WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT WORSHIP

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

Ephesians 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "

Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."

Because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 24:11).

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Matthew 15:1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." 3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 6 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "

Matthew 21:24 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 "The baptism of John -- where was it from? From heaven or from men?"

Matthew 21:25 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 "But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."

John 4:20 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."

John 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God is pictured as going up and down looking for someone who is worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. As you sit in the audience taking part, or maybe not taking part, in the worship, God is looking and trying to see if you are worshiping in the proper spirit. Is the worship an ordeal? Is there such hatred for someone in the service that you cannot worship with the right attitude? Are you listening to the prayers, and saying your amen to them? Did you miss the Bible study? Are you taking a part in the singing? Did you give your smallest coin, or moldiest old bill? Is the service something to criticize? How many real worshipers did God see in this audience?

24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

From the idea that is frequently suggested about singing, we gather that many in the church think worship is to be entertainment. But this is far from the truth. Worship is spiritual. It is to help us gain control over the flesh, and to do this the worship must be spiritual. If it appeals to the flesh, it defeats its own purpose. How foolish it is to add some novel attraction to worship to draw a crowd, and cultivate a taste that cannot be gratified, for more and more entertainment. If we enter into competition with the shows we are bound to fail, for the shows can put on far better shows than the church can, and so why go to church to see a show. Let us keep worship spiritual, and not arrange it to appeal to the flesh.

3. God’s Word is to be taught Acts 20:7 5 basic things authorized for our worship assembles: 1. On the first day of every week, we are to partake of the Lord’s Supper Acts 20:7 2. On the first day of every week, we are to give of our money 1 Cor. 16:1-2 3. God’s Word is to be taught Acts 20:7 4. We are to pray together 1 Thes. 5:17 5. We are all to sing together from our hearts without using musical instruments Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16.

John 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.