Here I Am To Worship

Sermon Notes, September 18, 2016

“Here I Am to Worship”

Steve W. Reeves

INTRODUCTION:

A. There is a big difference between “going to church” and worshipping God.

    1. The word, “church,” in Greek was “ecclesia,” meaning, “an assembly.” It was not a

       religious word.

    2. People assemble for many reasons.

       a. Last Saturday (September 10, 2016) the largest crowd ever assembled to watch

           a college football game met at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.  

           Over 150,000 people attended the “Battle of Bristol” between the University of

           Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

       b. People assemble for various reasons such as athletic events, political rallies,

           lectures, weddings and funerals.

B. Why have we assembled here today?

    1. To be completely honest some of you would say you are here because someone

       made you come.

    2. Some of you might say that you are here to visit with your friends.

    3. Some might say you have come to hear preaching or to listen to singing. Some

       would say you have come to observe the Lord’s Supper.                    

    4. My hope is that all of us might be able to say, “Here I am to worship.”

I. WHAT IS WORSHIP?

    A. As we embark on a journey that I hope will lead us to a deeper understanding  of

       God and our worship of Him it is important for us to ask the question, “What is

       worship?” People in our culture have so many different ideas regarding worship.

    B. Here are some definitions given by various spiritual leaders through the years.

       1. William Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-44 gave this definition

           of worship. “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the

           quickening of conscience by His holiness, Nourishment of mind by His truth,

           Purifying of imagination by His beauty, Opening of the heart to His love, And

           submission of will to his purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the

           greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”

       2. Harold Best, in his book Music Through the Eyes of Faith, defines worship as

           “acknowledging that someone or something else is greater – worth more – and

           by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored.”

       3. Warren Wiersbee in, Real Worship wrote, “Worship is the believer’s response of

           all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does”

       4. David Peterson in Engaging God, said, “Worship of the living and true God is

           essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the

           way that he alone makes possible.”

    C. Our English word, “worship” is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word, “worth-ship.”

       Which mean to ascribe honor and praise. The words “worthy” and “worthwhile” are

       related to this word.

    D. In the Bible the word “worship” occurs 198 times. It is translated from several

       Hebrew and Greek words. There are two primary thoughts attached to these words.

       1. The first is the attitude of bowing down before and kissing the hand as an act of

           adoration and submission.

       2. The second is an act of service toward the one we worship.

       3. Worship involves two things – attitude and action. Worship affects the entire

           person.

           a. One of the first recorded instances of worship in the Bible is in Genesis 4

               where Cain and Able offered sacrifices to God.  Able’s sacrifice from his flock

               was acceptable. Cain’s sacrifice from his harvest was not. As the story plays

               out you can see that Cain was deficient in both his attitude and his actions.

               Able approached God in faith (Heb.11: 4) the right attitude and with the right

               action.

           b. See Matthew 4:10 and Deuteronomy6 10:12; 11:13.

II. WHAT DID JESUS SAY?

    A. Isn’t it amazing how some of the greatest teachings from Scripture occur in the

       most unlikely places. 

       1. This is the case with Jesus’ instruction on worship which occurs near the end of

           his conversation with a woman of Samaria in John 4.

       2. The 3^rd and 4^th chapters of John are a continuous story of Jesus’ conversation

           with two individuals from very different backgrounds. 

           a. In John 3 Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, that he must be born again of

               the water and the Spirit. It is in this conversation that we find the familiar verse,

               “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that

               whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

           b. In John 4 Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman. After they had

               talked together Jesus told her to go get her husband. She replied that she had

               no husband and Jesus said, “you’re right! You’ve had five husbands and the

               man you are with now is not your husband.”  We will join their conversation in

               verse 19.

    B. Notice the woman’s question. After deciding that Jesus must be a prophet she

       tries to steer the conversation away from herself with a question about worship.

       1. The Samaritans worshipped at Mount Gerizim. The Jews worshipped in

           Jerusalem. Who was right?

       2. Isn’t it amazing how we change the subject when our comfort zone is invaded?

    C. The answer Jesus gave tells us two important things about worship.

       1. The place is not the issue. This was a radical departure from the teachings of

           both Samaritans and Jews. There had always been a place for worship whether

           it had been Gilgal, Shechem, Bethel or Jerusalem. 

