In this enlightening episode, we delve deep into the spiritual practice of worship and explore what it truly means to honor God. Join us as we journey through biblical teachings about worship, examining its roots in acknowledging our own unworthiness and recognizing the grandeur of the Almighty. Discover how genuine worship goes beyond mere rituals and feelings, becoming a daily testament of faith and reverence towards God.
Worship is a response of one who knows the salvation of God. Have you come to know the Lord? Have your sins been washed in the precious blood of Christ? Are you declared righteous? Have you been sanctified? Have you been cleansed of your sin? Are you forgiven? Are you saved? The natural response of one who knows the salvation of God is to worship the Lord.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is Hope for Today. Welcome to a new week of Bible Study as we continue our series on the attributes of God. This world calls a lot of things worship. a vibe, a song, a feeling, a moment. But worship that begins and ends with man is not worship at all. Real worship happens when God is seen as he is, high, holy, enthroned, and worthy of everything. Well, today, Bible teacher David Hawking returns with day two of his message called The Worship of God. And once again, using various scriptures, David will show us what worship looks like when all eyes are fixed on the throne. Stay with us as we go back to the Word of God right here on Hope for Today. First, though, we want to remind you that the sermon notes and outlines for this current series, that’s David’s Attributes of God series, they are available for just $10.00. David used these notes and outlines for each of the messages in his series when he originally preached them. And they’ll help you follow the message more closely, lock in key scriptures, and go back later to dig deeper into the great truths you’re hearing in the series. To order, visit davidhawking.org or call us at 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. And if you’re listening in Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the numbers 24253.
SPEAKER 03 :
we’ll go ahead and turn to exodus chapter 34 that’s where we’re beginning now as david shares day two of his message the worship of god you know what worship is it’s a realization of the holiness of god that he is not us he doesn’t work like us doesn’t think like us doesn’t act like us doesn’t feel like us he’s the eternal omniscient omnipresent wonderful god and he does always what’s right Worship, it’s the reason behind the creation of all things. It’s also a realization of the holiness of God, His separateness, how different He is from us. And for that, we should be praising Him every day of our life. Turn, please, to Exodus chapter 34. You ask me what worship is? Worship is also the recognition of our sin and unworthiness before God. If there’s one thing that is causing this generation not to worship God, It’s our attitude towards sin. We tolerate it. We kid about it. We act like it’s no big deal. No wonder we don’t worship. We’re so arrogant. One of the most serious reflections of our arrogance that I see is when somebody has committed one of the big five or nasty nine or dirty dozen or whatever’s on our biggie list. When somebody has done that and fallen, there’s an immediate response. It’s our natural tendency that we’re really glad that that didn’t happen to us. Now, we ought to be thankful it didn’t happen to us, but folks, there’s something wrong with that. Jesus said, it’s not what’s out there that’s defiling the world and defiling us. It’s what’s coming out of our own hearts. Our own depravity is not understood. And as a result, there’s very little worship. If we really knew who we were, then we would know why we should worship him. The failure to realize and recognize our sin and unworthiness before God is one of the major reasons why we are not worshiping God. Let me give you some examples. In Exodus 34, verse 6, everything that is rotten, adultery, murder, homosexuality, theft, whatever it is that you think is rotten, Jesus said, comes out of your own heart. In Exodus 34, 6. And if anything, that should cause us to go to our knees and know that we can’t make it without the Lord. And when somebody falls into sin, the number one reaction would be, there go I before the grace of God. Get on your knees and say, oh God, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your power. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for the way you deal with me because I deserve hell. That could be me. And it’s only your loving grace that has spared me in that moment. We don’t hear that. We hear arrogance today. Like the Pharisee, I thank you that I’m not. And jokes are told. I remember the first time I heard about the televangelist scandal of the years past. First time it came to my attention. I was really shocked because I was told this in a public meeting. It was not given to me in private. It was the first time I heard it in public and asked what I think about it. And my immediate thought when I came into my mind was the tragedy of it and awfulness of it. And then without even hesitation I said, but that could have been all of us. And then we have watched a parade of scandals. A parade of them. And they’re shameful and disgraceful and we all look at it with a certain arrogance. Well, that’s what they’re really like. That’s what charlatans are like. Stop it, folks. That’s what we’re all like. And the reason we don’t worship God and call upon him for mercy and grace and forgiveness is because we don’t know about sin. We’re covering sin up. We’re sweeping it under the rug. We’re redefining it. We’re acting like it’s no big deal anymore. Well, it still is a big deal. In Exodus chapter 34, Moses asked God, what is your name? God proclaimed his name. Verse 6, here’s what his name is. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation. So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and did what? Worshipped. Then he said, If now I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as your inheritance. When somebody really worships, he recognizes his sin and unworthiness before God. Turn to Joshua chapter 5. Another illustration, Joshua chapter 5. Joshua was like a water boy to Moses. He hung around Moses all the time. He was a servant of Moses. Can you imagine what he felt when God asked him to take over? To lead the children of Israel, that complaining, murmuring group of people, into the land of Canaan to defeat 31 Canaanite kings with iron chariots. And here they’re a motley crew. Counting men, women, and children, some three million of them, they’re animals. And the first great fortress they face is Jericho. And can you believe it? God told him to walk around the city with the people once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, do it seven times. I mean, you could hardly walk by the end of the day. Can you imagine what people were saying back in the line somewhere? What in the world is going on? We’re the laughing stock of the city. What are we doing? Well, when we get there that last time, the walls are going to fold. Sure. How does he know that? Well, God told him that. God told him that. How do we know? Maybe he just ate too much chili. How do we know that? Do you know why Joshua was so determined? Because something happened to him before they started marching. Joshua chapter 5, verse 13. It came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? Smart to ask the question. So he said, no, but as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did what? Worshipped. And said to him, what does my Lord say to his servant? Then the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, take your sandal off your foot for the place where you stand is holy. According to verse 2 of chapter 6, it was the Lord talking to him. I think this is an appearance of Jesus Christ, but that’s another subject. What happened here is that Joshua found out who he is and who God is. You know the same thing happened to Moses when he came to the burning bush? You know what the voice said? Take your shoes off. The place you’re standing is holy ground. Who do you think you are? Worship. In the Orient, it is a custom to this day, and still in the Hawaiian Islands, to take your shoes off before you enter somebody’s house in honor and respect for them. You take your shoes off and leave them at the door. That is deeply rooted into the past that’s in our Bibles. Honor, respect, the idea of worship. You’re honoring somebody’s home that you’re going in to take your shoes off so you don’t get the rugs dirty. Take your sandal off, Joshua. The place where you’re standing is holy ground. A lot of us don’t have this in our hearts. We don’t really understand. Turn to Nehemiah chapter 9. Nehemiah chapter 9. Why is there so little worship? Because there’s a failure to recognize our sin and unworthiness before God. In Nehemiah chapter 9 in the opening verses, it was quite a day. We read just one verse previously, but I want you to see the opening three verses of Nehemiah 9. Quite a day that day when Nehemiah challenged the people of God. It says, on the 24th day of this month, the children of Israel were assembled with fasting in sackcloth and with dust on their heads. The recognition of sin and unworthiness before God. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their father. They stood up in their place, read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for one fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. You see, real worship also involves a confession of our sin. If you’re going to worship God, then you realize and recognize in your heart your own sin and unworthiness before a holy God who is separate from you. Turn to Revelation chapter 11. What is worship? It’s not only the reason behind the creation of all things, the realization of the holiness of God, the recognition of our sin and unworthiness before God, but worship is also the result of those who know the greatness and power of God. Revelation chapter 11. Maybe one reason why we don’t worship in our hearts is because we’ve never experienced that. We don’t know the greatness and the power of God. In Revelation 11, the scene is heaven again. The 24 elders who represent the church of God do what they always do in Revelation. They always fall on their face and worship God. Verse 16, they worshiped him. What did they say? We give you thanks, O Lord God, almighty, all-powerful, the one who is and who was and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned. The nations were angry. Your wrath has come, the time of the dead, that they should be judged. and that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. Why are they praising the Lord? Why are they worshiping the Lord? Because he has displayed his power in the judgments of the tribulation. Worship is a result of those who know the greatness and power of God. Turn to chapter 15. Once again, the scene is in heaven. The Bible says in verse 3, they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the saints. Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. For all nations shall come and do what? Worship before you. Why? For your judgments have been manifested. When the world sees the judgments of God, the world of unbelievers, they refuse to repent. They refuse to worship. They continue to worship demons according to the Bible. But when the believers in heaven see the manifestation of God’s power on earth, they fall down on their faces and worship God because they see His power as they’ve never seen it before. Worship? Worship? That’s the result of those who know the greatness and power of God. Turn back to chapter 5 in Revelation. My friends, in the fifth place, worship is also the response of one who knows the salvation of God. Have you come to know the Lord? Have your sins been washed in the precious blood of Christ? Are you declared righteous? Have you been sanctified, cleansed of your sin, forgiven? Are you saved? The natural response of one who knows the salvation of God is to worship the Lord. Put the whole package together. I didn’t deserve it. His sovereign choice of me. He loved me before the foundation of the world. I don’t understand any of it. I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything to prove that I’m worthy of it. And he still loved me and he saved me. And what do you think I should do? To praise him every day of my life. Are you glad you’re saved? It’s better than the other side, amen? I read in Revelation 5 that worship is in heaven for Jesus Christ. In chapter 4, it was God the Father. In chapter 5, it’s God the Son, the Lamb of God. Verse 9 says, And to open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign in the earth. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, the elders. The number of them was ten thousand times, ten thousand, thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, such as are in the sea and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Then the four living creatures said, Amen. The Greek has, they kept saying it. And the 24 elders fell down. and worshiped him who lives forever and ever. Why did they worship him here? Because worthy is a lamb that was slain who’s redeemed us by his precious blood. My friend, worship is the response. What we ought to expect is the response of one who knows the salvation of God. One last thing. Turn to John chapter 4. What is worship? In John chapter 4, we have a classic text on worship from the lips of Jesus Christ. He was talking to a Samaritan woman whose life was really messed up. She’d had a number of husbands, was having an affair at the time she was talking with Jesus. And her life was really in need. And she found the living water that day, the water of everlasting life. And God used her as a witness to win many Samaritans to the Lord because they knew about her. They saw the change. In the course of that witnessing of our Lord Jesus to this Samaritan woman, they discussed worship. The woman being a Samaritan said, as all Samaritans do, we worship on Mount Gerizim. You Jews worship in Jerusalem. At least we’re both worshiping. Jesus said, verse 21, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Watch this line. For the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Now, a lot of people believe the word spirit here refers to the Holy Spirit, their well-meaning. Naturally, the Holy Spirit is fundamental to all Christian ministry and salvation. But it is not the Holy Spirit. If God wanted us to believe it was the Holy Spirit there, all he’d have to do is one simple thing. In the Greek text, put the definite article there, in or by means of the Spirit. He didn’t do that. The words in spirit are in contrast to in flesh. We would say in English, inward versus outward, internal versus external. What it is saying is, in contrast to all the teaching of the Pharisees, the religionists of Jesus’ day, that everything is external. Jesus said no. No, those who worship God worship in the realm of spirit, not in the realm of external activities of the flesh. Look, there are acts of worship that we could all do here. One would be to bow down. That’s an act of worship. Does that mean you worshiped in your heart? No. It should be a demonstration of what’s in the heart. There are many acts of worship. To bring an offering. Did you do that today? That’s an act of worship. Should you do it in obedience to the Lord and honor Him? You bet. Does that mean you worshiped Him? Not necessarily. Those who worship God, worship Him inside.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And this, this is Hope for Today. David’s back shortly to bring our time in the Word to a close and to lead us in a moment of prayer, a very special time going before the throne of grace. Stay tuned for that. You’re going to find that very, very encouraging.
SPEAKER 01 :
First of all, Matt’s here, and we have a couple of home Bible study resources to share with you. Matt? This month, we are offering a bundle pack for all 27 teaching series by my dad in the New Testament. The Gospels, Acts, Pauline Epistles, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 and 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation. All are included. Matt, I’d love to read through the Gospels with your dad’s study notes in hand. Jim, how about the essentials of Christian life and practice that Paul teaches in his epistles? Yeah, the study notes provide clarity, definition, explanation, and application.
SPEAKER 02 :
For a given message, David’s sermon outlines the notes start with an engaging introduction.
