Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications

Acceptable Worship - Part 6

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2003-12-28

Synopsis: In this concluding message on acceptable worship, John Weaver establishes the biblical necessity of public worship alongside private devotion. He demonstrates from Old and New Testament examples that wherever God peculiarly manifested Himself, He was worshipped publicly. The gathered assembly of believers is now the temple of God where He specially manifests His presence. Weaver emphasizes that true worship requires heart preparation, unity among believers, and giving God our best, because the Father seeks such worshipers.

[John Weaver] And today we're going to be bringing the concluding message on acceptable worship. John chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John chapter 4, verse 19. John 4, verse 19. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I have received that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah is cometh, who is called Christ.

[John Weaver] When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he.

[John Weaver] Now, let me take just for a moment to remind you of what we've covered in this brief series. I pointed out the fact that it is our duty and our obligation to worship. But secondly, that God is not indifferent to our worship. Because there are many passages in the Bible where he says, I hate, I despise, I will not have your offerings and your sacrifices. And then I pointed out how that worship is a matter of divine revelation. That is, that we must worship Him according to the Word of God. And then I pointed out how that real acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Then we looked at the proper object of worship. We saw that we must worship the one true and the living God, but not just God in a general theistic sense, but the God who has revealed himself as the father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and the father of believers in the marvels of his grace.

[John Weaver] And then thirdly, I pointed out how we must worship God who is in and of himself spirit. He says God is spirit and they worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. So having covered the proper person or the proper object of worship, then we went to the proper sphere of worship. And I showed you how that we must worship in spirit and in truth. Now, as we worship in spirit, it's not only that we worship in the Holy Spirit, but we also worship with our spirits. David said, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. So our spirits are to be involved. And then we look at worship in truth. And I said, as we worship in truth, We must, number one, have due respect to the Word of God in general. That is, everything that the Bible teaches is about God. And then secondly, we must have particular respect to the Word of God incarnate. That is, how Jesus Christ has revealed himself as God.

[John Weaver] Jesus Christ said, I am the truth. And of course, without him, there is no truth. He said, I am the truth, the life, and the way, and no man cometh in the Father but by me. So God has given His full and final revelation in Jesus Christ. Now, as Jesus Christ, in John chapter 4, evangelized this woman, you'll remember the woman was always concerned with where we ought to worship. And our Lord was concerned more with how we should worship. Now, the Bible tells us that true worship, of course, is not only in spirit, but also in truth.

[John Weaver] Now, as I've been preaching and teaching, I hope you've gotten the idea that it is proper and it certainly is acceptable that we may worship God anywhere at any time. Lest, however, some begin to think that simply because we now may worship God anywhere at any time, that there is no need for public worship, I want to show you a principle from the scripture. I want to show you what I'm going to call simply the place of acceptable worship. You see, unhappily, there has been many, many ideas floating around this country, and around Christianity in particularly, that are really foreign to what you and I would call the biblical truth when it comes to acceptable worship. Now, it is true That I can worship God while I'm out in a boat fishing.

[John Weaver] Why can I do that? Because God is spirit. And I may worship God there. I may worship God while I'm out in the field hunting. And I do that. Because God is spirit and I may worship Him there. I may worship God in my study. I may worship God in my bedroom. I may worship God at my work. But now let me ask you. Just simply because we may worship God wherever we are, does that mean that there is no specific place for public worship?

[John Weaver] And the answer is absolutely no. And what has happened in this country is so many people have become uninterested, unconcerned, about what you and I would know as public worship. So what I want to do today is I want to establish from scriptures that there certainly is a need for public worship, and I want to show you from the Bible that wherever God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, there he was always worshipped in a public and a special manner. I want to show you this principle from the Old Testament and also from the New Testament. So let's look at our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Genesis chapter 12, and we'll look at several passages in the Old Testament before we ever get to the New Testament. Let me just point out what happened in Genesis chapter 12. Look, if you would please, at verses 7 and 8. Genesis 12, beginning there with verse 7.

[John Weaver] The Bible says, And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, unto thy seed will I give this land. And there buildeth he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. And there he buildeth an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now what did God do? God has revealed himself in a particular and in a peculiar way to Abram. And so Abram then turned around and built an altar, that is, here was a public act, a public witness, a public testimony, a public manifestation of the fact that he is now worshipping God in an open and in a public manner. If you look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 3, And he went on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first, and there Abram

[John Weaver] called on the name of the Lord. Now, in Abram's travels, he certainly worshipped God in his tent. There's no two ways about that. He probably worshipped God as he walked in the fields. But what he always did was come back to that one place where God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, and there he worshipped God. Look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 14. Genesis 13, verse 14. Now the Lord said unto Abram, after that lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place whence thou art northward and southward and eastward and westward. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, and the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the flame of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now what had God done? God once again revealed Himself to Abram. And Abram once again built a public testimony and gave public worship to the one true and the living God. Look in Genesis chapter 21. I want to show you that this principle was continued throughout scripture. Notice this Genesis chapter 21 and look if you would please at verse 28. Genesis 21 verse 28. And Abram set seven new lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven new lambs which thou hast set by themselves? For he said, For these seven new lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

[John Weaver] Wherefore he called that place Beersheba, because there they swear both of them. Thus made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech rose up, and Phicol his chief captain of his host, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of the everlasting God. And Abram sojourned in the Philistines land many days.

[John Weaver] Now, by the way, the word grove here would refer to a group of trees. It certainly is not the Asherah. It certainly is not the sex goddess of the Canaanites. But here, once again, God had blessed him in a particular and a public way. And once again, Abraham turns around and builds a public testimony. for God's honor and God's glory. Look in Genesis 22, beginning there with verse 9. And of course, you know the story how Abraham is about to offer up Isaac. And by the way, let me just show you something that I think is absolutely wonderful and beautiful. Look at verse 6. Abraham, you know, has been commanded to offer his son Isaac. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, his son.

[John Weaver] That's pictorial of Christ basically carrying his own cross. Now watch. And he took the fire in his hand and a knife, which is once again a picture of the wrath of God. And they went both of them together. And Isaac's taken to Abraham, his father, and said, my father. And he said, here am I, my son. And he said, behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

[John Weaver] I want you to note verse eight. And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. Now, I want you to note carefully what the Bible does not say in verse eight. The Bible does not say that God will provide for himself. What's the Bible say? God will provide Himself. And that's exactly what God did when He gave the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Now watch. Verse 9, And they came to the place which God told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him upon the altar of wood. Notice verse 10, and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called on him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.

[John Weaver] And he said, Here am I. He said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said today, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord called on Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and it is not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven.

[John Weaver] and the sandwiches upon the seashore, and they shall possess the gate of his enemies. Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice."

[John Weaver] Now, what did Abraham do? Abraham went ahead and offered that ram upon the altar. Note, if you would please, God once again revealed himself there, and once again, God was worshipped there. Look in Genesis 28. Genesis 28. And notice, if you would please, verse 16 and 17. Genesis 28, verses 16 and 17. Here is Jacob, where God appeared to him in a dream. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God.

[John Weaver] This is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at first. And Jacob vowed a vow saying, and note if you would, here he sets up this pillar. He pours oil upon it. What is he doing?

[John Weaver] God has revealed himself to him. And now Jacob is worshiping God in this open particular and peculiar way. And by the way, after Jacob came back out of the land where he had gone to get his wives out of the land of Laban, where did God tell him to go? Go back to Bethel to the very place where God first appeared on him. And that's exactly what he did.

[John Weaver] Look in Genesis 35 and verse one, Genesis 35, verse one. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make thee an altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau, thy brother. So once again, God revealed himself there. God is to be publicly honored and publicly worshipped there. Now, let me show you one other. Note, if you would please, in the book of Joshua, chapter 5. Joshua, chapter 5.

[John Weaver] I'm sure you're familiar with this passage. Joshua chapter five. Notice, if you would please, verse 13, the children of Israel are in the land of Canaan. They're about to attack Jericho. Verse 13 of Joshua five, and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, there was stood a man over against him with the sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries?

[John Weaver] And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. This was nothing more than a Christophany, that is, a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. Watch, and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

[John Weaver] So note, if you would, when God revealed himself in a peculiar and a particular manner, there he was always worshipped publicly. Now, this is a concept that is given us not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament as well. For instance, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter five, the book of Luke, chapter five, And here's an incident that occurred.

[John Weaver] First, let's begin reading there with verse. Five. Or verse four, Luke five, verse four.

[John Weaver] Now, when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. Simon answered him, said unto him, Master, we toil all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net. When they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net break. And they beckoned unto their partners who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.

[John Weaver] And they came and filled both the ships so that they began to sink. Now, that's a catch. When Simon Peter saw it, look, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. What did he do? He fell down. and worship.

[John Weaver] Now, turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20. I hope everyone knows this story. Because Jesus has appeared to his disciples, but Thomas was not there. You know, I've always said one of the reasons I want to make sure that I'm in church is because if the Lord does something, I want to be there when he does it. You start missing, and then you start missing the blessings of God. But anyhow, in John chapter 20, our Lord had appeared to His disciples, and Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples told Thomas, look, the Lord has appeared to us, and Thomas said, except I see the holes in His hand and put my finger there, unless I see the hole in His side and put my hand there, I will not believe. Look what happens. John chapter 20, verse 26, And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them.

[John Weaver] Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. Watch. And Thomas entered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Did Thomas ever reach for those holes? Oh, no. What did he do?

[John Weaver] He fell down and worshiped. May I just simply remind you, without asking you to turn there, of Revelation chapter one, John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. And you remember how he turned about and saw one covered with a golden girdle, his hair was white as wool, he said. His face was as the brightness of the sun. And John said, when I saw him, I watched, I fell at his feet as one dead. What did he do? He worshipped.

[John Weaver] Now, whenever and wherever there was a peculiar or particular manifestation of God, God was always there, worshipped publicly, and formally, openly. Now, do you remember the tabernacle? Do you remember the temple? Let me ask you a question. Why did Old Testament worship center around the tabernacle and later on it centered around the temple? May I tell you why? Because don't you remember that Shekinah glory and that cloud that led The children of Israel by day in the pillar of a cloud, by night as a pillar of fire. Do you remember when the tabernacle was set up, what happened? The Shekinah glory descended on that tabernacle, and there in the Holy of Holies, God peculiarly and particularly manifested Himself. There was where He was publicly and openly worshipped. Years later, when the temple was built in 1 Kings chapter 8, When the priests were in their ministering, the Shekinah glory came down in such a great power and great wonder, the priests had to withdraw themselves.

[John Weaver] They could not even stand there. Now, why was there temple worship? Because there God particularly and peculiarly manifested himself there.

[John Weaver] Now, I've already mentioned this problem. But I'm going to mention it again because it is so common. What happened in the Old Testament was this. Because God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the tabernacle and then later on in the temple, people began to think that that was where God was. that the tabernacle or the temple contained God, or that God was there exclusively and totally and completely. And therefore, God had to cry out against that.

[John Weaver] Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah 66. I read this passage as we dealt with the spirituality of God. But look in Isaiah 66, if you would please, and notice verses 1 and 2 particularly. Isaiah 66. Notice, if you would please, verse 1. Isaiah 66 verse 1, Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you built unto me, and where is the place of my rest? Now look what he said, For all those things have mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD. But to this man will I look, even him that is a poor, and of a contrite heart, and that trimmeth at my word. Now what does God say? The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. If the earth is God's footstool, all the materials on earth cannot make a house that would contain God. He fills the heavens and he fills the earth. And so consequently, some of these Israelites said, well, since God has peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the temple, then that's where God is.

