It is good to be with you tonight. Let me ask you to open your Bibles to the book of John, John's Gospel Chapter Four. John's Gospel, Chapter Four. The Gospel of John chapter four, verse twenty. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship Him." Now notice that, that God the Father seeks ones to worship Him. That is extremely important that we see that. Because tonight I want to talk to you about the subject of worship. The subject of worship. I suppose that this subject is one in which there is probably more confusion than any other as regards Christians, and what they think about worship, what they believe that worship is. Now bear in mind that God seeks those to worship Him. So it's important that we understand just what we're talking about when we think about worship. Oftentimes you will ride down the highway and you'll notice on the board out in front of churches, come and worship with us. And they'll notice or they will list the order of the services and at eleven o'clock they say it's the worship service and you go in And there a preacher is preaching. He might be preaching on the subject of hell. And they call that the worship service. Well, that's not the worship service. Preaching on the subject of hell is not worship. There is a lot of confusion about worship. Many, I think, emphasize worship at the expense of work. Someone has said that we have to be awfully careful that we don't become so heavenly minded that we're not any earthly good, and that's true. But by the same token we have to also maintain a balance that we don't find ourselves so wrapped up in working for the Lord that we don't have any time to spend in worship of the Lord. I think the Lord Jesus Christ put it in its proper perspective and in the correct order of precedence, when he made this statement to none other than Satan himself, as recorded in the book of Matthew chapter four, verse ten, listen to what he says. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. He says you'll worship and then serve. Worship that does not result in service leaves a tremendous amount to be desired. Let me say that again. Worship that does not result in service leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, you have to wonder if we actually worship on a given occasion, if it does not translate itself into service. I think that Hebrews chapter eleven probably puts it in its perspective as well. There we find Abel by faith offered a sacrifice. And that would speak to us of worship. Enoch, we're told that his walk was such that God said, I want you to come up here where I am. And that speaks of fellowship. But it speaks of the walk that he has. Then Hebrews eleven goes on to speak about Noah who built an ark. And that speaks of the work of faith. So there you have it, the divine order. Worship, walk, and work. I want us to think about this subject of worship tonight. And let me just ask you to think for just a moment about this. If I were to ask you to take a pencil and paper... and write out the definition of worship. Give you fifteen minutes and allow you up to one thousand words and ask you to give me a definition of worship. I wonder what you would come up with. In fact, I wonder if we can define worship. To stimulate your thinking, let me ask you to think about this. Suppose I were to give you a pencil and paper and ask you to just imagine that I could not see. I was born blind. And I asked you to write out on a piece of paper and define or describe the color of a beautiful red rose. Could you do it? The answer is you cannot do it. Think about trying to describe the color read. You can't do it. Because you see, color is a concept. You cannot define a concept. It cannot be put into words. Worship also is a concept. And we cannot adequately describe the concept of worship. but we can certainly make an attempt at it. And tonight I want us, as our time permits, to seek to define worship and then to illustrate the concept of worship. Now in the Word of God, especially in the New Testament, the word that is rendered in the Greek worship is from the Greek word prostuneo. And the meaning of that word is to give reverence, to pay divine homage, to worship, to adore. Now, that is the essential definition that you get from the Greek word. But I want to stress that the underlying principle of the word worship and the major thrust of the word worship now get this is to give not to get keep that in mind the major thrust of the worship the word worship is to give that is to give to God not to get when we come before him to worship him We come to give to Him, not to get anything. And it's important that we keep that in mind. I would like to share with you some of the various quotations of some godly men that have sought to define just what worship is. And none of them adequately describe worship. But all of them taken together help us to some degree at least, to understand worship. You see, we are seeking, when we seek to define worship, we are seeking to define that which is undefinable. But just listen to some of these descriptions that some godly men have given us of worship. One writer says that worship is the overflow of a grateful heart. And I suppose that that is the one that we're the most familiar with. Worship is the overflow of a grateful heart. We sit and we contemplate and we think about God, His great goodness, His majestic being. And as we think of Him, there is an overflow from our grateful hearts. I think that's what David was seeking to get across to us. In Psalm forty-five one where he says, My heart is indicting a good matter. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. He says, when he says there that my heart is indicting a good matter, in the Hebrew what he is really saying is that my heart is bubbling up and bubbling over. He says, as I sat and thought about God, my heart began to indict a good matter and my heart just bubbled up and bubbled over. Is that the thought sometime or is that what happens in your heart? I think it is as Christians. That when we sit down and we begin to contemplate and think about God, his goodness, his greatness, his grace, his mercy, his love, as portrayed in the Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts just begin to bubble up and bubble over. And the brother is very close to the truth when he says that worship is the overflow of a grateful heart. And that's true. Listen to another description or definition of worship. This brother says that worship is the outpouring of a soul at rest. And here I think he's saying that the spiritual condition of a worshiper is one who has become assured of his acceptance before God. This one who fits the description of this writer is one who is absolutely sure that he is at peace with God. He is absolutely sure that there has been that moment in the life, in the history of his life, that he trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior. And that because of his being placed in Christ, God has dealt with his sins. God has counted him as being forgiven. God has reckoned that all of the just and righteous demands against sin have been fully met in the work of Christ on his behalf on the cross. And this one sits down and his heart pours out because he is at rest with God. And he baths in the sunlight of the love of God. I suppose that... one whose heart is like this would say as the writer in the Song of Solomon says when he wrote these words, I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me into the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Listen to another definition. This brother says that worship is occupation not with need but with God Himself. Now here this brother has been able to make that subtle distinction between prayer and praise and worship. And there is a subtle distinction. And I stress a subtle distinction between prayer and praise and worship. Let me see if I can illustrate the distinctions for us. Prayer is our occupation with our needs. It is not worship. In prayer we come before God and we make known to Him the needs of our heart. We make known to Him those things that we think others need. And that's prayer. It's not worship. Prayer is being occupied with our needs. Praise, now praise and prayer are different. Praise is occupation with our blessings. We go into the presence of God and we make our needs known in prayer. And as time passes, we find those prayers answered and we go back into the presence of God and we praise him for the blessings that he's given to us in answer to our prayers wherein we were occupied with our needs. But now worship. Worship is the soul's occupation with God and or with Christ for who He is. Lord, save my soul is prayer. Lord, thank you for saving my soul. That's praise. Lord, thank you for who you are, the great God of heaven, the creator and the sustainer of heaven and earth. Someone has said that we can never forget all that the Savior has done for us. As we come to know Him more intimately, our gratitude merges and is superseded by an ever-increasing appreciation of His preciousness as the displayed excellencies of His perfected character are revealed by the Spirit through the Word of God. and we as we commune with our Lord and as we are taken up with his person the beauty of his holiness we are caused to say with the writer of old my beloved is the chiefest among ten thousand yea he is all together lovely and he is my friend someone else that said that worship is the uprising of the heart that has known the Father as a giver, the Son as the Savior, and the Holy Spirit as the indwelling guest." In other words, he's saying that the essential requirement of a worshiper is one who is redeemed. There is no such thing as worshiping the God of heaven and earth until we have been brought to the end of ourselves and seen our lost condition, confess our sinnership before God, and by a definite act of our will, receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and as our Lord. Only the regenerate can worship God." But, you know, I think there's another way that we can look at worship, and that is that we can say when we speak of worship, we can change that word and call it worship. And that's exactly what you find in the book of the Revelation, chapter four and five. And let me ask us to turn there for just a moment to see how that goes. Revelation chapter four, and see how it is also saying worship. of his worthship. Worship could very well be pronounced worthship, for it consists of the ascription of worth to one who is worthy. In Revelation chapter four, notice there in verse nine, and when those living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him that is seated on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, Listen to what they say. Verse ten. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that is seated on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy. Worship is worth it. Worthy. Saying he is worthy of striving worth to him. Verse eleven. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. There they are ascribing worth unto God. Worship is worthship. In chapter five you have the same basic principle set forth. That very familiar passage in chapter five, look at verse eight. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. Now watch this. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy, worshiped. can be translated or as worship. Thou art worthy. In other words, you are entitled to worship. Notice what he says as they go on. Verse eight. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden bowls and full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the scroll. and to open its seals. For thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousand of thousands saying, Now watch it, with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them heard, I say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. and ever. I say again, worship is worship. It is ascribing worth unto God. And here you have that pointed out very beautifully. So, in just a feeble effort to define the term worship, none of these definitions by itself even begins to define the concept of worship. But when you take them all and put them together, I think we have a working or an adequate definition of the term worship. That is the overflow of a grateful heart, the outpouring of a soul at rest, occupied with God, no mention of need, the uprising of the heart that has known Him as Father, as a giver, the Son is the Savior, and the Holy Spirit as the indwelling guest, and ascribing unto him worthship, worthiness. Now that is an attempt to define the term, worship. Say, when is the last time that you worshiped, my friend? Now, having concerned ourselves briefly with the definition of the term, I want to seek, as our time permits, to illustrate the concept of worship. And in all likelihood, the best passage in all of the Word of God to turn to to illustrate the concept of worship having concerned ourselves with just a moment, with the definition of worship, is in the Book of Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six. And let me ask you to turn there. Because there in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six, God, as it were, takes his magnificent paintbrush, and he paints for us a picture of a worshipper. And he illustrates just what it is to be a worshipper. Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six, please. And to show you the theme of the first eleven verses, let me ask that you look at verse ten, and you will see the theme of it. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hath given me, and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. God instructs Moses, ere the children of Israel are ever set free and make their way by the guidance and the enablement of God into the promised land. Moses said, Now I want you to take the pen and I want you to write down the definition or the illustration of a worshiper. And he gives him verses one through eleven to illustrate what it is that a worshiper should be characterized by. And this is one of the most outstanding illustrations of a worshiper to be found anywhere in the Word of God. And it illustrates the concept. It illustrates what we sought to define a few moments ago. Here is God's own picture of what is involved in worship. And as we consider these verses, I want you to notice what we are told about a worshiper. Four things characterize this worshiper. Verses five through eight tell us the first thing that is characterized in this worshiper's life is that he has experienced redemption. You remember I said that you cannot be a worshiper unless you are regenerated. The first thing that characterizes this man is that he has experienced redemption. Look at verse five. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a nation great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians badly treated us and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage. And when we cried unto the Lord our God, the God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and oppression. Now watch this. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with awe-inspiring terror, and with signs and with wonders. The first characteristic that must be obvious in the life of a worshiper is that he has been redeemed from bondage. And this man in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six says, The Lord brought me out of bondage. And of course, all of us as Christians remember that we have been redeemed out of the bondage of sin. We remember that just like those children of Israel who were shackled and imprisoned down in Egypt and they could not help themselves, they could not save themselves, they could not set themselves free. God, by his mighty arm, had to actively intervene on their behalf. And that's exactly what God did. And of course, the application to us is very clear. God intervened on our behalf. God saw us in our bondage. God saw us in our helplessness. And God, in His grace and infinite mercy, sent the Lord Jesus Christ to come down where we were, and there upon the cross of Calvary, He did a work that enabled God to set us free, to break the shackles of sin, to loose the doors of the dungeon, and set us free. The first characteristic of a worshiper, says God, is that he must have experienced redemption. And of course, we as Christians can go into the presence of God and worship him because we have experienced redemption. And I find it very difficult to understand how a Christian can be a Christian and not want to worship God. It's just inconceivable that a Christian can do that. But some evidently claim to be Christian, but they do not feel any inclination towards serving or worshiping God. The second thing that characterizes this worshiper is given to us in verse one, and that is that he has been brought into the land. Look at verse one. And it shall be when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it and dwelleth therein. This man who comes into the presence of God, as in verse ten we're told, he comes and he sets his basket down and he worships God. He realizes that he has been brought into the land, that it was God. It was God who brought him