True Worship, Part 6 B

Who is the object of worship God, but not some vague spirit, some floating God on the finder called by any name you want to: but the God who is the father father father father Jesus Christ in unbelieving neighbor or coworker asked you that question you might see churches where you worship God with fellow believers. And that's a good reply, but it raises a fundamental question that I think many people might struggle to answer the question what is true worship.

What does it look like what is it sound like where should it take place and how often should it happen and which is more important. Worshiping the exact right way or just being sincere.

Get to the heart of those questions now on. Grace to you with John MacArthur here is with the study. He calls true worship in Ephesians 1 you have one of the great ions of praise ever given in the Bible. One of the great benedictions. One of the great statements of glory offered to God. In fact, from verse 3 to 14 is one sentence without. It's just that this a long list of praise phrases, but it begins this way. In verse three, Ephesians 13 Blessed be the God God what God the God and father, the father of whom follow our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is how God is no and is not known. Apart from in verse 17 of the same chapter in Paul's great prayer. He prays that the God what God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory and again God is qualified as the God who is identified with the Lord Jesus Christ. In second Corinthians.

Another illustration chapter 1 verse three Blessed be God. What God what God are you worshiping even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and again you see, God is known as the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians chapter 2 that great passage. Verse nine God is highly exalted Christ given him a name above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bounce over and in verse 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God. What God the father, the father of whom the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the only way God can be no in Romans 15 next to the last chapter the sixth verse, the apostle Paul says, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God. What God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You see, beloved, you cannot worship God apart from a recognition that Jesus Christ his son is equal to God. That's his deity you say will that's all Paul did everybody agree with that. Well just give you a sample Peter sure did. First Peter 13 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ about the apostle John.

He did to second John verse three. Listen to this grace be with you mercy and peace from God what God the father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the father great. See God is not just some floating spirit going through space and anybody could sort of plug-in anywhere they want with any particular form they want God's eternal God is fast filling all of eternity ever present everywhere to be worshiped at all times by all people.

But the only way you ever come to God is as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and now you know why he had to say no man comes unto the father but by me. So I just tell you that because you can't worship God apart from Jesus Christ. Now look at John chapter 5 verse 23 only give you one of the verse and this is so important.

This is the logical conclusion to what I just said John 523 says that all men should honor the son is another word for worship, even as they honor the father he that on earth, not the sermon on earth, not the father, who hath sinned, yet were not only to worship the father then were to worship who the son, and that is bound up in John four in the fact that God is the father of the son. So who is the object of our worship God the father and God the son God the father, God the son somebody came to me and said I've been taught that it's blasphemous to pray to anyone except the father is a true I said no that's not true. I said it sounds like somebody just gotten a little bit of knowledge and twisted a few scriptures in the trying to pass themselves off as a Bible teacher. You can't even worship God the father, unless you worship the sun. You can even come before God the father was you come in the name of the son. If you going on of the father, you're going honor the son. If you're going to ask of the father you're asking of the son. If you're going to praise the father you're praising the sun, they come together. There's no way to isolate the two.

Therefore, without Jesus Christ. No one worships God at all and if we do worship God we worship God as father and his son, and you have every right to go to the son to praise the son to petition the son is you with the father.

We are called upon to worship the sun not nothing wrong with that. I think that's bound up in John four and Jesus says it in a way that so fits his humiliation he doesn't say he just affirms worship God as spirit who is my father, of whom I am of the same essence. Therefore, you must be worshiping me, but he doesn't say it is that he is true to his humiliation and yet the conclusion is the same in the church knew it from the earliest years of the church.

He was worship as Lord. He was confessed as Lord in baptism. He is invoked as Lord in the Christian assembly is worship as Lord when knees bow before him.

He is petition does Lord when we need help and strength.

Jesus Christ is Lord, that is the bottom line in all worship that is the fundamental dock we come to God through Christ and we come to Christ and coming to God. You see, when Thomas fell on his knees after the resurrection, looking at Jesus and said, my Lord and my what God he knew exactly that he was fulfilling the proper perspective of worship God is to be worshiped, but only can be, as he is perceived to be one and the same with his son, who is also to receive the same honor.