[John Weaver] No. It's true that is a particular and a peculiar manifestation of God. That is not where God is. God is everywhere at once in the totality of His being. It is true that God does not dwell in tabernacles and temples made by hands. There is no tabernacle. There is no temple. Let me put this in modern day terminology. There is no church building that can contain God. But just because God cannot be contained in one particular place does not mean that He does not peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself in a peculiar particular place.

[John Weaver] Now what am I talking about? Well, where in the world does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself today? And the answer is in His gathered people. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Corinthians 3.

[John Weaver] Now, I went over this passage with you a number of months ago, but I still want to point this out in light of what I'm teaching and preaching today. Notice 1 Corinthians 3, and here are some verses that so many people have taken out of context. But if you look in verse 16, 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16, The Apostle Paul writes, Know you not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop right there. If you want to find out that our bodies are the personal temple of God, then you would need to go to First Renegade chapter six. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, this has nothing to do with individual Christians. This has to do with the gathered together of the people of God. It has to be the gathering of the saints of God.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul says in verse 9. He begins to make a distinction. He says, for we, and he's talking about the ministers or the pastors, he says, for we are labors together with God, ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. So it makes that distinction. He makes the distinction even further up when he talks about who is Paul, who is Apollos, what ministers by whom you believe. So here's the distinction, he says, you are God's husbandry, you are God's building, and then he tells how he has laid the foundation and let any other man or any other minister take heed how he builds their own. And then when you come down to verse 16, once again he maintains that distinction, he says, know ye not, he's still talking to the people of God, know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.

[John Weaver] So what is he saying? He is saying that the assembly of the saints are the temple of God. And may I remind you what the Greek word for temple is here? I told you in times past there's two Greek words. The first one is hieron, which refers to the temple in general. But the second one is naos, which refers to the holy of holies. So he says you are, in this instance, the holy of holies. You are the naos of God. So where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. He says, you are the temple of God. That's why he said, if any man destroy that temple, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. I have no right to try to destroy the assembly of the saints. And if you're gathered here and you try to destroy the Assembly of the Saints, you've got real problems yourself.

[John Weaver] Can you imagine what is going to happen to these bureaucrats and these government officials who are trying to, quote unquote, to close down the Church of Jesus Christ? I've got news for you. There's an interesting study, without me getting into it, And I'm certainly not in favor of Roman Catholicism by any stretch of the imagination. But a study was done when Henry VIII, of course, became king of England. And he then began the Anglican Church, and he became the head of the Anglican Church.

[John Weaver] He then stole a lot of the land that belong to the Catholic monasteries and monks. He stole that land and gave it to a lot of his lords. And a study was done on the descendants of the recipients of those lands. You talk about curse after curse after curse. And early death, it is unbelievable once you read the study. And all he did was take from what you and I would basically call a pagan group because of all of their superstition, especially back when Henry VIII became the king of England.

[John Weaver] How much worse will it be when someone then attacks the true church, the true believers? and tries to destroy the assembly of the saints. You follow what I'm saying? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. Once again, here's a passage that I'm sure you're absolutely familiar with. Matthew 18. Notice if you would please be in there with verse 15. Here's a biblical way to resolve problems, and I'm not going to get into that right now, but here's what God says.

[John Weaver] Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Now, if you've got a problem with a brother, what are you to do? You're to go to him privately. Very first thing. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained a brother. Verse 16, but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two or more than the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. Well, that's another step. Verse 17. But if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. That's another step. But if he neglect to hear the church, let it be that he is a heathen man and a publican. That's another step because that's church discipline.

[John Weaver] Now watch what he says. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loosen on earth shall be loosened in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything, that they shall ask, it shall be done of them of my Father who is in heaven. Why? For where two or three are gathered together in my name, help me out, there I am in the midst of them.

[John Weaver] Where does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. That's why He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 that you as living stones are built up into a holy priesthood.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to just give you a little comparison to try to enable you to understand how the Old Testament and the New Testament basically work together. Let's take David for a moment. Everyone knows that King David was classified and called a man after God's own heart. But you also remember that King Saul chased David over and over in the wilderness, he tried to kill him. For months on end, David was chased by King Saul. Now, Let me ask you, could David be a faithful saint and a faithful Israelite if he just limited his devotion and his worship to the prayer closet?

[John Weaver] And the answer, I hope you see, is no. Why? Because God had particularly and peculiarly revealed himself in the tabernacle And there was where God was also to be publicly worshipped. Now, watch carefully. When Saul was chasing David, could David get to the tabernacle for public worship? What's the answer? No. If he went back there, Saul would kill him.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 84. I want you to look carefully at this psalm that was written by David. It's one of the most beautiful, one of the most touching Psalms in the whole Psaltery. Notice Psalm 84. David says, How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. That is, how lovable, how gracious, how beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. Now look what David says. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord.

[John Weaver] My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Now, here David is being chased by Saul. He can't get to the tabernacle. Does David worship God in the wilderness? Yes. Does David worship God in his tent? Yes. Is that sufficient for David? No. He says, My soul longeth, yea, even fainted for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God. Now look what he says, Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in my house, they will still be praising thee. What is David saying? David said, God, I envy those little sparrows. Why those little sparrows, they can go into the holiest of holies.

[John Weaver] They can make their nests there. They can be there whenever they want to. I'm cut off. I can't be there. I think it's so wonderful. I like to go in these Lowe's building supplies and I look up, here's little sparrows flying everywhere. I think, man, they've got it made. They've got central heat and air, you know, they've got food everywhere. Well, that's what David was saying about the tabernacle. He said, man, these stairs, these walls, they can get in there anytime they want to. But I'm cut off from it. I can't get there.

[John Weaver] He said, my heart and my flesh cry out. I long to be where God is worshipped publicly. I long to be with God's people where they're worshipping Him openly. Now, Can I worship God in my closet? Yes. Can I worship God while I'm hunting and fishing? Yes. But does that take the place of public worship? And the answer is no. No true Israelite in the Old Testament could ever be satisfied with just mere private worship. Likewise, no true Israelite, no true Christian in this day and time can be satisfied with mere private worship. We long to be with the people of God.

[John Weaver] Alice and I laugh and we talk about when we come in here on Sunday morning. You know, there's times I almost have to slap this pulpit to get your attention. You know why? You're talking. You're fellowshipping. You're seeing your friends and your brethren whom you haven't seen all week. Isn't it amazing how natural it is when we get together to fellowship with each other? And then when we get together, how natural it is when our minds go to the things of God.

[John Weaver] Now, before I go further, let me make some applications. I want you to see that you cannot be indifferent as a child of God to the public worship of God. You cannot be indifferent to that. I find it absolutely amazing that some people have the attitude, well, if I go, I go. If I don't, I don't. I don't understand that. I can't comprehend that. The only thing I can say, someone is really probably not genuinely converted. Because you and I, who are the people of God, not only will worship God privately, we want to worship God publicly as well. We want to be with the assembly of the saints. Now, another thing is this, folks. If we understand 1 Corinthians 3, especially 16 and 17, It means this. It means as God's people, we're going to make sure that we do not do anything to hinder or to eclipse the worship of God.

[John Weaver] You ought not ever to come to church with what you and I would call bad attitudes, evil hearts, wicked dispositions. Why? Well, let me tell you. You can find out very quickly that it takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service. Really? I was preaching in one church, and I'm not going to mention the state, but I preached one night and I looked at the pastor and I said, after service, I said, who was that elderly man on the right side of the church? And who was that elderly woman on the left-hand side of the church?

[John Weaver] They sat in the same pew up front, but different sides. He said, why do you ask? I said, because you've got real problems in this church and you've got real problems with those two people. I said, I don't even know who they are. But I sensed and I picked up on some real horrible attitudes and dispositions. I said, I could just tell looking at them. There's something wrong in their lives.

[John Weaver] He said, that's a brother and sister. He said they fell out over a family inheritance and they have not spoken to each other in 10 years. And yet they still come to this church, one sits on one side, one sits on the other side, won't even look at each other. I said, and you have not dealt with it, you have not disciplined them. I said, that's just as wicked and wrong on your part as it is on their part. But here I was a stranger there and I picked up on it in one sermon, one message.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, the Bible says of the early church, they were with one accord. You remember in Romans 15, we're to have one mouth, we're to have one mind that we may glorify our God. That means this. That means we better make sure that, as the Scripture says, we better endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We don't make the unity, but we make dead sure we keep the unity. That means our envies, our jealousies, our hard feelings, all of that must go if we're going to worship God acceptably. Thirdly, let me point this out. It means that you and I are to be jealous to guard our own hearts. Now, it's true. I can't keep Robert's heart. I can't keep Harry's heart. But I'm responsible to keep my heart. And the Bible says in Proverbs 4, verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence. Why?

[John Weaver] For out of it are the issues of life. I'm responsible before God that when I come, that I come with a holy heart. Let me ask you, if I come with known sin in my heart, is that going to be acceptable before God? No. I'm not only hindering my worship, I'm also hindering other people's worship as well. So God tells us that if we're going to worship Him acceptably, we must worship Him in the place where He peculiarly and particularly manifests himself. And when we do that we must give due attention to the fact that we must do everything to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as the Word of God says. Now let me go a little bit further because before I close I want to deal with the preparation for acceptable worship.

[John Weaver] Now it is true Our Lord said in John 15 in verse three, without me, you can do nothing. You know, I've been in churches. Where people have talked to me about their pastor, and I'm sure people have said probably the same thing about me, but I've had people come to me and tell me, well, pastor, if you don't mind, if you could talk to our pastor, because You know, we're just not really getting anything out of his sermons. And I said, well. I don't mind talking to him, but I said, let me ask you a question. Have you ever considered the fact that it might not be your pastor? Now, let me tell you something, folks. Now, listen carefully. I don't care how much I've studied. I don't care how much I've prepared. I don't care how good the sermon is. I don't care if it's the best sermon in the world. I don't care if it has the best oratory, the best illustration. Do you realize something?

[John Weaver] Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message. Do you know that? You see, you are responsible before God to prepare your heart.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16, The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. It is true that God is sovereign and God must prepare our hearts. But look in your Bibles to Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. Hosea, chapter 10. Daniel, Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 12 at what God says. Hosea, chapter 10. Notice verse 12. Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16 in verse 1, the preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. That's true. If our hearts are ever prepared, God must prepare them. But look what he says in Hosea 10 in verse 12.

[John Weaver] Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord till He come and reign righteousness upon you. Now listen carefully. The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us. We must seek Him to prepare our hearts. God says that we're to sow to ourselves in righteousness, that we may reap in mercy. We must break up our foul ground, for it's time to seek the Lord, till He come and reign righteousness upon me.

[John Weaver] Now, the problem is this. Many times we come to church with our hearts unprepared. I know this. There's not a man in this church building that this spring would go outside and just take his garden seed and throw it on the top of the ground and walk off and leave it. You know why you wouldn't do that? Because you know that if you want to garden, your ground must be prepared. And you break up that foul ground, you break up that hard ground, you soften it so that ground will be receptive to the seed and the fertilizer and the water.

