This is not the first time to introduce Brother Ben, but it is the first time to introduce him as a missionary, as an ordained preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we are delighted to have heard the report and the informal talk about himself in the previous hour. We're going to ask Brother Ben to do what preachers really enjoy doing, and that is talking about the Lord and His Word. So, Brother, come and open the Scriptures to us. Take whatever time you need. Don't pay attention to that clock. Thank you. God bless you. Please take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28 and 29. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28 and 29. Now, as I travel from church to church on deputation, there is some value, and I experienced it as a child, of hearing the same messages preached over and over again when my father was on deputation. It is my intention on deputation, and I have already started doing this, as well as when I preach at Victory every other week, to begin to debut messages that I will be preaching in my place of ministry there in Santa Catarina, Brazil. And this is one of them. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28 through 29. We read, Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. The title of my message this morning is What is worship? What is worship? Now, in our text, we see that given that we have received a sound, unshakable kingdom that cannot be moved, quite unlike anything that exists on this world, which does move, which does fade away and which will ultimately be destroyed. Seeing that we have received a heavenly kingdom that cannot be destroyed, that cannot be moved. And seeing that we have received that kingdom in Christ, as the context of the chapter makes clear. we are instructed that we should serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Now, the stakes could not be higher in this service. In a reference to Leviticus chapter 10, verses 1 and 2, where we have the story of Nadab and Abihu, The author of Hebrews here reveals that the knowledge of God's judgment and punishment and exactitude in what he demands should ignite a fervency in our commitment to serve God acceptably. We cannot get this service wrong. We cannot make up this service according to our own whims. Our God is a consuming fire and we shall be consumed if we take this service too lightly. I would ask you to look very carefully there in verse 28 at this word serve here in this passage. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. This same Greek word that is translated as serve also appears in Acts chapter 7 and verse 42. Please turn with me there to Acts chapter 7 and verse 42. Acts chapter 7, verse 42. And there we read, Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness. The same word serve there in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28 is translated worship in Acts chapter 7 and verse 42. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. Similarly, in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 3, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit. That word worship there is the same Greek word translated as serve in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28. Accordingly, the fact that our God is a consuming fire should spur us onward to worship God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And if there is one thing I would ask that you take away from this message, I might ramble. I might become unable to be understood halfway through. But if there is one thing that you must take away from this message, it is that we cannot distinguish between service and worship. All worship that is not service is no worship. And any service which is carried out unworshipfully is no service. But since God is a consuming fire. And since we should worship with reverence and godly fear, we must ask, what is true worship? What is true worship? Now, in seminary, I was required to take a class entitled Worship and Worship Leadership. Now, in this class, we studied the mechanics of leading worship. As part of that class, we perused various models and methods of electronic sound amplification, we learned out how to organize and maintain a worship band on the stage. I learned how to work a soundboard. I learned how to sit on a stage while the pastor or the worship band performed and everybody looked at me. And there's one cardinal rule that I learned in seminary that I constantly break, and that is I crossed my legs often when I sit on the stage. I learned how to coordinate my ties with my pastor. And I have no reason why, but we were taught how to decorate a church for the liturgical seasons. In this class, I also learned about the worship wars. I learned about traditional versus contemporary worship, liturgical and creedal worship versus non-liturgical extemporaneous worship. I learned about emotional versus academic worship and objective propositional worship versus subjective experiential worship. That was what I was studying for my midterm that semester. for this class, and then later for my final, that it occurred to me that while I had learned about the various kinds of worship and the various methods, the one thing that had not been broached, that had not been approached, which had never been defined to me in this class, was what the Bible said about worship. The missing part of the curriculum was biblical worship. Accordingly, let me modify our question as the title of this message. What is biblical worship? And I hope to look at three things today. As we open the word of God, first