Worship

The first book of Samuel and we're going to read in chapter 10. First book of Samuel chapter 10 reading verse 3. Then thou shalt go forward from Thames and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel one carrying three kits another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine. The Lord will bless what we have heard and also this reading from his good word.

Our brother Tom has brought before us a very important subject and that subject was fellowship. I'm going to bring before you again another important subject and that subject is worship. I'm one today who believes this.

I believe some of the most important subjects are some of the most neglected subjects and that is the subject of worship. One of the most gifted men I ever listened to and certainly one of the most godliest men I ever listened to once said this his name was William True and William True said this worship our greatest privilege and then he added those words we have failed in the greatest thing. So what I'm going to talk about for a short time today the importance of worship.

Now for example how does the Bible begin? Go to the book of Genesis. Abel was a worshipper. Noah was a worshipper.

Abraham was a worshipper and Jacob was a worshipper. So remember the Bible. The Bible begins with the thought of worship.

But come to the book of Malachi and the question is asked will a man rob God? And I come to the book of Malachi and I discover this. God is being robbed in three different ways. Listen to what it says.

If I be a father where is my honor? And if I be a master where is my fear? And if I be a great king where is my worship? So remember the Bible begins with the thought of worship. The Old Testament ends God is being robbed of his worship. Come again.

How does Matthew's gospel begin? Matthew's gospel begins with the thought of worship. Where is he? That is born king of the Jews. We have seen his star in the east and we have come to worship him.

How does Matthew's gospel end? They held him by the feet and they worshipped him. Him. How does the book of Revelation begin? Chapter one says this.

He has made us a kingdom of priests unto his God and Father. How does the book of the Revelation end? Revelation chapter 22 says this. Worship God.

Now let's stop for one moment. What are you and I going to do in heaven? You ever think on these things? What are we going to do in heaven? One thing we're going to do in heaven is this. We're going to worship.

I love those words today. Listen to them. And still as we study him more, ponder his works and his ways, new beauties unnoticed before are going to blossom out to our gaze.

And one of the things we're going to do in heaven, you and I are going to worship. Now a few things very quickly. It takes state and it takes condition to worship God.

Now, I don't know this area, but I'm going to say it. If a man's not on his feet on Sunday morning, that man should not be on his feet Sunday night. Worship comes before service.

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. It takes state and condition to worship God. Let me ask you a question.

After Paul saw sinners saved and after Paul saw assemblies planted, what was his chief concern? Three things. And they're found in the Philippian epistle. First of all, salvation.

And we'll touch the salvation. Secondly, safety. And then thirdly, state.

You remember Philippians chapter two? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It's the salvation of the assembly that they might be saved from strife, from envy, and from division. So, their salvation, chapter two.

When I come to chapter three, I notice this, their safety. To write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not irksome, but for you it is safe. But I come to chapter two again, and I read a verse like this.

Paul sent Timothy that he might be of good comfort when he knew their state. And the salvation and the safety and the state of this assembly was Paul's chief concern. Now let me give you a few things very quickly, if our worship is going to be acceptable.

If I read my Bible correctly, I discover this. Men that know God trust him. You turn to Psalm 9 verse 10, you'll read a verse like this.

They that know thy name shall put their trust in thee. And people that know God, they trust him. But you go to First Chronicles 28, and you read a verse like this.

The words of a father to a son, the words of David to Solomon, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. So people that know God trust him, and people that know God serve him. But my point this morning, on this afternoon, is this.

People that know God are people that worship him. And brother Tom mentioned Genesis 35. Notice three things in Genesis 35.

The God that was with Jacob, and the God that appeared to Jacob, and the God that answered Jacob was the God that Jacob worshipped. Now Jacob tells us three things in Genesis 35. Notice the three things.

Put away the strange gods that are among you, be ye clean, and change your garments. Three things. If I'm going to worship God, there has to be reality.

Put away the strange gods that are among you. There has to be purity. Be ye clean.

There has to be freshness. Change your garments. Now let's come to my verse today.

Notice four things. I want you to notice a person. That's the first thing.

And the person is God. Then I want you to notice a place, and the place is Bethel, the house of God. And then I want you to notice persons that were priestly.

Three men. They're not all carrying the same thing, but they're all carrying something. One man is carrying three kids.

Don't come to me at interval and say, Mr. Driver, how can one man carry three kids? The Bible says one man carried three kids. Another man carried three loaves of bread, and another man carried a bottle of wine. They did not all carry the same thing, but they all carried something.

Let me speak to every brother this afternoon. What did you carry this morning? What did I carry this morning? Let me speak to every sister today. What did you carry this morning? And the question might be asked, why did those people carry something? Notice the order.

They're going up to God, to Bethel. It's a person that's bringing them to a place. Hence, one man carries three kids.

Another man carries three loaves of bread, and another carries a bottle of wine. I could see the burnt offering. I could see the meal offering.

I could see the peace offering in those things that those men carried. Let's come very quickly. If my worship is going to be acceptable, first of all, let me say this.

It has to be willingly. Listen to what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that you and I can do a thing two ways.

For example, we can do it willingly, or we can do it reluctantly. And remember, Paul says this, if you do a thing willingly, you'll have a reward. But if you do a thing reluctantly, you will not get a reward.

In our worship, there must be willingness. Secondly, you know it must be in the fear of the Lord. I look outside today, and remember, outside there is no fear of God before the rise.

And I fear very often what marks the outside finds its way inside, and the fear of God seems to be lacking amongst us. One verse, in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy temple. There must be the fear of the Lord.

Come again. You know it must be in the spirit of God. For example, if our prayer is going to be acceptable, it must be by the spirit of God.

Jude's epistle says this, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. If our prayer is going to be acceptable, it must be in the spirit. If our ministry is going to be acceptable, it must be in the spirit.

Holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. If our preaching of the gospel is going to be acceptable, it must be in the spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1 says this, Our gospel came not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance.

My exercise today is this, if our worship is going to be acceptable, it must be by the presence and the power of the Spirit. Listen to what Paul says to the Philippians. We are the circumcision.

We worship God through the Spirit. We rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. I'm one today who believes this.

I believe God is the source of our worship. I believe Christ is the subject of our worship. I believe the Spirit of God is the strength of our worship.

And I believe the sanctuary is the sphere of our worship. Each time I was down, but I'm going to give you one more. Last of all, it must be costly.

You remember the words of David, Shall I offer unto the Lord that which costs me nothing? You remember Mary the worshipper? Notice three things about her worship. First of all, it was costly. One gospel says it could have been sold for much.

Another says it could have been sold for 300 pence. Another said it could have been sold for more than 300 pence. Mary's worship was costly.

You know, Mary's worship was criticized. The most criticized woman in the New Testament is Mary, and she's always at the Lord's feet. She's criticized by Martha.

She's criticized by the disciples, and she's criticized by Judas. But you know, not only was it costly, not only was it criticized, but you know it was commended. You remember what the Lord said? Against the day of my burying has she kept this.

I never heard Sidney Maxwell minister much. But six years ago, I had three operations, and I lay on a big chair most of that year. And I got an MP3 of Mr. Maxwell, and I listened to everything he had to say.

After I listened to Mr. Maxwell, I came up with this. If you're a worshipper, you're everything. If you're not a worshipper, you're nothing.

Listen to what the Bible says. The Father seeketh missionaries. No.

The Father seeketh teachers. No. The Father seeketh preachers.

No. The Father seeketh worshippers.