[John Weaver] That's exactly what God is saying. God is saying you're responsible to prepare your heart to hear the Word.

[John Weaver] Now, you could call your preparation two phased. There'd be what you and I would call indirect preparation and specific preparation. Indirect preparation would refer to what you and I would call constant or continual. or daily preparation. Specific would be temporary and intense preparation. Let me give you an illustration. I've mentioned this before. I enjoy watching gymnastics because I'm so inflexible. I delight seeing some people that are flexible. But here's a gymnast. What does a gymnast do to stay in shape?

[John Weaver] Exercises constantly, stretches on a regular basis. But now if there is a gymnastic tournament that is coming up, a month or so before that tournament, what does that gymnast do? Increase that exercise, increase that stretching, increase that training just to go to that tournament. So, you could say the same thing is like in the Christian life. We have this constant, continual preparation that as we keep our hearts, we pray, we study the Scripture, we do things that are required of us on a daily basis, we use the private means of grace, but then when it nears the Lord's Day, then there are other things that you can do specifically and directly.

[John Weaver] Now, the old Puritans used to call this Sabbath preparation. So, on the night or the day before the Lord's Day, they would begin to prepare their lives for worship on the Lord's Day.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just show you a passage. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 15. This is a wonderful song. Psalm 15. Look what David writes, Psalm 15. He begins by asking this question, Lord, who shall abide in my tabernacle? Who shall dwell in my holy hill? Now watch. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart, he that backbites not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, and whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord, he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not, he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh the reward against the innocent, he that doeth these things shall never be moved. You could say that Psalm 15 is what you and I would call constant and continual preparation, that is, we ought to constantly and continually be walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking the truth, not backbiting, that kind of thing.

[John Weaver] But how about when you get to a passage like 1 John 1, 9, when he says, if we confess our sins. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] Now, if I were to ask you, How many of you sinned this past week? Raise your hand. Every hand would be raised. Now, if I were to ask you, how many of you confessed and acknowledged and repented of that sin or those sins? Raise your hand. You follow what I'm saying? David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. He said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord's not going to hear my prayer. If God will not hear our prayer, now listen, if God will not hear our prayer, if we just regard iniquity in our heart, if we come to publicly worship God and give Him the honor and the glory that's due His name, and we know that we have specific sins in our lives that are contrary to God in His Word. How dare we flaunt those sins in His face, unconfessed and unrepented of.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you, there are sins you and I usually do not think anything about. but their sins nonetheless. I can assure you there are husbands and wives who have their spats. They get mad at each other. They say things to each other they ought not to say. You know what 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 says? Let me just quote it. Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them, that is the wives, according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, and it being heirs together of the grace of life that your prayers be not hindered. Do you realize if a husband and wife are not right with each other, they're not right with God? How in the world can you give God public worship if you are still fighting each other and mad at each other?

[John Weaver] You see what I'm saying? I'm not saying you have to go out and commit adultery and you have to go out and steal and kill and get drunk to have something to confess. How many of us have bad attitudes? All I'm saying is this. If we're going to bring to God acceptable worship, we must come with a clean heart. And the only way our hearts can be cleansed is by the blood of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We ought to acknowledge our sins and ask for repentance and ask for grace and ask for mercy. And then as part of this preparation, as I mentioned it before, we need to determine that we're going to be our best on the Lord's Day morning. Help me out, see how many of you remember this Old Testament passage. Do you remember when the ark was returned to Jerusalem? The Bible says that David danced before the Lord. Help me out, what does the rest of that verse say? You don't remember? With all his might. David danced before the Lord with all his might. Everything that was in him, he was jumping up and down and praising the Lord that the ark had been brought back. Now, are you listening? How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning? and give God worship with all your might if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning watching the late, late, late movie. See, you can't.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm just simply trying to say we need to make preparations so we can be mentally alert as well as spiritually and physically alert. Now, I realize there are times, there are times When that cannot always be. If you've got a sick child and you have to stay up to 2 o'clock in the morning, God understands that. If you're ministering to someone, God understands that. Alice can tell you. There have been innumerable times in my ministry, I planned, I prepared, and all of a sudden, there's been a death, there's been something, and I look at Alice and say, what in the world am I going to do? I've got to go here. I've got to minister to this person. What am I going to do? And then we always say, the Lord will work it out, and He always does. There are things that you and I cannot control. In those instances, we understand, and certainly God is understandable. But when you and I just deliberately lay out with no regard for the proper worship of God, no wonder we're so unblessed.

[John Weaver] And we're so empty. And we're so dead and dry and dull and barren. Because we have not given to God that which he deserves. We ought to give him the absolute best. Do you remember all those animal sacrifices? They had to be perfect without blemish. Why? Because He deserves the best. We need not give Him half-hearted worship. He refuses it. He rejects it. We must worship Him in spirit and truth, but worship Him with the totality of our being.

[John Weaver] Now, look at John 4. I want to point out one thing, and then I'm going to close. Let me ask you, why is it you are even here today listening to this Word and offering worship to the One True and Living God? Well, look in John 4 and verse 23. Our Lord says, But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. You know, I still am so absolutely, totally amazed at the Father's grace in my life. You realize the only reason we're here is because God sought us.

[John Weaver] Why did He single us out? Who are we? What are we? But sinners. I remember as a boy riding along one day on a motorcycle. And I can take you to the very spot. And I remember the thought coming into my mind What if you died right now? Where would you go? Now, why would those thoughts enter into my mind? I mean, it's true I was raised in church, but I never heard any gospel preaching and teaching while I was in church. But that thought came into my mind.

[John Weaver] And you know the answer that I gave to those questions? Here's my answer. Well, I'll make it into heaven somehow. I've made it all my life and everything else, I'll make it in somehow. Which is utter blasphemy. And I've often thought, how stupid, how ignorant, how lost, how ungodly. I mean, I was a religious hypocrite and Pharisee. And yet God in His mercy and grace came to me and saved me.

[John Weaver] And I want to tell you folks, I wasn't looking for Him. He found me. And all of us who have been saved by the grace of God can say with the Apostle Paul, I am what I am. only by the grace of God. Isn't it wonderful? We have a seeking Father who seeks His own and brings them to Himself and makes them true worshipers. Let's pray. Father, we are so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ We pray today, Lord, that You would indeed enable us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. We ask, Lord, that You would teach us to prepare our hearts that we may worship Thee acceptably in reverence and godly fear. Teach us, Lord, to deal honestly and openly with our sins. Teach us, Lord, to prepare our bodies, that we may worship Thee with all of our minds, be mentally awake, physically awake, spiritually alert, that we may concentrate on Thy Word and praise Thee for all of Your mighty works and blessings to us. Help us, Lord, to live for Thee In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Acceptable Worship - Part 6

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	123103145432
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-12-28
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	81

Formatted Transcript

Opening

And today we're going to be bringing the concluding message on acceptable worship. John chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John chapter 4, verse 19. John 4, verse 19.

Scripture Reading — John 4:19-26

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that

Messiah cometh, who is called Christ.

When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Review of the Series on Acceptable Worship

Weaver recaps previous points: worship is a duty, God is not indifferent, worship must be according to divine revelation, it is a fruit of Christ's work, the proper object is the triune God, and worship must be in spirit and truth.

Now, let me take just a moment to remind you of what we've covered in this brief series. I pointed out the fact that it is our duty and our obligation to worship. But secondly, that God is not indifferent to our worship. Because there are many passages in the Bible where he says, I hate, I despise, I will not have your offerings and your sacrifices. And then I pointed out how that worship is a matter of divine revelation. That is, that we must worship Him according to the Word of God. And then I pointed out how that real acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Then we looked at the proper object of worship. We saw that we must worship the one true and the living God, but not just God in a general theistic sense, but the God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and the Father of believers in the marvels of his grace.

And then thirdly, I pointed out how we must worship God who is in and of himself spirit. He says God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. So having covered the proper person or the proper object of worship, then we went to the proper sphere of worship. And I showed you how that we must worship in spirit and in truth. Now, as we worship in spirit, it's not only that we worship in the Holy Spirit, but we also worship with our spirits. David said, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. So our spirits are to be involved. And then we look at worship in truth. And I said, as we worship in truth, we must, number one, have due respect to the Word of God in general. That is, everything that the Bible teaches is about God. And then secondly, we must have particular respect to the Word of God incarnate. That is, how Jesus Christ has revealed himself as God.

Jesus Christ said, I am the truth. And of course, without him, there is no truth. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. So God has given His full and final revelation in Jesus Christ. Now, as Jesus Christ, in John chapter 4, evangelized this woman, you'll remember the woman was always concerned with where we ought to worship. And our Lord was concerned more with how we should worship. Now, the Bible tells us that true worship, of course, is not only in spirit, but also in truth.

The Place of Acceptable Worship: Public Worship is Necessary

Though we can worship God anywhere, this does not negate the need for public worship. Weaver introduces the principle that God is worshipped publicly where He peculiarly manifests Himself.

Now, as I've been preaching and teaching, I hope you've gotten the idea that it is proper and it certainly is acceptable that we may worship God anywhere at any time. Lest, however, some begin to think that simply because we now may worship God anywhere at any time, that there is no need for public worship, I want to show you a principle from the scripture. I want to show you what I'm going to call simply the place of acceptable worship. You see, unhappily, there have been many, many ideas floating around this country, and around Christianity in particular, that are really foreign to what you and I would call the biblical truth when it comes to acceptable worship. Now, it is true that I can worship God while I'm out in a boat fishing.

Why can I do that? Because God is spirit. And I may worship God there. I may worship God while I'm out in the field hunting. And I do that. Because God is spirit and I may worship Him there. I may worship God in my study. I may worship God in my bedroom. I may worship God at my work. But now let me ask you. Just simply because we may worship God wherever we are, does that mean that there is no specific place for public worship?

And the answer is absolutely no. And what has happened in this country is so many people have become uninterested, unconcerned, about what you and I would know as public worship. So what I want to do today is I want to establish from scriptures that there certainly is a need for public worship, and I want to show you from the Bible that wherever God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, there he was always worshipped in a public and a special manner. I want to show you this principle from the Old Testament and also from the New Testament. So let's look at our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Genesis chapter 12, and we'll look at several passages in the Old Testament before we ever get to the New Testament. Let me just point out what happened in Genesis chapter 12. Look, if you would please, at verses 7 and 8. Genesis 12, beginning there with verse 7.

The Bible says, And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. And there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. And there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

Old Testament Examples of Public Worship at Places of Divine Manifestation

Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua built altars and worshipped publicly at locations where God revealed Himself, establishing a pattern of public testimony.

Now what did God do? God has revealed himself in a particular and in a peculiar way to Abram. And so Abram then turned around and built an altar, that is, here was a public act, a public witness, a public testimony, a public manifestation of the fact that he is now worshipping God in an open and in a public manner. If you look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 3, And he went on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now, in Abram's travels, he certainly worshipped God in his tent. There's no two ways about that. He probably worshipped God as he walked in the fields. But what he always did was come back to that one place where God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, and there he worshipped God. Look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 14. Genesis 13, verse 14. Now the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place whence thou art northward and southward and eastward and westward. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

Now what had God done? God once again revealed Himself to Abram. And Abram once again built a public testimony and gave public worship to the one true and the living God. Look in Genesis chapter 21. I want to show you that this principle was continued throughout scripture. Notice this Genesis chapter 21 and look if you would please at verse 28. Genesis 21 verse 28. And Abram set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

Wherefore he called that place Beersheba, because there they sware both of them. Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the chief captain of his host, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of the everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

Now, by the way, the word grove here would refer to a group of trees. It certainly is not the Asherah. It certainly is not the sex goddess of the Canaanites. But here, once again, God had blessed him in a particular and a public way. And once again, Abraham turns around and builds a public testimony for God's honor and God's glory. Look in Genesis 22, beginning there with verse 9. And of course, you know the story how Abraham is about to offer up Isaac. And by the way, let me just show you something that I think is absolutely wonderful and beautiful. Look at verse 6. Abraham, you know, has been commanded to offer his son Isaac. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, his son.

