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WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP?

INTRODUCTION

Review last week–“When Is Worship Unacceptable To God?”

            1.         When It Is Based On The Wrong Kind Of Fear.

            2.         When It Is Based More On Form Than On Substance.

            3.         When It Is Based On Futile Efforts.

Today we want to move to the second question I posed, “When Is Our Worship Acceptable To God?” or we will ask it this way, “What Is Acceptable Worship?”

I.    PROPER WORSHIP INVOLVES KNOWING GOD PERSONALLY. (Vs 26)

            A.        Knowing God Personally Is More Than Just Knowing The Manner Of God.

Knowing the manner of God is just knowing about Him. That can be a good start.

For if you begin to know the truth about Him, the Holy Spirit of God can use you that to lead you to knowing Him.

However, this is not always the case. Some folks are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

            B.        Knowing God Personally Is A Two Way Relationship–You Knowing God In

                        A Personal Way And God Knowing You In A Personal Way!

                        How does this happen?

                        How is it possible for someone to come to know the God of the Universe?

                        It is not through religion!

                        It is not through reciting mantras!

                        It is not through meditation!

                        1.         Understand That God Wants Us To Know Him!

Jeremiah 29:13–“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

                                    Hosea 6:3–“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:”

                        2.         To Know God, We Must Hear From Him!

Romans 10:13-14--"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

                        3.         To Know God, We Must Be Born Again!

John 3:3–“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

                        4.         To Know God, We Have To Know Him By Faith!                        

(Heb 11:6) "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

II.    PROPER WORSHIP INVOLVES A PROPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WAYS. (Vs 28)

John 4:24–“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

            God’s way stands in stark contrast to the way of the wicked.

            A.        THE WAY OF THE WICKED.

                        (Prov 4:19) "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they                         stumble."

                        (Prov 12:26) "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of

                        the wicked seduceth them."

                        (Prov 15:9) "The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he                         loveth  him that followeth after righteousness."

                        (Psa 146:9) "The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and                         widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down."

            B.        THE WAY OF THE LORD.

1 John 1:4–“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

                        (Prov 10:29) "The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction                         shall be to the workers of iniquity."

                        (Hosea 14:9) "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he                         shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in                         them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

III.    PROPER WORSHIP INVOLVES TOTAL DEDICATION WITH THE WHOLE HEART. (Vs 29-33)

God is not pleased with our half-hearted worship of Him on Sunday when our minds are filled with the “other gods” that we just can’t wait to run to.

            Deut 13:1ff

(Jer 3:10) "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD."

(Psa 119:2) "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the wholeheart."

(Jer 29:13) "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

(Deu 6:5) "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

IV.      PROPER WORSHIP INVOLVES LISTENING TO GOD. (Vs 36-41)

            A.        We Need To Hear With Our Ears.

                        (Mark 4:23) "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

            B.        We Need To Hear With Our Minds.

                        We need to have our minds engaged while we are listening!

(Mark 4:24) "And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given."

(Luke 9:44) "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men."

            C.        We Need To Hear With Our Hearts.

(Luke 8:18) "Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

(Heb 2:1) "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."

                        James 1:19-25

CONCLUSION

What kind of worship do you worship the Lord with?

Examine your worship for a moment. Is your worship acceptable to the Lord?

Is it just a routine? Is it just an outward form? Or is it truly from the heart?

1.         DO YOU KNOW HIM PERSONALLY?

2.         ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH HIS WAYS?

3.         ARE YOU WORSHIPING HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART?

4.         ARE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO HIM?

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!