THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 9-8-19



LESSON TITLE: THE HALF WAS NOT TOLD ME - TRUE WORSHIP



WELCOME

GREETINGS TO ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. LET ME THANK EACH OF YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. TODAY WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO ONCE AGAIN ASSEMBLE BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD. IN THIS TIME OF WORSHIP WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SING SONGS OF PRAISE AND TO STUDY FROM HIS WORD. MAY WE EACH DO OUR PART IN PRAISING GOD ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, AS WE MAKE THESE SACRIFICES AND OFFERING TOWARD HIS THRONE. NOW AS WE BEGIN TALKING TO OUR GOD, WILL YOU BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER!

PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE LOVE THAT YOU SHOW US AND THE MANY GREAT BLESSINGS THAT YOU SHOW US KNOWING THAT ALL THINGS COME FROM YOU. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU MOST OF ALL FOR YOUR SON JESUS KNOWING THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND THAT WE MIGHT ULTIMATELY WOULD LIVE WITH YOU ETERNALLY IN HEAVEN. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS. AND BE WITH US NOW THAT WE MIGHT GIVE YOU OUR VERY BEST AS YOUR FAITHFUL CHILDREN THAT IN ALL THINGS WE MIGHT PLEASE YOU. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

WHAT A GREAT BLESSING AND PRIVILEGE IT IS FOR US TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRAISE AND MAGNIFY OUR GOD. IF YOU LIKE ME, I LOVE TO SING AND ACCOMPLISH GOD'S WILL AS WE TEACH AND ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER. BUT ULTIMATELY, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO HAVE THE AVENUE TO WORSHIP OUR GOD. SO THIS MORNING, LET'S BEGIN WITH A SONG WHICH LIFTS THE NAME OF JESUS UP ABOVE ALL OTHERS. WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER, "MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS!"



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS



I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THAT MANY COMPARISONS THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS USE TO THOSE THINGS OF OLD. IN FACT, WE SEE MEN LIKE PAUL CONTINUALLY COMPARING THE LITERAL THINGS OF THE OLD LAW, TO THE NEW AND BETTER THINGS OF THE NEW LAW! ONE SUCH REFERENCE IS MADE BY THE HEBREW WRITER IN CHAPTER 5, VERSES 5 AND 6, OF THAT BOOK. THERE WE READ, "SO ALSO CHRIST DID NOT GLORIFY HIMSELF TO BECOME HIGH PRIEST, BUT IT WAS HE WHO SAID TO HIM: "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU." AS HE ALSO SAYS IN ANOTHER PLACE: "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." CHRIST IN A SPIRITUAL SINCE IS OUR HIGH PRIEST TODAY, JUST AS AARON AND MELCHIZEDEK WERE LITERAL HIGH PRIEST OF OLD! SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO US AS CHRISTIANS? WELL, LET'S READ ANOTHER VERSE BACK IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 4. VERSES 14 AND 15 SAY, "SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FAST OUR CONFESSION. FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO CANNOT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN." PRAISE BE TO GOD THAT JESUS CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST, WHO TRULY KNOWS ABOUT OUR SUFFERINGS AND TRIALS IN THIS LIFE? AND WHY, BECAUSE HE HIMSELF ALSO, LIVED AS US, SUFFERED AND ENDURED THESE SAME TEMPTATIONS. HOWEVER, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, WHEN CHRIST WAS TEMPTED HE ENDURED AND SINNED NOT! WHAT ABOUT US, IS THIS HOW WE RESPOND TO TRIALS AND TEMPTATION. DO WE LOOK TO GOD FOR HELP AND ENDURE WITHOUT SINNING? MAY WE ALWAYS LEARN FROM THE GREAT EXAMPLE WE HAVE IN OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. ALTHOUGH WE CANNOT BE PERFECT AS HE WAS, WE CAN AT LEAST BE COMPLETE BEFORE HIM. WHICH MEANS, KNOWING HIS WILL, DOING IT AND PUTTING OUR GOD FIRST IN ALL THINGS. WHAT TYPE OF RESPONSE ARE YOU GIVING TO JESUS, THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU AND HAS SHOWN YOU SO. ARE YOU SERVING YOUR GOD, BY FOLLOWING AND OBEYING OUR HIGH PRIEST?

