Worship Our Highest Purpose John 4:19-26

Samaria 2

Outline Verse 23: “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the father is seeking such people to worship him.” “True Worshipers” – Meaning of worship “Worship the Father” – Object of worship “Father is Seeking” – Source of worship “Spirit and Truth” – Elements of worship “Perhaps the greatest need in all of Christendom is for a clear understanding of the biblical teaching about worship. When the church fails to worship properly, it fails in every other area.” - John McArthur 3

“True Worshipers” – Meaning of Worship Worth-ship: to attach value to, to make much of A worshiper is one who expresses honor and adoration to God for who He is and what He has done. “The very heart of worship, as the Bible makes clear, is the business of expressing, from the depths of our spirits, the highest possible honor we can offer before God.” – R.C. Sproul 4

“True Worshipers” – Meaning of Worship Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. 5

“True Worshipers” – Meaning of Worship “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” – Westminster Catechism We are uniquely made in God’s image to uniquely worship Him. 3 Dimensions: Outward – toward others Inward – personal behavior Upward – toward God “Worship: our innermost being responding with praise for all that God is, through our attitudes, actions, thoughts, and words, based on the truth of God as He has revealed Himself.” – John McArthur 6

“Worship the Father” – Object of worship Only when we start to glimpse what God is really like do we desire to give Him glory. The more we seek to understand who God is, the more glorious He will appear, and the deeper our worship will be. The Holiness of God Isaiah 6, Revelation 4 – “Holy, Holy, Holy” Mark 4 – Jesus’ holiness There is a variety of responses to the presence of God in the Bible, but we never read of an occasion when God appears to people and they are bored. Neither do we read of anyone walking away from an encounter with God, saying, “That was irrelevant.” – RC Sproul 7

“Father is seeking” – Source of worship Worship of God is the theme of scripture, the theme of redemptive history, and the theme of eternity. God is seeking worshipers, but He must create them first. Creation – made to worship - Romans 11:36 Sin – misplaced worship - Romans 1:25 Redemption – re-made to worship The cross: both the enabling power and the greatest reason for worship. - Psalm 72:23 Glorification – pure worship - Revelation 5:13 “We should consider it the great end of our existence to be found numbered among the worshipers of God.” – John Calvin 8

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Two important principles: 1. Form of worship matters to God. We are not free to worship in any way that is fulfilling to us. 2. Sufficiency of the Bible - Sola Scriptura Regulative Principle - “God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned in His word” - John Calvin “Pleasing God is at the heart of worship. Therefore, our worship must be informed at every point by the word of God as we seek God’s own instructions for worship that is pleasing to Him.” – RC Sproul 9

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Both Jews and Samaritans had it wrong. Samaritan worship: in spirit, but lacked truth Jewish worship: in truth, but lacked the spirit Spirit: Holy Spirit empowered Flowing from within (not merely external) Truth: Right theology is vital to acceptable worship. “True worship emerges from heart and mind in a response of pure adoration, based on the truth revealed in the Word. Genuine worship is a response to divine truth. It is passionate because it arises out of love for God. But to be true worship it must also rise out of a correct understanding of His law, His righteousness, His mercy, and His Being.” – John McArthur 10

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Colossians 3:15-16 – And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 11

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Corporate Worship Preparation – “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” Sacraments – “called in one body” Giving – “And be thankful” Preaching – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” Singing – “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” Prayer – the whole verse “Acceptable worship is impossible without preaching. For peaching is making known the Name of the Lord, and worship is praising the Name of the Lord made known. Preaching is indispensable to worship.” – John Stott 12

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Why is music and singing part of the worship service? Scriptural exhortation Unity: Edification and encouragement in the church Instruction: Hides the word in our hearts Beauty: Merges the emotions (spirit) and the mind (truth) in a way that simply speaking does not Colossians 3:16 and Psalm 150:3-6 Musical variety – psalms, hymns, songs, instruments Lyrical orthodoxy – word of Christ dwell in you richly “There are realities that demand to break out of prose into poetry and some demand that poetry be stretched into song. Singing is the Christian's way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.” – John Piper 13

“Spirit and truth” – Elements of worship Audience of One Ultimately, the worship service is not about receiving a blessing, it is about giving glory to God. However, worship is the engine of Christian life and ministry. Since we are created and redeemed for worshiping God, we will be most blessed when He is most glorified. When God is glorified, believers are purified, the church is edified, and the lost are evangelized. “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” – William Temple 14

Application Am I a worshiper of God? How big do I think God is? Is worship a way of life? What do I expect when I come here on Sundays? 15