Half-Hearted Worship

Through the reading of God's word and maybe a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. A son honors his father and a servant his master. If I'm a father with the song were the honor due me if I am a master, where is the respect due me, says the Lord Almighty. It is you a priest to show contempt for my name but you ask, have we shown contempt for your name, you place defiled food on my altar but you ask, have we defiled you by saying that the Lord's table is contemptible.

When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong. Try offering them to your governor.

Would he be pleased with you. Would he accept you, says the Lord Almighty now implore God to be gracious to us.

With such offerings from your hands will he accept you, says the Lord Almighty. Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will accept no offering from your hands, my name will be great among the nations from the rising to the setting of the sun, and every place incense and pure offerings.

We brought to my name because my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord Almighty. But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table. It is defiled and of its food.

It is contemptible and you say what a burden, and you sniff at it contemptuously says the Lord Almighty when you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands, says the Lord Almighty curse. It is the cheat was an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King says the Lord Almighty and my name is to be feared among the nations, and now this admonition is for you.

Increase if you do not listen if you do not set your heart to honor my name says the Lord Almighty. I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I've already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me because of you I will rebuke your descendents I will spread on your faces. The hopeful from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue, says the Lord Almighty.

My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him. This called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.

True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin for the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction because he is the messenger of the Lord, but you have turned from the way by your teaching have caused many to stumble.

You have violated the covenant with Levi, says the Lord Almighty so I have cause you to be despised and be humiliated before all the people because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law, you may be seated. Let us pray grandly father you deserve all praise, all honor and glory for you alone are worthy to be praised.

You've called us to worship you, who was who is and is to come for you alone have revealed yourself to be worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your power. They were created and have their being a Holy Spirit. I pray you direct our thoughts in the eyes of a heart so that we would not be a distraction distracted but capture our attention so that through the ministry of your word might be filled with riches of knowledge and wisdom found in the word we want honor and glorify you rains overall and in our hearts we want to worship you in spirit and in truth. We understand that we been bought and purchased by the precious blood of the Lamb not to serve ourselves but to be living sacrifices, a pleasing aroma to you and the smell of death to the world. Pray in Jesus name Holy Spirit you would work in each one of our hearts.

Sanctifying us and making us holy as you are holy orders in the powerful name of Jesus we pray.

Amen. Back in 1985 I was preparing to walk the Appalachian trail there's a couple of veterans here in our congregation and owner give those people kudos for fulfilling the dream that they had. It's a long, hard, arduous task to walk from Georgia to Maine. Some people actually walk from Maine to Georgia backwards there.

Back in 1985. There wasn't much information available to prepare for such endurance, track, we didn't have the Internet at that time, all we had was books. If you can believe that the main book that I referred to is the Appalachian trail hiker by Ed Garvey got this guy in blue khakis and nylon shirts and he's got a rocker and Appalachian trail, and he sit in front of a typewriter sitting out in the woodlike and smoking a pipe thinking about his his travels and travails zone. The Appalachian trail. This is the only book that I had is I was 24 when embarked on this long hike and this book had a lot of wisdom in it and I want to share a little bit of that front to you. You walk along Appalachian trail you go through New York. The state of New York and you pass along the monastery called Gray more monastery and Appalachian trail hikers are welcome to come and stay in the monastery is kind of unique experience to sit at the table with these monks to participate in worship. If you would call it that, to engage these people and wonder why they came here and then as quick as you entered the next day you're on your way and moving on. This was written by a monk from Gray more monastery. He said don't remember this discussed Catholic. So you have to take in consideration nor give little contact.

He said if I had to live my life over I'd try to make more mistakes measure what he means by that entrée doesn't mean sin and I'm sure he probably means to live life more freely. He goes on to say, I I would relax I would limber up be sillier than I've been on this trip. I know of of a very few things I would take seriously. I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic. I would take more chances. I would take more trips.

I would climb more mountains swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would burn more gasoline. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would have more actual troubles than fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of these people. He lives prophylactically and sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I've had my moments and if I had to do it over again. I have more them. In fact I try to have nothing else just moments, one after another instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I've been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer hot water bottle gargle a raincoat in a parachute.

If I had to do it over again I would go places and do things and travel lighter than I have. If I have my life to live over I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way. Later in the fall I would play hooky more. I would make such good grades except by accident.

