From Gary V. Womack... Am I Indifferent In Worship?

Am I Indifferent In Worship?

Rev. 4:1-ff The throne room scene of worship around God's throne.

Worship to God has never been a thing to be taken lightly.

There is a right way & a wrong way to worship God.

Jn. 4:19-24 Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and told her where to worship & how to worship - "In spirit & in truth"

RIGHT EXAMPLE

David's attitude:

Psm. 122:1-2 "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.' (2) Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!" 

Waiting with anxious anticipation.

WRONG EXAMPLE

Mal. 1:6-8 They did not honor God. They offered the "leftovers".

Lev. 22:17-25, 31-33 God demanded the best in their worship & service.

We are now the priests of God under the New Covenant:

1 Pet. 2:5, 9 (5) "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."

(9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Our best demands a right attitude - in what we do & how we do it.

OUR SERVICE TO GOD IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

2 Tim. 2:15 "Be diligent (study, kjv) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing (handling aright, asv) the word of truth.

Note - The "diligence" is to be seen in the "worker". "Rightly dividing the

word of truth" is the assurance his work is done by God's pattern.

@ Diligence takes place in what we do & how we do it.

Eccl. 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

@ This applies to "whatever" we do. Worship is part of "whatever".

HOW IMPORTANT IS WORSHIP TO US?

Ryan, since he was 3, when asked "why do we come together to worship God? " would say, "We edify eachother". We glorify God & edify others.

Heb. 10:19-31 To willfully forsake this worship (and fail to encourage) is sin!

Under OT Law, failing to observe the Sabbath was a capital crime.

Failure to assemble to worship God is a failure to be DILIGENT

Understandably there are those who have to work without any choice And there are times when people are physically unable to come to worship.

But the absence of some of our brethren on not only Sunday worship, but also Sunday PM & at both bible studies, is causing some of our young Christians to ask these kinds of questions:

1. "Where in the bible does it say we HAVE to come to bible study?"

ANSWER - Nowhere. But consider this:

The early church met more frequently than just Sunday. Why? Attitude

Acts 2:46-47 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And

the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

The work of elders involves "feeding the flock" - Why have bible studies?

Acts 20:28-29 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd (feed, kjv) the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (29) For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among

you, not sparing the flock."

Note - Wolves attack the young & weak by separating them & killing them

Bible study is an opportunity to learn with others, ask questions & share.

Consider the example of the returning captives from Babylon:

Neh. 8:1-8 The law was read and explained - so they could understand.

Neh. 8:13-ff What if they had only come the first day?

They would not have learned about the feast of tabernacles.

Where does it say we have to eat 3 meals a day? Wouldn't one do?

Why would we not want to "feed" on God's word at every opportunity?

If we have no physical appetite, we go to a doctor for an eating disorder. Our lack of spiritual appetite may be a sign of deadly spiritual disorder.

Mt. 5:6 (Jesus) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be filled."

@ Why are they blessed (happy)? Because "they shall be filled".

Psm. 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. (2) My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God."

When do we appear before God? When we assemble to worship:

Mt. 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

2. Am I going to go to Hell because I don't go to bible study?

No, not because it violates any scripture.

But, we can go to Hell for a wrong attitude about God, His word and His children.

A lack of spiritual appetite for the truth might be a sign of a lack of love for the truth.

A failure to attend might be a sign of a lack of love & concern for our brethren who are young and weak & in need of encouragement.

Can I be a judge in matters of your heart? No. But we can encourage you.

Will we withdraw from anyone because they aren't here other than the morning worship assembly? No.

God will be the judge of our heart & what we can and cannot do

1 Jn. 3:20 "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things."

2. "Why do some of the people that I look up to NOT come like they should?"

"It discourages me."

Is it anybody else's business whether I'm here for worship or bible study?  YES! When I was baptized into Christ, it became my brethren's business.

Rom. 12:4-5 "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, (5) so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

@ We are a family. If a family member at home doesn't show up for supper we have a reason to be concerned.

@ Can we say that we love our brethren when we don't care what they think ------ because it's "my business & nobody else's?"

Rom. 12:10-11 "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; (11) not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

@ Are we "lagging in diligence" when we're habitually late to worship?

when we miss & don't let anybody know so they can "cover" our duties? - When we're late we miss the announcements.

"Diligent" - [spoudazo] ="Earnestness, zeal, or the haste accompanying this."

Phil. 2:1-4 "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, (2) fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, (3) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,

but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (4) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

@ Be "likeminded" - I'm concerned about you, you be likewise to me.

@ Do we have "selfish ambition" when we attend only for ourselves without regard for how it effects others?

Example - Bro. Woods(Woodbury, Tn)Couldn't hear but came 40 miles to attend.  He said, "I could get a lot more out of studying my bible at home, but I come because it might be an encouragement to my brethren."

@ Do I "esteem others better" than myself if I choose to put my interests over that of encouraging my brethren?(TV, sports, recreation)

@ Do we "look on the interests of others" when we miss or are late?

Is it in the best interest of our brethren that we all assemble together?

@ What's wrong with our attitude if we resent brethren calling us if we miss? They are looking out for the interests of others - YOU.

Beware of having an attitude like those of Malachi's day:

Mal. 1:12-ff "Oh, what a weariness!"

If assembling together to worship & study is a weariness, then you wouldn't enjoy Heaven.

Rev. 7:9-ff The scene at God's throne is of faithful saints who love God.

Are you interested more in "no more tears" or "worship in His presence?"

SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE

Is it OK if I use some of the same excuses that brethren use?

I worked all week - put in long hours - I'm too tired to come?

I work a lot of hours with little sleep, preparing lessons. Then brethren miss.

Illustration - Nancy fixed a special meal for someone who never showed up. They never apologized or acknowledged their oversight.

I had company come in & I need to entertain them

I overslept because I was up late last night 

I forgot

Is it OK if I miss on Sunday and not tell anyone?

Is it OK if I don't show up for bible study - because it doesn't say in the bible that I have to.

Is it OK if I habitually come in late? You can start without me.

BUT YOU MIGHT SAY - "You have to be here because we pay you to."

You don't pay me to preach. I don't preach for the money. You financially support me so I can give full-time to preaching. God is the one who does the rewarding.

2 Tim. 4:7-8 Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (8) Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His

appearing."

True, this is my work - & this is the part of it that I do not like to do:

2Tim. 4:2-5 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and ot of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for

themselves teachers; (4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (6) But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Anyone who has itching ears can send me packing -

Or you can find another place where they preach a soft gospel where they won't "reprove, rebuke & exhort." where they will allow you to be lulled into a false sense of security.

Illustration - Like a frog in cold water brought slowly to a rolling boil till dead

Not my purpose to embarrass anyone - if so I would have called names.

INVITATION

Jas. 5:16 We are to "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another..."

If you are guilty, you need to make it right.

You know who you are - Your brethren know who you are

1 Jn. 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Don't deceive yourself - If you're guilty & fail to repent, are you deceived?

1 Jn. 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and

to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God is faithful, but what if He was as faithful as I am? Where would we be?

1 Jn. 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

Have I preached the truth?

If I have, and it applied to you - you need to respond

If you fail to respond, you're saying that you are not guilty.

Don't be embarrassed to confess your wrong - your brethren already know If you are guilty & fail to confess, you have reason to be embarrassed -

- your brethren already know

2 Jn. 2:1-6 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (3) Now by

this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. (4) He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (6) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

INVITATION