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[0:00] As men in the church, the most important activity that we can be involved in is true worship.

[0:20] ! There's no more important activity than true worship.! Isn't it interesting, in our day, we've had to start using that buzzword, true, true believer, we're a true church.

[0:35] But men, we're called to be true worshipers of the true God. And Jesus gives us the blueprint for true worship when he met with the woman at the well.

[0:49] And what an interesting time he had there, a Jew, Jewish rabbi, who's talking to a Samaritan woman.

[1:01] I'm sure the disciples were uncomfortable even being in Samaria. You know, they didn't want to go through Samaria.

[1:12] And he said, we must go through Samaria. Because he knew about that divine encounter. A woman of very questionable character. Married five times. Now, living out of wedlock.

[1:25] Like my wife says, at least you knew she was something more mentally. Five husbands. But now living out of wedlock. And here Jesus is having a discussion with her about true worship.

[1:39] Now, when we closed last time, we were talking about the importance of worship, especially as it pertains to the church, the corporate body of Christ.

[1:52] And that is to say, we are not to forsake the assembling together of ourselves as the church.

[2:03] We're to meet. We meet in this church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Monday night, Wednesday night. We come together to stimulate one another.

[2:14] Interesting word. And to love one another. And we come together not because we have a nice building, although we do. We come here because this is where the people of God meet.

[2:29] And we have planted within us by the Spirit of God when we were saved to be around God's people. That's just in us.

[2:40] Every now and then I meet someone who says, well, I don't need a church full of hypocrites to worship God. I can go out to the woods and sit on a rock and worship Him just as well as a bunch of hypocrites in a church.

[2:55] I've had a lot of people tell me that. And my response to them is usually twofold. First, I say, look, don't refuse to attend a church because of the presence of hypocrites.

[3:09] There's always room for one more. I tell them that. There's always room for one more. And second, God commands the church to meet.

[3:20] And I tell that person, if you're a believer, you've been commanded by the living God to meet in the church house. You show me someone who has no desire to do that.

[3:36] Just anything, want anything to do with the church, I'll show you an unbeliever. I mean, I'm just convinced of that. Let me give a little leeway at best one of the weakest, most miserable brothers that are around.

[3:50] You can't separate Christ and His bride. You can't do it. I told you before, you need to hit. Someone can't come to you and say, I want to come to your house and watch the Super Bowl. But if your wife's not going to be on, I can't stand her.

[4:02] You can't do that. It is in church that we are stimulated by the preaching of the word and we build each other up.

[4:14] And then we go out and live the Christian life among unbelievers. Hopefully, they see us living in such a manner and they see what we have and they're drawn to the church.

[4:32] They're brought into the church. And that's replicated. When we live the Christian life outside the church, it is a joy to gather back together.

[4:45] I call this the refueling station. We get our tank full on Sunday and Monday and Wednesday. We're going to come up with something like about Friday to get recharged.

[4:58] More than dominoes, Oscar. To get recharged. Now, how do we do all this? Well, one good place to start for the church and for brothers in Christ is confession of sin.

[5:12] That's always a good place to start. But the root of the problem, and actually the root of many of our problems, is that we're not worshiping six days a week as we prepare our hearts for Sunday.

[5:30] I'm talking about private worship, closet worship. We started out this, remember, weeks ago in January, talking about the closet. And I've said, fellas, if we hadn't been worshiped on Saturday, we're not going to be worshiping on Sunday.

[5:47] We've got to have our hearts prepared. Our lives really are to be an unbroken pattern of worship. Worship of the living God.

[5:59] That's why it is so sad. In many churches, people come only when it is convenient. And, of course, you know we have the C&E Christians, Christmas and Easter.

[6:13] And, you know, there will be a lot of people here, Easter. And praise the Lord. You know, they'll hear the word of truth. Brothers, we are called to a life of love and good works.

[6:26] Now, we studied this, not in here, but Sunday morning a couple years ago. Let me read to you chapter 10 of Hebrews. Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

[6:51] Well, there, the author uses stimulate. We come here and we're stimulated. So, do you see the importance of worship in that passage?

[7:03] We come together for stimulation. It leads to greater love and good works. We develop that great habit of being an encourager to one another.

[7:17] And we do this in light of the day drawing near. Now, there's room for some disagreement on that. I believe that's talking about the day of the return of Christ. The day is drawing near.

[7:29] And we're closer right now than we ever have been. It is also important that when you assemble together, it is in a worshiping church.