I would ride on the merry-go-round's I would pick more daisies pick more daisies. What he saying is that it is not just about reaching the destination. It's about the journey. By the way, it took me six months and five days to walk from Georgia to Maine. Most people do it a lot shorter time, but if I had the opportunity, I would probably take this man's advice in take even longer to do it so I'm reading this to say that in preparation for the sermon found that Malachi was loaded with all sorts of riches and treasures that I felt obligated to share with you.

But if I cut it, and pasted, which I sometimes fall into the trap of doing. I would cut out so much of that which I think is good be beneficial to understanding the text that you would be shortchanged, so to speak, so I deemed it wise to slow down to pick more daisies and instead of just plowing through in one sermon is good to be a three-part series.

So my introductory point is going to be what is worship my second point is going to be about the priest's halfhearted worship. I thought that will guys, how can we understand what halfhearted worship is unless we understand what true unadulterated worship is I don't know if there's been a series on worship.

This isn't going to be a series of just on this one topic is to be just one sermon but yet I hope to cover the bases in such a way that when we go into the second part. Next time, whenever that might be that you will be thoroughly convinced or even convicted of the need to worship the Lord with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength.

So next time we'll talk about the priest halfhearted worship and then finally in the third. My conclusion the application answering the question so what it's going to be about the priesthood of believers in the Old Testament were going to hear little bit about the Levitical system.

Today I want to focus on more next time, but it really is foreshadowing a typology of who we are, of what Christ accomplished is the great priest in Hebrews 7 and eight, but in the priesthood of believers and who we are called to be a private Lord would bless that time so that as we live our day-to-day lives, we would be, as Paul said to the gripping the Corinthians are two Romans and I checked 12 012 that we would be living sacrifices and second Corinthians that we would be a sweet aroma to those to the Lord and the smell of death was equal to such a task. For we do not peddle the word of God, for profit, but God makes us to be this way and we need to be conscientious of our being new creations in Christ, we need to be conscientious that when we enter into the fellowship of believers on Sunday mornings.

On Sunday nights. On Wednesdays when we gathered to hear the word plot. When we sing hymns and when we pray and we have fellowship and there's breaking of bread that we need to understand that we're doing this unto the Lord our God who has given himself up for us, that we might be saved, that we might not, that we might have new life in him. So where you going to take away from tonight if it was to be in one sentence it would be this in order to understand the priests halfhearted worship, we first have to know what worship is what is worship.

Start off with the question what is worship that I have.

The second point of how do we worship and then a conclusion.

What is worship very simply put, so we are going get caught up in a bunch of verbose definitions and something the might get lost in worship is our response to God's revelation of himself is what we do when God reveals himself is how we respond to the glory of God's power is opening our eyes and our hearts to see who he truly is the extent of his love for us. It's our reverent devotion and service to God, motivated by God's opening our hearts to see the extent of his love in Christ Jesus. Worship is like the word love. Love is hard to define but you know it's characteristics. We know it from first Corinthians 13 we know and we can spot you can feel love and it's easily definable by those characteristics. So is worship. You can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. The people in the Old Testament didn't have that, necessarily, but we do we can be motivated by feelings and even if we're not motivated by those feelings were still obligated to worship the Lord in spirit and truth. So worship is that devotional service we render to the creator of the universe whose open our eyes to see him as he truly is in the catechism it defines that who is his spirit is infinite and eternal, unchangeable in his being wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

When we think of what encapsulates God in our finite selves are limited view, God opens our eyes to see a glimpse of his glory. Even his backside of Moses was in the crack in the rock just enough to see the glory of God will be unspeakable.

We would know how to respond except with devotion falling down worshiping the Lord to have God reveal himself to us aware I'm asking the question what is worship well, it's our response to his revealing himself to us. How does God reveal himself to us reveals himself to us in general revelation and special revelation. Some of you this might be a new concept, but I think it's important for us to understand as we develop this concept of worship because we have been given that special revelation, whereas the world walking in darkness, only has a general revelation general revelation is the ability to see God's handiwork and creation. We see the sunrise see the beautiful mountains. The gardens blocking the Appalachian trail resolve many beautiful sons rises and sunsets and beautiful sites that only people who were there at that moment that we all have those experiences with those reveal God's handiwork on my phone.

I have a nap.

