True Worshipers

Introduction

I venture to say that there are regular routines in your life to which you give little or no thought. Probably this morning, you did some things that required little or no thought because you’ve done them so many times. They are just routine, they’re just habit. Included in those would be probably your morning ablutions, your bathing and washing your hair and combing your hair and brushing your teeth and not shaving. You have to pay attention when you’re shaving. Many times you’re drive. Now, Orlando may be the exception to that, but a lot of times the driving to work you give very little thought to. It’s almost like your car is on autopilot, it knows the way there, and you can get to work and think, I don’t remember stopping, I don’t remember turning, I don’t remember, it was just such a routine that I gave little or no thought to it.

It should be so ingrained within us that we do certain things almost by nature. That’s good. But where the danger lies is if we do those things repetitively and constantly and we put no life into them. No thought or no heart. Worship can be one of those things. It’s good that you’re here. It’s good that you’re always here. It’s good that this routine has become habit to you, so that when you wake up on a Sunday morning, you don’t have to think, Am I going to worship today? You just do it. That’s good. But we want to make sure that we don’t allow that habit to lose its heart. So from time to time we need to talk about worship, don’t we? There’s at least three avenues in which we could discuss worship that make sure that our worship still has life, still has heart and meaning to it.

Number one is we could talk about the elements of worship, the things that we do. We could do a whole sermon on singing or a whole sermon on praying, and to make sure that we’re understanding what worship is when we engage in those acts, we understand, first of all, that it ceases to be worship when I do something that God has not proscribed or when I fail to do something that He has prescribed. And so it would do us good to talk about the elements or the acts of worship. It would do us good to talk about the one whom we worship. To focus upon God, that He is worthy of our bowing down before Him. And Dennis has helped us so beautifully this morning in singing about love.

God’s love for us, our love for God and for one another. That’s what compels and drives our worship. But then thirdly, it will do us well to just talk about the concept of worship. What worship is. Why we worship. That’s what I’d like for us to do this morning. In John chapter 4, Jesus famously has the discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well. And the subject of worship comes up. The woman was a Samaritan. Jesus by birth was a Jew. And there were differences that existed between those two nationalities and two forms of worship. And so, not surprisingly, those differences come up in the midst of a religious discussion. One of the grand differences between the Samaritans and the Jews were the place and the form of their worship.

And in discussing with this Samaritan woman the differences between those worships, he talks about a third form of worship, a better form of worship. Let’s again address our Bible reading in John chapter 4. Begin with me in verse 19. He had been talking to this Samaritan at the woman at the well, and she says in verse 19, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. He knew things about her that he otherwise could not have known. And so she says, I perceive that you’re a prophet. So here’s my question, she says. Verse 20, our fathers, speaking of the Samaritan race, our fathers worshiped on this mountain. And you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father.

We pause there. Jesus was not preventing or excluding those two locations as a place of worship. We understand his point, is that there’s coming a time, at the time that he spoke this, he said, There is coming a time where location will not matter. They will worship me everywhere. So neither in this mountain and nor in Jerusalem. Verse 22, you, speaking of the Samaritans, you worship what you do not know. We, speaking of the Jews, we know what we worship. For salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the hour is coming. When true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship him.

Verse 24, God is spirit. And those that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Jesus says at least three things about worship to this Samaritan woman. First thing he says rather bluntly is, You Samaritans are doing it wrong. She, not in the form of a question, but she was asking a question in her statement. Who’s right? The Samaritans or the Jews? Jesus just says the Jews. So the Samaritans were doing it wrong, is the first thing he states. The second thing he states is the Jews were doing it right, but it was temporary. And that brings us really to the main point. His third point was that there would be a time in which God would be worshipped in truth and in spirit. We live at that time.

We’re worshiping God in truth and in spirit today. Let’s think about that worship. And let’s glory in the idea that we get to participate in that.

1. We Worship God in Truth

We live at the end of the ages. We live at the time in Christ Jesus where we can fully and truly and in spirit worship God. Let’s appreciate that this morning. The first thing that Jesus says about this worship that we want to notice, the worship that we can engage in as New Testament Christians, that no other people prior to the time of Jesus dying upon the cross, the gospel being preached on the day of Pentecost, and people coming together on the first day of the week, we worship God in truth. Our worship is true worship.