[7:41] There are plenty. There are churches in Barneville that engage in true worship. There's no question. But there are plenty of churches in Barneville that don't. They do not engage in true worship.

[7:54] Always make sure you are in a church that is involved in true worship. How will you know? The Spirit of God will tell you, and the Word of God will reveal it to you.

[8:06] What are they preaching? You know, I had a good friend. We were in the FBI together, and he was an agent out in West Kansas. Randy. He called me one day.

[8:19] We were talking. I said, Are you and Laura in a church with the boys? And he said, Yeah, but we're thinking about finding another one. I said, Well, what's the deal? He said, Well, we go to a little Methodist church here in town.

[8:30] Last Sunday was the 17th week on homosexual rights. We're thinking about dropping out. I said, Well, you need to run. Don't just walk away from that church.

[8:41] You need to flee from that. Worship is essential because it dominates Scripture, and because it is a matter of destiny.

[8:54] It's destiny. Now, we've already covered those two topics. Third, worship is essential because it is the major theme of the universe.

[9:05] The whole universe. Have you ever thought about that? True worship of the true God is the single most important activity in the universe bar none.

[9:19] Our present worship is preparation for our worship later in glory, but there are angels that did not fall with Lucifer that are worshiping in heaven right now with the Lord.

[9:32] They're already worshiping. It's the predominant thing in the universe. When Adam and Eve were created, they were created as worshiping beings.

[9:43] They walked with God and glorified His holy name. When they fell, it was because they had stopped worshiping. They stopped worshiping.

[9:57] They said to Richard, I kind of wish it was. Eve made a decision to worship Satan and to hearken to his instruction. Adam chose to worship Eve and hearken to her instruction.

[10:16] And I bet only a few of you have ever thought of the fall of mankind in those terms. When they stopped worshiping the true God, a void was created.

[10:29] And it was an absolute recipe for disaster. And let's face it, we are still reaping the habit of that rebellion. And we will until Jesus comes back.

[10:41] And we'll be taken out, but those that remain will still reap that habit because of the sin nature that was inherited by the human race. Cain and Abel worshipped.

[10:52] One worshipped acceptably and the other did not. And Cain's failure to worship God in spirit and truth led what?

[11:03] Led to the first murder in the human family in all the universe and in all of history. Brother killing brother. When Israel worshipped the true God in an acceptable manner, they were blessed.

[11:19] When they did not worship God in an acceptable manner, they were chastened. When Israel left Egypt, they failed to worship God properly and instead of what would normally be an 11-day walk, 11-day journey, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

[11:47] And those in that generation just died off one by one. They said their bones are out there in Sinai. What is today Sinai of the wilderness. Even Moses failed in this regard because he failed to worship properly in a moment of time.

[12:06] He did not enter the promised land. And you always have to correct people. He actually did, but it was 1600 years later on the Mount of Transfiguration. But he was long dead. But he didn't worship properly and he violated the commandments of God on that and he didn't enter the promised land.

[12:23] How many in the church today miss the promise of God because they fail to worship properly? So how important is worship?

[12:34] when Jesus was on earth the Father sent him to the central place of worship in that time that was the temple in Jerusalem and what did the Lord do?

[12:49] He took a whip he made a whip and he cleaned the place out. He cleaned it out. He dealt sternly with the false corrupt worshipers that were infecting that place and then he called for true worshipers to enter in and worship God correctly through him.

[13:15] But he fumigated it man. He drove them out. Worship is the centerpiece of redemptive history.

[13:25] In Philippians chapter 3 and I wonder how many of us ever read this with this passage in mind for we are the true circumcision who worship in the spirit of God glory in Christ Jesus third put no confidence in the flesh.

[13:49] It's a great passage of scripture. Worship in the spirit glory in Christ and we don't have any confidence in the flesh. None.

[14:01] That is the church and remember church isn't brick and mortar is it? It's people. That is the church and individual members of the church at worship worshiping through the spirit of God glorifying Christ with no confidence in our flesh.

[14:20] There is perhaps no greater identity of the church than is contained in that passage. It's a great passage. So what is the church there?

[14:30] It is the true circumcision. That is a way of saying that the church is uniquely identified as the people of God. But note that it is not a physical circumcision.

[14:44] That was huge with the Jews. Are you saying well sure I've been circumcised? Circumcised into Abraham. Of course I'm saved. This is the true circumcision.

[14:57] This is a way of saying that the church is uniquely identified as the people of God. The true church. But it's not physical. These are the people who worship God with their spirit.