of all, I want to answer the question, what is biblical worship? Secondly, how is worship to be practiced? And then thirdly, when should we worship in the Lord giving grace? We shall close with application. Now, what is biblical worship? And let us place great emphasis on this matter of biblical worship. Our God is a consuming fire. If we would find out what worship is, we must seek it in the pages of Scripture. Understanding worship is eminently and exclusively a biblical matter. The Bible reveals the past, the present, and the glorious future of worship. The Old Testament reveals the foundations and definitions of worship. The New Testament directs the followers of Christ to worship, and both Old and New Testaments reveal fascinating glimpses of heaven wherein our worship will be perfect and continuous for all eternity. But worship must also be biblical because not only do the scriptures reveal true worship, but they reveal the one true God. Without a knowledge of God, there can be no worship. Accordingly, what is biblical worship? And as we consider biblical worship, there are three levels or three aspects of worship revealed in the pages of scripture. And any of these three aspects of worship separated from the others invalidates the entire concept. Accordingly, let us look at the first level. First of all, worship is the exaltation and praise of God. The Anglo-Saxon word that we have, worship, actually comes from an older word, which means worthy ship. It is the declaration of God's worthiness. It is the declaration of his excellence and his superiority. The Greek word used for worship most often in the New Testament means to kiss the hand in a token of reverence, to kneel or prostrate, to pay homage. 2 Samuel chapter 22 and verse 4 reads, I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies. God is worthy of praise and all true worship proclaims his worthiness and his praise. 1 Chronicles 16 verses 23-29, Sing unto the Lord all the earth, show forth from day to day his salvation, declare his glory among the heathen, his marvelous works among all nations. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He also is to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Glory and honor are in his presence. Strength and gladness are in his place. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. As we see the worship of heaven in Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, We find that the 4 in 20 elders and all the inhabitants of heaven never ceased to proclaim, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. The worthiness of God proclaimed. We read this morning Psalm 96. Let me read the first four verses again. Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord. Bless his name. Show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. Now, there are three things that qualify and characterize true biblical worship at this level. First of all, true biblical worship is propositional. It is propositional. It makes absolute declarative statements about God. Perhaps you have heard that so-called worship Contemporary worship song. What if God were one of us, just like one of us standing on the corner? And it goes on to make various what if comparisons about God? We have that famous statement enshrined on underwear and jewelry. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus do? These are not aspects of true worship. True worship is always propositional. It makes absolute declarative statements about God. The question is not what would Jesus do, but what does the Bible reveal about God? Secondly, all true worship is doctrinal. It is grounded in scripture and it develops and teaches the truths about God and His works and makes application to mankind. I challenge you to sing the Psalms and not come away convicted with the sense that I need to do something. I am called to obey. I am called to do such and such as a result of who God is. All the more Reason, then, to sing the Psalms. And finally, the great note which is lost in modern worship. Modern worship, true worship, is not only propositional, it not only makes absolute declarative statements about God, it is not only doctrinal in that it teaches biblical doctrine and makes application, but it is, thirdly, contrastive. It exalts God and debases mankind. And this is the great problem in so-called modern worship, for it exalts man and man's feelings and man's sentiments and man's senses and places them on equal footing with God. But all biblical worship is contrastive. It exalts God and it humbles man. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28 brings this out very clearly. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve, worship God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Look at those two concepts there, reverence and godly fear. The reverence there is the Greek word which means a sense of shame or honor, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, regard for others, respect, shame, facedness, a sense of one's own unworthiness. Reverence here relates to a perception of ourself. We are nothing. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 5. As Isaiah comes face to face with this vision of God, then said, I woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. I tell the story rather frequently, but it bears telling again. Oftentimes, the Pentecostals will come to my father and will tell him about the wonderful visions they have had of Jesus Christ. And they seem to place at stake is literally their own salvation. If a Pentecostal goes for any significant amount of time without a new vision of Christ, chances are he's not going to heaven in his own mind. And so there is always there is never a lack of some new vision to be discussed. And exalted over and often they come to my father boasting of their spirituality last night while I slept, I had this beautiful vision of Christ. And my father's answer always is, what is your reaction? Oh, I went to Jesus and I hugged him and he hugged me and he looked deep into my eyes and told me he loved me. Well, your vision is not biblical. I don't know who you saw, but it certainly was not Christ. For all true worship, all true interaction with Christ. And with God brings us to sense our own unworthiness. This is why creativity in worship is unnecessary. The denominations today spend millions to have creative worship. There is a church in Kansas City that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars every month to completely redo the stage and the front of the church from month to month so that when people come in, it always seems like it's a new and fresh place to worship new songs, new methods. Creativity and worship is not necessary because nothing that we have to offer, offer or think up of our own will will ever be good enough. And by the way, if you have any carnal attraction to that grand old Baptist standard in the garden, let me encourage you to release yourself from that. We don't walk with him and we don't talk with him as if he were our buddy buddy. We fall at his feet and recognize our own unworthiness. Even the very roses in that garden would shrivel with shame at how their own glory pales before the glory of almighty God. But not only is reverence called for in worship, a sense of contrastive, a sense of how unworthy we are. But you'll notice in our text, Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28, reverence is paired with godly fear. One Greek word here is translated godly fear, and it means a caution and dread, piety, profound appreciation of God and of his person. Revelation chapter 15 and verse 4, who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy. For all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest. True worship at this level of the declaration of the worthiness of God exalts the person of God and correspondingly cast down the imagination, the self-worth, the person of man. There is also a second concept involved in biblical worship, and we have already touched on this briefly. Worship is obedience. Worship is service. First of all, not only does God command worship, and in this case, worship is obedience to the command of God, but worship is also obedience to worship him as he requires. First of all, God commands worship. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10. Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10. Here we find the temptation of Christ by Satan. We must be careful to understand that Christ, there was never any chance that Christ would sin through this temptation. The New Testament makes very clear that human temptation occurs when we are led astray of our own lusts. Christ himself was impeccable. He had no lusts. He could not be led astray. But Satan certainly had every intention of getting him to sin, even if he could not. And in his response to Satan, Matthew chapter four, verse 10 reminds us, Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Here we have a circular. Argument made by Christ. We are commanded to worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. He used that exact same word, which is also translated worship. He is emphasizing by double repetition the fact that worship of God is commanded. We should worship the Lord our God and him only should we worship. In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 7, the multitudes in heaven cry with a loud voice, fear God. Not a suggestion, it is in the imperative, fear God and give glory to him. For the hour of his judgment has come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of water. Listen. Worship is not optional. We are commanded to worship. But not only are we commanded to worship, we are commanded to worship him as he requires. We see this again in our text, Hebrews 12. 28 and 29. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may worship God acceptably. There is a worship of God which is not acceptable. There is a disobedient worship or attempt at worship of God. If we are to worship God acceptably, it must be as he commands. Why? Because our God is a consuming fire. If God merely commands worship and cares not how we worship, what fear then would we have in the fact that God is a consuming fire? God is a consuming fire because not all worship is obedient worship. Worship is service as obedience from a servant to a master. It must be done a proper way, else it is not acceptable. True worship must be worship according to what God has proclaimed and demanded. And we maintain this in our own English language when we refer to the meetings of our church as church services. We don't think why we call them church services, but enshrined in the history of our language is the fact, the understanding, the Puritan understanding that when we come together to meet as a church, we are worshiping God. We must be obedient to how God has commanded us to worship him. It must indeed be a service as of a servant to a master, of an employee to an employer, of a child to a father. Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 12. And now Israel, what does the Lord thy God require, demand of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." Here he begins to weave the text of worship, a living sacrifice, individually, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, which is your reasonable obedience. In Joshua chapter 24 and verse 4, we have Joshua's ringing call. to the children of Israel, to serve the Lord as he requires, to worship the Lord as he requires. And the people said unto Joshua, Joshua 24 in verse four, the Lord our God, will we serve? Worship. and His voice will we obey. We cannot separate obedience from worship. Either worship is obedient, as He has commanded it, or it is no worship at all. This is nailed down for us in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and verse 22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of lambs. This is the thrust of the second commandment. In Spurgeon's Catechism, questions 45 and 46 relating to the second commandment, we find that the second commandment requires the receiving, observing and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God has appointed in his word. The second commandment forbids the worshiping of God by images or any other way not appointed by his word. And it used to be that Baptists led The pack in holding to in treasuring the regulative principle of worship that God must be worshiped obediently as he has commanded and no way else. But we have lost that. We have joined the world in their chaotic, screaming, dancing upon the altar of Baal. And if we think that this pleases God, I would direct you to that passage. of the prophets of Baal dancing about the altar, and we find out that the sad end of their worship is to be executed by God's people. God not only commands how we should worship, but he also commands how not we should worship. Please turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 12, verses three and four. Deuteronomy chapter 12, verses three and four. Deuteronomy chapter 12 verses 3 and 4, And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire. And ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. And then verse 4, Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God. If we were to translate this perhaps a little more literally, In today's language, we would find out that God's command in verse four is literally you shall not worship the Lord your God in the same way. God not only called for the children of Israel to overthrow the pagan altars, to break down their pillars, to burn their groves with fire and to hew down the graven images of their God and destroy the names of the heathen gods out of that place. But they were not to worship God in the same way that the pagans worship their God. If there are any post-millennials in this congregation, let me urge you to repent. Because one of the tenets of post-millennialism is to take back the culture for Christ, to take the things of the world and to give them Christian meaning, to take the holidays of the world and to give them a Christian significance and thus drag the culture one step closer to Christ. Christ does not want to be worshiped. He does not want the things of the world to be painted in Christian colors and presented back to him again. He does not want syncretism. He does not want Super Bowl Sunday. This is the great distinction, as much as I admire Luther for his stand, Luther, rather than believing in the regulative principle of worship as practiced in the word and taught in the word was a normative. He believed that unless the word prohibited a specific thing, it could be allowed. And while he did not do it much, we do have examples of Luther taking the songs of the world, the activities of the world, painting them with a Christian brush and bringing them into the church. And we have no room for that. The Bible clearly prohibits such. Obedience. Obedience. Let me now drag your attention, if I may, to the third aspect of worship. Perhaps the most understood, we have seen that the first aspect of worship is the exaltation of the worthiness of God. The second is that true worship is obedience. The third aspect is that worship is spiritual. and it relates to the inner man. It is a prostration of the soul before a God who is spirit. True spiritual worship may manifest itself physically, but without the spiritual element, it is not worship, no matter how physical it might be. I come from a fundamentalist background where many in my extended family believe that spiritual worship is somehow An activity whereby you can have a half-dressed woman on the stage belting out her lungs in synthetic praises to God and you sitting in the pew bow your head and you somehow enter spiritually into the activity being carried on by trying to claim for yourself the spiritual principles being sung. But nowhere do I find this definition in the scriptures. In John chapter 4 verses 23 and verse 24, the hour cometh and now is when true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Joel chapter 2 verse 13, And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. There is an aspect of worship that it is inward. Yes, but what is true spiritual worship? Please turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 8. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 8. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, when in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh. fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and whereby nature, the children of wrath, even as others. Let's stop there briefly. What is man's natural condition? He is dead in trespasses and sins. He walks. He is chained to the course of condemnation in this world. Man is dead. And how can the dead worship God? They cannot. What then is necessary for man to worship? What is necessary for spiritual worship? Beginning in verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace. ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. What is necessary for man to have a relationship with God? It is the quickening of his dead spirit by the power of God. And this is what spiritual worship is. True spiritual worship is the obedience of a heart and a soul that is made right and acceptable before God in Christ. Psalm chapter 24 verses 3 and 4 ask us that touching, bitter question that should bring a tear to all of our eyes, bring us to recognize how unworthy we are. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place? Who shall stand before God? Who shall have worship before God as he demands? And verse four, the answer is given. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. How utterly impossible this is. None of us have clean hands. None of us have a pure heart. None of us have never lifted up our souls unto vanity, foolishness, emptiness. None of us have never sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24, 3 and 4 being taken alone. The answer is none can come before God. None can stand to worship in His holy place. What then is necessary? Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28. Our text provides us an answer. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace. That word have there when translated literally, from the Greek means to cling to, to hold tightly to, to grasp with no intention of ever letting go. The ship is going down and a lifesaver is cast to you. Are you simply going to have the lifesaver? I'll float out here in the water and maybe if I get tired, I'll look around for what has been cast out to me. No, you would grasp the lifesaver with both hands, with your entire body if possible, and never let it go until the relief ship came over the horizon. And this is the sense of having grace, holding to grace, grasping grace. Why? Because without grace, there is no worship. Without the grace, manifested in the sacrifice of Christ and in the regeneration of lost and dead souls, there can be no acceptable worship. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 15 and verse 8, without Christ, without grace, our worship, no matter how obedient, no matter how given to exaltation, must still be unworthy. Ephesians chapter one and verse six to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein in which grace he hath made us accepted in the beloved. What is the object of grace? It is. Is it not the person of Christ sacrificed for sinners? What is true spiritual worship? It is worship in Christ. It is the worship of a soul that casts itself out, releases all that it might hold and grasps only as Christ, only to Christ as that which can make and that which is acceptable before God. So in the summing up, what is true biblical worship? True biblical worship is the spiritually acceptable honor, glory, praise, and exaltation of God in the person of Christ in obedience with his commands as revealed in scripture and scripture alone. We have answered the first question, what is biblical worship? Let me answer very quickly the last two questions which we had to ask as presented in the introduction. First of all, how is worship to be practiced? Well, first of all, worship is to be practiced individually. Psalm 145 in verse 2, Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name forever and ever. All of God's people, all regenerate souls are called to praise God and worship God individually in their own hearts, minds, and homes. As we mind the scriptures, we find that individual worship is characterized by prayer, by singing, and by reading and meditation. on the scripture. Secondly, worship is to be practiced at the family level, a step up from the individual level, the family level under the headship of the father. And this is laid out for us in several passages in scripture. I would remind you of Joshua, chapter 24. And verse 15, as for me and my house here, Joshua, as the father of his extended household, takes personal accountability and responsibility for his family's worship. We will serve, worship the Lord. Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 7 lays down the duty of parents and especially of fathers of leading their children. In worship and understanding and teaching of God, we find at the family level, beneath the headship of the Father, that prayer, singing, and the teaching of Scripture constitute family worship. And then thirdly, we have collective worship in the local assembly. Ephesians 3, verse 21, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. And to him be glory in the church. That word glory there in the Greek means dignity, glory, honor, praise, worship. We find that the elements of collective worship in the church are singing Matthew 26, 30. and Acts 16, 25, they are prayer. Acts 12, 5 and Acts 12, 12. Tithing, 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 2. The reading of scripture, 1 Corinthians 14, verse 28. The preaching of scripture, Acts chapter 20 and verse 7. 