The father receives so we worship when we get we worship the father and we worship the sun you say what about the Holy Spirit well is nothing in Scripture that directly tells us to worship the Holy Spirit but all worship is energizing the power of the spirit is it is the spirit that allows us to come into God's presence. Galatians 4 and Romans eight says the spirit allows us to come into God's presence and cry, Abba father is in the Spirit's power and presence that we have access to worship God. And so the spirit is a part of worship the pure spirit is the driving energy and power in all of true worship and we would not set that aside, we would not deny that reality that the spirit is the energy of worship and we would also as a corollary have to say that if the spirit is equal to the sun equal to the father.

He's worthy to be worshiped. Also write. Although the Scripture does not point that out to us as such. It's a necessary observation.

The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of God in many passages in Romans eight, he is called the spirit of Christ, he is simply the radiation of God the father, the radiation of God the son, and is worthy of worship. Us so don't hesitate to worship the spirit as well is the son of the father, but in the uniqueness of the Spirit's ministry, as we see it defined in the church age.

The Holy Spirit calls us to the sun. The sun calls us to the father. So there's a sense in which the spirit wants us to worship the son of the son wants us to worship father and yet all are worthy to be worshiped.

And so what is it saying in John four, who is the object of worship God, but not some vague spirit, some floating God undefined or called by any name you want to: but the God who is the father. The father of whom the father of all mankind Nono the father of the Lord Jesus Christ, one in essence with and as we worship him.

We worship the sun as well. It is fitting beloved that our hearts go out and worship Jesus Christ as well as the father in the 14th chapter of Revelation.

I want to show you great scene. Revelation 14 verse one and I looked in low, a lamb stood on Mount Zion, and of course Mount Zion for the Jews most likely a symbol of heaven and so this is kind of a vision of heaven that John has and he sees the Lamb and the Lamb is Christ, the Lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.

He sees the Lamb and the Lamb is Christ, and within 144,000, having his father's name written and therefore it in a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters and like the voice of a great thunder and the voice of harpers harping with their harps.

And they saying as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures were angels and the elders who I believe it was at the church and no man could learn that song but the hundred and 44,000 who were redeemed from the earth and here you have a picture of worship you have these redeemed special emissaries of God used for the proclamation of the gospel during the time of the tribulation and their pouring out praise to the Lamb to the Lamb that is none other than Christ. Worshiping Jesus Christ is fitting. It is right is proper and even though in his humiliation. In John four.

He doesn't come right out and say worship me, it's bound up in the concept that he is one with the father and no man comes to the father but through him, but through him and so we have every reason and every right. In fact, we have every command to come to the father through the son in the spirit of true Trinitarian worship and I don't know about you but when I think of what the spirit of God does in my life in bringing me to God and empowering me for service in energizing me for worship.

I cannot help but respond to give glory and adoration and praise to the spirit as well as the sun, as well as the father. That's the focus of worship.

That's why I'm concerned about people just vaguely worship God. And I'm also concerned about the kind of people whose worship seems to terminate at the sun. It just goes to Christ.

It's the sort of the Jesus approach and never gets beyond that and I also worry about that which inordinately and incessantly focuses only on the Holy Spirit. We are to worship God. But God is the father of the Lord Jesus Christ and the energy in the power of the blessed Holy Spirit. No we talked about the importance of worship.

We've talked about the source of worship. Our redemption we talked about the object of worship, the Trinity, and I will talk about the spirit of worship. The sphere of worship we could call the place where when we worship.

Where do we worship clearly in the Old Testament.

They worship in temples tabernacles very specified geographical locations. But notice verse 21. The woman has said we Samaritan is worship in Mount Garrison, which is up in the north. You Jews worship in Jerusalem.

Mount Moriah, and she's sort of saying which is the right place. And Jesus says woman. Believe me, the hour, when you shall neither in this mountain that is Mount Garrison or at Jerusalem. Worship the father.

