Bible Matters 427: Worship

Man worships in the flesh.  When you grow up in the flesh then you look for ways to worship in the flesh.    This is evident in big box store churches that pack in the people.  You start out with coffee and donuts.  You go into the worship hall and the musicians are warming up with horns, guitars, drums, violins and flutes.  When the service starts, the music blares and people are dancing in their seats.  At one church I witnessed to in 2024, the pastor even showed the people how they were supposed to hold their hands in the air and jump up and down to the music to worship God!  He explained that if you really want to worship God you keep the sabbath holy, get baptized in water and give tithes to the church.  You can do this all on line.  After the caffeine and sugar kicks in, you are good and pumped up, the music stops and then they go after your pocket book with requests for tithes, special offerings and money for the building fund.  A quick verse or two and service from the bible and then you are released for another week of serving the things of man in the flesh. 

In one church witness, the guitar player decided to put on a show for some young visitors.  He confided with one of the parishioners and said he was going to give the visitors a show.  He took a jacket and rolled it up to support his neck.  During a prayer service by the pastor in the front of the church, the guitar player fell down, as though he had passed out and was flopping around on the floor.  The pastor prayed over him and he stopped flopping and stood up as though the pastor healed him.

Another church witness was just the opposite.  The pastor came out and assured the people that they are saved and have everlasting life by just believing in Jesus.  The piano started playing and you could hear no one singing.  After the music, he told the congregation that they could place their tithes in the baskets at the back of the church. He gave a service from the bible, again promised the people everlasting life by believing in Jesus and the people were released for another week of serving the things of man. 

In those fifty plus church witnesses, I’ve seen it all.  Every church witness was somewhere between these extremes.    Modern day church worship is all about serving the creature!  They have changed the truth in God’s word into a lie. 

Romans 1:25-32 – Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

From the mouth of one or two witnesses, none of worship services provide any worship to God.  Jesus told you how to worship God.  He did not tell you to go to church on the sabbath.  He did not tell you to give tithes.  He did not tell you to get baptized in water.  When the devil tempted Jesus and said you can have all this if you worship me, Jesus said that to worship God, you only serve him.

Matthew 4:10 – Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus told you to worship God, then you keep the commandments!

Matthew 19:16-17 – And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mark 10:18 –  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Luke 18:19 – And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

When you recognize that God is good, you don’t seek to please him by whooping, hollering and serving man’s church service.  You don’t flop around like a fish on a beach to deceive the little ones.  You don’t promise salvation as that is something only God can give.  God gave me this verse at Stonelick Lake, which calls out those that promise salvation to the lost, as a wicked man. 

Proverbs 17:23 – A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

Once a false prophet ignores the truth in God’s word from the mouth of two or three witnesses and takes a text out of context and promises everlasting life to a lost person, that lost person may never serve God, love God nor love their neighbor.  Peter warns against these false prophets.

2 Peter 2:1 – But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Jesus gave you two commandments.  Love God and love your neighbor.    Jesus said to come and follow him. 

Luke 18:22 – Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

When you follow Jesus, you do as Jesus did.  Jesus bowed his head and prayed often to God the Father.  Jesus served his followers.   He made sure the hungry were fed.  The sick were healed.  The misfortunate are taken care of and never think of yourself as being too good as to serve.  As Jesus said, “ Happy are they that do them.” 

 John 13:3-8,14-17 – Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.  Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?  Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

 When you obey the Gospel of God, you worship God by doing his will.  When you believe in God, you worship him by serving your fellow man.  Your worship him by your well doing unto a faithful creator.

1 Peter 4:17-19 – For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

To worship God in spirit and truth and to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

John 4:23-24 – But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Psalm 66:1-4 – Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:  Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.  Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.  All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

To worship God as King and to serve no other gods. 

Daniel 3:18 – But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Start today by not serving your addiction and self, but serving your family and your children.  Put your social media down and fix that one thing you’ve been meaning to fix or that one room you’ve been meaning to paint.  Clear your brain and your being to be able to make time to serve others.  To serve that one friend or neighbor that needs your help.  Find a volunteer activity at school, church or other to serve man.  And most of all, make a joyful noise unto God.  To sing unto the Lord.  To share the truth in God’s word!  To share this ministry.

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen. .