After Jesus began his earthly ministry by being Baptized of John, he was lead into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be Tempted of Satan. (He had fasted for 40 days and nights.) Satan said to Him, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be turned to bread." Jesus responded: "It is written, Manshall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4.

Next, he was taken to the pinnacle of the Temple and there his Sonship of God was questioned. Satan said to him, "...If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Matthew 4:6. Jesus responds to this Temptation by saying, "...Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Matthew 4:7.

Next, He was taken, "...Into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, (Satan said unto Jesus) all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Matthew 4:9. "Jesus said unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10. (NOTICE: "WORSHIP" and "SERVING" go together.) Jesus said, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.

From these passages of Scripture, we learn that we can worship one of two spirit beings. God or Satan. If we faithfully worship God we are promised Salvation. If we worship Satan, there is only one thing that awaits us, Condemnation.

No one has to worship God. "...They that WORSHIP him...." Jesus said. (This shows that we have a choice about whom we worship). But we must remember that, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24. God has given to us the right to chose whom we will worship. We MUST decide for self. All should want to worship God and be saved eternally, I know of no one who wants to be lost. But, we must add that, all are worshipping one or the other.

SO TODAY, AS WE TALK ABOUT "WORSHIPPING GOD" we will:

             1)    Show What is Involved in a Worship Service.

             2)  Show that "WORSHIP" takes preparation.

             3)   Ask the question: "Why People Attend Worship Services."

             4) Show why it is a sin to willfully miss worship services.

I...WHAT IS INVOLVED IN A WORSHIP SERVICE

1)  WORTHSHIP. (Discussed in Last One)

"Courtesy or Reverence PAID to WORTH; Honor, or Respect." "Act of PAYING DIVINE HONOR TO DIETY." (Worth shown to God). "To PERFORM an ACT OF HOMAGE." (A Ceremony by which one acknowledges self as a servant of God). Remember Matthew 4:10, "WORSHIP" and "SERVE."

Worship can be DEFINED in some ways, as a CONTINUAL SERVICE, but our EMPHASIS in this Lesson, is on a "FORMAL" Worship Service. That is, when Christians assemble together specifically to worship God.

2)  RITUAL

"The form of conducting a religious ceremony; worship." That is doing the same things over and over, week after week, month after month, year after year, for a whole lifetime. Singing; Praying; Giving; Observing the Lord's Supper, and Studying God's Word.

Some people offer this excuse for changing the worship services from WHAT God required, to WHAT they WANT done: "I get tired of doing the same thing over and over." Or, "It loses its appeal." Or, "It has no real meaning." And some use this as AN EXCUSE for NOT attending the worship services.

CHURCH SERVICE is best described as, "the assembly of the church." Some use this "RITUAL" aspect of our Worship Service as an EXCUSE to ADD other innovations. Their IDEA is that, we need to SUP-IT-UP, to Please Men. We KNOW (of we should know) that it is WRONG to ADD anything that God has not authorized, especially in our Worship of God.

But some COMPLAIN: "I don't get anything out of it, because we just do the same things over and over." When we use that as an excuse for NOT worshipping with others, we are essentially saying, "God does NOT KNOW what is best for us." Or we are saying to God, "I don't like the way you require me to worship." Or, "God you do not know what is best for me?"

WHY WOULD GOD LEGISLATE THE SAME ACTS OVER & OVER for a lifetime?

1. I know that God is SMARTER than we are (than I am).

2. I know that God KNOWS what is BETTER for us, than even we KNOW what is BEST for ourselves.

3. I see the WISDOM OF GOD in doing this, because it is a "RITUAL" that is PRACTICED worldwide.

(Regardless of where we are in this World, when we ASSEMBLE TO WORSHIP GOD, there are 5 things that God has instructed us to do. I can Worship here, Canada, Fairbanks, Alaska, or any other place in the WORLD, and it will be the same. When I enter any church building, the Worship is the same, I know beforehand exactly what is going to take place. Therefore, I enter that Worship Service "at ease," with "Peace of Mind," and "Prepared to Worship." There is NO ANXIETY about going in, because I KNOW what is going to be done.)

4. We are COMFORTABLE with that which we are familiar.

5. Why do we hate to "break in" a new pair of shoes?

The same thing is TRUE of other things around us. The "True worshipper" will never let a RITUAL displease them. They will always get something out of a Worship Service. They will NEVER go away feeling empty or disappointed, because they will put something into it. YES! WORSHIP IS A "RITUAL."

3)  PERFORMANCE

"To carry out, or execute some action, engagement, or the like; so we do something...." Isn't this a vital part of our Worship of God? Worship is certainly Active, it is NOT Passive. We cannot Worship if we do not do something, and to DO SOMETHING is to PERFORM.

4)  DRAMA

"A series of REAL EVENTS having DRAMATIC UNITY and INTEREST." For example: "A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE." Now we have gotten to the Heart of what "WORSHIP" really means. In order to understand this, we need to LOOK at how a Theatrical Performance is done.

THREE PARTS

PERFORMERS ON STAGE; PROMPTERS; and AN AUDIENCE. We have essentially the same three Roles in Worship. But, our problem is, we have the ROLES MIXED UP, that is, we have the WRONG PEOPLE in the WRONG PLACE, and we have them doing the WRONG THINGS.

We believe that "WORSHIP" is carried out this way: 1. GOD IS THE PROMPTER. 2. SONG LEADER; PREACHER; and others up front are PERFORMERS. 3. And those in the PEWS, are the audience.

