tim. 4:2) Rebuke
T F
16. Jesus ran this one away (Mt. 4:10) Satan
T F
17. One of the things that we must give to God in worship [9] Hearts
—BBBristow
Heaven—The Greatest Place
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ne of the most interesting creatures among the ones that swim in the sea are the salmon. They are hatched in fresh water, but eventually swim downstream for miles to the sea. In the environment of the sea, they grow into large, strong fish, and at a future time, they begin their difficult journey back home. The journey that they travel is filled with many challenges, and many do not survive, but because of their longing to return home, a sufficient number of them complete the journey. [1]
When
considering all the obstacles of nature that they must overcome, the question
might be asked, “How do they accomplish this?” There seems to be only one
answer, God created in them a natural desire to go home! Therefore, many of
them are able to return home. [2]
Home is a word that has its own beauty, and millions love its sound. This is even truer for those with happy homes in years of youth as well as today. But it is also true that homes on earth can experience many difficulties with serious problems and unhappy moments. Some enemies that attack the home on earth are such things as sickness, death, infidelity, and all kinds of disappointments. Therefore, homes on earth with all their beauty and happiness can also bring unhappiness. [3]
However, the word home, when exalted to heaven, is a place of perfection. When the apostle John was allowed to see a preview of this eternal dwelling place of the redeemed, he saw only beauty. The many sins that bring heartache and pain to our homes on earth were not present in heaven. Even though heaven is not a physical realm, John was shown the finest things that exist among the physical to describe it. [4]
This
apostle was carried in the spirit to a high mountain where he saw a great city,
holy Jerusalem. What made it so great? Among other things, it was great because
it had in it “the glory of God” (Revelation 21:11). [5]
John
saw a city that was made of many rare and precious stones. How surprised John
must have been to see his own name, along with the other apostles, written on
the twelve foundations of the jasper wall that surrounded a city of “pure
gold, like clear glass” (Revelation 21:18). John must have been thrilled to see on the
foundations of this wall where their names appeared, that they were “adorned
with all kinds of precious stones” (vs. 19). [6]
This
apostle of love must have been awed when he saw that the twelve gates of the
city were pearls, and that “each individual gate was one pearl,” and that “the street of the city
was pure gold, like transparent glass” (vs. 21). [7]
But
John saw something far more beautiful than this! Instead of seeing a temple in
this precious city, he saw that “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its
temple” (vs. 22).
John did not see the sun or the moon shining, because “the glory of God
illuminated it,” and
he saw that “the Lamb is its
light” (vs. 23). He
also learned that the gates of this city would never be shut by day, and that
there was no night there! [8]
How
thrilled John must have been to also learn that “there shall by no means
enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of
Life” (vs.
27). [9]
On
this mountain top experience, John saw other wonders! He saw “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb,” and he saw “on either side of
the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits,” and “The leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:1,2). [10]
Remember,
all the joys that John saw from this mountain have been prepared for those who
have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and who live faithfully until death
(Revelation 1:5; 2:10). [11]
Among the many things needed to be a
faithful Christian is the desire to someday go home. In the early years of the
New Testament church, there were many difficult hurdles placed in the pathway
of Christians. Persecutions seemed to appear at every turn of the road. Thus,
many learned by personal experience the truth of what Paul taught to Timothy
when he wrote: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). [12]
That
awful enemy, the influence of the Roman Empire, pushed many Christians almost
to the breaking point. One may ask, “How did they keep going when the going
became so difficult? How could they remain faithful Christians when many of
their brethren, whom they dearly loved, were thrown into prison or, like
Stephen, put to death?” (Acts 7:59). [13]
The
answer: they believed that God would help them overcome, and that someday they
would go home. They lived by the rules: “If God is for us, who can be
against us?” (Romans
8:31). And, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to
me?" (Hebrews
13:6). [14]
Like the salmon, they said by their actions, “We will not
let anyone or anything keep us from going home!” [15]
Before
Jesus left His apostles, He comforted them with the promise that someday they
could come home to a prepared place to be with Him (John 14:1-3). [16]
This
same longing for home had been in the hearts of Abraham and others who had
great faith in God. Because, as they wandered upon the earth as nomads, they
longed someday to go home. It was written of Abraham: “By faith he dwelt in
the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and
maker is God” (Hebrews
11:9-10). [17]
In
later years, Paul expressed this same idea: “For we know that if our earthly
house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Therefore, the early Christians were
taught the longing to go home! [18]
Is this concept a part of Christianity today? Are we so involved in this life and our temporary home on earth that we do not long to go home? [19]
There is one thing that we can know for sure! That those (like the salmon) who long to go home in HEAVEN, will make every effort possible to serve God faithfully while on EARTH! [20]
Why is this true? Because faithful Christians believe that heaven is eternal, and the greatest place to call home. [21]
“Set
your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). [22]
Heaven! What a beautiful word
To those following Christ the Way
A place of spiritual adornment
With one eternal day.
