The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
—John 4:23-24
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
—Matt. 4:10
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
—Matt. 15:8-9
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
—Matt. 6:24
We are natural worshipers but our worship is generally misdirected. I remember reading an article in an airline magazine one time in which the author was worshiping Michael Jordan. He was stating clearly that it was a transcendent experience to be in the building when he played basketball. Maybe I’m biased since I attended NC State and understand that ABC means “anybody but Carolina” however I remember reading the story and wonder if I should be amused or pray for the soul of the writer. It was at best dumb and at worst blasphemous. I enjoyed watching Jordan play before most of the country knew who he was. I remember seeing our guys taking turns trying to guard him and taking oxygen (seriously) between turns. People worship Michael Jordan and those who worshiped him most seemed most upset when he decided to hit a ball with a stick instead of throw a ball through a ring. Certainly Christians need to guard their hearts and understand how serious it is when we value something in this world as if it were God. If you want to read a book by an author who has been immersed in this problem then Tony Dungee’s book is a good place to start.
It is essential that we keep our heart so that no “idol” occupies God’s place. The Christian who loses track of God’s preeminent position will be prompted by the Holy Spirit and corrected by God. When we worship we are consciously responding in a rational (for a regenerated person) way to what God has revealed about Himself. Some folks use praise to indicated glorifying God for what He has done and worship for glorifying God for who He is. If that distinction helps you then use it but Scripture seems to flow back and forth across the line in glorifying God for His acts and attributes. We glorify God for His gifts, His characteristics (wisdom, eternal nature, infinite knowledge, omnipresence, etc). Even when we pray for specifics we are fundamentally praying for God to display more of His glory through continuing acts of mercy, judgment, and power. We typically have preaching of Scripture as a part of our worship service since learning from God, and about God, is worship too. When we show attention to His word it honors Him (we worship). Inattention to Scripture (from the pulpit, from the pew, or in our personal lives) is an offence for a regenerate person. David, as displayed in the Psalms, showed that heart attitude and willingness to express ourselves in works of service and words of adoration should be part of the normal believer’s life.
Notice that Christian worship has content. By that I mean that you have motivation and we don’t chant meaningless syllables until we are trancelike. In addition, we want to honor God with our lips, our heart, and those teachings and beliefs that we worship God with (Mat 15:8-9). Consequently we should constantly examine our words, our hearts, and those teachings and beliefs that we hold to be true so that they are aligned with Scripture and so that we never hold the teaching of men as if they were the commands of God.
One of the greatest challenges to believers today in worship is to break free of our culture’s (and it is therefore our problem too) selfish preoccupation with being entertained. Entertainment, no matter how religious isn’t worship. Both entertainment and worship are all about the audience but the audience is human in entertainment and the audience is God in worship. Often (and perhaps generally) the mega-churches of our day have “worship” services that are built on entertainment with focus on the effects produced in the congregation. Some music and lyrics may even be repetitions of a few syllables and they may have a calming effect like chanting. The words may be good, like Hallelujah if you understand that means praise to Jah but if you repeat it 20 or 30 times then are you praising God or are you chanting a mantra? I ask this only to bump you out of your seat in the audience. I’ve been part of a tradition that removed songs like the Doxology and substituted Hallelujah without thinking whether we lost content. We often forget that our praise should have content and even a simple song like the Doxology may have significant content. I’ve been surprised during my life at the doctrine I learned in songs that kept me from error and false doctrine.
The Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1674) states:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
I remember singing this all over the country and thinking of how everything I enjoy comes from His hand. I heard the command to praise Him as one of His creatures, I called on all those heavenly beings to praise Him, and I heard the trinity praised each time.