into the land. He could look back in his history. and into the history of the nation of Israel, and he could see the guiding hand of God. He saw the hand of God as God bared his mighty arm, and with awe-inspiring terror and signs and wonders, rescued him out of bondage. And he could look back, and he could see the guiding hand of God in his life, just like it was in the nation of Israel. And, of course, he was there. He remembered that God guided them by a pillar of fire by night, God guided them by clouds by day. God provided manna in the wilderness. God smoked the rock, provided water. God provided shoes that would not wear out. He says, I know that I am in this land because God intervened on my behalf. And because of that, he says, I can go into the presence of God and I can worship Him. Let me ask us to turn to the book of Ephesians for just a moment. to see the counterpart of that. Ephesians chapter two, if you will, please. You see, all of the things that characterize this man in Deuteronomy twenty-six should characterize us as worshipers as well. Ephesians chapter two, verse one. And you hath he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all had our manner of life in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath made us alive together with Christ. For by grace are ye saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places." Now the man in Deuteronomy knew that he was in the land because God brought him in the land. Now we know that we are not in the land, physically speaking, but we know that just as good and just as sure as God is God, that we are already in the land. We have been raised together. That's what it means there in verse six. And have raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Jesus, we know that we have been raised together and we are already as good as in heaven. We are already as good as in the presence of God. And just as that should characterize the man in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six, so it is it should characterize us. We have experienced redemption. We are as good as already in the land. hold your place in Ephesians, and go back to Deuteronomy twenty-six, and look at another thing that characterized that man who is a worshiper. Look at verse two. And as you look at verse two, this is the third thing that should characterize a worshiper. He knows that he has been richly blessed by God. Verse two, that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land. Now watch it, that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name. Did you see that? The thing that should characterize this man is that he is one whom God has richly blessed, and he knows it. He knows it. Look at Ephesians again. to see the counterpart in our life. Ephesians chapter one, if you will, to see that. And I'll tell you, as you look at these things and contemplate these things, if they do not elicit worship from us, then our hearts have grown cold and we need to do business with God. Look at it. Ephesians chapter one. And you see that we know that we have been richly blessed. Ephesians chapter one, verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. And now he's going to list them for us. According is he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Number one, we have been chosen in him before the foundation of the earth was ever laid, before man ever drew his first breath. God chose that all who would trust Christ would be in him. And notice what else, he says, in verse five, having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace through which he has made us accepted in the beloved. Now watch this, in whom we have redemption through his blood. Look at that chosen, predestinated, accepted, redeemed through His blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. If that man in Deuteronomy knew He had been blessed and blessed by God, how much more should we know that we've been blessed? Chosen, predestinated, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven. My goodness, the third thing that characterized that worshiper in Deuteronomy twenty-six has said to us in verse two is he is one whom God has richly blessed, and he knew it. And he knew it. And I say again, you will notice that this man in Deuteronomy twenty-six, as he comes before God, he does not open his mouth to ask God for one thing. I say again, the major thrust of worship is to give, not get, not get. Worship is giving to God, ascribing to God worship, bowing in His presence, revering Him, worshiping Him, honoring Him, adoring Him, ascribing worth unto Him. The fourth thing that characterizes, back to Deuteronomy twenty-six, the fourth thing that characterizes The worshiper in Deuteronomy twenty-six is given to us in verses ten and eleven, and that is this, that he is portrayed as bringing to God. I say again, not asking God for anything, but bringing to God. Please look at verse ten again. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which thou, O Lord, hath given me. and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God." Moses says, You tell the children of Israel that they are never to forget the pit from which they have been digged. They are to remember that I redeemed them with my mighty arm out of Egyptian bondage. I led them along the way through the wilderness journey. I gave them food. I gave them drink. I gave them shoes. I guided them. I opened the Red Sea. I slew their enemies. And he says, don't ever forget that the crops that you grow out in your field, I gave those to you. And on a certain day you are to gather from those crops and you are to line them up in your little basket and you're to bring that basket and you're to set it down in my presence. and you are to bow and worship to me. You're not to ask me anything, ask for anything. You're just to come into my presence and be taken up with me. That's worship. That's it. That's what God... You remember in our passage in John it says that God seeks those to worship Him in spirit and in truth. God is seeking us as Christians to come into His presence just like that man in Deuteronomy twenty-six. knowing what we were, knowing the grace and mercy of God in seeking us out and bringing us out, redeeming us, adopting us, forgiving us, translating us from death to life, translating us from darkness to light. In emphasizing this idea of giving to God and not asking anything when we come before Him in worship. I was reminded of a story that I read one time about the little girl without playing, and the mother was in the room ironing, and the little girl all of a sudden appeared in the room with the mother. And the mother didn't pay much attention at first. She just kept on ironing. And in a few moments she began to realize she ought not to be in here. The sun is shining. She's not hurting or anything. She should be outdoors playing. And she looked up and she looked into the eyes of the little girl. And she said, honey, is there anything wrong? Is there anything that I can get you? And the little girl with adoring eyes just looked up into the face of her mama. And she said, no, mommy, there's nothing wrong. And there's nothing you can get me. I just wanted to come in here and sit and look at you and love you. That's it. That's it. They see it. When I read that, I was reminded or re-reminded of what I read many years ago and I never got over it. And I never will get over it. I think it's in AP Gibbs' book on worship. And in that book, AP Gibbs says that the Hebrew scholars, those who really know the Hebrew language, they tell us that the root meaning of the word worship in the Hebrew carries with it that thought of the relationship that exists between a dog and its master. He goes on to say that most of us have had an experience with dogs wherein we have seen or we've read about it or we've observed others that here's a dog and the dog has been properly fed It's been watered. You hope it's got all its shots. The dog is a happy dog. And the master sits down to read his paper. And he hears a scratching on the door. And he goes and he opens the door and he lets the dog in and he goes back and he sits down. And he picks up his paper and he's reading his paper again. And you know how it is when you sit in a room and all of a sudden it dawns on you. Somebody's looking at me. Somebody's watching me. Mr. Gibbs goes on to say that the man puts his paper down and he looks down and there sits the dog. Doesn't want anything. Been properly fed. He's watered. His shots are up to date. And he's just sitting there. Just looking. Brother Gibbs goes on and says, that is pure worship. That's what worship is. And that's what the Lord Jesus Christ is seeking to get across to the woman at the well. God seeks those to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Just like Spidey does, comes into the presence of His master. He does not ask for anything. He doesn't need anything. He's got everything. He just wants to be there in the presence of the master and just look up into His face. Now, I think most of us have had an occasion to just sit there and watch a dog sit there and look at us. Haven't we all done that? Just look at that dog sitting there, taken up with us, enamored with us, enraptured with us. That's the thought of the word worship, coming into the presence of God, wanting nothing, asking nothing, needing nothing. What do we want or what do we need when we come into the presence of God to worship Him? We've got everything. Our past is taken care of. Our sins have been placed into the sea of His forgetfulness. He has said that I will put them as far from me as the East is from the West, never to remember them anymore. Our past has been dealt with. Our present we have purpose and meaning to life. The future, all fear has been removed from the future. When we go into the presence of God, what can we possibly want if we go there to worship Him? What do we need? We need nothing. Everything has been provided. And the point is we go into the presence of God and we are taken up with Him, with who He is, what He has done on our behalf, and we are enraptured with Him. And we sit there dumb with reverence and worship. and adoration for who He is. Just think of that. The great God of heaven, the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth, the one who on the morning of creation by divine fiat spoke, just spoke, and the whole creation came into existence. And the one who on the morning of creation spoke, holds it in place. All of the planets are maintained in their orbit by Him. And it's that one, the all-powerful, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable Son of God who hung in agony and shame on our behalf, who took our place. It is that one into whose presence we come and we sit there and we worship Him and we adore Him and we praise Him. The Deuteronomy XXX concerns itself basically with the individual worshiper. And my thoughts tonight have been about us as individual worshippers. But it goes without saying that we shall be no better in our corporate worship. When we come together as an assembly of God's people, we shall not be better worshippers corporately than we have been privately. and it is the great desire of God's heart that we come before Him and worship Him. Someone said, well, you know, the fellow there in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-six, he was not able to bring back to God one single thing that God had not given him, and that's true.