That's pictorial of Christ basically carrying his own cross. Now watch. And he took the fire in his hand and a knife, which is once again a picture of the wrath of God. And they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham, his father, and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?

I want you to note verse eight. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. Now, I want you to note carefully what the Bible does not say in verse eight. The Bible does not say that God will provide for himself. What's the Bible say? God will provide Himself. And that's exactly what God did when He gave the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Now watch. Verse 9, And they came to the place which God told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him upon the altar upon the wood. Notice verse 10, and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.

And he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven.

and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. Now, what did Abraham do? Abraham went ahead and offered that ram upon the altar. Note, if you would please, God once again revealed himself there, and once again, God was worshipped there. Look in Genesis 28. Genesis 28. And notice, if you would please, verse 16 and 17. Genesis 28, verses 16 and 17. Here is Jacob, where God appeared to him in a dream. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God.

This is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow saying, and note if you would, here he sets up this pillar. He pours oil upon it. What is he doing? God has revealed himself to him. And now Jacob is worshiping God in this open particular and peculiar way. And by the way, after Jacob came back out of the land where he had gone to get his wives out of the land of Laban, where did God tell him to go? Go back to Bethel to the very place where God first appeared unto him. And that's exactly what he did.

Look in Genesis 35 and verse one, Genesis 35, verse one. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make thee an altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau, thy brother. So once again, God revealed himself there. God is to be publicly honored and publicly worshipped there. Now, let me show you one other. Note, if you would please, in the book of Joshua, chapter 5. Joshua, chapter 5.

I'm sure you're familiar with this passage. Joshua chapter five. Notice, if you would please, verse 13, the children of Israel are in the land of Canaan. They're about to attack Jericho. Verse 13 of Joshua five, and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. This was nothing more than a Christophany, that is, a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. Watch, and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

So note, if you would, when God revealed himself in a peculiar and a particular manner, there he was always worshipped publicly. Now, this is a concept that is given us not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament as well. For instance, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter five, the book of Luke, chapter five, And here's an incident that occurred.

New Testament Examples of Worship at Christ's Manifestation

Peter, Thomas, and John worshipped Jesus when He manifested Himself to them, continuing the pattern of public worship at divine revelation.

First, let's begin reading there with verse five. Or verse four, Luke five, verse four. Now, when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we toiled all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.

And they came and filled both the ships so that they began to sink. Now, that's a catch. When Simon Peter saw it, look, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. What did he do? He fell down and worshiped.

Now, turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20. I hope everyone knows this story. Because Jesus has appeared to his disciples, but Thomas was not there. You know, I've always said one of the reasons I want to make sure that I'm in church is because if the Lord does something, I want to be there when he does it. You start missing, and then you start missing the blessings of God. But anyhow, in John chapter 20, our Lord had appeared to His disciples, and Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples told Thomas, look, the Lord has appeared to us, and Thomas said, Except I see the holes in His hand and put my finger there, unless I see the hole in His side and put my hand there, I will not believe. Look what happens. John chapter 20, verse 26, And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them.

Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. Watch. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Did Thomas ever reach for those holes? Oh, no. What did he do?

He fell down and worshiped. May I just simply remind you, without asking you to turn there, of Revelation chapter one, John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. And you remember how he turned about and saw one covered with a golden girdle, his hair was white as wool, he said. His face was as the brightness of the sun. And John said, when I saw him, I watched, I fell at his feet as one dead. What did he do? He worshipped.

The Tabernacle and Temple as Places of God's Peculiar Presence

Old Testament worship centered on the tabernacle and temple because God's Shekinah glory dwelt there, though God cannot be contained in buildings.

Now, whenever and wherever there was a peculiar or particular manifestation of God, God was always there, worshipped publicly, and formally, openly. Now, do you remember the tabernacle? Do you remember the temple? Let me ask you a question. Why did Old Testament worship center around the tabernacle and later on it centered around the temple? May I tell you why? Because don't you remember that Shekinah glory and that cloud that led the children of Israel by day in the pillar of a cloud, by night as a pillar of fire. Do you remember when the tabernacle was set up, what happened? The Shekinah glory descended on that tabernacle, and there in the Holy of Holies, God peculiarly and particularly manifested Himself. There was where He was publicly and openly worshipped. Years later, when the temple was built in 1 Kings chapter 8, when the priests were in their ministering, the Shekinah glory came down in such a great power and great wonder, the priests had to withdraw themselves.

They could not even stand there. Now, why was there temple worship? Because there God particularly and peculiarly manifested himself there. Now, I've already mentioned this problem. But I'm going to mention it again because it is so common. What happened in the Old Testament was this. Because God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the tabernacle and then later on in the temple, people began to think that that was where God was. that the tabernacle or the temple contained God, or that God was there exclusively and totally and completely. And therefore, God had to cry out against that.

The Church as the Temple of God Today

In the New Testament, the gathered assembly of believers is the temple (naos) where God peculiarly manifests Himself, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:20.

Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah 66. I read this passage as we dealt with the spirituality of God. But look in Isaiah 66, if you would please, and notice verses 1 and 2 particularly. Isaiah 66. Notice, if you would please, verse 1. Isaiah 66 verse 1, Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you built unto me, and where is the place of my rest? Now look what he said, For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD. But to this man will I look, even him that is poor and of a contrite heart, and that trembleth at my word. Now what does God say? The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. If the earth is God's footstool, all the materials on earth cannot make a house that would contain God. He fills the heavens and he fills the earth. And so consequently, some of these Israelites said, well, since God has peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the temple, then that's where God is.

No. It's true that is a particular and a peculiar manifestation of God. That is not where God is. God is everywhere at once in the totality of His being. It is true that God does not dwell in tabernacles and temples made by hands. There is no tabernacle. There is no temple. Let me put this in modern day terminology. There is no church building that can contain God. But just because God cannot be contained in one particular place does not mean that He does not peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself in a peculiar particular place.

Now what am I talking about? Well, where in the world does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself today? And the answer is in His gathered people. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Corinthians 3.

Now, I went over this passage with you a number of months ago, but I still want to point this out in light of what I'm teaching and preaching today. Notice 1 Corinthians 3, and here are some verses that so many people have taken out of context. But if you look in verse 16, 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16, The Apostle Paul writes, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Now, let me just stop right there. If you want to find out that our bodies are the personal temple of God, then you would need to go to 1 Corinthians chapter six. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, this has nothing to do with individual Christians. This has to do with the gathered together of the people of God. It has to be the gathering of the saints of God. Notice, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul says in verse 9. He begins to make a distinction. He says, for we, and he's talking about the ministers or the pastors, he says, for we are labors together with God, ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. So it makes that distinction. He makes the distinction even further up when he talks about who is Paul, who is Apollos, what ministers by whom ye believed. So here's the distinction, he says, you are God's husbandry, you are God's building, and then he tells how he has laid the foundation and let any other man or any other minister take heed how he builds thereupon. And then when you come down to verse 16, once again he maintains that distinction, he says, know ye not, he's still talking to the people of God, know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.

So what is he saying? He is saying that the assembly of the saints are the temple of God. And may I remind you what the Greek word for temple is here? I told you in times past there's two Greek words. The first one is hieron, which refers to the temple in general. But the second one is naos, which refers to the holy of holies. So he says you are, in this instance, the holy of holies. You are the naos of God. So where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. He says, you are the temple of God. That's why he said, if any man destroy that temple, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. I have no right to try to destroy the assembly of the saints. And if you're gathered here and you try to destroy the Assembly of the Saints, you've got real problems yourself.

Can you imagine what is going to happen to these bureaucrats and these government officials who are trying to, quote unquote, to close down the Church of Jesus Christ? I've got news for you. There's an interesting study, without me getting into it, And I'm certainly not in favor of Roman Catholicism by any stretch of the imagination. But a study was done when Henry VIII, of course, became king of England. And he then began the Anglican Church, and he became the head of the Anglican Church. He then stole a lot of the land that belonged to the Catholic monasteries and monks. He stole that land and gave it to a lot of his lords. And a study was done on the descendants of the recipients of those lands. You talk about curse after curse after curse. And early death, it is unbelievable once you read the study. And all he did was take from what you and I would basically call a pagan group because of all of their superstition, especially back when Henry VIII became the king of England.

How much worse will it be when someone then attacks the true church, the true believers, and tries to destroy the assembly of the saints. You follow what I'm saying? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. Once again, here's a passage that I'm sure you're absolutely familiar with. Matthew 18. Notice if you would please be in there with verse 15. Here's a biblical way to resolve problems, and I'm not going to get into that right now, but here's what God says.

Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Now, if you've got a problem with a brother, what are you to do? You're to go to him privately. Very first thing. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained a brother. Verse 16, but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. Well, that's another step. Verse 17. But if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. That's another step. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. That's another step because that's church discipline.

Now watch what he says. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Why? For where two or three are gathered together in my name, help me out, there I am in the midst of them. Where does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. That's why He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 that you as living stones are built up into a holy priesthood.

David's Longing for Public Worship

Psalm 84 shows David's intense desire to be in the tabernacle for public worship, demonstrating that private devotion cannot replace corporate worship.

And the answer, I hope you see, is no. Why? Because God had particularly and peculiarly revealed himself in the tabernacle. And there was where God was also to be publicly worshipped. Now, watch carefully. When Saul was chasing David, could David get to the tabernacle for public worship? What's the answer? No. If he went back there, Saul would kill him.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 84. I want you to look carefully at this psalm that was written by David. It's one of the most beautiful, one of the most touching Psalms in the whole Psaltery. Notice Psalm 84. David says, How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. That is, how lovable, how gracious, how beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. Now look what David says. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord.

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Now, here David is being chased by Saul. He can't get to the tabernacle. Does David worship God in the wilderness? Yes. Does David worship God in his tent? Yes. Is that sufficient for David? No. He says, My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Now look what he says, Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee. What is David saying? David said, God, I envy those little sparrows. Why those little sparrows, they can go into the holiest of holies.

They can make their nests there. They can be there whenever they want to. I'm cut off. I can't be there. I think it's so wonderful. I like to go in these Lowe's building supplies and I look up, here's little sparrows flying everywhere. I think, man, they've got it made. They've got central heat and air, you know, they've got food everywhere. Well, that's what David was saying about the tabernacle. He said, man, these sparrows, these swallows, they can get in there anytime they want to. But I'm cut off from it. I can't get there.

He said, my heart and my flesh cry out. I long to be where God is worshipped publicly. I long to be with God's people where they're worshipping Him openly. Now, can I worship God in my closet? Yes. Can I worship God while I'm hunting and fishing? Yes. But does that take the place of public worship? And the answer is no. No true Israelite in the Old Testament could ever be satisfied with just mere private worship. Likewise, no true Israelite, no true Christian in this day and time can be satisfied with mere private worship. We long to be with the people of God.