[15:11] And they worship God in spirit and choice. these are the people who rejoice in Christ and at the same time put no confidence and have no confidence in their flesh.

[15:26] That is what describes a Christian. That's a believer right there. He or she who is a person who worships God in the spirit and puts no confidence in the flesh.

[15:42] we are called to be a worshiping people. And it is the very theme of heaven. It will be a place of eternal worship of our God.

[15:55] Why not get ready now? Because we're going to spend eternity there worshiping the Lord. Revelation chapter 4.

[16:09] And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders will fall down before him who sits on the throne and will worship him who lives forever and ever and will cast their crowns before the throne saying, worthy are you, our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and because of your will they existed and were created.

[16:52] That's heaven. That's a vision of heaven right there. We're going to be witnessing all that. Some of you guys, not me, maybe some of those elders.

[17:04] That's heaven. Revelation 5 verse 11. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures, that's the seraphim, and the elders, there you got the church, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.

[17:29] How much is that? That's a whole gaggle. That's a bunch of folks. Saying with a loud voice, worthy, is the lamb. Okay, which lamb are we talking about here?

[17:43] We all know, of course, because John goes on, according to what he's hearing in heaven, worthy is the lamb that was slain, talking Christ here, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing, and every created thing which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, to him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and dominion, forever, and ever.

[18:30] and the four living creatures kept saying amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. It's a theme of heaven. Get your closets and start now.

[18:42] Don't wait until that day. Come here Sunday morning and engage in true worship. It's what we're going to be doing in heaven. Revelation is a book of worship.

[18:56] Revelation chapter 11 verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.

[19:16] And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

[19:35] Remember I talked early on about getting in your closet and getting on your faces like those elders did. Just getting before the Lord. Revelation 14.

[19:46] And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people and he said with a loud voice, Fear God.

[20:04] Give him glory. We can do that now. We don't have to wait. Because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made heaven and the earth and sea and springs of water.

[20:21] The angel had with him the eternal gospel. Gospel that never dies. What is the eternal message? Worship God.

[20:32] Worship God in triunity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is the message of the everlasting gospel. Revelation 15 verses 3 and 4.

[20:44] Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of the nations. That's Jesus.

[20:54] Jesus, he's the king, who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name, for you alone are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

[21:12] The nations today don't realize that's where they're headed, do they? They're headed there. Can you imagine? This country's headed there. The nations of the world.

[21:23] Revelation 19 and the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, Amen, Hallelujah.

[21:38] This is us in heaven. John the revelator fell down at the feet of an angel. See a problem with that? Yes. John falls down at the feet of this angel who had delivered this message to him and this is what the angel had to say to John.

[21:57] John writes, Now I fell at his feet to worship him. Big problem. But he said to me, do not do that.

[22:10] Don't do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.

[22:23] Worship God. I told you about the little girl from Thailand, little girl, short little girl, that fell down before Diane and mine. She bowed to our feet.

[22:35] I went into panic mode. And all I could think of, so I saved on Diane and we got down on the same level with her. I wasn't about to stand over her and let her do it.

[22:46] Revelation 22, I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

[23:03] But he said to me, do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who heed the words of this book.

[23:15] worship God. Worship God. When David Koresh took over the branch Davidian and was down there claiming to be God, claiming to be Christ, one of my best friends I worked with in the FBI, Clint Vanzad, he was the chief hostage negotiator.

[23:36] He told me years later, he said, I wish you'd have been down with us because he was giving us these passages and revelations. We had no clue what they meant. I said, I wish I'd been there. But he said, Koresh kept saying, come on up here, we're not going to shoot you.

[23:53] I want you to come up here and bow down and worship. And Clint said, David, I'm not going to bow down and worship you're not God. I will only bow to the true God and you're not the true God.

[24:05] What I told Clint you should do is, the Bible says that the true God will meet us in the air. I'm going to get in a helicopter and go up 1,500 feet. You come up there and meet me in the air and then we'll talk about whether you're the true God or not.

[24:20] So again, we see John amazed by the vision he was receiving to fall down. and he falls down and he attempts to worship an angel.

[24:33] The angel forbids him to do so. And the angel points out what really we all know and that is, worship only God. That is the everlasting gospel.

[24:45] That is God's message from eternity to eternity. I've told you how Abraham Lincoln, the slave, were banged down to him and he couldn't stand it. He was yanking him up and he was a big man.

[24:56] He said only bow to God, never bow to a man. Worship is the theme of eternal life. It is a theme of redemptive history.

