The Sanctity of Worship I. Introduction A. We have gathered here today to worship God B. What is our "worship?" 1. Webster’s definition: Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness/Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like. 2. The Greek word used: proskuneo a. Thayer: 1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence 2) among the Orientals, especially the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication 3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank C. We must constantly examine ourselves to make sure the worship we offer to God is pleasing and acceptable in His sight (John 4:24) D. Let us examine the Scriptures to see how we ought to worship God II. Worship and Men A. We can see from the definitions of the word that "worship" has to do with the reverence and display of obesiance from an inferior to a superior B. We are proud to be Americans who live freely, considering all humans equal under the same laws, yet in so doing many believe that they are the final authority C. In older times, especially under monarchies, people understood better what authority was and how one would provide worship to one who was "worth" worshipping D. Example: the Persian king 1. In Esther 4:11, we see Esther speaking about entering the king's audience without having been invited 2. Such an action automatically merited death—a sign from the king was required to save the life of such a person! 3. If one knows that even merely entering the presence of the king improperly led to immediate death, will such a person treat the king with reverence and honor or will he act casually and without concern? 4. Anyone with wisdom would treat the king with great reverence and conform to his desires in how to be reverenced E. If such "worship" was reserved for mere men, how ought we consider our worship of the King of Kings? 1. In 1 John 1:3 we are told that we have fellowship with the Father and the Son—we can approach Them at any time in prayer 2. We have such awesome privileges, yet do we take them casually? F. Realizing that the infringement of the protocol for worshipping a mere king led to immediate death, how ought we consider the infringement of the protocol for worshipping the King of Kings? 1. God did not establish liberty in all matters of worship 2. There are things we must do and we must do them properly G. But before we discuss the things we must do in our worship to God and how to do them, it is first appropriate to see what happens when men enter the presence of God. III. The Holiness of the Presence of God A. Both the Old and the New Testaments are full of examples of men coming into the presence of the Glory of God B. Exodus 3:6: Moses is afraid to look at God C. Exodus 19:10-16: The Israelites must be consecrated to be in God's presence; they tremble D. Job 42:1-6: Job is laid low by the presence of God and His Truth E. Isaiah 6:1-7: All Isaiah can do is declare himself unclean F. Ezekiel 1:28: Ezekiel falls to his face G. Mark 9:2-7/Luke 9:28-34: Peter is completely dumbfounded at the Transfiguration H. Do we see a trend? 1. Man is afraid in the presence of the glory of God 2. Man can only declare his own sinfulness and unworthiness at the presence of God I. And most of these did not receive the promise (Hebrews 11:39-40)! J. We have received the promise, and have been given the ability to enter the presence of God in praise and worship this very moment K. Do we have the attitude of those who have been in the presence of God, or do we forget that Christ is with us (Matthew 18:20)? L. Are we worshipping in vain or do we truly seek to worship God in a manner that pleases Him? IV. Our Worship A. We have seen that worship was even given to mere men in positions of authority, and improprieties led to immediate death B. We have seen how men have composed themselves in the presence of the Almighty God C. We are to worship this Almighty God; how shall we do this? 1. according to our own whims? 2. Or as God would have us worship Him? D. What are we to do? 1. Remember His Son in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11) 2. Make a collection for the needs of the local church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2, 2 Corinthians 9) 3. Songs sung to praise and glorify God and to instruct one another (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16) 4. Prayers of supplication (1 Thessalonians 5:17) 5. A lesson of God’s Word (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 14:19) E. We certainly do these things, and we must always recognize that we are not to make vain and meaningless repetitions of actions as ritual (cf. Matthew 6:1-4), but to personalize the worship as our offering of reverence to our God who desires to save us F. But do we think about our worship environment and how things are to be done? 1. 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Corinthians 14:40 give us instructions regarding worship 2. Women are to remain silent—do women remain silent? Paul considered it "shameful" for a woman to speak in the assembly of the saints in worship, and I fear that I have at some moments heard women speaking in the worship service so that all can hear. I am sure that this will "step on some toes," but I must preach what God has said—if any woman speak in the assembly of worship, it is shameful! 3. We are to worship God "decently" and "in order." Is our worship "decently" and "in order?" If announcements are neglected at the beginning, is it "decent" and "orderly" to say them while we would praise God in song? Should we make light of situations that may come up that are not related to the worship itself? Do we cause distractions from our true purpose by doing these things? G. We would certainly never think of adding an instrument to the worship since God never commanded it yet we will often approach worship in a manner that can be casual. Yes, we have a close relationship with the Father in Heaven, but no matter how close our relationship is, He is still God Almighty and worthy of appropriate worship and we are mere dust unworthy of the privileges given to us H. Let us strive to share the attitude of those who are in the presence of God, showing ourselves to be in complete humility and subjection to God Almighty and praising and worshipping Him as He desires to be praised and worshipped. V. Invitation A. If you are not a member of the Body of Christ, however, nothing that will be done in worship will be of any value B. Only those who have named Christ as their Savior and who obey Him in all things—not just external worship—will make it to Heaven (Romans 12:1-2) C. If we can do anything to assist you, please let us help you as we stand and sing