SPEAKER 01 :
A key verse for the passage. Great for memorization. Exactly, and a theme as well. Then we have outline points to guide your study along with definitions, cross-references, vital notes for the context, and more. And how about explanations of cultural idioms? Yeah. Exploration of applicable history. Faith-assuring apologetic points, evidence for the truth of Scripture, and more. More and more, Matt, we’re receiving notes from our listening family telling us of the value of these sermon notes. And again, this month we’re offering sermon note outline packs for all 27 of my dad’s New Testament teaching series. The complete bundle is just $75. That’s less than $3 per series. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we also want to mention David’s book, The God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is a rich resource for deeper and continued study and a perfect follow-up to the truths we’ve been hearing in this current radio series. The God of the Bible by David Hawking is just $20. To get any or all of these resources, go to davidhawking.org. That’s davidhawking.org. You can also call us at 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. In Canada, 888-75-BIBLE. Bible by the numbers is 24253. And if you’d like to send a special donation by mail or maybe share a prayer request by mail, well, write to Hope for Today, Box 3927. Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. And thank you for getting in touch. We’ll appreciate hearing from you. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
The most important evaluation that any believer in this audience can make is the same one that was in my heart in putting this together. And that is the only time that I can really be sure that my heart is worshiping the Lord is when I’m alone. Hey, I believe in public worship. Part of the reason we gather together as Christians in the church is to worship and praise God. We want to challenge ourselves, motivate ourselves, encourage one another, and challenge us about a lost world, and challenge us about praising God and worshiping. I can do that. You can do that. We can all do that to each other. Great. But let me tell you, when you leave this place, and when you’re all alone, and nobody’s there to watch you, nobody there for you to impress, or to convince of what your true spiritual state is, when you’re all alone… That’s when you’ll discover whether or not worship is a reality in your heart. The Father sees in secret, and he’ll reward you openly, Jesus said. There are many acts of worship, but the question is, what’s going on in our heart? It has to be in the Spirit and in truth. The truth that we know is from the Word of God. You want to know the truth about which worship should be? Hey, then read God’s Word and let the Word control your thoughts, your praise, your prayer. Let the Word dominate your life. We worship God in the realm of Spirit, inside, and in the realm of truth. We don’t make up our own thoughts. We let the Word of God and God’s truth control us in all that we say. Whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, we’re to do all to the glory. of God. The Bible says that God has highly exalted Him, Jesus, and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that He’s Lord to the glory of God the Father. I want to do that. Then what is worship? Here it is, and I leave it with you. Worship to me is that personal relationship of the believer with God that makes all other pursuits secondary. Let me repeat it again. Worship is the personal relationship of the believer with God that makes all other pursuits in life secondary. Lord, we confess that there are a lot of pursuits in life that have become very important to us. Job, career, success, money, even happiness. Sometimes just busyness itself and having something to do. God, I pray that you would set us free to worship you no matter what, how we need to worship you. Father, I pray for those in our audience who have never come to put personal faith in Jesus Christ for what he did when he died on the cross for their sins and rose again from the dead. They’ve never made a personal commitment of their life and future to him as Savior and Lord. God, I know you said no one can even come to the Father except through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help them, Lord, to see that worship begins the day they come to Jesus Christ. And for all of us who have made that commitment, God, restore in our hearts the priority of worship, of loving you, of adoring you. Clean all those things out of our hearts that have taken first place. Thank you, Lord, for what you’re going to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, before we go, if you’d like to know more about what it means to be a Christian according to the Bible, we’d like to offer you David’s booklet, What is Christianity? And a Bible study by mail. Now, these are free to you if you don’t know Christ, if you’re not yet a Christian, but you have questions, or if you’re a new believer. Again, it’s What is Christianity? And a Bible study by mail. Call us at 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And Bible is 24253. Tomorrow, David begins day one of a message called Hallelujah to Our God. In Psalm 145, David will guide us in a study that lifts our eyes above the noise of this world and fixes them on the greatness, the majesty, and the glory of the Lord. The world hands out praise to things that flicker for a moment and then disappear. But God alone, God alone is worthy of praise that never ends. David will take us back to the Word and remind us why every heart, every life, and every generation ought to say, Hallelujah to our God. Join us tomorrow on Hope for Today.