Heaven! A place specially prepared
A beauty beyond human sight
Where Jesus is the light.
—Benny
B. Bristow
Review Questions For Lesson 16
(Circle the Most Correct Answer: A,
B, or C)
1. This word describes God (Rev.
21:22).
(a) Favorite (b) Almighty (c) Supreme
2.
The
city of heaven is described as being “clear as ----------“ (Rev. 21:11)
(a) A Mirror (b) The Sun (c) Crystal
3.
A
Street of gold described as something transparent (Rev. 21:21)
(a) Glass (b) Mirror (c) Ice
4.
The
purpose of the leaves on the tree of life (Rev. 22:2)
(a) Food (b) Beauty (c) Healing
5.
“The
Lord is my ----------; I will not fear (Heb. 13:6)
(a) Shepherd (b) Helper (c) Strength
6.
The
third evil thing mentioned that will not enter heaven (Rev. 21:27)
(a) A Lie (b) A Sinner (c) A Fraud
7.
A
great high place where John was carried (Rev. 21:10)
(a) Throne (b) Cloud (c) Mountain
8.
A word
describing the kind of stones John saw (Rev. 21:19)
(a) Rare (b) Precious (c) Beautiful
9.
The
kind of land in which Abraham dwelt (Heb. 11:9,10)
(a) Promise (b) Fertile (c) Ancient
10.
This
man died longing to be received by the Lord Jesus (Acts 7:59)
(a) James (b) Peter (c) Stephen
11.
The
place from which the water of life proceeded (Rev. 22:1)
(a) Spring (b) Throne (c) Mountain
TRUE OR FALSE: (Circle “T” for true; “F” for false)
T F 1. The third thing
mentioned that is an enemy to homes [3] Death
T F 2. A creature illustrating a longing for
home [1] Whale
T F 3. That which the godly
suffer (2 Tim. 3:12) Persecution
T F 4. This
word sums up what John saw in preview for the redeemed [4] Beauty
T F 5. A material seen
for the walls of heaven (Rev. 21:18) Pearls
T F 6. Something of God that was seen by John (Rev.
21:11) Glory
T F 7. An animal used in describing the
heavenly temple (Rev. 21:22) Ram
T F 8. Something of Jesus that is used to
prepare the faithful for the joys of life [11]
Blood
T F 9. A book for recording the names of the
saved (Rev. 21:27) Life
T F
10. “the Lamb is its -----” (Rev. 21:23) Night
T F
11. John saw heaven as this city (Rev.
21:10) Jerusalem
T F
12. The key to success of salmon [2] Strength
T F
13. A word that sounds beautiful to
millions [3] Home
T F
14. The duration of heaven (2 Cor. 5:1) Eternal
T F
15. A
word describing a journey back home [1] Longing
T F
16. The
names of these were written on twelve foundations [6] Elders
T F
17. “each individual gate was one
-----” (Rev.
21:21) Pearl
T F
18. Precious material for a precious
city [6] Stones —BBBristow
After you have
completed these two Lessons, you may want to click on The Grading Key
to determine your scores. To finalize Your Score, Take From 100, 5 Points For
Each One Missed In Each Lesson.
Score for Lesson 15 = Score
for Lesson 16 =