Applications: Guarding Unity and Hearts in Worship

Believers must not be indifferent to public worship, must maintain unity and avoid hindering worship through bad attitudes, and must guard their own hearts.

Now, before I go further, let me make some applications. I want you to see that you cannot be indifferent as a child of God to the public worship of God. You cannot be indifferent to that. I find it absolutely amazing that some people have the attitude, well, if I go, I go. If I don't, I don't. I don't understand that. I can't comprehend that. The only thing I can say, someone is really probably not genuinely converted. Because you and I, who are the people of God, not only will worship God privately, we want to worship God publicly as well. We want to be with the assembly of the saints. Now, another thing is this, folks. If we understand 1 Corinthians 3, especially 16 and 17, it means this. It means as God's people, we're going to make sure that we do not do anything to hinder or to eclipse the worship of God.

You ought not ever to come to church with what you and I would call bad attitudes, evil hearts, wicked dispositions. Why? Well, let me tell you. You can find out very quickly that it takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service. Really? I was preaching in one church, and I'm not going to mention the state, but I preached one night and I looked at the pastor and I said, after service, I said, who was that elderly man on the right side of the church? And who was that elderly woman on the left-hand side of the church?

They sat in the same pew up front, but different sides. He said, why do you ask? I said, because you've got real problems in this church and you've got real problems with those two people. I said, I don't even know who they are. But I sensed and I picked up on some real horrible attitudes and dispositions. I said, I could just tell looking at them. There's something wrong in their lives.

He said, that's a brother and sister. He said they fell out over a family inheritance and they have not spoken to each other in 10 years. And yet they still come to this church, one sits on one side, one sits on the other side, won't even look at each other. I said, and you have not dealt with it, you have not disciplined them. I said, that's just as wicked and wrong on your part as it is on their part. But here I was a stranger there and I picked up on it in one sermon, one message.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, the Bible says of the early church, they were with one accord. You remember in Romans 15, we're to have one mouth, we're to have one mind that we may glorify our God. That means this. That means we better make sure that, as the Scripture says, we better endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We don't make the unity, but we make dead sure we keep the unity. That means our envies, our jealousies, our hard feelings, all of that must go if we're going to worship God acceptably. Thirdly, let me point this out. It means that you and I are to be jealous to guard our own hearts. Now, it's true. I can't keep Robert's heart. I can't keep Harry's heart. But I'm responsible to keep my heart. And the Bible says in Proverbs 4, verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence. Why?

For out of it are the issues of life. I'm responsible before God that when I come, that I come with a holy heart. Let me ask you, if I come with known sin in my heart, is that going to be acceptable before God? No. I'm not only hindering my worship, I'm also hindering other people's worship as well. So God tells us that if we're going to worship Him acceptably, we must worship Him in the place where He peculiarly and particularly manifests himself. And when we do that we must give due attention to the fact that we must do everything to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as the Word of God says. Now let me go a little bit further because before I close I want to deal with the preparation for acceptable worship.

Preparation for Acceptable Worship

Heart preparation is both God's work and our responsibility. We must break up fallow ground through confession and specific preparation, giving God our best physically and spiritually.

Now it is true Our Lord said in John 15 in verse three, without me, you can do nothing. You know, I've been in churches where people have talked to me about their pastor, and I'm sure people have said probably the same thing about me, but I've had people come to me and tell me, well, pastor, if you don't mind, if you could talk to our pastor, because you know, we're just not really getting anything out of his sermons. And I said, well. I don't mind talking to him, but I said, let me ask you a question. Have you ever considered the fact that it might not be your pastor? Now, let me tell you something, folks. Now, listen carefully. I don't care how much I've studied. I don't care how much I've prepared. I don't care how good the sermon is. I don't care if it's the best sermon in the world. I don't care if it has the best oratory, the best illustration. Do you realize something?

Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message. Do you know that? You see, you are responsible before God to prepare your heart. Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16, The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. It is true that God is sovereign and God must prepare our hearts. But look in your Bibles to Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. Hosea, chapter 10. Daniel, Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 12 at what God says. Hosea, chapter 10. Notice verse 12. Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16 in verse 1, the preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. That's true. If our hearts are ever prepared, God must prepare them. But look what he says in Hosea 10 in verse 12.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord till He come and reign righteousness upon you. Now listen carefully. The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us. We must seek Him to prepare our hearts. God says that we're to sow to ourselves in righteousness, that we may reap in mercy. We must break up our fallow ground, for it's time to seek the Lord, till He come and reign righteousness upon us.

Now, the problem is this. Many times we come to church with our hearts unprepared. I know this. There's not a man in this church building that this spring would go outside and just take his garden seed and throw it on the top of the ground and walk off and leave it. You know why you wouldn't do that? Because you know that if you want to garden, your ground must be prepared. And you break up that fallow ground, you break up that hard ground, you soften it so that ground will be receptive to the seed and the fertilizer and the water.

That's exactly what God is saying. God is saying you're responsible to prepare your heart to hear the Word. Now, you could call your preparation two phased. There'd be what you and I would call indirect preparation and specific preparation. Indirect preparation would refer to what you and I would call constant or continual or daily preparation. Specific would be temporary and intense preparation. Let me give you an illustration. I've mentioned this before. I enjoy watching gymnastics because I'm so inflexible. I delight seeing some people that are flexible. But here's a gymnast. What does a gymnast do to stay in shape?

Exercises constantly, stretches on a regular basis. But now if there is a gymnastic tournament that is coming up, a month or so before that tournament, what does that gymnast do? Increase that exercise, increase that stretching, increase that training just to go to that tournament. So, you could say the same thing is like in the Christian life. We have this constant, continual preparation that as we keep our hearts, we pray, we study the Scripture, we do things that are required of us on a daily basis, we use the private means of grace, but then when it nears the Lord's Day, then there are other things that you can do specifically and directly.

Now, the old Puritans used to call this Sabbath preparation. So, on the night or the day before the Lord's Day, they would begin to prepare their lives for worship on the Lord's Day. Now, let me just show you a passage. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 15. This is a wonderful psalm. Psalm 15. Look what David writes, Psalm 15. He begins by asking this question, Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? Now watch. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart, he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord, he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not, he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent, he that doeth these things shall never be moved. You could say that Psalm 15 is what you and I would call constant and continual preparation, that is, we ought to constantly and continually be walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking the truth, not backbiting, that kind of thing.

But how about when you get to a passage like 1 John 1, 9, when he says, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now, if I were to ask you, How many of you sinned this past week? Raise your hand. Every hand would be raised. Now, if I were to ask you, how many of you confessed and acknowledged and repented of that sin or those sins? Raise your hand. You follow what I'm saying? David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. He said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord's not going to hear my prayer. If God will not hear our prayer, now listen, if God will not hear our prayer, if we just regard iniquity in our heart, if we come to publicly worship God and give Him the honor and the glory that's due His name, and we know that we have specific sins in our lives that are contrary to God in His Word. How dare we flaunt those sins in His face, unconfessed and unrepented of.

Now let me tell you, there are sins you and I usually do not think anything about, but they're sins nonetheless. I can assure you there are husbands and wives who have their spats. They get mad at each other. They say things to each other they ought not to say. You know what 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 says? Let me just quote it. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them, that is the wives, according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Do you realize if a husband and wife are not right with each other, they're not right with God? How in the world can you give God public worship if you are still fighting each other and mad at each other?

You see what I'm saying? I'm not saying you have to go out and commit adultery and you have to go out and steal and kill and get drunk to have something to confess. How many of us have bad attitudes? All I'm saying is this. If we're going to bring to God acceptable worship, we must come with a clean heart. And the only way our hearts can be cleansed is by the blood of Jesus Christ. We ought to acknowledge our sins and ask for repentance and ask for grace and ask for mercy. And then as part of this preparation, as I mentioned it before, we need to determine that we're going to be our best on the Lord's Day morning. Help me out, see how many of you remember this Old Testament passage. Do you remember when the ark was returned to Jerusalem? The Bible says that David danced before the Lord. Help me out, what does the rest of that verse say? You don't remember? With all his might. David danced before the Lord with all his might. Everything that was in him, he was jumping up and down and praising the Lord that the ark had been brought back. Now, are you listening? How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning and give God worship with all your might if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning watching the late, late, late movie. See, you can't.

Now, I'm just simply trying to say we need to make preparations so we can be mentally alert as well as spiritually and physically alert. Now, I realize there are times, there are times when that cannot always be. If you've got a sick child and you have to stay up to 2 o'clock in the morning, God understands that. If you're ministering to someone, God understands that. Alice can tell you. There have been innumerable times in my ministry, I planned, I prepared, and all of a sudden, there's been a death, there's been something, and I look at Alice and say, what in the world am I going to do? I've got to go here. I've got to minister to this person. What am I going to do? And then we always say, the Lord will work it out, and He always does. There are things that you and I cannot control. In those instances, we understand, and certainly God is understandable. But when you and I just deliberately lay out with no regard for the proper worship of God, no wonder we're so unblessed.

The Father Seeks True Worshipers

The reason we worship is because God sought us. Weaver shares his testimony of God's seeking grace, leading to a closing prayer for enablement to worship acceptably.

Now, look at John 4. I want to point out one thing, and then I'm going to close. Let me ask you, why is it you are even here today listening to this Word and offering worship to the One True and Living God? Well, look in John 4 and verse 23. Our Lord says, But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. You know, I still am so absolutely, totally amazed at the Father's grace in my life. You realize the only reason we're here is because God sought us.

Why did He single us out? Who are we? What are we? But sinners. I remember as a boy riding along one day on a motorcycle. And I can take you to the very spot. And I remember the thought coming into my mind, What if you died right now? Where would you go? Now, why would those thoughts enter into my mind? I mean, it's true I was raised in church, but I never heard any gospel preaching and teaching while I was in church. But that thought came into my mind.

And you know the answer that I gave to those questions? Here's my answer. Well, I'll make it into heaven somehow. I've made it all my life and everything else, I'll make it in somehow. Which is utter blasphemy. And I've often thought, how stupid, how ignorant, how lost, how ungodly. I mean, I was a religious hypocrite and Pharisee. And yet God in His mercy and grace came to me and saved me.

And I want to tell you folks, I wasn't looking for Him. He found me. And all of us who have been saved by the grace of God can say with the Apostle Paul, I am what I am only by the grace of God. Isn't it wonderful? We have a seeking Father who seeks His own and brings them to Himself and makes them true worshipers. Let's pray. Father, we are so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray today, Lord, that You would indeed enable us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. We ask, Lord, that You would teach us to prepare our hearts that we may worship Thee acceptably in reverence and godly fear. Teach us, Lord, to deal honestly and openly with our sins. Teach us, Lord, to prepare our bodies, that we may worship Thee with all of our minds, be mentally awake, physically awake, spiritually alert, that we may concentrate on Thy Word and praise Thee for all of Your mighty works and blessings to us. Help us, Lord, to live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Necessity of Public Worship

Summary: Public worship is not optional; it is a biblical requirement because God peculiarly manifests Himself in the gathered assembly.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Just simply because we may worship God wherever we are, does that mean that there is no specific place for public worship? And the answer is absolutely no.'

