Rsbc

Rsbc

March 7, 2004

Sunday Night

The Book of Hebrews

Subject: “ Worship In Faith”

Text: Hebrews 11: 21

Intro: In his death and while he was blessing his children this man of God takes time out to worship the Lord. What most people confine worship to, is the confines of a building such as this church house.

Never do they think of in the hour of death do we worship the LORD. This man did. Saints of God that we have no record of, did and do the very same thing.

They sense the presence of the LORD in the room of a house, on the hospital bed, in an ambulance, they see what no other can see, they hear what no one else can hear... the angels and the LORD.

J. R. Graves said on his dying bed, what a change, what a change. My dad told my mother the day before he died walking around in the bedroom in the middle of the night, she said Jack what are you doing, he replied I am going home, she said you are home, I am not talking about this home. He died the next morning.

David charges his son: 1 Kings 2:1‑2 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

The dying have a keen sense that something is about to happen to them, they are going to another world, a city who’s builder and maker is the Lord. In this message tonight I wish to talk about worship. It is an act of faith to ward the God that created us, that saved us, that consumes us with his blessings.

I... “ WE LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE INVITED TO WORSHIP THE LORD”

Exodus 24:1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. The one difference is clear, they afar off, we are told to approach the very throne of grace.

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What an invitation, come into the presence of the thrice holy God. He desires worship and we should desire to give it to him. Such comfort there is in worshiping the Lord.

Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory [due] unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

II.. “ WORSHIP SHOULD BE DONE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AT TIMES”

In our text Jacob did just that at his death, he leans on his staff and worship the Lord.

David did it: Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come [into] thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: [and] in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Two things are said:

1. That mercy is a element of worship:

Believe me without the mercy of the Lord none of us would be here tonight in this worship service. Solomon in worshiping said these words:2 Chronicles 6:14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and [shewest] mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

2. That reverence for the Lord is absolute in worship:

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever.

I am sure that all of you here tonight if not you should worship the Lord at times on a personal level. You should have that time with the LORD and don’t wait till you come to the end of your journey and then want to hear from the LORD.

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We should without question remember that God accepts worship from his people who do it as Christ said. In Spirit and in Truth. What an indictment on the religious bodies of this world... who have half truth, no truth, little truth and expect GOD to condescend to their level of worship.

III... “ WORSHIP TO BE REAL MUST HAVE SOME REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE BEING THAT IS WORSHIPED:

God is Spirit:

John 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

One of the great mysteries of the Bible is GOD, understanding that even thought the word of GOD speaks of the Father as having; Head “Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

David speaks of him as having a face: Psalm 27:8 [When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. And yet we must understand as Jesus said: Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Since God is A Spirit he cannot be seen: John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

Through out the Bible it describes GOD as love, power, perfection, light, and many more communicable attributes. But it is in Jesus Christ that God has fully revealed himself in deed and in love.

IV.. “ THE WORSHIP HE DESIRES”

In worship there is external means used, because we are external beings we express our love, joy, our unhappiness, and all other things as beings in this body. Therefore it would be right to show our worship to the LORD. Example it is said:

(1.) That Jesus lifted up his eyes:

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John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

(2.) He knelt: Luke 22:41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

(3.) Fell on his face: Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].

The whole of which God desires out of us, is that we make sure in worshiping him that we have him as the center of our thoughts, our praise, our love, our singing, our preaching. When I say God I mean The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit”.

IV... “ THE ACT OF WORSHIP ALSO WOULD DEMAND THAT WE CLEANSE OURSELVES BEFORE WE ENTER INTO AN ACT OF WORSHIP”

1^ST. We must confess our sins:

That is we say the same thing that God says about our sins. We are in agreement with the Lord. 1 John 1:8‑9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2^nd. We must cast down imaginations: 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

3^rd. We must make every effort to be in unity in our worship: 1 Chronicles 29:20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

4^th. We must worship the Lord no matter what the lose may be:

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,