Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Date: 1-17-99

Sermon Number: 130

Text: Luke 19:45-48

Worship in Spirit and in Truth

The text from which our lesson comes this morning is found in Luke 19:45-48. At this point in Luke&rsquos gospel Jesus is well on His way to the cross. He had set His face toward Jerusalem and has at last arrived. Just as the prophets predicted Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey colt. The people cheered and rejoiced for many reasons. Sadly, most had wrong ideas about who this man was. Yes, many believed He was the Messiah but they had the wrong idea about why He had come. Most thought Jesus had come to be the conquering King of an earthly kingdom. They were looking for freedom from Rome. But this was not why Jesus came. He came to save His people from their sins not their physical enemies. There was little true faith behind all the rejoicing. Therefore, while the people rejoiced Jesus wept. He wept because He knew the hearts and minds of those around Him. He wept because He knew they would reject and kill Him just as they had the prophets of old. This would come to pass for the same reason it had in the past. Jesus would be killed for telling the truth and exposing their sin.

The Pharisees were already plotting to kill Jesus. They despised His popularity and now that He had accepted the peoples identification of Him as the promised Messiah they were really mad. "Rebuke them," said the Pharisees. In other words, tell them they are wrong about you. But Jesus answered, "If these become silent the rocks will cry out." Oh how they hated our Lord.

The event recorded in today&rsquos text gives the Pharisees even more reason to hate Him. Look with me at Luke 19:45-48 NASB. "And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling, {46} saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." {47} And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, {48} and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon His words."

Two weeks ago Bro. Michael Leonard spoke about Christ driving the money lenders from the temple so I won&rsquot revisit that aspect of this text. Instead I want to us to think about worship. Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." The text to which our Lord refers is Isaiah 56:7 NASB. "Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE PEOPLES." The text tells us that God&rsquos house is to be a place of prayer and worship for believing sinners from every nation under the sun. True worship and true prayer offered by His true children are acceptable to Him. However we must understand that not everything men call worship is acceptable to God. Look with me at Isaiah 1:11-18 NASB.

"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, And the fat of fed cattle. And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. {12} "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? {13} "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I CANNOT ENDURE INIQUITY AND THE SOLEMN ASSEMBLY. {14} "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. {15} "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. {16} "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, {17} Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. {18} "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool."

Here we have a form of worship that God rejects and that requires repentance. These people practice sin in their day to day lives and then they go to church to practice religion. They go through the motions and everything looks good but God is not pleased with their religious activity. For their hearts are not right. These have not turned from their sin nor have they confessed their sin to God. God says, "I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly." In other words, brothers and sisters, the worship of God without a clean and forgiven heart is a waste of time and is offensive to God. "I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly." This is why Jesus drove every one out of the temple, they were involved in iniquity in the assembly of God&rsquos people.

Had Jesus not shown up that day to break up their "Worship" I have no doubt that they would have ended the day believing they had engaged in true worship. They had spent this Sabbath just like they had spent many others. As far as they were concerned, they had pleased God. Jesus says no, there is a right and wrong way to worship God. Some things are simply not acceptable in the church. In this place, the house of God, we are to engage in true worship as described by Jesus in John 4:23-24 NASB.

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. {24} "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Jesus is speaking to a Samaritan woman He had just met at the community well. She brought up the question as to where one must worship God. Some say you must go to Jerusalem the Samaritans claim that God can be worshiped in another place. Jesus says, "It is not whether you worship on this mountain or that, in Samaria, or Jerusalem. The important thing is how God is worshiped. Those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth."

What does this phrase mean? It means that true worship has to do with more than standing, sitting, reciting, singing, praying, and preaching. All these things can be in place without real worship taking place. True worship comes from the heart and spirit of a man and is prompted by the Holy Spirit, which dwells in every believer. He alone can make us feel the Father&rsquos love and presence. He alone can enable us to express our love for God. If God the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a person he or she cannot truly worship God. For only Christians can worship God with their heart, will, and emotions, through the Holy Spirit. Further, if a person does not worship God in truth he does engage in true worship no matter how sincere he might be. God must be worshiped in spirit, that is, with our human spirit through the Holy Spirit, and, in truth.