God's Peculiar Manifestation in the Assembly

Summary: In both Testaments, God's special presence is linked to public worship; today, the church is the temple where He dwells.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints.'

Heart Preparation for Worship

Summary: Acceptable worship requires intentional preparation of the heart through confession, repentance, and giving God our best.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message... We must seek Him to prepare our hearts.'

Unity and Purity in the Worshiping Community

Summary: Sinful attitudes and disunity hinder corporate worship; believers must guard unity and deal with sin to worship acceptably.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'It takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service... our envies, our jealousies, our hard feelings, all of that must go.'

God's Seeking Grace

Summary: The Father actively seeks true worshipers, and our worship is a response to His initiating grace.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The only reason we're here is because God sought us... We have a seeking Father who seeks His own and brings them to Himself.'

Key Arguments

Public worship is biblically mandated, not replaced by private worship.

Summary: Weaver argues that the ability to worship anywhere does not eliminate the need for corporate worship, as seen in Old and New Testament patterns.

Evidence: He asks, 'Does that take the place of public worship? And the answer is no. No true Israelite in the Old Testament could ever be satisfied with just mere private worship.'

The gathered church is the present-day temple where God dwells.

Summary: Using 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:20, Weaver contends that God's peculiar presence is now in the assembly of believers, not a building.

Evidence: He states, 'He is saying that the assembly of the saints are the temple of God... you are, in this instance, the holy of holies.'

Heart preparation is a human responsibility enabled by God.

Summary: Weaver balances divine sovereignty and human responsibility, citing Hosea 10:12 to show we must 'break up fallow ground' through confession and intentional preparation.

Evidence: He says, 'The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us.'

Unconfessed sin and disunity hinder acceptable worship.

Summary: Weaver argues that known sin, bad attitudes, and relational strife block God's hearing and corrupt corporate worship.

Evidence: He cites 1 Peter 3:7 and Psalm 66:18, saying, 'If a husband and wife are not right with each other, they're not right with God... How dare we flaunt those sins in His face.'

Worship demands our best effort and preparation.

Summary: Weaver insists that half-hearted worship is rejected; we must be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared to give God our all.

Evidence: He asks, 'How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning and give God worship with all your might if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning?'

Scripture References

John 4:19-26

Context: The passage on worship in spirit and truth, read at the beginning of the sermon.

Genesis 12:7-8

Context: Abram built an altar where the Lord appeared to him, establishing public worship at a place of divine manifestation.

Genesis 13:3-4, 14-18

Context: Abram returned to the altar and later built another altar after God's promise, continuing the pattern.

Genesis 21:28-34

Context: Abraham planted a grove and called on the name of the Lord at Beersheba after a public blessing.

Genesis 22:6-18

Context: Abraham built an altar on Mount Moriah and worshipped after God provided a ram, naming the place Jehovah-Jireh.

Genesis 28:16-19

Context: Jacob set up a pillar and worshipped at Bethel where God appeared to him in a dream.

Genesis 35:1

Context: God commanded Jacob to return to Bethel and build an altar, reinforcing the place of public worship.

Joshua 5:13-15

Context: Joshua worshipped the captain of the Lord's host on holy ground, a Christophany.

Luke 5:4-8

Context: Peter fell at Jesus' knees in worship after the miraculous catch of fish.

John 20:26-28

Context: Thomas worshipped Jesus as 'My Lord and my God' when Jesus appeared to him.

Revelation 1

Context: John fell at Jesus' feet as dead when he saw the glorified Christ.

Isaiah 66:1-2

Context: God declares heaven is His throne and earth His footstool, yet He looks to the humble; used to show God cannot be contained in a building.

1 Corinthians 3:9, 16-17

Context: The church is God's building and temple; the assembly is the naos where God dwells.

Matthew 18:15-20

Context: Where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, He is in the midst, showing His presence in the assembly.

1 Peter 2:5

Context: Believers are living stones built into a holy priesthood.

Psalm 84:1-4

Context: David's longing for the courts of the Lord, illustrating the necessity of public worship.

Proverbs 16:1

Context: The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, showing God's sovereignty in heart preparation.

Hosea 10:12

Context: Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord; used to call for heart preparation.

Psalm 15

Context: Describes the character of one who dwells in God's tabernacle, illustrating continual preparation.

1 John 1:9

Context: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive; used to emphasize specific preparation through confession.

Historical References

Henry VIII and the dissolution of monasteries

Context: Weaver mentions a study on the descendants of those who received stolen monastery lands, noting curses and early deaths as a warning against attacking the true church.

Important Quotes

Where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints.

Significance: Identifies the gathered church as the present-day temple where God's special presence dwells.

The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us.

Significance: Balances divine sovereignty and human responsibility in worship preparation.

Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message.

Significance: Emphasizes the necessity of heart preparation for profitable worship.

It takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service.

Significance: Highlights the corporate impact of individual sin and bad attitudes in worship.

How dare we flaunt those sins in His face, unconfessed and unrepented of.

Significance: Convicts believers of the seriousness of approaching God with known sin.

We need not give Him half-hearted worship. He refuses it. He rejects it.

Significance: Warns that God despises insincere, half-hearted worship.

The only reason we're here is because God sought us.

Significance: Roots worship in God's initiating grace, not human initiative.

Discussion Questions

How does the Old Testament pattern of public worship at places of divine manifestation apply to the New Testament church today?

Context: Weaver traces the principle from Abraham to the temple, then to the gathered assembly.

In what ways might we be tempted to replace public worship with private devotion, and why is that insufficient?

Context: Weaver argues that private worship cannot replace corporate worship, using David's longing in Psalm 84.

What are some practical steps we can take to 'break up our fallow ground' and prepare our hearts for worship?

Context: Weaver discusses indirect and specific preparation, including confession and physical readiness.

How can unresolved conflict or bad attitudes among believers hinder corporate worship, and what is our responsibility?

Context: Weaver shares an example of a brother and sister who hadn't spoken in 10 years, affecting the church.

What does it mean to worship God 'with all our might,' and how can we practically give Him our best?

Context: Weaver references David dancing before the Lord with all his might and warns against staying up late before the Lord's Day.

How does understanding that the Father seeks worshipers change our perspective on worship?

Context: Weaver emphasizes God's seeking grace as the foundation for our worship.

Applications

Prioritize public worship

Summary: Believers must not be indifferent to gathering with the church; private worship is not a substitute for corporate worship.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You cannot be indifferent as a child of God to the public worship of God.'

Guard unity and deal with sin

Summary: We must confess known sins, resolve conflicts, and maintain unity to avoid hindering corporate worship.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Our envies, our jealousies, our hard feelings, all of that must go if we're going to worship God acceptably.'

Prepare your heart intentionally

Summary: Engage in both continual daily preparation and specific preparation before the Lord's Day, including confession and seeking God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must seek Him to prepare our hearts... break up your fallow ground.'

Give God your best physically and mentally

Summary: Get adequate rest and be mentally alert to worship God with all your might, avoiding late-night activities that hinder worship.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning... if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning?'

Worship with a clean heart

Summary: Confess and repent of specific sins before worship, recognizing that unconfessed sin hinders prayer and worship.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If we come to publicly worship God... and we know that we have specific sins... How dare we flaunt those sins in His face.'

Respond to God's seeking grace

Summary: Recognize that our worship is a response to God's initiative in seeking and saving us, leading to humble gratitude.

Evidence: Weaver testifies, 'I wasn't looking for Him. He found me.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:40:32Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:33:04Z

