Bible Study

The Gift of Eternal Life Berean Bible Study Course

PART III--The Way Of Serving God In Christ Jesus

A. Lesson 13--We Serve By Worshipping

1. READ: JOHN 4:23-24

a. What kind of worshippers does the Father seek?

Answer: The Father seeks true worshipers, (verse 23).

MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• True worshipers do not seek to pacify God by going through mindless rituals and traditions, meaningless sacrifices performed because it is "the time to do so," and empty words from the lips of those who do not humble themselves before God, but think that by performing duty and ritual, they please God. True worshipers do not seek self-gratification in their worship. The true child of God does not seek to have worship gratify the senses. What a person "feels" he/she needs, wants or seeks as pleasing worship to God is not worship. Selfish desires are not part of the child of God:

Ephesians :22-24: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Colossians 3:9-10: "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."

• The "new self," which is continually being renewed in knowledge to become the image of God, seeks to please only God in worship:

Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's Will is--His good, pleasing and perfect Will."

• Nor does seeking special places of "worship" built by man for the purpose of offering "grandeur" to God hold any meaning for God. The teachings and traditions of men, whom He created, do not honor Him--they anger Him. When a person nullifies the Word of God, he nullifies Jesus, Who is the Word, and Who is Truth. Anyone who nullifies the Word, (Jesus) nullifies his own salvation:

  Jesus quoted from Isaiah 29:13 when He spoke in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6. In Mark 7:6-9 and verse 13, Jesus says, "‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.' And He said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!... Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.'"

• God requires ALL from His worshiper. The true worshiper's heart, mind, soul, spirit and strength must be engaged in true worship to God. The totality of who a person is must be offered to God--a pleasing sacrifice to Him. This is not only done on the Lord's Day--the day of worship to Him, and remembrance through the Lord's Supper of the death of Him Whose sacrifice reconciles us to the Father. But also, the true worshiper is DAILY offering himself as a living sacrifice to the Father:

Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's Will is--His good, pleasing and perfect Will."