AS FAR AS OUR MAIN STUDY THIS MORNING, WE WILL CONTINUE OUR SERIES ENTITLED, "THE HALF WAS NOT TOLD ME." AS FAR AS OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE MORNING WILL DEAL WITH, "TRUE WORSHIP!" SO PLEASE STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, WE WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. AS FAR AS OUR SPEAKER, WE ARE HAPPY TO AGAIN HAVE BROTHER TREY SULLINS WITH US. BROTHER TREY IS THE MINISTER FOR THE OMAHA CHURCH OF CHRIST IN OMAHA, ARKANSAS. WE THANK HIM FOR BEING WITH US TODAY TO LEAD US IN OUR MAIN DISCUSSION FROM GOD'S WORD. NOW LET'S AGAIN JOIN TOGETHER IN SONG, AS WE SING THE HYMN, "UNTO THEE O LORD!"



LESSON

BY TREY SULLINS



GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING IN WITH US AGAIN ON THIS A BEAUTIFUL LORD'S DAY. READING FROM THE BIBLE IN PSALM 95 VERSE 6 IT SAYS: O COME LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN. LET US KNEEL BEFORE THE LORD OUR MAKER. WHEN YOU EXAMINE TEXT LIKE THIS YOU UNDERSTAND ONE IMPORTANT THING - THAT GOD DESIRES AND REQUIRES WORSHIP OF HIS PEOPLE. IT HAS BEEN ALL THROUGHOUT TIME SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING THAT GOD HAS DESIRED WORSHIP OF HIS PEOPLE AND DEMANDED THAT THEY DO SO IF THEY ARE TO BE RIGHT WITH HIM. WHENEVER WE THINK ABOUT OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS TODAY; THOSE UNDER THE LAW OF CHRIST AND TRYING TO LIVE FOR GOD. IF WE CAN REALLY DIVIDE OUR LIVES INTO TWO DIFFERENT AREAS - YOU HAVE WORSHIP OR THAT REVERENCE AND HONOR TO GOD AND YOU HAVE SERVICE WHICH IS THE WORK AND THE EFFORT AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO THAT DON'T REALLY CATEGORIZE AS WORSHIP. WORSHIP ITSELF CAN BE DIVIDED AS FORMAL WORSHIP AND INFORMAL. FORMAL BEING THAT TIME WE GATHER AS THE SAINTS WITH ONE ANOTHER TO SING SONGS OF PRAISE AND STUDY FROM HIS WORD AND DO ALL THE ACTS OF WORSHIP THAT GOD SO DESIRES OF US. AND INFORMAL COULD BE ANY TIME THAT WE ARE WORSHIPING GOD BUT NOT NECESSARILY GROUPS TOGETHER AS THE LORD'S CHURCH. NOW, THESE OF COURSE ARE DESIGNATIONS LARGELY GIVEN BY US. THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY FOUND WITHIN THE SCRIPTURES IN WORD LIKE THAT BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE - THAT AS CHRISTIANS OUR LIVES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT WORSHIP AND SERVICE TO GOD.