Most of you probably do as well. Instagram, one of my apps that I have is the National Park Service and the National Park Service feeds my phone with pictures of the national parks at all different times of the day in different seasons and is really awe-inspiring. I really love it and I just encourage you if you just want to see beautiful pictures. Download that app another time. Back in the 90s. I was livid about going to seminary up in Boston and not lived up to New Hampshire for a period of time so we would go up to a mountain called Tuckerman Mount Washington Tuckerman's Ravine in springtime and at what they call a spring ski hi got 3 miles to put on your boards and things slide down the slope in the crown back up and back down on the way up the mountain from the base camp so to speak out the road, met a gentleman we were walking up with him and I proceeded to bridge into the gospel message with this guy and so one of the first questions in EE is done begin a conversation about church you know that is a really easy conversation is like well this is my Cathedral. This is church to me and I agreed with them. That's what you want to do you want to agree with people yes it is beautiful. I knew in my own heart, though, that this is not the fellowship of believers. This is not church we are the church and I'll talk about that in the priesthood of believers. The tabernacle and how we make up that that temple, but the idea here is that he thought because of his limited vision that this was his worship he comes out here and recognizes God out in this creation is beautiful creation of what it was worth what he was limited by that made me feel sorry for the unbeliever in the atheists because they have no one to thank. When they feel the sense of overwhelming beauty of God's creation, and that true we see though the handiwork of God, not only in creation, but in mankind we see it in science we see it in the universe in which we live, we see that the evidence pieces together to reveal God's handiwork. His power and his making all things that are the evidence is astounding to us so much that we want to praise God and saw made we would agree with the psalmist. O Lord our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth. When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars would you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the Son of Man that you care for him. God you're so great. My Psalm 19 in agreement. The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech night after night they display knowledge there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Sounds like Revelation chapter 4 verse 11 says you are worthy of the Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. We know the truth but they don't.

There walking in darkness were walking in the light, we can see where God has rescued us from, but they can't see what there in the midst of God is open our eyes to show that we might see no remember at the end of all the seven churches in Revelation is also in the book of Isaiah chapter 6 and also in Ezekiel there. This text, where he who has ears to hear and eyes to see eyes to see and ears to hear. The point is that God cursed.

See this is in the exilic and the postings exilic. They were talking about here in Malachi, God cursed them, because they had embraced idolatry of the nations around them as you like these idols out here on to make you just like them. So we shut up terrorizing the shop their ears so they couldn't say that they were like idols that they worshiped the stone in the wood God when he saves us, opens our eyes to see his magnificent beauty. He releases our tongue that we want to praise him in all things we want to lift up empty hands and worship him who is because he saved a wretch like me that special revelation in God's word. We see God's faithfulness is love his mercy, his grace is kindness expressed in Christ Jesus. We see it in his birth and his ministry.

His death we see it in his resurrection and his glorification we see in Jesus Christ. The problem of sin and evil resolved in the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ his powers we own it. We possess and we have it because the Holy Spirit has shed that truth abroad in our hearts and planted in us as a deposit of greater things to come.

Amen. Praise God, he is not left me to be like I used to be, and neither is he done that to you is not abandon us, but he's filled us. How do we respond we respond with worship to God's goodness. Worship is our response when eyes are open to see his mighty power and his glory is awesome is his love to people like us always grace and his mercy is been shown in Christ who paid the penalty for our sin for my sin. Praise the Lord and thank you Lord Jesus as the beginning of worship, recognizing what he's done and responding. Praise the Lord worthy is he to be praised. I do want to say at this point it we should worship God even when we don't feel like it.

Much of the Old Testament sacrificial system was following through the guidelines of worship, offering up sacrifices, given the sacrifices receiving benediction and moving on. There was no movement of the Holy Spirit like we have today and there was no warm fuzzy feelings, probably more guilt than anything else. It was out of obedience to the ceremonial law for God's people that these priests were offering up the sacrifices today.

Sometimes we don't feel like it when we come to worship were distracted by the troubles in concerns on our hearts concerned about politics were concerned by coded were concerned by a myriad of things help family members, loved ones is hard to focus is hard to turn our attention and give to God what he deserves. We need to make our unwilling flesh submit. We need to learn to control her mind. That's what fasting is really all about is learning to control your flesh and make it downtown. Make it something meant have control over yourself. Learn to say no to those fleshly desires.

Yes to worshiping God. Separate yourself and quiet in a closet trust. Mrs. LeBlanc's name was her name, Susanna.

