The Divine Pattern of Acceptable Worship 02

In our last lesson we learned that “Serving” God and “Worshiping” are the same thing and true worship is worship solicited by and accepted by God. And it is not a matter that God has left unregulated. Man has not been left to devise his own way to worship God. God has given a pattern of worship. God did not accept it in the Old Testament when Jeroboam of Israel devised his own way to worship God. And God does not permit such arrogant and presumptive behavior today.
1. Christ demanded that true worshipers must worship according to “truth.” Jno. 4:24 . The question we have to ask and answer is, “What is the meaning of TRUTH in this context?”
a. We are given the answer in Jno. 17:17, when Jesus, speaking to the Father,
declared, “...Your word is truth.” That means “God must be worshiped according
to the directives of God’s Word.”
(A) Paul affirmed that in Rom. 1:9, “God is my witness, whom I serve (latreuo,
and means “worship”) in my spirit in the gospel of his Son . . .” In my spirit I
serve and worship God, according to the Gospel (The Word) of Christ.
(1) Phil. 3:3, “We worship by the Spirit of God.” We need to understand,
the Word of truth is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. If
we worship by the Spirit, we are worshiping according to the Spirit given Word. The Bible, is that Word.
(a) Col. 3:16?17, “We worship in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
(1) Every thing we do is to God the Father “In the name of the Lord Jesus” By the authority of Christ. Everything you do in service and worship to God must be grounded in the authority of Christ. You cannot find that outside of the Bible. If it’s not here it’s not authorized.
(2) Just because people are sincere does not mean God will accept their unauthorized worship. In Jno. 4:22, Jesus said of the Samaritans, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” Jews worshiped according to God’s written commandments and the Samaritans followed man-made tradition. The Samaritans are not criticized for lacking sincerity, but for not worshiping as God commanded. True worship is that which comes by following God’s revealed will in the written Word. That’s what the revelation is all about.
(3) Worshiping God in spirit and in truth means worshiping Him by conforming to His divine standard. In the name of Christ means it is grounded in the authority of Christ. Anything outside of Christ’s authority is unacceptable. Unacceptable worship is contrasted in Col. 2: 22-23, and said to be “...will worship” or “Self worship.”
(4) What is “will worship?” It is worship devised and prescribed by someone for himself, that is contrary to, or in addition to what Christ has commanded and revealed in His Word. Only Jesus has the authority to instruct us how to become Christians and how to worship.
(2) Matt. 28:18, They taught only what Jesus authorized them. How will the Spirit testify about Jesus?
(1) Jno. 16:13?14, Tells how.

(2) Jno. 12:48-50, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him ?? the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. Then He told the apostles, in Lk. 10:16, “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."
(2) What’s the point of all this? Jno. 5:30. “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” If Jesus would not go beyond the will and instructions of God the Father. Neither can we.
(1) Jno. 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus’ example to us is to ALWAYS do God’s will, not our own. Whose example do you follow? Jno. 7:16, “Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Whose doctrine do you believe, obey and teach?
(2) Jno. 8:26, Jesus told the world, “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." If Jesus would not substitute His own opinions for God’s Word. Do we dare be so presumptious as to do so?
(1) We are commanded by the apostle Paul, 2 Tim. 1:13?14, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” Follow the Diving Pattern of Salvation and worship given by God and preserved in this Word.
(2) We must hear and heed the Holy Spirit’s Words spoken by the writers of the New Testament in 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Jno. 9, Jude 9, “Do not go beyond that which has been written........Abide in the doctrine of Christ........Contend earnestly for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.”
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 09/08/02 am