       2. The issue is knowledge and attitude.

           a. In verse 22 Jesus said, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what

               we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”

           b. In verse 24, Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must

               worship in spirit and truth for such people the Father seeks to be His

               worshipers.”

           c. Jesus was saying that worship is a matter of the heart and mind. It involves the

               spirit and the intellect. 

III. FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS OF WORSHIP

    A. There are many benefits we receive when we worship.

       1. There is a spirit of unity and community as we participate in worship.

       2. We teach and admonish one another as we sing.

       3. We share our sorrows and burdens with one another as we pray.

       4. We proclaim a message of faith and conviction through our participation.

    B. There are some foundational principles we must always remember.

       1. Worship is about God – not us.

           a. Worship is our praise and adoration to God for who He is and what He has

               done. The Hebrew word, “Hallel” means, “to praise.” When added to the

               covenant name for God, YAHWEH, it forms the familiar, “Hallelujah!” (Praise

               YAHWEH).

           b. A good example of praising God for who He is and what He has done is found

               in Psalm 136 where the Psalmist intersperses reasons why God is worthy of

               praise with the phrase, “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” It is all about

               praising God.

           c When I am more concerned about personal preferences than I am about

              praising God I have lost the proper focus of worship.         

       2. There is an inseparable link between my public worship and my private life.

           a. How often do we hear political figures declare what they do in in private does

               not matter.

           b. The prophets of the Old Testament often spoke of people who practiced

               religious rituals but did not practice love, justice and mercy in their own lives.

           c. You cannot sow a crop of wild oats all week long and then come to church and

               pray for a crop failure.

       3. Worship is our response to God’s holiness (meaning “separate,” “apart,”

           “uncommon”).

           a. This response was pictured by Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 6:1-9 and the cry of the

               Seraphim in vs. 3 - “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is

               full of His glory.”  

           b. In Hebrews 12:2 - 298 the writer said, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom

               which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God

               an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for our God is a consuming

               fire.”

           c. In Revelation 4:8-11 God is worshipped with these words, “Holy, holy, holy is

               the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

    C. Worship provides us with the opportunity to offer ourselves to God.

       1. In Romans 12:2 Paul says that as we live our lives unconfirmed to the world

           proving the will of God we are offering Him our spiritual sacrifice.

       2. Hebrews 3:15-16 speaks of offering up sacrifice of praise – the fruit of our lips,

          sharing what we have for such sacrifice is pleasing to God. 

CONCLUSION:

A. Do you remember the scene in the movie, The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy, the

    Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion have come to the Emerald city and enter into

    the room where they meet the wizard? With the amplified voice, the fire and smoke

    the created image demanded, “why have you come?”

    1. You and I are not in the presence of a made up image. We are in the presence of

       the God of the universe.

    2. He wants to know, “Why are you here?” My prayer is that each of us might reply,

       “Here I am to worship.”

B. God invites you to come to Him today. He loves you more than you can imagine and  
    wants to have a relationship with You. He sent His Son, Jesus, to take the guilt of your 
    sin to the cross and raised Him up on the first day of the week. Come to Him today,

Minor Prophets - Malachi

Sermon Notes, September 4, 2016 PM

Minor Prophets with a Major Message

Malachi

Steve W. Reeves

INTRODUCTION:

A. Arkansas has many beautiful places. For many years Tami and I have enjoyed going

    to Mount Nebo near Dardanelle. Mount Nebo is one of the highest peaks in our state

    and offers breathtaking views of the Arkansas River Valley, cool breezes on hot

    summer days and some of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see. When we

    lived in that area we would often drive to Sunset point in the evening to watch the sun

    descend below the mountains and witness the artistry of God as the shades of

    evening chased away the final rays of the sun.

    1. In this message we come to the sunset of the Old Testament.

    2. Beginning with the dawn of creation through the morning hours of Israel’s exodus,

       the noontime of her glory under David and Solomon and the long afternoon of the

       prophets God’s sunset of the Old Testament is the literary artistry of Malachi.

B. We know very little about this 5^th century B.C. prophet.

    1. We are not certain of his name. The name, “Malachi” means “My Messenger.”

    2. Some have speculated whether this is a proper name or a descriptive name

       borrowed from a statement made in 3:1 – “Behold, I am going to send My

       messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.”

    3. Several early Christian writers including Origen suggested that Malachi was an

       angel (the word “angel” means “messenger”).