What would you do she said in the middle of all the kids and she pulled her apron over her head may amen she's got the keys amidst the storm. What a great illustration. Sometimes you feel like you go for a little height, no or sometimes you need to go separate yourself and your little reading room or go for a walk is on my dad but sometimes all you can do just pulled apron. So let God's word dictate to you rather than our flesh, our feelings and our motions. So how do we worship. Worship begins. While our understanding of worship begins in the Old Testament. It begins with this morning's bulletin and the call to worship Eugene and put in their Psalm 95 133 so to read that again just because it's hero come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation know. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving theirs make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise the Lord is a great God.

He's the King above all gods and then we opened up this evening by singing that song, Gloria Solomon wasn't a good tune as well, let us bow down and worship.

Let us kneel before the Lord our God, for he is our God was likely this is a song of ascension take that back people three times a year would go to fees they would go for.

Let me see here for Passover for the festival of weeks and for tabernacles along the way they would be singing songs songs of praise to God, which is, essentially, or songs of anticipation of going to Mount Zion going to Jerusalem, where they were heading to to worship the Lord. So within that they are heading.

Think of this to Mount Zion read to you.

There's a him is little bit different in this hymnal. This is a celebration him know it's a little bit different than our Trinity hymnal in the pews. There Trinity hymnal doesn't have this little refrain here but it goes like this, we that love the Lord and let our joys be known joining the song of sweet accord, joining the song of sweet accord, and let us surround the throne and let us surround the throne we are marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion marching up her design. The beautiful city of God is a sense of anticipation to come and worship the Lord because he is open our eyes and transform the hearts and filled us with the spirit that we are going to gather with other people who are just like us and working to get resounding praise and have them speak to us and where to lift up empty of praise of sacrifice of praise and fill with joy with treasures in our hearts only known through the Holy Spirit, and this cannot be found in a hard to go forth from this meeting.

From this worship service and be bright lights and salt in a dark world that's anticipation that's looking for God to do something to appear to work in our hearts word in Hebrew shahada than me much mean something to me because I did a whole Lotta work on this and shahada's primary turn. We interpret is worship if you look up in the concordance to say worship went on to say worship in the Old Testament, but when you get into the background of the word shahada means to bow down worship.

True worship is used and interpreted literally to bow down is a prostration to suggest or how do we respond to the mighty power and glory and honor of God.

With fall down were casting crowns were bowing down and worshiping the Lord our God show this symbolic show of devotion and by lifting up cans of submission and surrender were making our body do what it does not want to do were reformed is not often you find in reform churches. People just throwing down my go to some Pentecostal churches some holiness churches where more based upon emotions and things like that but we shouldn't be an either/or.

We should have a blended thoughts.

Service of worship. Amen we should be focused on the word and let that be our guide to worship at the same time we need to let ourselves is funny. I would allot a conference on me.

I'll probably did too, when you're young Grateful Dead always people dancing nothing to go to some part of ZZ Top Williams just died recently. You know, people gone that back in the 70s and 80s. They would like their lighters you know and people dancing they wave their hands. These people are unleashed in their field but is not the Holy Spirit but they are so free that they are going to move by whatever evil spirit that is this moving read as the people of God are filled and I don't misunderstand me here. We are possessed by the Holy Spirit we are vessels which contain that deposit not guarantee and we need to be poured out. We need to express that with joy with life not only as we walk out these doors but doors in the such surety of our brothers and sisters, we should worship freely last month when I was here briefly mentioned something about where were quick to open our hands for the benediction. Why don't we offer up our hands in the sacrifice of praise, so Eugene makes his leading worship raising using praise Lord only see more people raising their hands in worship showing. If anything, a complete surrender. I am yours. You are you have bought them purchased me with the precious blood of the Lamb. Praise to you, will God do you do that in your own time you do that at home in the closet that you know Susanna Wesley.

She could only sit there.

You don't have to raise your hand you have to do these things, but how you express yourself. Psalm 28 here my cry for mercy and I will call you for help as I lift up my hands to your most holy place, which is interesting that the Psalm 28 verse two Daniel chapter 6 verse 10 with the windows open towards Jerusalem three times a day. He got down on his knees and he prayed and gave thanks, and this is during the exile folks had a lot to lose. In fact, he was thrown into the lion's den. As a result, the king, then Lyman's only comes the next day is your leisure Lord rescue duties as landlord planning to shut their mouths. What a great story.