Now, what did Jesus mean by that? Did he mean truth as opposed to false worship? Now there certainly is false worship. The Samaritans were gauged in false worship. Sadly, today, many people, even those who claim to wear the name of Christian are engaged in false worship. The New Testament, old and New Testament, actually, is clear upon the fact that there is a right way to worship God, and therefore there must be a wrong way. But is that all that Jesus means by the word truth? And is that what he means at all? It would seem to me that in its distinguishing, not between the worship of the Samaritans and the worship of Christians, but between the worship of Old Testament Jews and Christians, that what Jesus is saying is that there will come a time in which they will worship me in truth.

In other words, their worship will be true. True in the sense that it is full and unimpeded worship. Let’s think about the contrast between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship. Turn over to the book of Hebrews, chapter 8. The contrast between worship under the law of Moses and worship today is not that one was false and one was true. The contrast is that one was a shadow, and one is the real image. Hebrews chapter 8, begin reading with me in verse 1, where it says, now this is the main point, Hebrews 8, verse 1. This is the main point of the things we’re saying. We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected and not man.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this one has something to offer.

As Moses was divinely instructed when he was able to make the tabernacle, about to make the tabernacle. For he said, See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he is also a mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Do you see the contrast the Hebrew writer is making there? And I think it’s the same contrast Jesus is making in John 4. He says, when we look at that old covenant worship, it was just a copy and a shadow. But today, at the time that Jesus said would be coming and now is, we worship in the true tabernacle. Our worship is the real thing, not just a copy and a shadow.

You know, we may get enamored by the details and the ornateness of that Old Testament worship of those around the tabernacle in the temple and the priest wearing their priestly garb and all the ceremonies and the burning of incense and the offering of sacrifices and the prayers that were offered. And we might think, wow, that was great. I’d love to have seen that. Don’t fall into that trap. Old Testament saints, if they’re able to witness us worshiping today in spirit and truth, they’re the envious ones. Who are saying, I would have loved to have worshiped God on earth like that. That’s the true worship. Not the copy, not the shadow. We have the reality versus the shadow. We have the true versus the copy, the heavenly versus the earthly.

And let’s understand what an honor and what a privilege it is today for us as New Testament Christians.

Without an earthly mediator. And that’s made possible. Turn back to Hebrews chapter 4. That’s made possible because of the work of our high priest. Hebrews chapter 4, look beginning in verse 14. Seeing then, Hebrews 4, verse 14, our high priest, who the Hebrew writer argues is a better high priest than that old one, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Here’s the conclusion, verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Today, in the Christian age and only in the Christian age, is God truly worshiped as he desires.

Why? Why would anyone want to revert back to an old way of worshiping? To an inferior way of worshiping. Isn’t that the whole argument of the book of Hebrews? In fact, look at the argument as it’s stated in the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 4. We should not desire, in total or in individual elements, to go back and incorporate old covenant worship practices because they’re not the true worship. Galatians 4, notice the argument in Galatians chapter 4 in verse 9, where he says, but now, after you have known God, or rather known by God. How is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? The weak and beggarly elements that he’s talking about was the old covenant thing.

Why do you want to go back there?

Don’t ever fall into the trap in the temptation of thinking, our worship’s just too simple.

It’s too plain.

2. We Worship Him in Spirit

Revel in the idea that we’re worshiping God in truth. This is the truth. This is the real thing. Jesus also said that his followers, the true worshipers of God, would worship him in truth, truth as opposed to the old copy and shadow, but also that we would worship him in spirit. And the reason for that was because God is spirit. And therefore, true, appropriate worship to a spiritual being, would be in spirit. How do we worship God in spirit? Our worship is of a spiritual nature. God is spirit, therefore he’s to be worshipped spiritually. Go back to the book of Hebrews, this time in chapter 9, and notice the contrast here. In Hebrews chapter 9, notice the emphasis, again, we’re going back to look at the contrast between old covenant worship.

