Worship As An Act Of Discipleship
Today we are continuing our sermon series: Disciplines Of Discipleship.
Our focal verse for this series is from First Timothy chapter four and verse seven. Please follow along with me as I read:
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1st Timothy 4:7 (NASV)
In this series we have been examining the disciplines of discipleship – those actions – those practices – that will help us to grow as disciples of Christ. We have talked about – becoming a person of prayer. We have discussed – how to develop a quiet time with God. We have looked at the importance of Bible study in your spiritual development and we have emphasized that you – have the responsibility and ability to add to your spiritual development. That is why Timothy tells:
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1st Timothy 4:7 (NASV)
We must endeavor to become more like Christ. We must discipline ourselves – for the purpose of godliness. Our Father – Our Heavenly Father – wants us to become more like Him and His Son Jesus Christ.
Let me ask you a question – what can I do to help me grow as a Christian? Is there anything that I can do – to help me to be more like Christ? I believe the answer is yes. I can read my Bible. I can pray. I can meditate on God’s Word. I can worship! Yes – I can worship! You see worship is an act of discipleship. I can worship to become more like Jesus. I can worship to become more godly.
Here is a fact:
Godliness without the worship of God is IMPOSSIBLE.
But here is the danger:
Your worship can miss the MARK.
Jesus said it this way:
’THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.” Matthew 15:8-9 (NASV)
The Message Bible says it this way:
“These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they’re worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy." Matthew 15:8-9 (MSG)
You see – your worship can miss the mark. You can worship is vain. You can worship and your heart not be in it. Your worship can be a cover up – because you can go through the right motions – but not have the right focus.
Today I want to look at four facts about worship:
1. Worship is – Focusing and Responding to GOD
In John chapter twenty we find the story of Thomas – who had not been with the rest of the disciples when the resurrected Jesus appeared. When Jesus does appear to Thomas – he cries out in an act of worship:
“My Lord and my God.” John 20:28 (KJV)
In Revelation chapter four and verse eight we are told that four creatures around the throne of God worship day and night saying:
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Revelation 4:8 (NASV)
God is always to be the center of our worship. To worship Him is to ascribe the proper worth to God – to magnify His holiness – to magnify His worthiness. He is worthy of all the worth and honor we can give Him and infinitely more. The more we focus on God, the more we understand and appreciate how worthy He is.
But something else happens in worship that is rarely talked about. The closer I come to a Holy God in worship – the more I come to realize my own un-holiness. To be exposed to Holy God should bring about a response in me that should have me examine my own life and my state of affairs. You see it over and over again in scripture where God is worshiped and the worshiper cries out because their spiritual state is exposed. This is what happened to Isaiah in chapter six of that book. He cries out:
“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 (KJV)
To walk into the presence of God is a life altering event. God is worshiped – man is made transparent. We are not worshiping if we are not focusing on God and responding to Him. You may be in a church building – singing songs – reading scripture – listening to a sermon – but without focusing on God and responding to Him – you are not worshiping. You may be just going through the motions. You can only be worshiping God by focusing on Him and responding to Him.
Fact two:
2. Worship is – Conducted In Spirit and In TRUTH
The most profound passage on the subject of worship is found in John chapter four. Follow along with me as I read:
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24 (NASV)
Before you can worship in spirit and in truth you must have within you the One whose name is the “Spirit of Truth” – the Holy Spirit. He lives only within those who have come to Christ in repentance and in faith. Without Him – true worship will not happen. To worship God in spirit is to worship from the inside out. That means that there must be an attitude of sincere worship – for there to be true worship. No matter how spiritual the song you are singing – no matter how profound the prayer you are praying – if it is not sincere – it is not worship – it’s hypocrisy.
When the scripture talks about worshiping in truth – it is talking about the truth as revealed through the Bible. There are many attributes of God revealed in the scripture. We may like the fact that the scripture talks about a God who is loving and kind – but the scripture also talks about a God who will come again to judge the living and dead – and that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is a jealous God and He does not allow worship to be given to any other god that comes along. (Exodus 20:5) Just because we may not like that fact – gives us no right to ignore that fact. He must be worshiped in spirit and in truth for it to be true worship.
The Bible reveals God to us – so that we can have a clear understanding of who He is and how we should respond to Him. We should never stop worshiping God – just because we do not understand His ways fully. One of our acts of worship is to a God whom we comprehend – but never fully.
Fact three:
3. Worship is – Expected Both Publicly and PRIVATELY
Believers are expected to participate regularly in public worship. In Hebrews chapter ten we find:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and 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.” Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASV)
Go ahead and circle the words “assembling together”. This means that Christians are to gather together with other believers for the express purpose of worship. Christianity is not an isolationist religion. There are to be no “Lone Ranger” Christians. (Besides even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.)
The New Testament describes the Church as a “body”, a “building”, and a “family”. Each one of these terms – speaks of the relationship between the individual units and that of the whole. We are individually Christian – but collectively – we are Christian too.
The author of Hebrews even gives us the reason that we are to assemble together – look at the passage from Hebrews again. We assemble together to – “to stimulate one another to love and good deeds”. Our assembling together is an act of encouragement to other believers. We should always seek ways to encourage one another – and worshiping together should be – habitually – one of those ways.
On the other hand – public worship alone will not satisfy our need to meet God in those quiet places. Luke – speaking of Jesus – tells us:
“He continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.” Luke 5:16 (ISV)
We find in the scriptures that Jesus faithfully participated in public worship but He also faithfully participated in private worship as well. Matthew Henry the familiar Puritan commentator has said, “Public worship will not excuse us from secret worship.” We must worship God with other believers and in private as well. That was the habit of Jesus and it should be our habit as well.
That brings us to the fourth fact:
4. Worship is – A Discipline to be Learned and PRACTICED
Jesus instructed us:
’YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’ Matthew 4:10 (NASV)
To worship the Lord our God throughout our lifetimes requires discipline. Without discipline, our worship of God will be inconsistent at best. The book of Hebrews has already told us that we are to consistently “assemble together” so that we can “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”. Forming “Holy Habits” takes consistency – which takes discipline.
Here again I must add a caution – remember worship is focusing and responding to God. My footprints can lead me to the habit of worship – but my heartbeats must lead me to a relationship with God.
Worship of God – is an end in itself.
There is no higher goal than to focus on God and respond to God. To reach that goal to reach for Godliness. The more truly we worship God, the more we become like Him. Remember what I said at the beginning of the sermon? I said,
Godliness without the worship of God is IMPOSSIBLE.
It is a true statement. People become what they focus on. We emulate what we think about. Paul said it this way:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NASV)
Focusing on the world more than on the God makes me more worldly than Godly. But if I would be more Godly, I must focus on God. Godliness requires focused thinking. I must “be transformed by the renewing of my mind”. I must, “Discipline myself for the purpose of godliness.”
Here is what I have found in life – I become what I am committed to. In 1972 I committed myself to be husband to my wife. I am still committed to that goal. In 1974 I committed myself to follow Christ as my Savior. I am still committed to that goal. In 1976 I committed to following Christ into the ministry. I am still committed to that goal as well. All of these commitments have shaped my life. I have become what I am committed to.
How about you? Will you commit your life to Christ? Will you commit to following Him in discipleship? Will you commit to worshiping Him daily? It takes discipline to be a disciple. Will you commit to that goal?
(I would like to thank Donald S. Whitney for his book: “Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life” which helped inspire this sermon.)