Our entertainment culture also results in a feeling of obligation to applaud a solo or special piece of music. One of the problems with applauding in Church is (at least) the confusion that it may cause for the unregenerate in our midst. Applause first came into the church from the Roman theater lasted for four to five hundred years and then was not typical in church until recently. We need to carefully examine our hearts with regard to why we applaud in church. If you applaud because you, as a part of the audience, enjoyed the performance then you need to stop. The performance was not supposed to be for you and you may have been taking what was meant for God. You were supposed to be in the presence of someone worshiping God with God as the audience and you in agreement worshiping God through the solo or special music. You may be clapping to show you agree with what was shared. That was how the early church seemed to use clapping but it occurred during the preaching and still does to some extent. However, in our day, think of the confusion that clapping after a solo or special piece of music generates for the unregenerate in our midst. I’ve heard people refer to the offering as “paying for the show”. We so value ourselves and our amusement that our entertainers are generally the most highly paid individuals in our society. Christians should gag when the say “American Idol” because the title is blasphemous but it just flows of the tongue and I’m sure that many can tell you who has won each year. We applaud because the performance was for us and we show our appreciation for the efforts to entertain us. I’m including sports since professional sports and to a slightly lesser degree amateur sports is simply entertainment. How is an unregenerate person supposed to see anything other than entertainment on Sunday morning? How will the congregation not grow to be the audience without a constant reminder that they are not the audience if they keep acting like an audience?
Our worship should show that we have entered into a new covenant relationship with God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus made it clear to the Samaritan woman that geography was no longer the key to worship (John 4:20). The Temple in Jerusalem was no long the only place to worship because it prefigured Christ and He was now incarnate (John 2:19-21).
1) All Worship Should Be Through Jesus and of Jesus
Jesus is the temple where we encounter God. He poured out his blood “for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28) and “gave his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) and opened the way through his own crucified and risen body for us to be reconciled with God (John 3:16, 36). There is no other sacrifice. Jesus is not simply the mediator of worship between us and the Father; he is also the one to be worshiped. He forgives sins (Mark 2:5-11), accepts worship (Matt. 14:33; 28:9; John 5:23), is eternally preexistent (John 8:58), and is one with the Father (John 14:9; John 10:30).
2) Worship in Spirit (John 4:23)
Necessarily human spirits made alive by the Holy Spirit. As Piper says, “A person who has no affections for God awakened by the truth of Jesus is not worshiping “in spirit and truth.” And a person with great affections built on false views of God is not worshiping “in spirit and truth.” Jesus demands both: worship in spirit and in truth.”
3) All of Life Is Worship
As Piper says, “The essence of worship lies in our mind’s true vision of God and our spirit’s authentic affections for God.” We need to see the truth about God and respond with authentic love for God that overflows into all of our life. No matter what we do, as we show God’s worth and treasure Him by our actions in this world we are worshiping in spirit and in truth at work, at home, and at church.
4) You Cannot Serve God and Money (Matthew 6:24)
You serve money by shaping your life to acquire and spend money. Your life then testifies that your treasure is here where moth and rust corrupts and not in heaven. Instead let your life be shaped to treasure God and spend yourself in His service.
5) The Infinite Worth of God in Jesus
Reflect on what you are worshipping day by day. Determine what you treasure and then ask God to teach you to be aware of his supreme worth and to cause us to value Him above all else.
Demand #13 – Always Pray and Do Not Lose Heart
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
—Luke 18:1
Pray for those who persecute you.
—Matt. 5:44
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.
—Matt. 6:6
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.
—Matt. 6:7-8
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
—Matt. 6:9
Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
—Matt. 9:38
How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
—Luke 11:13
Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
—John 16:24
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
—John 14:13
Jesus intends to create a praying people. As we studied Gods revelation of election and predestination I tried to stress how important it is that we not let any hint of fatalism into our lives. The reason is that Scripture clearly teaches that we can pray and obey God and then things will be different than they otherwise would be. We will not confuse or confound our omniscient and transcendent God by our prayers. Jesus set the example (Mark 1:35; Matt. 14:23; Luke 6:12; Luke 22:41-42) in prayer.
1) Why? For the Glory of God
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). As the Doxology says, “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow” so we are in the right place when we seek Him as provider and properly glorify Him as provider (Psalm 50:15). Prayer reminds us that we are not self sufficient and that we need to realize that our Creator is caring for us and we need to appropriately glorify Him to be in right relationship to Him.
2) Why? For Our Joy
God desires that we live in right relationship with Him and experience the joy that will last forever. Jesus said, “These things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13). Our prayers to bring God glory and us joy. Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). This should serve as an incentive to obey his command to “always . . . pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). When Jesus tells us that “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8) He tells us that to let us know we have God’s attention and that He is omniscient. We don’t need to keep repeating ourselves or worrying about praying for something and God making a mistake by giving it to us (Matt. 7:7-11). He will increase our joy and bring glory to Himself.
3) How? Simplicity
“When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:7-8). Keep it simple and direct. You can’t hide anything from Him and you don’t need to speak in KJV but it you like to do that then I’m sure He won’t mind.