We’ll start in Hebrews 9, verse 1, the contrast between old covenant worship and that worship that Jesus said was coming. The spirit and truth worship. And notice the emphasis as we read Hebrews chapter 9, the first ten verses at least. Notice the emphasis upon the physical nature of that old worship. And think about the contrast of the spiritual nature of our worship. Hebrews 9, beginning in verse 1, says, then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared. The first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censor, and the ark of the covenant overlaid with all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

And above it were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Now, when these things had been thus prepared, the priest always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part of the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered him for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. Concerned only with foods and drinks and various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of Reformation.

Did you notice as we read that old covenant form of worship that again the emphasis upon the physical? Talked about the physical tabernacle and the physical items that were in the tabernacle. It talked about location, it talked about specific days, it talked about appointed priests, all of those things. The emphasis to a great extent was upon those physical elements.

And Jesus seems to hint to that when he said to the Samaritan woman, that neither here were the Samaritans worshiped, nor in Jerusalem will God be worshipped. Again, the emphasis was not you cannot worship God in Jerusalem, but the emphasis was the location, the physical, will not be emphasized anymore. Why? Because he says God is spirit, and he is to be truly worshiped in spirit. The emphasis now is upon the spiritual. Look with me. Go back in the Old Testament to the book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah chapter 31, a passage that’s quoted in the New Testament to point out that a new and better way was coming. A new and better approach to God and included in that a new and better way to worship God.

Jeremiah 31, beginning verse 31. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant. And their mind.

God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I told them to worship him with their hearts and mind. But it cannot be denied that there was an emphasis upon the physical. And while it is true that still today there are physical elements to our worship, it also must be recognized that the emphasis is not upon the physical, but upon the spiritual. That’s true worship. That’s spirit worship. And that’s what we get to engage in. A worship unlike any other worship that more closely and more beautifully reflects the worship that takes place before the throne in heaven.

3. Old Worship Versus True Worship

True tabernacle, the true holiest of holies, where the true high priest is let’s make a quick contrast between our form of worship and that old covenant form of worship. I’ve termed this not old worship versus new worship, but old worship versus true worship. I think that’s the real contrast. Think of the differences in emphasis. There was a physical temple. That’s where worship was to take place. In the physical tabernacle, the physical temple, Jesus said that in his time, under the old covenant, location mattered. Today, the New Testament emphasizes there’s still a temple, but it’s not that old copy of a temple, that old shadow of a tabernacle. It’s our bodies. That’s the true temple of God. You see, the emphasis, though there’s a physical element still to our bodies, surely the emphasis there is upon the spiritual aspect that we are all stones in the temple of God.

The priest wore those expensive priestly garbs of robes.

Under the old system of worship, there was the burning of incense, the actual literal burning of incense. But what are our prayers likened to in the new covenant? Our prayers are the incense that go up before the altar of God. Are you beginning to see a pattern of emphasis upon physical as contrasted to the emphasis upon spiritual in what we might call in what Jesus called true worship.

But we have the precious lamb of God. Again, still a physical element. Jesus had physical flesh and blood. Jesus gave a physical, fleshly body. He shed real blood. But can you not see the contrast between the spiritual nature of that and the physical nature of an animal shedding its blood and its flesh being offered up?

Under the old covenant, they use physical, musical instruments. But today, when we engage in true spirit worship, we offer up what the Hebrew writer would call the fruit of our lips. We use an instrument, but it’s not an instrument that man made.

The Old Testament without seeing the emphasis upon washing and cleanliness. They were always washing something. The priest washed themselves before they would go and worship. The elements of the priestly worship was to be washed. All of the pots and the cups were to be washed with water and cleansed with water. There was a physical element in that shadow. That foreshadowed a washing that takes place today. Now is New Testament baptism have physical elements to it? Yes. We use real water. And our physical bodies are to be immersed in that water. But no true student of the Bible can read the passages about baptism in the New Testament and come away and saying that was just a physical act. That’s not the emphasis. It’s the washing of the water and the blood.

There is a spiritual transaction that takes place. When we don’t wash some physical inanimate objects, when we wash ourselves are when Christ washes us clean of his blood. We’re the envy of the ages.