To worship God in truth is to worship Him with a right understanding of who He is. We must know the truth about God if we ever hope to worship Him correctly. Like everything the Christian does his worship is intended to glorify and magnify God. Therefore, if our worship is based on a lie we fail to worship Him in an acceptable way. If we worship the God that men can push around we have failed to worship God aright. If we worship the God who is frustrated with His creation we fail to worship God aright. If we worship the God who has no control over disease, or people, or the devil we fail to bring Him the glory and honor due His name. We must worship God in our human spirits through the Holy Spirit who indwells all Christians and we must do so with truth as the basis of our worship. Therefore, the saved are the only people on earth who can really worship God. For the Holy Spirit lives in them only. Further, Christians can only worship Him rightly if they do so from the heart and with knowledge of the truth. We cannot worship God in any old way we please. God is the one who sets the standard, not man.

The Westminster Confession of Faith has a section on "Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day" which will help us think through the issues of true worship. As we work our way through this portion of the confession we will see even more clearly that one&rsquos heart, mind, and spirit must all be engaged at the same time if true worship is to take place.

Chapter XXI:

Of Religious Worship,

and the Sabbath Day

21:1 The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, WITH ALL THE HEART, AND WITH ALL THE SOUL, AND WITH ALL THE MIGHT (Josh 24:14; Psalms 18:3; 31:23; 62:8; 119:68; Jer 10:7; Mark 12:33; Acts 17:24; Rom 1:20; 10:12). But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited to His own revealed will, that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or ANY OTHER WAY not prescribed in the holy Scripture (Ex 20:4-6; Deut 4:15-20; 12:32; Matt 4:9, 10; 15:9; Acts 17:25; Col 2:23).

In other words we cannot determine, on our own, how we are going to worship God. He alone can determine and has determined what acceptable worship is. As far as the references are concerned Exodus 20:4-6 tells us that we cannot use statues or idols in our worship of God. (Exodus 20:4-5 NASB) "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. {5} "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me." Matthew 4:9 tells us that we must not worship or serve anyone or anything but God as He is revealed to us in the Bible. Matthew 15:9 says that if we worship God according to the doctrines of men we are not worshiping at all. And finally Colossians 2:23 NASB. "These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." In other words we cannot and must not add to or take away from that which God has prescribed for the worship of Himself. If we do, our worship is of no value whatever. The Colossians text speaks of self-made religion that has the appearance of wisdom but is of no value against fleshly indulgence. Which is to say, religions designed by men are not a means of grace to them for dealing with their sin. True religion comes from the mind of God.

Every year there is a vibrant, fast growing church somewhere in the U.S. that hundreds of other churches use as a model for what works. This church seems to have all the answers as what a church can do to attract and hold people? One huge and hugely popular church has done away with preaching, church membership, and with making any demands on the people who attend. They communicate their so called gospel through skits and plays and mimes and music. The people are happy because they are never confronted, or identified, or asked to do anything, or to commit to anything. They are never told they are sinners in need of repentance headed for an eternal hell. Rather, they are coddled and pampered and entertained. As you might expect there are thousands who show up each Lord&rsquos day to "Worship" but such apparently wise, man-made, religion, is of no value to the souls of saints or sinners. Such "Worship" does not glorify God whose glory must be the goal of all true worship. Such religion fails in its mission because it deviates from the divine plan. The confession continues.

21:2 Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone (Matt 4:10 with John 5:23 and 2 Cor 13:14; NOT to angels, saints, or any other creature (Rom 1:25; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10): and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone (John 14:6; Eph 2:18; Col 3:17; 1 Tim 2:5).

The confession rightly warns us to worship God alone through Christ alone and no one else. No one among the living or the dead can stand as mediator between us and God but the man Christ Jesus. Continuing with the confession.

21:3 Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship (Phil 4:6), is by God required of all men (Psalms 65:2): and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son (John 14:13, 14; 1 Pet 2:5), by the help of His Spirit (Rom 8:26), according to His will (1 John 5:14), with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance (Gen 18:27; Psalms 47:7; Eccl 5:1, 2; Matt 6:12, 14, 15; Mark 11:24; Eph 6:18; Col 4:2; Heb 12:28; James 1:6, 7; 5:16); . . ."

When you get time go to all these references and see for yourself what they have to say about the proper worship of God. Look at the many details that are brought to our attention. Truth matters and must govern all our worship. We must pray when we come together but we must pray in accord with the will of God. What is the will of God? We must be students of the scriptures in order to know that. We cannot come into the presence of God in just any old way. We must approach our Creator and Savior with reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and with knowledge. We must worship God in spirit but we must worship in truth as well. We continue with the confession.

21:4 Prayer is to be made for things lawful (1 John 5:14), and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter (Ruth 4:12; 2 Sam 7:29; John 17:20; 1 Tim 2:1, 2): but not for the dead (2 Sam 12:21-23 with Luke 16:25, 26; Rev 14:13), nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death (1 John 5:16).