4) How? With Perseverance
God wants us to be persistent and constant in prayer looking for a breakthrough (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8). Our patient prayer will uncover God’s wisdom as to the way and time the prayer should be answered. When we show persistence and patience then we glorify Him by showing our confidence that He is our only hope and that we trust Him to decide the timing and the way to answer us.
5) How? Through His Death and in His Name
Apart from the work of Christ on the Cross we would still be unforgiven (Matt. 26:28) and subject to God’s wrath (John 3:36). If that was our state then we would not have any hope of having a prayer answered. That is why we ask in His name (Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; John 14:13; cf. 16:23-24). When we pray “in Jesus’ name, Amen” then we are confessing that He is our only hope of access to God.
6) How? With Faith
This is not the power of positive thinking but “Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matt. 21:22; cf. Mark 11:24). Rather than mind control this is realizing that God answers prayer and hears you. Your faith has a object and that object is God (Mark 11:22). Sometimes God makes it clear what He will do (Mark 11:24) but it is God who does it and it is not us running the universe (Praise God). Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
7) How? Not for the Praise of Others
Like worship, prayer is an act toward God and not toward man. That is pretty obvious but we can twist it around and Jesus had to warn us that “When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matt. 6:5-6). As Piper says, “Treasure God, and all that he will be for you, in prayer; but do not treasure the praise of man. And most of all do not turn a Godtreasuring act of prayer into a man-treasuring act of hypocrisy.”
8) For Whom?
Ourselves for one and not because we deserve anything, we are looking for mercy and grace. “Pray then like this,” Jesus said, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:9, 13). We start with ourselves but we also pray that for others as we “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44); “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:28).
9) What?
Jesus’ summary answer is called the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).
Prayer
Be pleased to hear all these good people, who can pray [the Lord's Prayer] to Thee so fast. And, in Thy mercy, may some of Thy grace to them overflow to me, whom Thou hast made too slow of mind to speak such august words as these so rapidly with any understanding.
... A. J. Gossip, In the Secret Place of the Most High [1947]
1) Our Father in Heaven: I praise You God for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and placing me into the Kingdom of Your Dear Son. "Our Father" reminds me that I'm part of the Church and I pray for those in the Church under persecution & for unity in the Body of Christ. I confess that I was lost and without hope when You, by grace alone, saved me. I thank You for the incomprehensible Love that speaks the command to call You Father and the unbounded grace that makes it so.
2) Hallowed be Your name: I pray your Holiness would bring a conviction of sin in my life. I pray that love for Your holy name would bring true and lasting repentance in my heart. I pray I would hate sin and especially the sins remaining in my life. Help me not grieve the Holy Spirit in my actions or in my thought life. Let there be no idols in my physical world or in my emotional world that compete for the place that is yours far above all else and even life itself. Let me cause others to hallow Your name.
3) Your Kingdom come: Help me yield my will to you. Grant me the grace to participate in the establishment of Your Lordship in my life. Help me not struggle to remain lord of my life. Help me trust You in everything and grant me the grace to yield to Your rule rather than struggle against it. Even so, come quickly Lord.
4) Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven: Establish righteousness in the earth. Let all my actions be in accord with Your will. Especially I pray for a) the Government, b) my Employer/es, c) my family, d) my church and church family, and e) the lost I meet each day.
5) Give me each day my daily bread: Let me remember that all my needs are supplied by Your hand. Every bite of food and every stitch of clothes is given to me by You. Please don't let me trust in the strength of men or in my ability to "take care of myself". Please help me be a good steward of all the material & spiritual blessings you give me.
6) Forgive me for my sins for I also forgive everyone who sins against me: Father I confess that my heart is often far from You and that in light of the mercy and grace You have poured out on me that I am in need of forgiveness again. Thank you God for the mercy that You have shown me. Now let mercy be part of my character that others can see You in me and thank You for changing me. However, give me the grace to forgive without regard to the attitude of others.
7) Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one. Father I am still prone to wander and I long for the time when my sinful nature will no longer be present. I confess that I need the Holy Spirit to keep me from temptation and be my preservation. I know that You are the One True God who keeps me and that nothing can snatch me out of your hand.
8) For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen. Today Your name is at stake in my life. Your Kingdom is first today. My answer to You Lord is yes & amen.
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