    4. Another early Christian writer, Jerome, was convinced that the writer of Malachi

       was the scribe Ezra. This view was also held by the reformation leader John Calvin

    5. Rick Ezell describes Malachi with these words: “He may be described as a  

       vigorous, clear-cut personality who strongly opposed anyone who treated the

       temple and the things of God with indifference. Carelessness in worship offended

       him. He wanted to restore the genuine worship of God based on a true relationship

       with Him. He was a fearless reformer who spoke without hesitation or

       embarrassment.”

C. It is important for us to notice the setting in which this message was delivered.

    1. Malachi, along with Haggai and Zechariah were “post-exilic” prophets.

    2. The exiles from Babylon and Persia returned in three stages.

       a. The first group led by Zerubbabel and Joshua (the High Priest) approximately

           537 B.C. This group led the initial rebuilding of Jerusalem and completed the

           rebuilding of the temple in 516 B.C.

       b. A second group arrived under the leadership of Ezra in 458 B.C.

       c. The final group was led by Nehemiah in 445.B.C. Nehemiah led this group in the

           rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He later became the governor of Jerusalem

           on two occasions.

    3. As Malachi was writing the days of Persia were numbered. Greece was becoming

       the predominant power in the ancient world. In the west the Romans were

       beginning to emerge as a political power (founded in 509 B.C.).

    4. The people of Israel had become complacent and apathetic about their faith. They

       were going through the motions of worship but there was no meaning. The feeling

       was gone.

    5. Kyle Yates in Preaching From The Prophets, makes this observation about the

       people of Israel during this post-exilic period. “The people complained against God

       and bemoaned their sad plight, refused to pay their tithes and offerings, were guilty

       of social injustice, and had married themselves with the heathen people of the land.

       Divorce was common. YAHWEH’s covenant had been forgotten and a low type of

       behavior was the common order of the day” (p. 214).

D. Malachi used a unique method to deliver God’s message.

    1. He uses a series of seven discussions in which God speaks first and is then

       answered by the people who state their objections. God then answers the

       objections before moving on to the next discussion. It is almost like a series of

       debates between God and the people.

    2. Malachi is the only Old Testament writer who used this literary form.

E. God used Malachi to challenge His people to do their best in their worship, in their

    marriage and in their giving. Each of these challenges is still valid.

I. DO OUR BEST IN WORSHIP

    A. God begins the first discussion in verse 6 by asking, “A son honors his father,

       and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a

       master, where is My respect? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise

       My name.” (There are 55 verses in Malachi. In 44 of them God is speaking directly).

       1. Twenty-four times in Malachi God calls Himself, "The Lord of Hosts” (NIV – “The

           Lord Almighty). This is the term Martin Luther referred to in his hymn, “A Mighty

           Fortress” with the lyrics, “Lord Sabbaoth His name, from age to age the same.”    

       2. God is worthy of the highest praise and best effort we can possibly give.

    B. As we read further in Malachi we discover that these people were not giving God

       their best. Malachi begins with the priests in the section from 1:6-2:9.

       1. The people asked in verse 6 – “How have we despised Your name?”

       2. God responded in verse 7 – “You are presenting defiled food upon My altar.”       

       3. Again the people ask, “‘How have we defiled you?”

       4. God replied in verses 7-8 – “In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be

           despised.’ ⁸ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when

           you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor?

           Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord

           of hosts.”

           a. The priests were not giving God what He was due.

           b. They were bringing animals that were blind, lame, and injured – the animals

               no one wanted – and sacrificing them. God had given specific instructions

               regarding the animals that were to be sacrificed. See Exodus 12:5; Leviticus.

               1:3,10; 22:18-25 and Deut. 15:21. These people were giving God the

               left-overs.

           c. Malachi chides them in verse 8, “Try offering them to your governor! Would he

               be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” They were giving things to God

               that their governor would not accept.

           d. I recently read of a man who had done mission work in Africa. He told of

               receiving a shipping container filled with clothes. As they went through the

               clothes they discovered most of them were old, worn out, torn and dirty.

           e. Many churches quit stocking food pantries because people were bringing

               canned goods with dates that had expired. For too long many people have had

               the mindset, “I will take the best for myself and give whatever is left to God”

    C. What was the crux of the issue? They were not honoring God’s name. The quality

       of our worship is inseparably linked to our view of God.

