“It’s all about Worship.”
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
INTRODUCTION: - I want to start by declaring a few truths. TRUTH -From before the dawn of human history Lucifer, Satan, the Devil whatever name you decided to use has made his intention clear he desires to be worshipped as God. TRUTH - God will not share worship with anyone or anything. If we worship God, we worship Him alone and He only has the right to receive worship. TRUTH - There is no other person or being or object in the universe to which we may offer worship except to God, not angels, stars, the sun, or the devil. TRUTH - Worship leads to service. Whatever we worship ultimately, we will serve. The more we worship any person or anything, the more complete our commitment becomes to that person or thing, and we will begin to take on the identity of that person of thing. TRUTH - Bowing down is always an indication of worship. TRUTH - Ultimately our choice is not whether he will worship but only whom he will worship.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - John 4:22-24 “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 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”. Anything other than what this scripture demands is false and corrupt worship. Worshiping God in spirit is connecting with God on a non-physical level, it is worshipping Him with our heart, mind, and soul. Worship is not about rituals, traditions, a physical building, or the order in which a church service flows. Neither does worship need to consist of rehearsed prayers or songs, individual or corporate.
Many people worship and know not what they are worshipping. They believe that in some form they are worshipping God the father but in reality are worshipping the god of this world. For they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth anything else is a lie.
OPENING: - I have a friend in Ohio that I used to work with named Melissa, and we would always talk about the illuminati, the Free Masons, the Satanic influence of Hollywood and the music industry. She messaged me on Monday asking did I see the Satanic rituals that were done on the Grammy’s on Sunday and when she messaged me, I was in the process of watching it on YouTube. As I began to watch the blatant disrespect and utter blasphemy that was being done God began to put in my spirit a phrase - It’s all about Worship.
Then as I watched more I came across a tweet that had been posted by the broadcasting network CBS leading into Sunday night's Grammy Awards that caused a stir online. The tweet was CBS responding to a tweet from Singer Sam Smith, who said, “This is going to be Special” and someone from CBS responded “you can say that again. We are ready to worship”.
Then at the Grammy Awards Sam Smith, who identifies as nonbinary, he doesn’t consider himself a man or a women performs this song with Kim Petra a transgender female entitled “Unholy”, they are dressed in red and he has a hat with devil horns on it and many people in the audience have on devil horns and the lights are turned down and a red light is glowing over everything and they perform this song entitled “Unholy” which in and of itself lets you know what it is all about and glorifies adultery.
Later, Madonna, presented the Grammy for the best pop duo/group performance, awarding singers Sam Smith and Kim Petra for their hit song “Unholy.” She stated “If they call you shocking, scandalous, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something.”
Then I watched as Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, John Legend and a host of other artist sing a song entitled “God Did” and at one point DJ Khaled got on his knees and lifted up his hands like he was praising God, then they were all sitting at a table literally mocking the last supper of Jesus Christ.
Someone may say well Bishop they were saying in the song that when no-one believed in them God did therefore let us bow our heads and say a prayer m-m-m. Be not deceived God is not mocked. The problem is in the one whom they are praying to.
Listen the Bible constantly tells us to be alert, watch out, and to be careful not to get deceived. Sadly, it seems some Christians and most un-Christians think they are immune to deception. God’s Word warn us continuously against deception because it is such a grave danger. Matthew 24:24 says “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 says, “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain”. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”.
UNDERSTAND: - The devil is trying to deceive people and he uses what seems innocent, or just entertainment as a weapon of mass destruction. His desire is to receive worship taking what is demanded by God for God unto himself.
WATCH THIS: - Lucifer in the 14th chapter of Isaiah is presented to us saying “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High”.
Then Ezekiel 28:13-18 says, “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee”.
This happened in what is called eternity past. Lucifer wanted the worship for himself. He oversaw the leading of worship in heaven and when he got lifted in pride God stripped him of his position and kicked him out of heaven but his desire to have worship remained in him. Ezekiel 28:14 says, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee”. Let me present to you that the iniquity that was found in him was the desire or the lust for worship which is wrapped up in pride.
WATCH THIS: - When Jesus was here on earth in the flesh and he had fasted forty days and forty nights the Bible says in Matthew 4:1-11 says, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 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. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him”.