Clean Transcript

Acceptable Worship - Part 6

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And today we're going to be bringing the concluding message on acceptable worship. John chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John chapter 4, verse 19. John 4, verse 19. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ.
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When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
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Now, let me take just a moment to remind you of what we've covered in this brief series. I pointed out the fact that it is our duty and our obligation to worship. But secondly, that God is not indifferent to our worship. Because there are many passages in the Bible where he says, I hate, I despise, I will not have your offerings and your sacrifices. And then I pointed out how that worship is a matter of divine revelation. That is, that we must worship Him according to the Word of God. And then I pointed out how that real acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Then we looked at the proper object of worship. We saw that we must worship the one true and the living God, but not just God in a general theistic sense, but the God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and the Father of believers in the marvels of his grace.
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And then thirdly, I pointed out how we must worship God who is in and of himself spirit. He says God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. So having covered the proper person or the proper object of worship, then we went to the proper sphere of worship. And I showed you how that we must worship in spirit and in truth. Now, as we worship in spirit, it's not only that we worship in the Holy Spirit, but we also worship with our spirits. David said, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. So our spirits are to be involved. And then we look at worship in truth. And I said, as we worship in truth, we must, number one, have due respect to the Word of God in general. That is, everything that the Bible teaches is about God. And then secondly, we must have particular respect to the Word of God incarnate. That is, how Jesus Christ has revealed himself as God.
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Jesus Christ said, I am the truth. And of course, without him, there is no truth. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. So God has given His full and final revelation in Jesus Christ. Now, as Jesus Christ, in John chapter 4, evangelized this woman, you'll remember the woman was always concerned with where we ought to worship. And our Lord was concerned more with how we should worship. Now, the Bible tells us that true worship, of course, is not only in spirit, but also in truth.
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Now, as I've been preaching and teaching, I hope you've gotten the idea that it is proper and it certainly is acceptable that we may worship God anywhere at any time. Lest, however, some begin to think that simply because we now may worship God anywhere at any time, that there is no need for public worship, I want to show you a principle from the scripture. I want to show you what I'm going to call simply the place of acceptable worship. You see, unhappily, there have been many, many ideas floating around this country, and around Christianity in particular, that are really foreign to what you and I would call the biblical truth when it comes to acceptable worship. Now, it is true that I can worship God while I'm out in a boat fishing.
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Why can I do that? Because God is spirit. And I may worship God there. I may worship God while I'm out in the field hunting. And I do that. Because God is spirit and I may worship Him there. I may worship God in my study. I may worship God in my bedroom. I may worship God at my work. But now let me ask you. Just simply because we may worship God wherever we are, does that mean that there is no specific place for public worship?
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And the answer is absolutely no. And what has happened in this country is so many people have become uninterested, unconcerned, about what you and I would know as public worship. So what I want to do today is I want to establish from scriptures that there certainly is a need for public worship, and I want to show you from the Bible that wherever God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, there he was always worshipped in a public and a special manner. I want to show you this principle from the Old Testament and also from the New Testament. So let's look at our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Genesis chapter 12, and we'll look at several passages in the Old Testament before we ever get to the New Testament. Let me just point out what happened in Genesis chapter 12. Look, if you would please, at verses 7 and 8. Genesis 12, beginning there with verse 7.
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The Bible says, And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. And there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. And there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
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Now what did God do? God has revealed himself in a particular and in a peculiar way to Abram. And so Abram then turned around and built an altar, that is, here was a public act, a public witness, a public testimony, a public manifestation of the fact that he is now worshipping God in an open and in a public manner. If you look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 3, And he went on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first, and there Abram
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called on the name of the Lord. Now, in Abram's travels, he certainly worshipped God in his tent. There's no two ways about that. He probably worshipped God as he walked in the fields. But what he always did was come back to that one place where God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself, and there he worshipped God. Look in Genesis 13, beginning there with verse 14. Genesis 13, verse 14. Now the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place whence thou art northward and southward and eastward and westward. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
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Now what had God done? God once again revealed Himself to Abram. And Abram once again built a public testimony and gave public worship to the one true and the living God. Look in Genesis chapter 21. I want to show you that this principle was continued throughout scripture. Notice this Genesis chapter 21 and look if you would please at verse 28. Genesis 21 verse 28. And Abram set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
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Wherefore he called that place Beersheba, because there they sware both of them. Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the chief captain of his host, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called there on the name of the everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
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Now, by the way, the word grove here would refer to a group of trees. It certainly is not the Asherah. It certainly is not the sex goddess of the Canaanites. But here, once again, God had blessed him in a particular and a public way. And once again, Abraham turns around and builds a public testimony for God's honor and God's glory. Look in Genesis 22, beginning there with verse 9. And of course, you know the story how Abraham is about to offer up Isaac. And by the way, let me just show you something that I think is absolutely wonderful and beautiful. Look at verse 6. Abraham, you know, has been commanded to offer his son Isaac. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, his son.
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That's pictorial of Christ basically carrying his own cross. Now watch. And he took the fire in his hand and a knife, which is once again a picture of the wrath of God. And they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham, his father, and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
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I want you to note verse eight. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. Now, I want you to note carefully what the Bible does not say in verse eight. The Bible does not say that God will provide for himself. What's the Bible say? God will provide Himself. And that's exactly what God did when He gave the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Now watch. Verse 9, And they came to the place which God told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him upon the altar upon the wood. Notice verse 10, and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham.
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And he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven.
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and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.
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Now, what did Abraham do? Abraham went ahead and offered that ram upon the altar. Note, if you would please, God once again revealed himself there, and once again, God was worshipped there. Look in Genesis 28. Genesis 28. And notice, if you would please, verse 16 and 17. Genesis 28, verses 16 and 17. Here is Jacob, where God appeared to him in a dream. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God.
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This is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow saying, and note if you would, here he sets up this pillar. He pours oil upon it. What is he doing?
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God has revealed himself to him. And now Jacob is worshiping God in this open particular and peculiar way. And by the way, after Jacob came back out of the land where he had gone to get his wives out of the land of Laban, where did God tell him to go? Go back to Bethel to the very place where God first appeared unto him. And that's exactly what he did.
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Look in Genesis 35 and verse one, Genesis 35, verse one. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make thee an altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau, thy brother. So once again, God revealed himself there. God is to be publicly honored and publicly worshipped there. Now, let me show you one other. Note, if you would please, in the book of Joshua, chapter 5. Joshua, chapter 5.
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I'm sure you're familiar with this passage. Joshua chapter five. Notice, if you would please, verse 13, the children of Israel are in the land of Canaan. They're about to attack Jericho. Verse 13 of Joshua five, and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries?
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And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. This was nothing more than a Christophany, that is, a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. Watch, and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
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So note, if you would, when God revealed himself in a peculiar and a particular manner, there he was always worshipped publicly. Now, this is a concept that is given us not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament as well. For instance, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter five, the book of Luke, chapter five, And here's an incident that occurred.
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First, let's begin reading there with verse five. Or verse four, Luke five, verse four.
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Now, when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we toiled all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.
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And they came and filled both the ships so that they began to sink. Now, that's a catch. When Simon Peter saw it, look, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. What did he do? He fell down and worshiped.
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Now, turn in your Bibles to John chapter 20. I hope everyone knows this story. Because Jesus has appeared to his disciples, but Thomas was not there. You know, I've always said one of the reasons I want to make sure that I'm in church is because if the Lord does something, I want to be there when he does it. You start missing, and then you start missing the blessings of God. But anyhow, in John chapter 20, our Lord had appeared to His disciples, and Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples told Thomas, look, the Lord has appeared to us, and Thomas said, Except I see the holes in His hand and put my finger there, unless I see the hole in His side and put my hand there, I will not believe. Look what happens. John chapter 20, verse 26, And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them.
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Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. Watch. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Did Thomas ever reach for those holes? Oh, no. What did he do?
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He fell down and worshiped. May I just simply remind you, without asking you to turn there, of Revelation chapter one, John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. And you remember how he turned about and saw one covered with a golden girdle, his hair was white as wool, he said. His face was as the brightness of the sun. And John said, when I saw him, I watched, I fell at his feet as one dead. What did he do? He worshipped.
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Now, whenever and wherever there was a peculiar or particular manifestation of God, God was always there, worshipped publicly, and formally, openly. Now, do you remember the tabernacle? Do you remember the temple? Let me ask you a question. Why did Old Testament worship center around the tabernacle and later on it centered around the temple? May I tell you why? Because don't you remember that Shekinah glory and that cloud that led the children of Israel by day in the pillar of a cloud, by night as a pillar of fire. Do you remember when the tabernacle was set up, what happened? The Shekinah glory descended on that tabernacle, and there in the Holy of Holies, God peculiarly and particularly manifested Himself. There was where He was publicly and openly worshipped. Years later, when the temple was built in 1 Kings chapter 8, when the priests were in their ministering, the Shekinah glory came down in such a great power and great wonder, the priests had to withdraw themselves.
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They could not even stand there. Now, why was there temple worship? Because there God particularly and peculiarly manifested himself there.
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Now, I've already mentioned this problem. But I'm going to mention it again because it is so common. What happened in the Old Testament was this. Because God peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the tabernacle and then later on in the temple, people began to think that that was where God was. that the tabernacle or the temple contained God, or that God was there exclusively and totally and completely. And therefore, God had to cry out against that.
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Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah 66. I read this passage as we dealt with the spirituality of God. But look in Isaiah 66, if you would please, and notice verses 1 and 2 particularly. Isaiah 66. Notice, if you would please, verse 1. Isaiah 66 verse 1, Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you built unto me, and where is the place of my rest? Now look what he said, For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD. But to this man will I look, even him that is poor and of a contrite heart, and that trembleth at my word. Now what does God say? The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. If the earth is God's footstool, all the materials on earth cannot make a house that would contain God. He fills the heavens and he fills the earth. And so consequently, some of these Israelites said, well, since God has peculiarly and particularly manifested himself in the temple, then that's where God is.
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No. It's true that is a particular and a peculiar manifestation of God. That is not where God is. God is everywhere at once in the totality of His being. It is true that God does not dwell in tabernacles and temples made by hands. There is no tabernacle. There is no temple. Let me put this in modern day terminology. There is no church building that can contain God. But just because God cannot be contained in one particular place does not mean that He does not peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself in a peculiar particular place.
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Now what am I talking about? Well, where in the world does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself today? And the answer is in His gathered people. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Corinthians 3.
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Now, I went over this passage with you a number of months ago, but I still want to point this out in light of what I'm teaching and preaching today. Notice 1 Corinthians 3, and here are some verses that so many people have taken out of context. But if you look in verse 16, 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16, The Apostle Paul writes, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
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Now, let me just stop right there. If you want to find out that our bodies are the personal temple of God, then you would need to go to 1 Corinthians chapter six. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, this has nothing to do with individual Christians. This has to do with the gathered together of the people of God. It has to be the gathering of the saints of God.
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Notice, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul says in verse 9. He begins to make a distinction. He says, for we, and he's talking about the ministers or the pastors, he says, for we are labors together with God, ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. So it makes that distinction. He makes the distinction even further up when he talks about who is Paul, who is Apollos, what ministers by whom ye believed. So here's the distinction, he says, you are God's husbandry, you are God's building, and then he tells how he has laid the foundation and let any other man or any other minister take heed how he builds thereupon. And then when you come down to verse 16, once again he maintains that distinction, he says, know ye not, he's still talking to the people of God, know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.
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So what is he saying? He is saying that the assembly of the saints are the temple of God. And may I remind you what the Greek word for temple is here? I told you in times past there's two Greek words. The first one is hieron, which refers to the temple in general. But the second one is naos, which refers to the holy of holies. So he says you are, in this instance, the holy of holies. You are the naos of God. So where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. He says, you are the temple of God. That's why he said, if any man destroy that temple, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. I have no right to try to destroy the assembly of the saints. And if you're gathered here and you try to destroy the Assembly of the Saints, you've got real problems yourself.
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Can you imagine what is going to happen to these bureaucrats and these government officials who are trying to, quote unquote, to close down the Church of Jesus Christ? I've got news for you. There's an interesting study, without me getting into it, And I'm certainly not in favor of Roman Catholicism by any stretch of the imagination. But a study was done when Henry VIII, of course, became king of England. And he then began the Anglican Church, and he became the head of the Anglican Church.
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He then stole a lot of the land that belonged to the Catholic monasteries and monks. He stole that land and gave it to a lot of his lords. And a study was done on the descendants of the recipients of those lands. You talk about curse after curse after curse. And early death, it is unbelievable once you read the study. And all he did was take from what you and I would basically call a pagan group because of all of their superstition, especially back when Henry VIII became the king of England.