NOW, WHENEVER WE THINK ABOUT WORSHIP THERE'S AN IMPORTANT TEXT THAT WE MUST COME TO. JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSES 23 AND 24 - BECAUSE THIS TEXT SHOWS US EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT GOD DESIRES OF US AS HIS PEOPLE IF WE ARE TO BE PROPER WORSHIPERS IN HIS EYES. JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 23 AND 24 SAYS: WITH THE HOURS COMING AND NOW IS THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM. GOD'S SPIRIT AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. NOW SPEAKING WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL JESUS IS TELLING HER, THIS SAMARITAN WOMAN, ABOUT THE WAY THAT GOD IS GOING TO BRING THIS TO THE WORLD. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT OF COURSE BY THE MEANS OF THE CHURCH. BUT YOU NOTICE THESE SPECIFIC THINGS. THE FIRST PART WE WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT THIS TEXT IN JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSES 23 AND 24 SAYS: BUT THE HOURS COMING AND NOW IS THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP WHO? THE FATHER. YOU SEE, THE FIRST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD AS HE DESIRES US TO WORSHIP HIM. IS THAT HE IS THE DIRECTION OF OUR WORSHIP? SOME WOULD CALL IT THAT HE IS THE OBJECT OF OUR WORSHIP. NO MATTER WHAT YOU WOULD CALL IT - HE'S THE PLACE OUR WORSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO GO. WHEN WE ARE WORSHIPING WE'RE GIVING THE HONOR THE REFERENCE. ALL THE WORDS YOU COULD SAY ABOUT IT TO HIM. AND HE IS THE ONE OF COURSE TO WHERE IT BELONGS. THINK ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES SHOWING HOW IMPORTANT OF AN IDEA AND A FACTOR THIS REALLY IS. MATTHEW CHAPTER 4 WE HAVE JESUS WHEN HE WAS BEING TEMPTED BY SATAN. AND IN VERSE 10 HE GIVES US A POWERFUL PRECEDENT THAT IS SEEN ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. MATTHEW CHAPTER 4 VERSE 10: THEN JESUS SAID TO HIM AWAY WITH YOU SATAN FOR IT IS WRITTEN YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD GOD AND HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE. NOW, RIGHT AFTER SATAN TRIES TO GET JESUS TO FALL DOWN TO WORSHIP HIM HE SAYS - YOU SHOULD WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD ONLY AND HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE. THERE ARE ZERO EXCEPTIONS ALLOWED. ONLY THE LORD GOD - ONLY GOD SHOULD BE WORSHIPED AT ANY TIME IN LIFE. THINK ALL THE WAY BACK EVEN TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. IN THE 10 COMMANDMENTS THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THOSE COMMANDMENTS WHICH REVOLVE AROUND THAT VERY THING ABOUT GOD BEING THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WORSHIP SHOULD GO. NOW CONSIDER HOW HUMANS HAVE DONE THIS. NOW THE BIBLE OF COURSE REVEALS A LOT OF THINGS AND SHOWS US HOW PEOPLE ARE AT MANY DIFFERENT TIMES. ACTS CHAPTER 10 IN VERSE 25 - NOTICE ONE OF THE REACTIONS THAT CORNELIUS HAS WHEN HE MEETS PETER. ACTS CHAPTER 10 VERSE 25: AS PETER WAS COMING IN CORNELIUS MET HIM AND FELL DOWN AT HIS FEET AND WORSHIPED HIM. PETER LIFTED HIM UP SAYING STAND UP - I MYSELF AM ALSO A MAN. YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN LIFE SEEK TO DIRECT THEIR WORSHIP TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE, TOWARDS PEOPLE THEY CAN SEE, PEOPLE THEY CAN TALK TO - PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN RECOGNIZE. BUT THE BIBLE GIVES NO EXCEPTIONS FOR THAT ARE TO BE ALLOWED. YOU SEE, PETER EVEN RAISES UP CORNELIUS AND SAYS - I MYSELF AM ALSO A MAN. ALSO THERE IN CHAPTER 14 VERSE 11 THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENS. IT SAYS: NOW WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW WHAT PAUL HAD DONE THEY RAISED THEIR VOICES SAYING IN THE LICONIAN LANGUAGE THE GODS HAVE COME DOWN TO US IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN. THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER THEY HAD NOTICED THESE DIFFERENT ACTS AND THINGS THAT PAUL OTHERS WERE DOING AND THEY CALLED THEM GODS AND THEY BEGAN TO LOOK TOWARDS THEM AS SOME KIND OF ALL POWERFUL BEINGS. OF COURSE THIS ISN'T THE TRUTH. PAUL AND THEM WOULD CORRECT THIS LATER ON BUT THE TRUTH IS STILL THE SAME - WORSHIP IS DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD AND GOD ALONE. COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2 VERSE 18: PEOPLE HAVE ALSO SOUGHT AFTER THE WORSHIP OF ANGELS, SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH. BUT COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 18 CONFIRMS THIS: LET NO ONE CHEAT YOU OF YOUR REWARD TAKING DELIGHT IN FALSE HUMILITY AND WORSHIP OF ANGELS INTRUDING INTO THOSE THINGS WHICH HE HAS NOT SEEN VAINLY PUFFED UP IN HIS FLESHLY MIND. NOW WE ARE MISSING A LOT OF THE CONTEXT HERE FOR TIME SAKE BUT NOTICE THAT POINT. LET NO ONE CHEAT YOU BY WORSHIP OF ANGELS. LET NO ONE CHEAT YOU BY LEADING YOU TO WORSHIP THINGS THAT ARE NOT TO BE WORSHIPED. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO REMEMBER. ACTS CHAPTER 7 WE FIND ALSO THAT THE PEOPLE THERE IN THIS TEXT WERE LOOKING TOWARDS WORSHIPING THE HOST OF HEAVEN OR ALL THE GODS THAT THEY HAD MADE THAT RESIDE IN REALMS ABOVE OR REALMS OUTSIDE OF THIS WORLD OR IN THE HEAVENS EVEN. ACTS CHAPTER 7 VERSE 32 SAYS: THEN GOD TURNED AND GAVE THEM UP TO WORSHIP THE HOST OF HEAVEN. AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE PROPHETS AND IT CONTINUES ON THERE TO QUOTE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN EVEN UNDER THE OLD LAW THAT ARE AGAIN PARALLEL OR REPEATED IN THE LAW OF CHRIST. YOU SEE, PEOPLE HAVE SOUGHT MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN MANY DIFFERENT TIMES TO WORSHIP ALL KINDS OF THINGS. FINALLY ROMANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 22 AND 23 REVEALS A BIG ONE - THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS. THERE ARE A LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD WHICH PEOPLE TRIED TO DIRECT THEIR WORSHIP TOWARDS. BUT THERE IS ONE THING WHICH THE BIBLE CONFIRMS TO US SHOULD BE WORSHIPED. THAT ONE THING IS NOT A THING AT ALL BUT IT'S GOD HIMSELF. HE'S THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WORSHIP SHOULD GO. THERE IS NO OTHER OBJECT, NO OTHER DIRECTION, NO OTHER WAY THAT WE CAN SEND OUR WORSHIP OR HONOR OR REVERENCE BUT ONLY TO GOD. AND JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 23 AND 24 CONFIRMS THIS TO US AS WELL AS THESE OTHER PASSAGES THAT WE LOOKED AT.