       1. If we recognize God’s power, holiness, awesome nature and majesty our worship

           will reflect a spirit of reverence and awe. The higher our view of God the greater

           our worship of Him will be.

       2. In verse 11 - “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be

           great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My

           name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the

           nations,” says the Lord of hosts.”

      3. At the conclusion of verse 14 - “for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts,

           “and My name is feared among the nations.”

    D. What was God’s response to the attitude and actions of His people?

       1. Notice verse 10 - ““Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates,

           that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,”

           says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.”

       2. God says, “I would rather you lock the doors of the church building rather than

           come in and give me the leftovers of your life.”  

       3. What they needed and what we need is to recapture a vision of the power and

           majesty of God.    

II. DO OUR BEST IN MARRIAGE

    A. Beginning in chapter 2:11 Malachi talks about Judah. This is a reference to the

       people of Israel who had returned.

       1. He says, “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been

           committed in Israel and in Jerusalem.”

       2. The word, “abomination” is translated “detestable” in some versions.

       3. What is this thing they have done? Verse 11 continues, “Judah has profaned the

           sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign

           god."

    B. The Old Testament was very specific about who the Israelites could marry.

       1. Exodus 34:15-18 – prohibition against covenants with foreign people.

       2. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 – ^“Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall

           not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your

           sons. ⁴ For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods;

           then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy

           you.”

       3. Do you remember what happened to Solomon in 1 Kings 11 when he married

           foreign women? They turned his heart away from God.

    C. What was taking place in Malachi’s day was that men were divorcing their wives

       in order to go out and marry someone else.

       1. Malachi sets the stage for what Jesus would later say about marriage and

           divorce in Matthew 19:1-9.

       2. In verse 15 he said, “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit.

           And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed

           then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your

           youth.”  See Proverbs 5:18 – “Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the

           wife of your youth.”

       3. In verse 16 he said, “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and

           him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take

           heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

    D. If divorce is not God’s will it makes sense that we should do everything in our

       power to avoid the things that lead to divorce.

       1. There must be a recognition that marriage is a covenant with God and not

           merely a civil matter.

       2. There must be planning and preparation. You cannot receive a driver’s license

           or hunting license without taking a test. You cannot receive a medical license

           without passing an exam. You do not have to take a test to be married but it

           makes sense to spend some time preparing and understanding what God

           says about marriage and some things about marriage itself.

       3. It is never too early to begin teaching children about God’s plan for marriage.

           May I suggest the children’s book Picking Melon’s and Mates by Cindy Colley,

           available at  www.thecolleyhouse.org.

III. DO OUR BEST IN GIVING  

    A. In chapter 3:8 the question is raised, “Will a man rob God?”  He could have asked,

       “Will a man cheat God?”

       1. Once again the people reply, “How have we robbed you?”

       2. God responds, “In tithes and offerings.”

           a. In the Old Testament there were numerous regulations regarding tithes

               and offerings (Leviticus 27). The foundational principle to all of them was that

               God was to receive the first portion. Remember, tithing actually predated the

               Law of Moses (Genesis 14:20).

           b. In the same manner the people had been bringing inferior sacrifices to offer at

               the altar they were withholding the amount they should have been giving to

              God.

           c. According to verse 9 – “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me,

               the whole nation of you.”

    B. At this point God sets forth a Divine principle for giving. You cannot outgive God.

       Notice verse 10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be

       food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open

       for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

       1. Is there any limit to God’s resources?

       2. Our greatest limitation is the one we impose on ourselves when we fail to give

           with a proper attitude. Remember, in the New Testament we are not under a

           tithe but we are recipients of better promises and a better covenant offering

           better hope. God calls on us to be “cheerful givers” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

       3. A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a

           quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection

           plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming

           out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given.

           "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the

           collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew

           I'd be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did."

CONCLUSION:

A. In Malachi 3:7 we find a phrase that is repeated often in the Minor Prophets. “Return

    to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.” This is ongoing repentance

    such as 1 John 1:9.”If we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive…”

    1. Though these twelve books are called the minor prophets their message is

       extremely important and always timely.

    2. We must return to God, seek Him with all of our hearts and put Him first in every

       area of life.

B. May we heed this message and return to Him as we encourage one another.