Neither one of the words he says very soon. Either one will be the place. They're both going to be a limited now that is not to deny the place of the Old Testament temple and tabernacle, that is not to deny the reality of the ceremonial system or the sacrificial system that is not to deny all of the emblems and pictures and so for the dog get up but what saying is this. There's coming a time when those symbols will pass away there won't need to be a physical tabernacle or a physical temple anymore. There won't need to be any more sacrifices anymore priests why because the time is coming when every individual will be a living temple. Every individual will be a living priest and the sacrifice that Christ offers will be the one full, final, permanent sacrifice that ends all sacrifices right now. There was nothing wrong with those symbols but they were only symbols, God never did just confined himself to the temple of the tabernacle, God was never limited to, that they were just platters of the mind. They were just symbols. They weren't the reality they were just the symbols but Christ says in the new covenant even though symbols are going to go inside as it were, even the things that you focus on will be internal rather than extra and so there will come to an end. These things that have identified themselves as the places of worship. And you know when Jesus died. The temple was rent the top. The bottom split open. Everybody could walk right into the holy of holies in 70 A.D. the whole Temple was destroyed and wiped Samaritan temple was destroyed before Christ. That system ended, disabled, and if it isn't in a temple and isn't in a special physical building and all that. Where do we worship God. Where is the spirit are let's establish this to begin with euro temple yourself for script inserts. What know you not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit right near the living temple of the Holy Spirit you see me I can worship him right here that's right, everywhere you go God knows in a very living, residential presence may want to try to endorsement the beach you can worship him in the mountains. You can worship him driving on the road. You can sit under a tree and take a walk in the woods can go in the country you can worship God in your living room. You can worship the Lord sitting on your porch looking at the stars are smelling the fresh flowers in the morning you can worship God anywhere you are under any kind of circumstance or condition because you are living, breathing temple, in which God the spirit is on limited you say no. Does that mean that I don't need to come search yes and one, since it means you don't need to come to church to worship God. But let me see if I can't give you another dimension there is place today. There is a building today.

Maybe you don't know about this building, but there is a building today where God does uniquely meet with his people apart from the individuals. There is a very special building where he meets with his people. I'd like you to see what building it is so turn to Ephesians chapter 2 in verse 19 now. Here Paul describes the Christian and some very graphic terms. He describes them. Now watch this word collectively. He sees the Christians not as individual temple, sort of running around disconnected what he sees them collectively in first of all, he says in verse 19.

You are no more strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, he sees them all linked together as fellow citizens in the kingdom of light were all fellow citizens we have that in common with common citizenship. Then he says we also belong to the household of God not getting more intimate where family were family. So there is something to be said for our coming together isn't there. We are linked by common citizenship. We are linked by common blood as family, but then look at verse 20 and we are built and now all of a sudden we are building and were built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, and we are the building fitly framed to gather that grows up to be a holy temple in the Lord in whom we collectively are built together for a house of God through the Spirit, God has a building you know what that building is it is the visible living assembly of the redeemed Saints. We constitute the temple of God in a unique way. We are not only individual temples but collectively we are one great temple in which God dwells in first Peter two verse five it says ye are living stones built up a spiritual house living stones and we come together like this.

We constitute a place of worship where God manifests himself in ways unique to our assembly that he cannot manifest himself when we are alone for he moves to us through others in second Corinthians chapters 6 and verse 16. Paul says ye are collectively again the temple of the living God as God had said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. God moves in our midst. Beloved, when we come together. God moves with his wonderful presence in first Corinthians chapter 3 in verse nine it says ye are God's building year, God's building. In verse 16, ye are the temple of God. In Hebrews chapter 10 it says that since a new and living way has been made, and since we are drawn here in worship. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves what's an expert together why because we come together in a marvelous unique way we become the living temple of God. We are not a building made with stone.

We are a building made with living flesh. Yes, you can worship God anyplace you can worship God out in the isolation of privacy all alone, but you must also worship God in the assembly of his redeemed people so that you can as it says in 1024 of Hebrews stimulate one another to love and good works, you will survive out there by yourself.

We need the collective assembly.

We need the living stones piled one upon the other, which constitute the habitation of the living God. So worshiping God is not really a geographical issue, but that doesn't mean there is no congregation that doesn't mean there's no special building that doesn't mean there's no special place. You must come together with God's redeemed people. We don't need special priests and we don't need sacrifices the sacrifices once for all, been offered.

We have immediate access to God on our own.

We are his living temple. That's why it says Peter says that the church is the house of God, and he doesn't mean the building he means the living stone. The people and so I say this to it. When God instituted his worship to take place on the first day the week.