NOW CONTINUING THERE IN JOHN FOUR 23 AND 24. WE GOT THERE UP TO THE POINT WHERE IT SAYS WE WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER BUT WHAT DOES THE NEXT PART SAY? AND OF COURSE CONFIRMED AGAIN IN VERSE 24. IN SPIRIT. WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT. NOW WHAT DOES THIS PART MEAN? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORD SPIRIT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT IS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH FROM THE OLD LANGUAGE IN THE BIBLE. BUT BASICALLY WHAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND IS IT'S THE DEMEANOR, THE ATTITUDE THE CONSCIOUS NATURE BY WHICH YOU GO ABOUT DOING THESE THINGS. THERE IS A CERTAIN REGARD AND ATTITUDE THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE WHEN YOU WORSHIP GOD. CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMEBODY WHO WAS GOING TO DO YOU A FAVOR? MAYBE YOU WOULD ASK THEM OR MAYBE THEY VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS - WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE AND THE WHOLE TIME THEY'RE DOING THIS FAVOR OR DOING THIS VOLUNTEER WORK THEY ARE HUFFING AND PUFFING. THEY ARE MAD AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THERE. CLEARLY THEIR MINDS ARE ELSEWHERE. THEY'RE NOT REALLY DOING ANY GOOD ARE THEY? MAYBE THE ACTIONS THEMSELVES ARE GOOD BUT THEY'RE NOT HELPING THEMSELVES OUT AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY ELSE COME DOWN IN ATTITUDE AS WELL. THAT IS THE SAME THING WITH GOD. YOU SEE, THERE'S A CERTAIN WAY IN WHICH WE ARE TO DO THIS. WE SHOULDN'T WORSHIP LIKE THAT WITH A BAD ATTITUDE AND THINK WE WANT TO BE ELSEWHERE. WE DON'T WANT TO BE HERE - WE DON'T WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT GOD SINGING OR PRAYING TO HIM BUT WE WANT TO BE OTHER PLACES. THAT SHOULDN'T BE THE CASE BECAUSE THERE'S A CERTAIN ATTITUDE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AND A CERTAIN WAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT. ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE BOOK OF MICAH WE FIND AGAIN THAT THIS ATTITUDE IS SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS FELT ALL THROUGHOUT TIME. IT WAS PRESENT IN THE OLD LAW AS WELL. MICAH IS DEALING WITH A TIME OF JUDGMENT, OF CALLING UPON THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY REJECTED - ALREADY TURNED AGAINST GOD AND REVEALING TO THEM PUNISHMENTS THAT WERE GOING TO COME BECAUSE OF THEIR ACTIONS. NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS, MICAH CHAPTER 5 VERSES 6 AND 7. HE POSES A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION HERE: WITH WHAT SHALL I COME BEFORE THE LORD AND BOW MYSELF BEFORE THE HIGH GOD? SHALL I COME BEFORE HIM WITH BURNT OFFERINGS? WITH CALVES A YEAR OLD? WOULD THE LORD BE PLEASED WITH THOUSANDS OF RAMS? 10,000 RIVERS OF OIL? SHALL I GIVE MY FIRSTBORN FOR MY TRANSGRESSION; THE FRUIT OF MY BODY FOR THE SIN OF MY SOUL? HE ASKS ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S EXAGGERATING. HE SAYS - WHAT SHOULD I GIVE TO PLEASE THE LORD? SHOULD I GIVE ALL THESE ANIMALS? SHOULD I GIVE MY OWN FIRSTBORN TO PLEASE THE LORD? BUT THEN WHAT DOES VERSE 8 SAY? HE HAS SHOWN YOU O MAN WHAT IS GOOD. AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTLY TO LOVE, MERCY, AND TO HUMBLY WALK WITH YOUR GOD. YOU SEE, THAT WAS THE ATTITUDE OF A LOT OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT DAY. HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY PLEASE GOD. HE WANTS ALL THIS FROM US - ALL THESE ANIMALS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT SACRIFICES BUT VERSE EIGHT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHAT GOD WANTED. HE WANTED LOVE, MERCY, AND JUSTICE FROM HIS PEOPLE. AND IF THEY HAD THOSE ATTITUDES AND HEART THE REST OF IT WOULD COME EASY. FOLLOWING THE REST OF THE LAWS AS GOD REQUIRED WOULD COME EASY TO THEM. BUT THE ATTITUDE HAD TO BE THERE. THE ATTITUDE WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE COMPLETELY MISSING A LOT OF TIMES. EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5 IN VERSE 17 AS WELL EXPLAINS TO US ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR. A PART OF HAVING THAT RIGHT ATTITUDE AND WORSHIP IS KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHY YOU'RE DOING IT. YOU EVER HAD TO DO A JOB AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS OR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS ACCOMPLISHED. YOU PROBABLY WERE ASKING YOURSELF I DON'T KNOW WHY I AM HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHY I AM DOING THIS. WHAT GOOD DOES THIS DO FOR ANYBODY? EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5 IN VERSE 17 SAYS: THEREFORE DO NOT BE UNWISE BUT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS. IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN WORSHIP TO THE LORD NOT KNOWING WHY YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING THEN HOW CAN YOU BE DOING IT WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE? AND OF COURSE YOU CAN'T. YOU HAVE TO LEARN. YOU HAVE TO DIG INTO THE SCRIPTURES - UNDERSTAND WHY GOD TELLS US TO DO THESE THINGS OR AT LEAST WHERE GOD TELLS US TO DO THESE THINGS. KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT GOD WANTS OF US. AND THEN THE ATTITUDE WILL CERTAINLY COME. BUT WE SEE HE REQUIRES THAT PROPER ATTITUDE OF US.

JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 23 AND 24 AGAIN WE WILL TURN BACK TO ONE FINAL TIME AS WE THINK ABOUT THE LAST PART THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT. HE SAYS WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT BUT HE ALSO SAYS WORSHIP THE FATHER IN TRUTH. AND THEN HE FOLLOWS UP BY SAYING THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM. WE WILL COME BACK TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT WORSHIPING IN TRUTH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? FIRST YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT ATTITUDE HE SAYS AND THEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT INSTRUCTION. YOU SEE, THE TRUTH IS RIGHT HERE WORSHIPING ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH. ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US TO WORSHIP HIM. AGAIN THINK ABOUT THE EXAMPLE OF YOUR JOB. WHAT IF YOU WERE WORKING AT YOUR JOB ONE DAY AND YOU'VE GOT THE PEOPLE OVER YOU. THEN YOUR BOSSES, COME AND GIVE YOU CERTAIN INSTRUCTIONS - YOUR JOB DEFINITION IS THIS AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN YOU COME IN ON THIS DAY. AND YOU SAY WELL - I DON'T LIKE THAT. I'M GOING TO GO OVER HERE I WANT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. AND SO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS SOMETHING ELSE ALL DAY LONG. WELL, EVENTUALLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? SOMEBODY'S PROBABLY GOING TO COME AND GET YOU BACK ON TRACK AND SAY - WHAT YOU DOING? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON THIS NOT WORKING ON THAT. AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO FLOAT WELL WITH PEOPLE OVER YOU. GOD'S THE SAME WAY. HE TOLD US HOW TO WORSHIP HIM. WE CAN'T JUST MAKE UP WHAT WE WANT TO DO BUT WE WORSHIP AS HE HAS TOLD US TO DO ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH THAT HE'S GIVEN US TO FOLLOW. JOHN CHAPTER 14 AND VERSE 6 TELLS US THE WAY BY WHICH THIS CAME TO US AND OF COURSE JOHN CHAPTER 1 IS THE SAME NOTION AS WELL. JOHN CHAPTER 14 VERSE 6 JESUS SAID TO HIM: I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO? HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND? HOW WE WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH? BY FOLLOWING THE WORD; JESUS CHRIST. JOHN CHAPTER 1 VERSE ONE AND THE FOLLOWING VERSES THERE TELL US THAT THE WORD CAME TO THIS EARTH AND TOLD US WHAT TO DO. THAT'S WHAT JOHN CHAPTER 14 VERSE 6 IS CONFIRMING. THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE LEADS US EXACTLY TO THE PROPER WORSHIP THAT GOD DESIRES OF US. JOHN CHAPTER 17 IS ANOTHER PASSAGE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THIS STUDY. IN VERSE 8, JOHN CHAPTER 17 IN VERSE 8 SAYS: FOR I HAVE GIVEN TO THEM THE WORDS WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEM AND HAVE KNOWN SURELY THAT I CAME FORTH FROM YOU AND THEY HAVE BELIEVED THAT YOU SENT ME. JESUS WHILE HE IS PRAYING FOR HIS DISCIPLES - THOSE TO WHOM HE HAD DIRECTLY TOLD THE WILL OF GOD - HE SAYS: I GAVE THEM EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ME. WHAT DID THOSE DISCIPLES DO WITH THAT - THE APOSTLES MORE SPECIFICALLY. THEY WROTE IT DOWN FOR US. RIGHT HERE WITHIN THE WORDS OF GOD SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW IT AS WELL SO WE HAVE FROM GOD TO JESUS TO THE APOSTLES THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT UNTO US THE EXACT WILL OF GOD THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. THAT'S THE WORSHIP TO THE TRUTH. WORSHIPING ACCORDING THE TRUTH MEANS LOOKING INTO THE SCRIPTURE AND SEEING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND HOW THEY DID IT UNDER THE FIRST CENTURY WITH THOSE APOSTLES DIRECTING THEM AND FOLLOWING THAT EXACTLY AS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO.

JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 23 AND 24 IS A VERY VERY IMPORTANT PASSAGE BUT IT ALSO REVEALS TO US ONE FINAL THING WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT HERE. AND THAT OF COURSE HAS TO DO WITH THAT LAST PART WE SAID WE WOULD COME BACK TO. IT SAYS: WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH AND THEN IT SAYS THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM. IF YOU WERE TO THINK ABOUT SOMETIMES MAYBE YOU FEEL INSIGNIFICANT. MAYBE SOMETIMES IN LIFE YOU DON'T EXACTLY THINK YOU BELONG. YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING IN LIFE. THAT'S POSSIBLE. WE ALL GET THESE THOUGHTS FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THINK ABOUT THIS. AS THE CREATION OF GOD - AS SOMEONE WHOM GOD HAS BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD, GOD IS SEEKING. HE IS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR YOU TO WORSHIP HIM IN THE WAY THAT HE WANTS YOU TO. IS THAT NOT ENCOURAGING? IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHO WE THINK WE ARE OR HOW INSIGNIFICANT OR HOW GREAT WE THINK WE OR WHATEVER IT IS - GOD IS LOOKING FOR YOU TO DO WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO. ACTIVELY SEEKING YOU OUT. THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT THAT YOUR WORSHIP IS TO HIM. NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE NEEDS IT. THERE ARE A TON OF PASSAGES WHICH CONFIRM HE DOESN'T NEED THIS WORSHIP BUT HE DESIRES OF US AS OTHER PASSAGES TELL US BECAUSE HE WANTS US TO BE SAVED. HE WANTS US TO WORSHIP HIM. HE IS SEEKING THIS WORSHIP SO THAT WE MIGHT BE SAVED. READ VERSE 24 HERE FINALLY. GOD IS SPIRIT AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. SO THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE EVERY SINGLE DAY - EVERY TIME THE LORD'S DAY COMES AROUND. HOW DO YOU WORSHIP? IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH? HOPEFULLY SO.



CLOSING COMMENTS

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, IN GIVING THIS TIME TO GOD. WHAT A BLESSING IT HAS BEEN TO SHARE THIS TIME TOGETHER IN CHRIST. WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES THROUGH THIS WORSHIP TO GOD!

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HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE A GOD WHO HAS CLEARLY REVEALED HIS PLAN FOR WORSHIP FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. FURTHERMORE, WHAT A GIFT IT IS TO BE ABLE LAUD AND MAGNIFY OUR CREATOR FOR ALL HE HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR EACH OF US. WE TRULY SERVE A LOVING GOD IN EACH AND EVERY WAY!