Conclusion

We approach God as priest and put our offerings upon the altar. Don’t let it become routine. Don’t let this habit become a thoughtless habit. Know what we’re doing this day. And what a privilege and an honor we have to adorn our righteous deeds as our priestly garments. And come in our own temples and tabernacles to worship God in spirit and in truth. Will you pray with me, please? Dear God and Almighty Father in heaven, we’re so thankful that we get to approach your throne, that we get to worship you not in a shadow, not in a copy, but that we have that true worship in the true tabernacle. And we’re so thankful for your son that made this all possible. We’re so thankful for our high priest who is there at your side doing what a high priest does, making an offering and pleading on our behalf.

We love you, Father. We thank you for the privilege of being able to worship you in the way that we can.

Continue to love us. Continue to be near to us as we draw near to you. Continue to protect, care, and be merciful to us. Most of all, Father, on us on that day of judgment. This is our prayer in Christ’s name. Amen. I think I’ve told you before that when I was a child, I was a voracious reader of comic books. I can remember two disappointments from comic books, specifically the back pages of comic books. If you can remember, I don’t know how they’re done now, but when I was a child, the back pages of comic books would be advertisements of little things you could cut out and attach a check or a money order and send it in, and they would send you back that item that was advertised.

It was a good educational experience. It educated me on the tenets of false advertising. I can remember being excited to be able to send off what I thought was a small amount of money, actually, a small amount of my parents’ money. And I was going to receive these lifelike army men that I was told would come in an authentic army footlocker. Waited with excited anticipation. And wondered when the package arrived, how an authentic army footlocker would fit in this box, and opened it up to find two grand disappointments. Number one, the Army men were not the Army men that I was used to. They weren’t three-dimensional, they were just flat. It wouldn’t even stand up.

The authentic Army footlocker required a little assembly. It was the thinnest piece of cardboard paper that, if folded up, kind of like if you get the box of checks and you have to put the box together. It was colored like an army footlocker, but was in no means authentic. The other disappointment I learned is that I can remember as a child, and isn’t it funny how the naivete and simplicity of the things you used to think of as a child? I somehow I had formed it in my mind that it was the law of the land, that if you found an old advertisement, that they had to honor that price.

That was an old price. In fact, that company’s probably not even in business. They were scamming young kids years ago and probably went out of business and replaced by new scammers. I thought those old things still applied today. Well, that’s not true of advertising, is it?

But what a contrast this ancient book that we read is. That number one, there’s no false advertisement involved at all. And secondly, that those words, though first spoken and recorded thousands of years ago, are still just as valid and applicable today. Well, you get your New Testament to go to the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, and see how this book describes itself. In glowing contrast to any other old words. In Hebrews chapter 4 and in verse 12, after telling us to be diligent in our service and our study and application of God’s word, the Hebrew writer says, here’s why we are diligent in that word. Hebrews 4, verse 12, for the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, peace piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.

The word of God is living, and it is powerful. This is not some expired ancient text. These are not just lifeless dead words on a page that might be interesting to be taught in some child’s Bible class. These words are living and powerful. Would to God that everyone, not just in this audience, but in the entire world would come to that recognition that the word of God can do something personally in our lives. The apostle Paul came to that realization, and so he could say to his Roman brethren, I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation.

And number two, you should not be ashamed of it. Because it’s the power of God. And that word, the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is living and powerful. It is the power of God because it changes things. It can change you. It can change your life. Go with me, if you will, to the short letter known as Philemon. Go to Hebrews and take a left. Just 25 verses in this short letter. There’s many things that make this letter stand out as unique among all the epistles of the New Testament. Number one is its brevity. Number two is that it was written to an individual, where most of them were written to collections of individuals known as churches, but this was written to an individual.

And it was written about a very particular incident and relationship that existed. In a lot of ways, it’s a simple book in its brevity. There’s only three characters involved. The Apostle Paul, who pinned it by inspiration, the recipient of the letter, Philemon, and then the main object of the letter, a man by the name of Onisimus. So there’s three characters. So it’s already simple in that regard. The difficulty that lies in this brief book is that everything that we can know about two of those three characters is contained within this short book. And so we have to connect some dots. It seems from our reading of the book of Philemon, which by the way, we’ll do in just a moment. That we learn some things. Number one, the Apostle Paul is in prison at the time of this writing.