Did you know that there are people you should not pray for? Check out these references. Did you know that you must not pray for the dead? Prayer, beloved is part of true worship from the heart but we must know how to pray. We learn that from the Bible. True worship is centered around the preaching of the scriptures as the next part of the confession indicates.

21:5 "The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear (Acts 15:21; Rev 1;3); the sound preaching (2 Tim 4:2) and careful hearing of the Word, in obedience to God, with understanding, faith, and reverence (Isa 66:2; Matt 13:19; Acts 10:33; Heb 4:2; James 1:22); singing of psalms with grace in the heart (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; James 5:13); as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the ordinances instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God (Matt 28:19; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 11:23-29): . . . ."

Notice the careful wording of this paragraph. "Sound preaching" is part of true worship. Only that preaching which sets forth the truth about God and man is worthy to be part of the worship of God. Preaching that is exciting and stimulating is a joy to hear but it is an abomination to God if it is not the truth! Notice that the hearers must also properly participate in the worship service. When they hear the preaching of the word they must respond with reverence and obedience. The Pastor must come prepared to feed God&rsquos sheep but they must come intent on eating and chewing and swallowing the truth. The hearer must fight against all distractions and work hard to follow the lesson. He must pray all the while that God the Holy Spirit will allow him to comprehend and apply what he hears. Likewise the ordinances must be received obediently, prayerfully, and reverently. Baptism and the Lord&rsquos Supper are not man&rsquos inventions, they are God&rsquos! These things cannot be entered into lightly or ignored completely. True worship, ladies and gentlemen, includes all these things done in the right spirit according to the truth. The confession continues.

21:6 Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship is made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed (John 4:21): but God is to be worshiped everywhere (Mal 1:11; 1 Tim 2:8), in spirit and truth (John 4:23, 24); as in private families (Deut 6:6, 7; 2 Sam 6:18, 20; Job 1:5; Jer 10:25; Acts 10:2; 1 Pet 3:7) daily (Matt 6:11), and in secret each one by himself (Matt 6:6; Eph 6:18); so, more solemnly, in the public assemblies, WHICH ARE NOT CARELESSLY OR WILLFULLY TO BE NEGLECTED, OR FORSAKEN, when God, by His Word or providence calls His people together (Isa 56:7; Prov 1:20, 21, 24; 8:34; Luke 4:16; Acts 2:42; 13:42; Heb 10:25)."

This paragraph reminds us that it is not the place that is all important but the spirit in which we worship. One might meet for worship in the greatest cathedral and yet not worship God in spirit or in truth. While one might meet with a few of God's people in a beaten up old church building and there engage in real, God honoring worship. This paragraph reminds us of the privilege of private worship while at the same time we are warned not to neglect the public assembly of God's people when they gather for worship. It is the custom and responsibility of God&rsquos people to meet for worship and when they do all the redeemed need to be there. Since the death and resurrection of Jesus the Sabbath has been abandoned. God's people now meet on the first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord's day. The Holy Spirit says to us in the book of Hebrews, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as is the manner of some!"

There is much that passes for worship in the name of God and Christianity. But it is not all true and acceptable worship. Only those who approach God in the afore mentioned ways in spirit and in truth worship Him correctly. There are many people worshiping in many Christian churches today which, if Christ were to happen along, would be driven out of the building. They would hear the Savior say to them, "My house shall be a house of prayer but you have turned it into a den of robbers."

We can't do anything about other churches but we can take care of our own. We must never stoop to selling the gospel. Our preaching must never be for profit. You and I must never come to church to see the show or to be entertained. We must gather for one reason and one reason only, to worship God in spirit and in truth. Therefore, let prepare ourselves for worship. We must do this in two ways. First we must constantly study the scriptures so that we know the truth about the God who has saved us. Particularly we must take note of what God says about the worship of Himself. Then secondly we must pray without ceasing and especially as we approach the assembly of God's people. We must first confess and find forgiveness for our daily sins. Then we must pray that He would enable us to shut the world out of our minds. We must pray for the grace to concentrate and think clearly about our God. We must pray that God the Holy Spirit would open our eyes, and ears, to the truth of His word. Then we must pray that the words we read and hear would be applied to our hearts along with the grace and strength needed to obey them. May this place always and forever be a house of true worship pleasing in the sight of the true and living God who has saved us and called us to this holy calling.

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