He did it so that we be faithful to if there's anything in your life that you need to be faithful to its this you will not survive out there alone besides your your flying in the face of the demand of God to forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. That stimulation is critical in your life that affirmation that comes when you're in the presence of God's redeemed people that unique and wondrous ministry that the spirit of God accomplishes what you cannot accomplish in your isolation is something that you must respond to each Lord's day. Each first day of the week should find you in the place of worshiping God with his redeemed people to forsake is to put yourself outside always or ever the man who didn't attend church very faithfully and the pastor went to see him and he was sitting before a fire that was being warmed by the coals. The coals were red hot fire was warm. It was a cold winter day. He said to my friend. I don't see you at the church on the Lord's day you come only when it's convenient for you. Only when you feel like you need to and you miss so very often. I just wish you come all the time and amended soon be getting the message source of the mysteries of me took the tongs beside the fireplace pulled open the screen and reached and begin to separate all the coals separated them so that none was touching the others in a matter of moments they were all died out. He said my friend.

That's what's happening in your life. As soon as you isolate yourself from the rest. The fire goes out. It's really important not only that we worship God everywhere.

All time, but that we come together in the assembly of his redeemed people to stimulate one another to love and good works and to honor and worship God. I don't like to allow week to go by my life and I haven't set aside a special time to worship God with his people. Neither should you be faithful.

It's about father ministered a lot of our hearts as we meditate on the fact that you call us to worship the true worship. May we renew our covenant to worship. Every word all times and as well to be faithful to the assembly of that living temple where you meet us in such a special way. We thank you that you've open your word and helped us to understand how better to worship you so except our worship. Lord and admit leave its mark on all that we say and do and think Jesus may be glorified.

His blessing a this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us along with teaching each day on radio stations around the world. John serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study is a look at what the Bible says about true worship that John today. You made the point that each person of the Trinity is worthy of our worship. But practically speaking, what does that look like do we worship each person of the Trinity at different times and and maybe for different reasons. When you worship God, you're worshiping the Trinity's start with whether use say God the father, God the son of God the Holy Spirit in any worship of God is worshiping the Trinity. And honestly, if you worship the Lord Jesus Christ you're worshiping the one who is one with the father and one with the spirit.

I think people rather easily worship the father that's that's a pretty basic approach to worship in and and I think they pretty easily worship Christ think people have a little more difficulty thinking of worshiping the Holy Spirit when we shouldn't because the he is equally God so II think when we worship God we worship him as father son and Holy Spirit. But there is nothing, nothing to prevent us from worshiping each member of the Trinity directly if you don't understand the doctrine of the Trinity.

You're not alone.

It's a divine mystery that it's that the foundation of all mysteries about deity. The nature of God.

I want to recommend a book for you. It's a systematic theology book called biblical doctrine, because in this book, there is the best treatment of the Trinity that you will find anywhere in the knowledge of the Trinity is essential to worship because God is a Trinity and to truly worship him, you have to worship them as such.

And I think there's no better way to dig into this amazing truth of the Trinity, then to get into the sections in the book on biblical doctrine that on pack Trinitarian theology hello by the way, there's a whole lot of other things in this book about theology because it's a thousand pages long. What is a systematic theology the detailed orderly study of God and all biblical doctrine. It's designed for everyone who loves Christ and his word. Everyone who is a true worshiper, not just pastors, it's readable, accessible devotional and powerful title of the book. Again, biblical doctrine, systematic summary of Bible doctrine 1000 pages currently on sale or 25% off the regular price. Yes, friend. The sections on the Trinity and the Holy Spirit, those alone would be a valuable addition to your library, but this book covers so much more. And it's currently on sale. So to order your copy of biblical doctrine. Contact us today. Call 855 grace or go to GT Y.org again to order John's book biblical doctrine at 25% off the regular price. Call 855 grace or order online@gty.org and keep in mind that through this Friday, May 27. Most of our items are available 25% off the regular price and that includes our flagship resort MacArthur study Bible. You haven't seen study Bible. It's most important feature the 25,000 foot state you historical and cultural background help you understand the precise meaning of each verse MacArthur study Bible makes a great gift for a student heading off to college in the fall or for anyone who wants to know God's word clearly. So take advantage of our reduced prices. Place your order by calling 855 grace@tty.org and to stay current on free offers an upcoming series, and much more. Follow us on social media. We are on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson. Thanks for being here today and tune in tomorrow when John shows you how to cultivate a greater love for worship.

It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on Tuesdays. Grace to