UNDER THIS FORMAT: God tells us what to do; the people up front are to Perform so as to Please those who are in the Audience. And IF the Performers don't Perform so as to satisfy those in the Pews; something like this is often said: "The Preacher was TOO DEEP or TOO SHALLOW, Or, the Song Leader messed up two or three songs," etc. AM I NOT RIGHT? Does this NOT bother some people? That is WHY some people GET UPSET and quit.

WHAT IS WRONG HERE?

There are several things WRONG. But the basic PROBLEM (bottom line) is this: We have assigned the WRONG ROLES to the WRONG PEOPLE. 1. GOD is the Audience. 2. Those who are the leaders in the Worship are the PROMPTERS. And, 3. Those in the Pews are the Worshippers (Actors). The purpose of the Prompters, is to please God, NOT those in the Pews. They MUST worship and serve GOD, not PEOPLE. And when someone QUITS the church, they walk out on God, NOT on us.

NOTICE NOW THE CORRECT ORDER

God is the Audience. He is the OBSERVER. He is the One who is to be Pleased. Those up front are the Prompters. It is their duty to help the Worshippers to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Those who are in the Pews are the Performers (Worshippers). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20. Why is Christ present in our worship services?

To OBSERVE WORSHIPPERS. And, examine what is in our hearts. "...For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. God is not present with us to see what we wear! (Although our clothing is certainly important.) God does know what we wear, but His main emphasis is NOT on the outside, but at what is in our HEART (The Inside of Man). He knows if we are True Worshippers or False Worshippers. What is He seeing in your heart, as you worship Him?

When I was in the Air Force, we had Performance Reports given by our Supervisors periodically. A lot of things depended upon those Reports: Promotions, Job Assignments and a host of other things. Well! I believe that the Bible teaches us that God gives us Performance Reports when we assemble to worship Him! If he does: What kind of report does he give you when you are engaged in a formal worship service? For Some it is a FLAT ZERO, because they don't even bother to attend the worship services. But, just being at a worship service, does not guarantee a GOOD REPORT either. We MUST Perform for God (that IS we do those things that He has told to do,) as we Worship him.

II. TRUE WORSHIP IS DETERMINED BY:

What You Put Into It, not necessarily, by What You Get Out of Worship .

WORSHIP TAKES PREPARATION

In order to Worship God acceptably, we MUST be Prepared to Worship. The average Worshipper cannot Worship God, when their minds are on earthly things. Charles Hodge (The Texas Preacher) wrote an article, which I appreciated very much:

"I grew up in a home where Saturday night was a preparation for worship on Sunday. We were expected to Study our Bible School lesson, polish our shoes, and take our baths. And there was always something dynamic about our Worship the next day, because we went with a sense of expectancy."

PREPARATION must start before 9 A.M. on Sunday morning, and it MUST be a Personal thing with each of us. Because Worship is a very personal thing. It must start in our HEARTS, because that is WHAT GOD SEES.

III. WHY DO PEOPLE ATTEND WORSHIP SERVICES?

I am at this POINT, telling you what OTHERS HAVE SAID. "To get rid of LONELINESS." "To Find Self." "To Share Cultural Exchanges." "For Self-Fullfillment." This is usually connected with self. (That is: When one attends to be pleased, and NOT to please God.) They attend to be entertained with great preaching and angelic singing, and other things that they like. (This is where the idea of SPECTATOR comes in).

Some people take no personal responsibility for their WORSHIP, but leave it entirely up to others. When people attend a church service with THIS in their minds, then if they are NOT PLEASED, they will usually leave and

do NOT come back. If people have to be ENTERTAINED to keep them coming, a LOT OF TEACHING must be done on this SUBJECT.

Some come they say, to have a "WORSHIP EXPERIENCE." Ben Patterson, from the Harding Graduate School, Memphis, Tennessee, had this to say about such a statement:

"That is not only idolatrous, it is a reversal of worship roles, and pagan in its understanding of worship itself. Worship then becomes a noun, a state of being, an experience induced by God, by the singers, or by the preacher. Biblically, however, worship is a VERB, it is something WE DO."

WORSHIP then, is something WE DO, not something WE HAVE DONE FOR US. How should one come to WORSHIP? "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" Psalms 85:6. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah 57:15. We MUST attend with a Searching Heart: a heart of Conviction, a Penitent heart, a Humble heart, and to Perform for God.

We need a heart filled with Joy and Gladness. "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." Psalms 122:1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:37.

Sometimes people come to worship with empty hearts, and empty hands and totally unprepared to worship God. No doubt that is why so many leave, feeling cheated, discouraged, and disappointed. But, is that God's fault? The Preacher's fault? Or, the Song Leaders fault? A mature Christian will take responsibility for their own action in worship of Almighty God.

IV  WHY IS IT WRONG TO MISS A WORSHIP SERVICE?

It violates a COMMAND OF GOD. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25. "...Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10. We don't have to worship God, but when we don't, we are worshipping him who will accuse us in Judgment. See: Matthew 6:24.

It is WRONG because, we are NOT obeying our Elders. Hebrews 13:7, 17. It is WRONG because, we are NOT Paying Homage and Reverence to Almighty God. Someone may ask, what is WRONG with this?

Illustration: You buy a ticket to some PERFORMANCE. Those who are supposed to PERFORM, do not show up. Or, they show up UNPREPARED. You would DEMAND your MONEY BACK. Now IF God is the Audience (and He is), He has "paid a PRICE to see us PERFORM for Him." (What Did it COST Him? The precious BLOOD of His only begotten Son. That, my friends, is A HIGH PRICE TO PAY.) Do you think that God will accept anything from us, that is not the very best we have to give to Him? I THINK NOT!

By: Bro. James W. Boweers, Jr.