QUESTION: - When did the devil leave – when the issue of worship was settled. See it’s all about worship. The grammy’s what ever shock value there might have been, what ever blasphemy took place, what ever was done was done because of worship. The devil was receiving worship from the performers that were doing whatever it was that they were doing. The song Unholy was worship for the devil, all the people that were wearing the devil horns was worship for the devil, the song God did was worship for the devil, the words that came out of Madonna’s mouth were all worship for the devil because it’s all about worship. I do not believe that everyone is a satanist, but I believe the Word of God and it says Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship.
WATCH THIS: - It is a Biblical mandate that we worship God and Him alone. Worship is an act that is designed not only to bring honor to Him who deserves honor, but also to bring a spirit of obedience and submission to the worshippers. The devil is an intelligent being and he understands how worship works he knows if he can get people to worship him, giving him honor, then they will become obedient and submit to him and do his will. Now I am not saying everyone that gives him worship is a Satanist, because they Bible says ye worship and know not what ye worship, they have been deceived. I believe that DJ Khaled when he got on his knees and held up his hands thought he was giving God worship, but he has been deceived.
Bishop - What Is Worship?
The word worship comes from the Old English word “worth-ship” which means to give worth to. In a secular context, the word can mean to hold something in high esteem. It is to hold something up with such reverence, honor, and esteem that your only desire is to bow down before it. There is a Greek word called “Proskyneo” = pros kue now and a Hebrew word called “Shachac” = sha-cha. Both terms refer to a posture of submission and thus an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. It literally means the kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether to express respect or to make supplication to bow down, to lay prostrate before God, to worship.
The devil knows this and deceives people into doing this to him because he desires worship.
True Worship is in Spirit and in Truth and it is giving God the best that He has given you. We own nothing of worth to present to God in worship but ourselves. It is our ultimate sacrifice, giving God back the very life that He gave to us. It is our purpose and the reason we were created. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”. Worship is the reason that we exist, to bring adoration to Him who created us.
It is this that the devil, Lucifer desires - Worship. Satan desires worship because it uniquely sets forth his desire to be equal with God. When he can receive worship, it reasserts his claim to equality with God.
Worship in its earliest context, that is man’s worship to God involved an act of sacrifice – the slaughter of an animal and the shedding of blood to bring atonement for sin. This was done looking ahead to the time when Jesus Christ would come and become the ultimate sacrifice, giving the ultimate form of worship in obedience to God and love for us through the giving of himself in his death. Then we come to Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” This is spiritual worship. We are no longer under bondage to the law, with the burden of bringing animal blood to atone for sins and as our form of worship. Jesus has already paid a death price and made a blood sacrifice for our sins. So now instead of animal sacrifices, we offer ourselves to Him, we give him the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”. Lucifer, the devil wants this worship for himself from the very creation that God created for the purpose of worship – us.
So, when these performers did what they did on the grammy’s they were giving the god of this world worship. Madonna said it like this you are onto something that something is giving worship to the devil, the god of this world.
Someone may say how can you say that Bishop you don’t know what they are feeling and that is true but you know a tree by the fruit it bears Matthew 7:20 says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”.
UNDERSTAND:- The Bible in its entirety is consistent and clear as to God’s plan for worship and clearly outlines a command, a focus, a reason, and a way to worship.
Our Commanded to Worship.
Our command is to worship God because God created us for that purpose. Isaiah 43:7 says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Psalm 95:6 says, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” It is a command, something that is to be expected from the creation to the Creator. If we don’t then Luke 19:40 says, “if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out”. Our worship is just that important to God.
John 4:22-24 “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 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”.
Exodus 23:25 says, “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee”.
Our Focus of Worship.
The focus of our worship is without a doubt to God and Him alone. In Luke 4:8 says, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only”. Even during the time of animal sacrifice, pre-resurrection, God’s people were reminded of who He was, the mighty miracles that He had performed on their behalf, and the mandate to a monotheistic form of worship through sacrifice.
2 Kings 17:36 says, “But the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice”. There is no other option but to worship God.
The Reason We Worship
Because He alone is worthy. Who or what else is more worthy than God who created all heaven and earth? He holds time in His hand and sovereign watch over all of creation. Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”.
The power of worship.
Worship creates a place for God’s rule to be reinstated. We (mankind) not only lost fellowship with God at the fall of Adam, but we lost the partnership and dominion God intended for us to rule and have dominion over the earth. We Adam fell he gave that rule and dominion to the Prince of Darkness.