Psalm 63 versus 224 I've seen you in the sanctuary and upheld the power with your and glory because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands now I'm emphasizing gestures because the word for worship is to bow down but there's other gestures by which we can show are not only reverence and respect.

But our worship tangent about doubt there's lots of things you can do lay prostrate on the floor. Genesis chapter 4 verse 26. The word is not fair, but the concept is the very first time that men began to call on the name of the Lord works not there but they were calling upon the name of Lord then in Genesis chapter 14 Abraham after he had rescued Lot from Cologne were Melchizedek was there and how did he show an express his Thanksgiving time gave 10% and this perceives the covenant.

I may not of the scientific law that's very important for us in the future when because in the fifth that disputation. We'll talk about giving and tithing passes usually don't preach on and less as it comes up in the text, but I'm in pretty for you brother but I know you are a grieving church and that's wonderful because it's obvious I think that's all I say that even during cover the giving is just been tremendous and that's representative of your hearts a good job. Praise the Lord and the church is the use that the bill's kingdom. But we have to understand that that is one of the aspects. One of the elements of worship tithing giving building of the kingdom in the hearts of mankind. Those who are walking in darkness. Then in chapter 22 of Genesis, Abraham is the only time in the book of Genesis where the word worship is used. Abraham said to his servants who were there with him and Isaac stay here with the donkey. While I am the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you taking the contact. Now the word meaning to bow down is and offer up his son as a sacrifice, but the author of Hebrews gives us hindsight to see that he must've been expecting God to do a great miracle season will come back you can offer up his son as a sacrifice, which foreshadows Christ, God offering up his son that we might be saved in the book of Exodus chapter 3, God told Moses he would bring his people. God told Moses that he would bring his people out of Egypt and worship God on this mountain and then on and exes when they came back.

Accident Exodus chapter 20 in the second commandment says you shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above prone earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or serve them says that yesterday and obviously worship has mixed up with a the point is still the same shall not bow down and worship them talking about the idols did they possibly come to know in Egypt. Don't be like those people over there.

There's a pillar of fire and cloud here in your meds and it's selling are going to feel because he had given instructions for the tabernacle yet but it's good to be in your midst, and everybody's going to know that I am the true and living God, and there are no other.

Unfortunately little bit later on in the book of Exodus, the golden calf incident. Moses came down and saw that the people were bowing down and sacrificing to that golden image and they also didn't they sang and they danced makes you think of first Kings 18. The priests of bail. They sang and they danced and eventually they were cutting themselves. Anything to get the attentions of their God lodges is is is maybes outgoing the bathroom is what it means in Hebrew is not here. Maybe he's he's busy which means possibly out in the woods going the bathroom and finally here just to point out some worship in the Old Testament, we had the in the book of Leviticus at the end of Exodus. You have the guidelines for building the tabernacle and you have the instructions given by God to Moses for their priestly attire will talk about that in the third part, the conclusion is where the priesthood of believers and the role of the priest was to guard. In fact, right after this text. You have the calling of the Levites, the calling of the Levites was because they would distract swords on their side and kill their family members, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, those who would bow down and worship the Speaking earlier in the last sermon about Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated and then Luke you're making that point about hating your family members. These men took it to the degree by putting them to death and because of that God separated. They were ordained immediately. They were set apart to guard the sacrificial system. So when we read about this halfhearted sacrifice in part two next time should open our eyes to see how far they have come from strapping swords and representing in their guard to all the people, the presence of God in whom they represent worship in the New Testament worship in the Gospels in the very beginning is based upon the Old Testament and New Testament hadn't been written yet by Paul so against Satan tempted Jesus Mark Matthew chapter 4 verse nine and he said all this, I will give you if you ballot down and worship me were there for worship is serve actually the word for serve as a world where we get littered liturgy from service. Jesus said, away from the Satan, for it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only quoting Exodus chapter 20 verse five second instance is pertinent to our discussion here about worship. The New Testament was the Samaritan woman. Jesus met the well, which we have now, but to the West this side of the Sea of Galilee and a little bit down below is Mount dear Azeem, there's little town. That's a mountain right now. Kerosene just below Mount dear Azeem is a little town called cigar. So if you turn to John chapter 4, right there at the beginning. It tells that there Jesus was thirsty. They met this woman at the well. The Samaritans are pertinent to our study of the postexilic time because it was after the northern kingdom in southern kingdom was taken by the Assyrians and when they took the best of the people, like Daniel, Shadrach me shack and Abednego you have the best of the best the cream of the crop. There were people left behind, so to speak, find anything about it.