A man by the name of Onesimus has come to him while he’s in prison and has helped him. And this Onesimus has apparently run away from the other man by the name of Philemon. It is thought that maybe Onesimus was a slave. And Philemon was the master. And Onesimus has run away from Philemon. Maybe he has stolen something and run away, or maybe he has just stolen himself as a slave and run away. And Onesimus has come to Paul. Paul, it appears, has taught him the gospel. And Onisimus has now become a Christian, as Philemon, the master is. And so Paul writes these short 25 verses to Philemon about Onesimus, in saying, accept him back. And accept him back, not just as the master slave relationship, but now in this newfound relationship as brother to brother.

Let’s take the brief time to read the book of Philemon. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Aphea and Archipus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because of the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake, rather I appeal to you, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I appeal to you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I’m sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is my own heart, whom I wish to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent, I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

If you then count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he’s wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account.

I will repay. Not to mention to you that you owe me even your since in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. Epiprus, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Three characters, Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus.

Let’s look at how all three of these characters’ lives were changed and in no small way by the gospel. Let’s first look at the author of the book. What a change the gospel made in his life. No wonder he would say that the gospel is the power of God to salvation. No wonder he would also say, of that gospel I’m not ashamed. Because look at the transformation that took place in his life. Specifically in this book, he’s gone from being a persecutor to now a prisoner. How ironic that now this man is in prison and being persecuted because of his faith in Jesus Christ. When it wasn’t all that long ago that he was on the other end of that equation, wasn’t he? And surely that thought occurred to Paul every day that he was in prison.

That he had earlier put people in prison for the very faith that he now proclaimed. The gospel made that change. From being the persecutor to the persecuted, to being the imprisoner, to being the imprisoned. It changed Paul in so many other profound ways. Think about this. The Saul of Acts 9, verse 1, who was breathing out threatenings and slaughter and murders and imprisonments against the people of God is now the Paul who could pin these words. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. The gospel’s living and powerful to effect such a change. We think about Onesimus. And what we can piece together from this short letter of the book of Philemon is that Onesimus had run away.

And Paul would say of him, now what’s interesting is the name Onesimus itself, which historians tell us was a common name for slaves, the word onisimus means helpful or useful. But Paul would say of this Onesimus that to Philemon his master, that he had become useless. Verse 10, who he says in verse 12, I am sending him back to you. He says of him that he’s to accept him no longer as a slave, verse 16, but as a brother. And verse 18, if he is owed you anything, put that on my account. He says, this Onesimus, who had been useless, is now profitable for you again in verse 11. Onesimus, that means useful, certainly was useful to him when he was in his employee as a slave, but when he ran away, he became useless.

He wasn’t doing his duties anymore. But Paul says he can be useful to you once again.

The transformation that’s taken place in Onesimus. That it seems that he is willing to return. Voluntarily on his behalf as well. To take up his obligations as onerous and detestable as they may be, to take up his obligations.

Transformation has taken place in Onesimus. He’s run away, but he wants to come back. And then we think about the transformation in Philemon’s life. That a change has taken place in the gospel that before this relationship between Philemon and Onesimus seemed to be strictly the idea of the relationship between a master and a slave. But Paul says now that you accept him back, not just as a slave, but as a brother. What Paul is saying here is your relationship with this man has now changed. Why? Because I have begotten him as a son while in my chains. That means he has become a child of God, and as Paul would point out to Philemon, he is now your brother. Wow. What a change. This relationship will be like it never was before.

Because the word of God is living and powerful.

Well, let’s think about the application in our own lives. How can the gospel have that effect? Or a similar powerful effect upon me. It changes us. The word of God is living and powerful. The gospel is the power of God to salvation because it transforms us from sinner to saint.

You’ll remember that in Acts chapter 22, when Paul is retelling the story of Jesus making his appearance before him and him going into that city and being told.