[25:08] Worshiping the true and living and glorious God should be the heartbeat of this church. And I've said before and I believe this, I don't think you're ever at a higher level of worship than sitting under the preaching of the word, the expository preaching of the word, verse by verse.

[25:28] I really believe that because we're listening to what God wrote down and gave us. Worshiping the true and living and glorious God is our heartbeat.

[25:42] Scripture calls us to worship. Destiny calls us to worship. Eternity calls out for us to worship. There's another reason to worship and the Lord commands that we worship.

[25:55] it's a command. And again, Matthew chapter 4. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

[26:13] And he said to him, all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. And then Jesus said to him, go Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

[26:31] And he banished him from his presence. Matthew 4 verses 8 to 10. Jesus spoke these words to Satan, but it went much further than that.

[26:42] The command applies to every being ever created. it encompasses worshiping angels, fallen angels, every human that has ever existed or ever will exist.

[26:55] All are responsible before God to worship him and when we say worship God, we're talking about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the answer is to all three.

[27:09] Now, anyone claiming to be a true believer who cannot worship on Sunday fails because they have a defective view of Scripture.

[27:20] And I understand. I've got a lot of police officers who can't be at church on Sunday morning. I understand that. Of course, I have a lot of police officers who can and they don't. People have to work on Sunday mornings, but there's Sunday night, there's Wednesday night.

[27:38] But the Word of God is a manual on true worship. Our worship is not designed for once a week for a couple of hours or 30 minutes in a Sunday school claim.

[27:52] Our worship is designed as a way of life. But when the church does come together for worship, and we come singing hymns and praises, and we sit especially under the preaching of the Word to produce really a boiling over of praise and adoration.

[28:16] That's what the church is. We should go out of here boiling over with praise and adoration for our King and not, boy, we might beat the Methodists to the white meat.

[28:27] We're not sure. It's going to be close. We shouldn't be even thinking about that. A boiling over in praise and adoration is worship from the heart.

[28:39] worship. Now we should already when we come to church, and I've said this, we should already have been enjoying private worship during the week.

[28:50] We should already be doing that. We should already be listening to Christian music. We should have already been worshiping in private, worshiping with your spouses. When we come together on Sunday, our worship joins with others and is enriched and enhanced.

[29:06] But it's an extenuation of what has happened, say, Saturday night or during the week. And then I always get this, I don't know if I can do this eloquently, but please understand also when we come Sunday morning, we are linking up with the church in heaven.

[29:26] They're worshiping at the very time we're worshiping. Of course, they're worshiping all the time. But remember, when you're next Sunday, remember, there's a gaggle of people worshiping in heaven.

[29:41] And we're linking up, and I can't remember which one it was, one of the great guys in the past years, but he said, we tend to think heaven is trillions of light years away. Heaven is just another dimension right next to us, and it's just a little small stream that separates the church on earth to the church in heaven.

[30:01] It's a very small stream, but we can step over it when we die. We just step over it, and we're in that dimension called heaven. It is a glorious thing, my brothers, when the church comes together to worship God.

[30:17] A glorious thing. And we worship, and I know we worship on Sunday, but I've seen some times at this church when it was unique.

[30:28] It was special. Now, I can think back over the years of those periods of time. really neat. John MacArthur points out that three of the heroes of the faith written about in Hebrews chapter 11 were Abel, Enoch, and Noah.

[30:49] And the writer wrote about those three. And Abel was a worshiper of God, wasn't he? Unlike his brother, Cain. Abel paid with his life for being a true worship of God.

[31:02] So Abel worshipped God. Enoch walked with God. He walked with God. It's real interesting.

[31:13] I don't have it open there, and it's not in my nose, but Enoch was rolling along, and when he got to be 65 years old, he had a son. And it said after that he walked with God.

[31:28] And a lot of us in here are dads. all of us in here are sons. Everybody in here. And there's something that will draw you to the worship.

[31:40] And when my youngest was born, I was in the room, and I got to see that miracle. Enoch saw his baby son, and he started to walk with God.

[31:53] In fact, one evening, he just kept walking, walked right into heaven. Nice way to go. Abel worshipped, Enoch walked, Noah worked for God.

[32:06] He worked. That is the flow of the Christian life. We're to worship God, we're to walk with God, and we're to work for God in this life.

[32:20] That's what we do. When we are deficient in one area, we're deficient in our Christian life. we have to balance all three of those.

[32:32]  So be men who worship God, walk with God, and work for God.