1 Timothy 4 and verse 13. And the observing of the ordinances, Matthew chapter 26, verses 26 and 29. And by the way, let me mention. Nowhere in Scripture do we find a specific biblical position for the worship leader. Rather, Christ himself reveals that the pastor is the worship leader as revealed in Scripture. Show me a verse in Scripture whereby we should hire and educate a man to lead worship. You cannot find it. That is beneath the headship of the pastor of the local church. Much evil and harm would be done away with in applying the regulative principle to this matter. The third question, when should we worship? When should we worship? Every day, Psalm 145 and verse two, every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name forever and ever. It amazes me how people seem to compartmentalize worship as something only done on Sunday. But if worship is truly service and obedience, the question might run, when should you serve and when should you be obedient to God if the answer is only on Sunday? And this assumes that you can be disobedient and unworshipful the rest of the week. This is precisely contradicted in scripture. In Acts chapter 2, verses 46 through 47, we read of the first early church in the first century and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. When did this happen? Daily. but especially on the Lord's Day we should worship Him. The Sabbath is a day in which we are called out to devote our entire attentions specifically to His worship and His person. Psalm 92 opens up with the introductory text, a psalm or song for the Sabbath day. David, under divine inspiration, composed many psalms. Some of them were appropriate for every day of the week, but there were some given by inspiration which were called to be sung and observed on the Sabbath day, especially. And it opens with it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name. Oh, most high Sabbath worship. Isaiah 58 verses 13 and 14 gives us the promise and the framework. of observing the Sabbath day with true worship to God. Matthew Henry, in his Collected Works, Volume 1, page 125, remarks of Sabbath day worship, the New Testament Sabbath being observed on the first day of the week is without doubt designed particularly for the honor of Christ and to be celebrated as an abiding memorial of his resurrection from the dead. by which he was declared to be the Son of God with power and our accepted surety. For as by dying he paid our debt, being delivered for our offenses, so by his resurrection he took out our acquittance, for he was raised again for our justification. The advancement of that despised stone to be the head of the corner was that which made this day remarkable. And they who despise this dignified day do in effect still trample upon that exalted stone, Jesus Christ himself. Let me make application of what we have heard today. Let me ask four questions. First of all, are you worshiping? As revealed in Scripture, are you worshiping? A great condemnation of myself in my family worship, in the worship of the church, so often I fail therein, simply because I am not worshiping alone as commanded by Scripture. Are you worshiping? But secondly, I would ask, are you worshiping biblically? I have already made reference to the priests of Baal dancing about the altar to Baal, begging him that he would send fire down to consume their pitiful offering. I hope it sounds offensive to you and that you are offended by it. For if you are not worshipping biblically, you have cast in your lot with the priests of Baal, and your worship, no matter how obedient, how orthodox, how exalted it might be, is the mere horse shrieking of pagan slaves to their non-existent fertility god. Are you worshipping biblically? I would ask specifically, are you worshiping in spirit? Is the heart and souls represented here by the many bodies sitting in the pews and giving God worship in song and in prayer? Have they been changed? Have they been brought, regenerated by the power of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or are you perhaps thinking that you can sit here and voice prayer and voice song and somehow make God accept to make yourself acceptable before God? This is a false gospel. This is works righteousness, which he has specifically said he will not accept. Where is your soul today? Is it in Christ or does it rest upon your feeble attempts? Which again, as Isaiah 64 verse six tells us, are nothing but filthy rags. I would ask also, are you preparing for heaven? Are you preparing for heaven? How it should bring us to mourn that many times we find biblical worship on this earth so tiring. So inconvenient. Heaven will be nothing but biblical worship all day long for all eternity. And if you have no stomach for it here and now, one day a week, how will you have stomach for it throughout all eternity? Truly, you have made a statement about your eternal destiny. Let me ask you as well. Let me urge you, if you are not worshiping biblically, repent. Change and it may be necessary to get out. It causes me much sorrow to hear of our grace brethren. Who put up with unbiblical worship under the weak excuse that they have nowhere else to worship, listen, disobedience is never. a prerequisite for obedient worship. If you can find no other right worship around you in any church, then God being your help, start an assembly committed to the right worship and obedience of God. Come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 17. What is necessary for your biblical worship is not for you to sing louder or pray more eloquently or confess more verbosely. What is needed is a change of heart. What is needed is true obedience. Get out from that which keeps you from worshiping unbiblically and commit to following God as he is commanded. What is biblical worship? It is His praise and exaltation. It is the obedient praise and exaltation of Him. It is the spiritually obedient praise and exaltation from Him. Are you practicing it? Thank you, Pastor.