Sunday Morning Podcast March 3, 2019. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: GENESIS. 18:1-2
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
REVELATIONS 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. At this time of prophecy, the prophesier, told John to worship God and not him, as he was also just a fellow servant, or as any other common man.
What is worship? It’s something that Christians understand, but not so much anyone that is not God’s child. It is something God will help us to learn to do, no matter how little or long we have served Him. God’s desire is for us to have a strong relationship, so we can better understand and worship Him. Worship is a vital part of our becoming strong in our experience with God. In Genesis 18, Abraham is in the door way, of his desert tent, when three individuals approach him. Abraham with great joy, runs to meet them, bows himself prostrate and immobile down on the ground before them (a form of worship) and calls them, “my Lord.” As was the custom, Abraham doesn’t ask the actual nature for his guest’s visit. The custom was to provide a time of refreshment first. These individuals then prophesied that, “Sara will have a son, in her old age, according to the time in life.” Initially, Sara doesn’t believe and laughs, because of the elderly ages of herself and Abraham. A form of worship was illustrated here by Abraham’s complete submission and honor of his guests.
What really is heart worship? A sign of submission. To acknowledge the one being worshiped as a greater power, in His benevolent relationship toward us. It is an emotional, spiritual relationship. A contrite attitude of being completely vulnerable. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 51:17) This prostrate attitude of weakness, is what accesses strength from God. We have to decrease, in order for God to increase with power in our life. Where is the power found? In God’s righteousness. And God will fill us, if we humbly hunger and thirst after Him. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 To hunger and thirst, is to be humble and vulnerable. To worship. We are completely and dependent in our need of God. If we ever put our confidence in our flesh, instead of the wisdom, counsel, and words of God, we cease to worship Him, if we were at first doing so. We are never not needing Jesus.
In a true value of worship, you have certain protocols towards God’s authority to follow. In Matthew 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son, illustrates that value or lack thereof. The son had dismissed his father’s authority by not showing a respect, that implies a deserved worship of respecting him. But even though the son is guilty here, of leaving all his submission to his father, his father still forgives him, not only after the fact of his later repenting, but from the beginning, When a famine came to the land of destination of this son, he had nothing left from his riotous sinful living. The son humbled by the devastation of his self imposed sin, repents of them. He then forsakes them, to return to his father, now only hoping to be a servant. This repenting, and forsaking of sin, is the beginning of true worship of righteousness. Here in the righteousness of his father’s unconditional love for him, he is restored his place by the benefits of that blessing. Today, it is through Salvation and in the worship of God who has sacrificed everything, including His only beloved Son death on the cross. It is so that we might be made His child, to in Spirit and Truth possess the true value of worshiping Him . The true value of worshiping God, is shown by complete and humbled obedience. The fruits of which are demonstrated by living above sin. Or, …living in complete and full loving obedience.
The True Worship of God And It’s Value…..