But these people left behind end up intermarrying with these. These Assyrians who moved into the vacuum to fill it all out to take everything to get the booty so the end up intermarrying with them and then over a period of time.

They built themselves a temple like what was once in that it been destroyed and now the second Temple is been built in Jerusalem. They built their own temple amount kerosene which is eventually destroyed by the Jews. But Hasmoneans and all that is a long discussion point is that Jesus said in this conversation to the woman. Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain. This mountain, that's what I'm trying to describe the Mount dear Azeem which they were at the bottom of that there once was a temple there was there no longer a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain or in Jerusalem you Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews, yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the father seeks so I hope we have drawn a contrast between Old Testament worship of the background of the gestures that the body language, but now were starting to move into a spiritual type of worship that is can be fulfilled in Christ glorification. Acts chapter 2 point we could we could depart on rabbit trail here. The Holy Spirit is, Pentecost.

Glory be to God, he sit the comforter to come and to be with his people to sanctify us to guide us to convict us to go before us is the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a once and done kind of thing with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Now Paul says to the Ephesians that we should continually be filled as an ongoing thing that were striving to be filled with the Holy Spirit report out, we received of the Holy Spirit upon regeneration.

What we believe are neighbors of the Streeter thing to note the second were completely the coming of the Holy Spirit living in the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues also to stop manifestations of the spirit has to testing up the fruit of true believers and the people were filled with the spirit says in verse 42 they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.

Everyone was filled with all, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Selling their possessions and goods, they gave anyone need every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. You see, that's where everybody knew together was in the synagogues are in the temple people were meeting.

So what were they doing. They broke bread in their homes and they ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily. In chapter 3 verse one says one day, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. The responses at the Holy Spirit came then and has come now. If you are a genuine believer of the Holy Spirit of Christ.

You have the Holy Spirit. The question is do you keep in step with the spirit do you walk as Paul said in chapter 4 of Ephesians in the spirit because this thing that you see the power of spirit working not prove you, but manifesting himself and glorifying God through your life. Holy Spirit came as a result, the people were gathering together in the typical courts for teaching fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, praising God as some people want to say that the breaking of bread is the sacraments are not sure that is because it goes right along with fellowship. They were sharing food seizure turn grab hymnal everybody grab him know if you got one there in front of you grab handle and turn to page 860 while you're turning to page 860. I realize what time it is. Hang on.

I'm almost there. €860. You go out looking for a theology of worship and some some theology but there's not much there but we have it right here. In fact, I would encourage you to get your own hymnal and use it for worship at home because we are the priest of believers will do just here were supposed to be doing now not only do we get to learn all these wonderful hymns, but in the back.

We have all the songs that we can recite and learn, and then we had the Westminster confession of faith and we have a shorter catechism to learn to teach our children love itself along with the Bible is some instrument or tool that we all should have been using every day. Take what you teach your children to sing hymns a cappella and will be on their minds and their hearts all day long you see them and you'll hear him walking around the house just come tunes look at chapter chapter 21 on page 860 on just to read the first paragraph because what I'm talking about here is the regulative principle these are the elements of worship defined by Scripture.

The light of nature shows that there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all is good and does under all and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon trusted and served with all my heart, with all my soul and with all thy mind.

But this susceptible way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his revealed will, that he may not be worship according to the imaginations and devices of men were suggestions of Satan under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in Scripture.

That's the regulative principle the Bible is our guy how to worship God.

Just like God defined how he wanted to be worship specifically whether you feel are not in the Old Testament. Things have not changed. Now there is such a thing is called a Lutheran form of worship were longing that is in contrast to the reform reform is regulative principle we worship God guided by what I just read in acts chapter 2 there the very ending their other taxa talk about you know how we would celebrate the Lord's supper. We give tithes and offerings and things like that but we have prayer teaching praise fellowship okay the Lutheran principle of worship says this as long as it's not prohibited you're free to do it as long as it's not prohibited you're free to do it, not breaking the law and not break in the word, because it doesn't say anything about that.

Well, I guess.

Then, if you believe in prostitution like they did in the Old Testament, then essentially you know you could do that and call it worship. I know some people who they were really filled with the spirit, and they took off their shoes and they slid down the aisle filled with the Spirit in their socks in the Holy Spirit was leading them to do it as soon as you open the door up for what's not prohibited all the sudden things like drama performances on stage so to speak.

