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
