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WORSHIP: Part 1

Why, How and Whom We Worship

(Wednesday Evening Bible Study April 26-May 17, 2023)

 

Worship Series is 3 Parts
  1. Whom do we Worship and Denounce
  2. Why is Everyday Worship of God vital
  3. How do we Worship OUR God
What is Worship and to Whom do we Worship?
CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY - to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god
MERRIAM-WEBSTER - Reference offered to a divine being
EASTON BIBLE DICTIONARY - worship - homage rendered to God, which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (means it is exclusive to God and God only)

 

Idolatry - Image-worship or Divine honor paid to any created object
  1. Fetishism: The worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, and etc.
    • Tree huggers, environmentalists
  2. Nature Worship: worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as supposed powers of nature
    • Environmental activists, astrology and direction for life from the stars
  3. Hero Worship: deceased ancestors or of heroes
All the elements of worship of God are found here - Romans 12:1, 2
  • Motivation to Worship: the Mercies of God - everything God has given you we don't deserve
  • Manner of Worship: present your bodies - giving your whole self
  • How?: by the renewing of your mind - ridding ourselves of world knowledge and taking on biblical wisdom
  • What we DON'T SEE here is music, songs, singing, ONLY respect, admiration & homage
Israel had been in bondage for over 400 years
  • They had been surrounded by idols and idol worship of the Egyptian deities.
  • Israel obviously would be influenced by what they experienced all of these years.
  • God needed to start on a clean slate by teaching them how He will be worshipped.
  • They are even compared to the church in Acts 7:38 
  • Israel leaving Egypt is a perfect example of the Church leaving our old worldly life.

When the Children of Israel are given their commandments to live by, notice what God starts off with. Instead of a list of Do's, God provided a list of warnings. What does God put first here showing the most importance?

Exodus 20:1-7 
vs. 2 - REMINDER - I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage!
REF: Genesis 1:1  - in the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth
  • There is no one else herre except created beings and things . . . that God has to create
  • GOD is establishing His Priority in everything
  • He is our Creator, Provider but aslo out of Egypt and sin, He is Deliverer.
MONOTHEISM the belief in only one God.
Is the essential position of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Monotheism is to be distinguished from:
  • Monolatry - worship of one God without necessarily excluding the belief of others may exist
  • Henotheism - worship centered on one God while recognizing the existence of others
  • Polytheism - worship of and belief in may gods
  • Pantheism - belief that God is everything and everything is God; essentially equating God and the universe

Monotheism asserts that there is only one divine nature or essence - nothing else exists that is like God or comparable to God. The doctrine of monotheism is therefore intrinsically concerned with the otherness of God. A central aspect of monotheism is the belief that all existence is dependent on God and owes existence to Him - God is the creator of all things (Wright, The New Testament and the People of God, 248-250). Everything that is not God came from God. The idea of creation ex nihilo ("out of nothing") affirms God's self-existence, freedom, and omnipotence (Copan and Craig, Creation out of Nothing, 25). Hebrews 11:3 asserts, "what is seen was not made out of things that are visible" (ESV) God did not create from pre-existing matter as if He were a sculptor; rather, He spoke everything into existence (Gen 1:1-2:3, Isa 44:24; 45:12, John 1:3)

Vs. 3 - You must have no other God before me
  • Not just a priority God but exclusive God
  • There was none before or during creation
Vs. 4 - You shall not make any carved images or likeness in heaven or earth as an idol
  • If God didn't know of or create gods, why should we
  • Neither shall we attempt to creat His image or anything
Vs. 5 - Nor bow or serve them. God is jealous!
  • Why would we bow low to something we created?
  • Why would we serve something we made?
Vs. 7 - You shall not take His name in vain
  • Even the use or abuse of His name is important
  • Romans 10:13 whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved
  • Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run in and are safe
Deuteronomy 6:12-16 
Vs. 12 - The reason God didn't want the Children of Israel to forget who brought them out of bondage , was because people do forget!
Vs. 13 - you shall fear the Lord your God and swear by an oath of loyalty
Vs. 14 - you shall denounce all the gods around you

Vs. 15 - there is imminent danger for serving these local gods

I Samuel 5 - Demonstrates how powerful God is compared to man made idols
After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. But the next morning the same thing happened - Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the drunk of his body was left intact.

 

  • Philippians 2:10, 11 - EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW . . .

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.