At the Cross, the Lord restored that rulership through Jesus Christ and broke the powers of hell. Where the people of God worship, divine power flows to penetrate the darkness and counterattack the operations of hell. Through the worshiping Body of Christ, the Lord is able to re-establish His rulership through His redeemed. Where God’s presence is, there will be power. Where worship is released, God’s presence will abide. Our hearts are the ground on which the battle is decided. If we will worship, God’s power and rule will be established in and through us to flow to others.
Worship brings about the kingly privileges and an extension of the Kingdom rule of Jesus Christ in the life of the worshipper. Through worship, we become transformed into kings and priests unto God Revelation 1:6 says, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”.
Benefits of Worship.
There are many benefits of worship. A closer relationship with God, worship satisfies our souls longing, worship readjust our perspective we see things differently. Worship directs our focus on God and increases our understanding of who He is. Worship builds up our faith in Him.
One benefit of worship is highly understood by Satan and the world and is the one main reason they will give the devil their worship and that is Worship = Acquisition!!! You can’t worship God and not get something in return. The devil understands this concept for he used it against Jesus Himself in Matthew 4:9 says, “And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” Worship = Acquisition.
After being given a child in her barrenness, Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:2, declared to the Lord through her prayer of thanksgiving in her worship, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.” After her worship God granted her request and gave her a son.
CLOSING: - I want to close with 7 words for worship. As I present these 7 words look what the devil does and how he causes people to worship him.
Remember 7 is God’s number, it means perfection, completeness. So, within these 7 words is perfect worship.
1. Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. We get “hallelujah” from this base word. It means "to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish sing in a loud voice."
Psalm 113:1-3 Praise (halal) ye the Lord, praise (halal) o ye servants of the Lord, praise (halal) the name of the Lord.
Psalm 150:1 Praise (halal) the Lord! Praise (halal) God in his sanctuary; Praise (halal) him in his mighty expanse.
Psalm 149:3 Let them praise (halal) his name in the dance: let them sing praises with the timbrel and harp.
2. Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore, to worship with extended hand. The opposite meaning is to bemoan, the wringing of the hands. Remember I said DJ Khaled lifted his hand while on his knees like he was giving God praise.
2 Chronicles 20:21 Give thanks (yadah) to the Lord, for his loving kindness is everlasting.
Psalm 63:1 So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will (yadah) lift up my hands in thy name.
Psalm 107:15 Oh that men would praise (yadah) the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.
3. Towdah comes from the same principal root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, an extension of the hand in adoration, or acceptance. It is used for thanking God for things not yet received as well as things already at hand.
Psalm 50:14 Offer unto God praise (towdah) and pay thy vows unto the Most High.
Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise (towdah) glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
4. Shabach means, to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph.
Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all peoples; shout (shabach) to God with the voice of joy (or triumph).
Psalm 145:4 One generation shall praise (shabach) thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts.
Isaiah 12:6 Cry aloud and shout (shabach) for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
5. Barak means to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration.
Psalm 95:6 O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.
1 Chronicles 29:20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless (barak) the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed (barak) the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.
Psalm 34:1 I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
6. Zamar means to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.
Psalm 21:13 Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power.
1 Chronicles 16:9 Sing to Him, sing praises (zamar) to Him; speak of all His wonders.
Psalm 57:8-9 Awake my glory; awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord among the peoples; I will sing praises (zamar) to Thee among the nations.
7. Tehillah is derived from the word halal and means the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; it involves music, especially singing hymns of the Spirit.
Psalm 22:3 Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises (tehillah) of Israel.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, o ye righteous, for praise (tehillah) is comely for the upright.
Isaiah 61:3 To grant to those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise (tehillah) instead of the spirit of fainting, So they shall be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Worship is the fountainhead of all power!
The Church was commissioned in a worship service. Matthew 28:16-20. After the disciples worshiped the resurrected Lord in that Galilean encounter, Jesus told them, All power is given unto Me and I am commissioning you to go in My name with that power.
The Church was born in a worship service. Acts 2:1-13 At Pentecost, it was the worship of the Lord that ushered in the power of God’s Kingdom.
The worship of the Lord releases the power, the pathway, and the purpose of what He wants to do in His people the Body of Christ – the church.
So, you see worship is key. It is what God requires and the devil desires.
SUMMARY: - To put simply, worship is declaring the greatness of someone or something. It is the act of giving up your own glory to make sure everyone knows that the thing being worshiped is awesome. Worship is bowing down to lift up.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