I'm not saying anything about what we do here is very tastefully done. But I'm talking about productions for all people singing into like the siren singing into the microphone opens the door for snaking up in New England. I'm heading toward the click conclusion your books so appreciate you staying with me here up in New England I went seminary up in Boston North Shore Boston in the church that we attended was over 400 years old.

The building was and a lot of the churches are there just old Puritan buildings.

People still worshiping at the gates you know the people who pay for their stalls and receipts it on is very interesting going into these Puritan taught Puritan type buildings and worshiping and sing a cappella or whatever they do. Very simply, is a wonderful experience in these buildings. There's a loft in the back is for the choir. The choir is behind you, singing in leading worship. They're not on stage. The focal point there behind up in the loft singing.

That's the idea of worship is not about us is not about a stage performance. It's about God this evening on I try to answer the question what is worship to define that so that next time we can understand the extent of the priests halfhearted worship. CS Lewis made this point in mere Christianity said you cannot know what sin is, apart from the love of God. He was making the point that it's the negative of the positive sin can only be understood in contrast to God's righteousness is goodness in his love. Likewise, you can understand halfhearted worship.

If I just gone into this.

I would assert a lot of things about the text, and I'm not sure what you were taken away, but next time you'll hear more tentatively about with priest were doing that was displeasing to God can understand what halfhearted worship is apart from what pure unadulterated worship is supposed to be. There's gotta be a standard to compare with to know what is the truth. So when reform tradition. We believe that were given the Holy Spirit and we seek to be filled regarding by the word in our worship of the Lord in spirit and in truth means for ministers that we are typically doing our homework were preparing sermons. Some ministers actually write their prayers out because they want to be careful. And that's okay. It might be a little staged, you might feel that way but they have the reverence of the Lord that they want to be careful and not stumble and lead people astray. James says that teachers teachers are to be doubly judged is a big responsibility to stand up here and proclaim the word of God and you better be on target because your to be held accountable for one day for the careless word you speak.

Ezekiel 3 makes the point that there applied the people's blood is to be upon our hands as a huge responsibility. I would never want to be a master of these revolving door massive churches people your people's names cannot say the spirit can't move Spohn tenuously God can speak through a donkey is done before, but we don't want to be that donkey. We want to be bailing either.

We are concerned and we desire to glorify God, according to his word. Likewise, we want to worship God according to his word. So I say to you as a congregation as the church in first Corinthians chapter 11 says this let me read it to you.

First Corinthians chapter 11 after the Lord's supper. He says therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and sick in a number of you fall asleep if we judge ourselves, we have not come under judgment were judged by the Lord.

We are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world we ought to examine ourselves, not only before we come before for communion before worship went to this church like a set up on North Shore Boston and they taught us there the week before communion that if you had something against your brother or your brother had something against you, do not come and take communion until you go and make things right. You do everything within your power to make things right with your brother or your sister in the Lord talking about preparing your heart and examining your heart. Most of us don't when were given just a minute or two to to confess our sins in the service of worship… Too long that you're still thinking about something else like you believe you have to meet Doug confess our sin.

Preparation is key to making this whole gathering of what we're doing personal glorifying to God. We need to examine our hearts, we need to focus upon the Lord we need to recognize and know what it is that separates us as well. We need to know what he is done for us, so that, in turn, we will worship him with whole hearts, soul, mind and strength. Spring grandfather nothing compares to your greatness. You are the Lord God Almighty, and there is no other. Everything else father is just a creation of machination by the devil which you have revealed yourself to us and shown yourself to us and confirmed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we thank you that you've shed that knowledge abroad and given us the riches and treasures of the Spirit in your word that even now we can praise you for your love extended to us for opening our eyes and our hearts that we can know how awesome you are truly Lord you are glorious above the heavens. You are the majestic Lord of the universe, who deserves all of our worship. All of our praise and adoration. My words are insufficient but I know father than in unison. It's a sweet song of praise to you for you deserve it and you know our hearts. We thank you for loving us, even while yet we were sinners sending your son and giving us a spirit in the future. Father we pray that our worship would honor you and that you would be pleased with our response. Pray father that together with the Angels and those casting their crowns before you, and we would regularly cry out to you unabashedly word the word of the worthy is the Lord God Almighty. In Jesus name we pray. Amen