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How much worse will it be when someone then attacks the true church, the true believers, and tries to destroy the assembly of the saints. You follow what I'm saying? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. Once again, here's a passage that I'm sure you're absolutely familiar with. Matthew 18. Notice if you would please be in there with verse 15. Here's a biblical way to resolve problems, and I'm not going to get into that right now, but here's what God says.
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Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. Now, if you've got a problem with a brother, what are you to do? You're to go to him privately. Very first thing. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained a brother. Verse 16, but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. Well, that's another step. Verse 17. But if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. That's another step. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. That's another step because that's church discipline.
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Now watch what he says. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Why? For where two or three are gathered together in my name, help me out, there I am in the midst of them.
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Where does God peculiarly and particularly manifest Himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints. That's why He said in 1 Peter 2 and verse 5 that you as living stones are built up into a holy priesthood.
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Now, I want to just give you a little comparison to try to enable you to understand how the Old Testament and the New Testament basically work together. Let's take David for a moment. Everyone knows that King David was classified and called a man after God's own heart. But you also remember that King Saul chased David over and over in the wilderness, he tried to kill him. For months on end, David was chased by King Saul. Now, let me ask you, could David be a faithful saint and a faithful Israelite if he just limited his devotion and his worship to the prayer closet?
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And the answer, I hope you see, is no. Why? Because God had particularly and peculiarly revealed himself in the tabernacle. And there was where God was also to be publicly worshipped. Now, watch carefully. When Saul was chasing David, could David get to the tabernacle for public worship? What's the answer? No. If he went back there, Saul would kill him.
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Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 84. I want you to look carefully at this psalm that was written by David. It's one of the most beautiful, one of the most touching Psalms in the whole Psaltery. Notice Psalm 84. David says, How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. That is, how lovable, how gracious, how beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. Now look what David says. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord.
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My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Now, here David is being chased by Saul. He can't get to the tabernacle. Does David worship God in the wilderness? Yes. Does David worship God in his tent? Yes. Is that sufficient for David? No. He says, My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Now look what he says, Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee. What is David saying? David said, God, I envy those little sparrows. Why those little sparrows, they can go into the holiest of holies.
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They can make their nests there. They can be there whenever they want to. I'm cut off. I can't be there. I think it's so wonderful. I like to go in these Lowe's building supplies and I look up, here's little sparrows flying everywhere. I think, man, they've got it made. They've got central heat and air, you know, they've got food everywhere. Well, that's what David was saying about the tabernacle. He said, man, these sparrows, these swallows, they can get in there anytime they want to. But I'm cut off from it. I can't get there.
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He said, my heart and my flesh cry out. I long to be where God is worshipped publicly. I long to be with God's people where they're worshipping Him openly. Now, can I worship God in my closet? Yes. Can I worship God while I'm hunting and fishing? Yes. But does that take the place of public worship? And the answer is no. No true Israelite in the Old Testament could ever be satisfied with just mere private worship. Likewise, no true Israelite, no true Christian in this day and time can be satisfied with mere private worship. We long to be with the people of God.
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Alice and I laugh and we talk about when we come in here on Sunday morning. You know, there's times I almost have to slap this pulpit to get your attention. You know why? You're talking. You're fellowshipping. You're seeing your friends and your brethren whom you haven't seen all week. Isn't it amazing how natural it is when we get together to fellowship with each other? And then when we get together, how natural it is when our minds go to the things of God.
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Now, before I go further, let me make some applications. I want you to see that you cannot be indifferent as a child of God to the public worship of God. You cannot be indifferent to that. I find it absolutely amazing that some people have the attitude, well, if I go, I go. If I don't, I don't. I don't understand that. I can't comprehend that. The only thing I can say, someone is really probably not genuinely converted. Because you and I, who are the people of God, not only will worship God privately, we want to worship God publicly as well. We want to be with the assembly of the saints. Now, another thing is this, folks. If we understand 1 Corinthians 3, especially 16 and 17, it means this. It means as God's people, we're going to make sure that we do not do anything to hinder or to eclipse the worship of God.
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You ought not ever to come to church with what you and I would call bad attitudes, evil hearts, wicked dispositions. Why? Well, let me tell you. You can find out very quickly that it takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service. Really? I was preaching in one church, and I'm not going to mention the state, but I preached one night and I looked at the pastor and I said, after service, I said, who was that elderly man on the right side of the church? And who was that elderly woman on the left-hand side of the church?
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They sat in the same pew up front, but different sides. He said, why do you ask? I said, because you've got real problems in this church and you've got real problems with those two people. I said, I don't even know who they are. But I sensed and I picked up on some real horrible attitudes and dispositions. I said, I could just tell looking at them. There's something wrong in their lives.
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He said, that's a brother and sister. He said they fell out over a family inheritance and they have not spoken to each other in 10 years. And yet they still come to this church, one sits on one side, one sits on the other side, won't even look at each other. I said, and you have not dealt with it, you have not disciplined them. I said, that's just as wicked and wrong on your part as it is on their part. But here I was a stranger there and I picked up on it in one sermon, one message.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, the Bible says of the early church, they were with one accord. You remember in Romans 15, we're to have one mouth, we're to have one mind that we may glorify our God. That means this. That means we better make sure that, as the Scripture says, we better endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We don't make the unity, but we make dead sure we keep the unity. That means our envies, our jealousies, our hard feelings, all of that must go if we're going to worship God acceptably. Thirdly, let me point this out. It means that you and I are to be jealous to guard our own hearts. Now, it's true. I can't keep Robert's heart. I can't keep Harry's heart. But I'm responsible to keep my heart. And the Bible says in Proverbs 4, verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence. Why?
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For out of it are the issues of life. I'm responsible before God that when I come, that I come with a holy heart. Let me ask you, if I come with known sin in my heart, is that going to be acceptable before God? No. I'm not only hindering my worship, I'm also hindering other people's worship as well. So God tells us that if we're going to worship Him acceptably, we must worship Him in the place where He peculiarly and particularly manifests himself. And when we do that we must give due attention to the fact that we must do everything to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as the Word of God says. Now let me go a little bit further because before I close I want to deal with the preparation for acceptable worship.
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Now it is true Our Lord said in John 15 in verse three, without me, you can do nothing. You know, I've been in churches where people have talked to me about their pastor, and I'm sure people have said probably the same thing about me, but I've had people come to me and tell me, well, pastor, if you don't mind, if you could talk to our pastor, because you know, we're just not really getting anything out of his sermons. And I said, well. I don't mind talking to him, but I said, let me ask you a question. Have you ever considered the fact that it might not be your pastor? Now, let me tell you something, folks. Now, listen carefully. I don't care how much I've studied. I don't care how much I've prepared. I don't care how good the sermon is. I don't care if it's the best sermon in the world. I don't care if it has the best oratory, the best illustration. Do you realize something?
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Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message. Do you know that? You see, you are responsible before God to prepare your heart.
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Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16, The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. It is true that God is sovereign and God must prepare our hearts. But look in your Bibles to Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. Hosea, chapter 10. Daniel, Hosea. Hosea, chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 12 at what God says. Hosea, chapter 10. Notice verse 12. Now, the Bible says in Proverbs 16 in verse 1, the preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. That's true. If our hearts are ever prepared, God must prepare them. But look what he says in Hosea 10 in verse 12.
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Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord till He come and reign righteousness upon you. Now listen carefully. The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us. We must seek Him to prepare our hearts. God says that we're to sow to ourselves in righteousness, that we may reap in mercy. We must break up our fallow ground, for it's time to seek the Lord, till He come and reign righteousness upon us.
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Now, the problem is this. Many times we come to church with our hearts unprepared. I know this. There's not a man in this church building that this spring would go outside and just take his garden seed and throw it on the top of the ground and walk off and leave it. You know why you wouldn't do that? Because you know that if you want to garden, your ground must be prepared. And you break up that fallow ground, you break up that hard ground, you soften it so that ground will be receptive to the seed and the fertilizer and the water.
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That's exactly what God is saying. God is saying you're responsible to prepare your heart to hear the Word.
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Now, you could call your preparation two phased. There'd be what you and I would call indirect preparation and specific preparation. Indirect preparation would refer to what you and I would call constant or continual or daily preparation. Specific would be temporary and intense preparation. Let me give you an illustration. I've mentioned this before. I enjoy watching gymnastics because I'm so inflexible. I delight seeing some people that are flexible. But here's a gymnast. What does a gymnast do to stay in shape?
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Exercises constantly, stretches on a regular basis. But now if there is a gymnastic tournament that is coming up, a month or so before that tournament, what does that gymnast do? Increase that exercise, increase that stretching, increase that training just to go to that tournament. So, you could say the same thing is like in the Christian life. We have this constant, continual preparation that as we keep our hearts, we pray, we study the Scripture, we do things that are required of us on a daily basis, we use the private means of grace, but then when it nears the Lord's Day, then there are other things that you can do specifically and directly.
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Now, the old Puritans used to call this Sabbath preparation. So, on the night or the day before the Lord's Day, they would begin to prepare their lives for worship on the Lord's Day.
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Now, let me just show you a passage. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 15. This is a wonderful psalm. Psalm 15. Look what David writes, Psalm 15. He begins by asking this question, Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? Now watch. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart, he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord, he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not, he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent, he that doeth these things shall never be moved. You could say that Psalm 15 is what you and I would call constant and continual preparation, that is, we ought to constantly and continually be walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking the truth, not backbiting, that kind of thing.
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But how about when you get to a passage like 1 John 1, 9, when he says, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Now, if I were to ask you, How many of you sinned this past week? Raise your hand. Every hand would be raised. Now, if I were to ask you, how many of you confessed and acknowledged and repented of that sin or those sins? Raise your hand. You follow what I'm saying? David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. He said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord's not going to hear my prayer. If God will not hear our prayer, now listen, if God will not hear our prayer, if we just regard iniquity in our heart, if we come to publicly worship God and give Him the honor and the glory that's due His name, and we know that we have specific sins in our lives that are contrary to God in His Word. How dare we flaunt those sins in His face, unconfessed and unrepented of.
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Now let me tell you, there are sins you and I usually do not think anything about, but they're sins nonetheless. I can assure you there are husbands and wives who have their spats. They get mad at each other. They say things to each other they ought not to say. You know what 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 says? Let me just quote it. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them, that is the wives, according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Do you realize if a husband and wife are not right with each other, they're not right with God? How in the world can you give God public worship if you are still fighting each other and mad at each other?
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You see what I'm saying? I'm not saying you have to go out and commit adultery and you have to go out and steal and kill and get drunk to have something to confess. How many of us have bad attitudes? All I'm saying is this. If we're going to bring to God acceptable worship, we must come with a clean heart. And the only way our hearts can be cleansed is by the blood of Jesus Christ.
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We ought to acknowledge our sins and ask for repentance and ask for grace and ask for mercy. And then as part of this preparation, as I mentioned it before, we need to determine that we're going to be our best on the Lord's Day morning. Help me out, see how many of you remember this Old Testament passage. Do you remember when the ark was returned to Jerusalem? The Bible says that David danced before the Lord. Help me out, what does the rest of that verse say? You don't remember? With all his might. David danced before the Lord with all his might. Everything that was in him, he was jumping up and down and praising the Lord that the ark had been brought back. Now, are you listening? How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning and give God worship with all your might if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning watching the late, late, late movie. See, you can't.
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Now, I'm just simply trying to say we need to make preparations so we can be mentally alert as well as spiritually and physically alert. Now, I realize there are times, there are times when that cannot always be. If you've got a sick child and you have to stay up to 2 o'clock in the morning, God understands that. If you're ministering to someone, God understands that. Alice can tell you. There have been innumerable times in my ministry, I planned, I prepared, and all of a sudden, there's been a death, there's been something, and I look at Alice and say, what in the world am I going to do? I've got to go here. I've got to minister to this person. What am I going to do? And then we always say, the Lord will work it out, and He always does. There are things that you and I cannot control. In those instances, we understand, and certainly God is understandable. But when you and I just deliberately lay out with no regard for the proper worship of God, no wonder we're so unblessed.
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And we're so empty. And we're so dead and dry and dull and barren. Because we have not given to God that which he deserves. We ought to give him the absolute best. Do you remember all those animal sacrifices? They had to be perfect without blemish. Why? Because He deserves the best. We need not give Him half-hearted worship. He refuses it. He rejects it. We must worship Him in spirit and truth, but worship Him with the totality of our being.
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Now, look at John 4. I want to point out one thing, and then I'm going to close. Let me ask you, why is it you are even here today listening to this Word and offering worship to the One True and Living God? Well, look in John 4 and verse 23. Our Lord says, But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Why? For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. You know, I still am so absolutely, totally amazed at the Father's grace in my life. You realize the only reason we're here is because God sought us.
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Why did He single us out? Who are we? What are we? But sinners. I remember as a boy riding along one day on a motorcycle. And I can take you to the very spot. And I remember the thought coming into my mind, What if you died right now? Where would you go? Now, why would those thoughts enter into my mind? I mean, it's true I was raised in church, but I never heard any gospel preaching and teaching while I was in church. But that thought came into my mind.
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And you know the answer that I gave to those questions? Here's my answer. Well, I'll make it into heaven somehow. I've made it all my life and everything else, I'll make it in somehow. Which is utter blasphemy. And I've often thought, how stupid, how ignorant, how lost, how ungodly. I mean, I was a religious hypocrite and Pharisee. And yet God in His mercy and grace came to me and saved me.
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And I want to tell you folks, I wasn't looking for Him. He found me. And all of us who have been saved by the grace of God can say with the Apostle Paul, I am what I am only by the grace of God. Isn't it wonderful? We have a seeking Father who seeks His own and brings them to Himself and makes them true worshipers. Let's pray. Father, we are so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray today, Lord, that You would indeed enable us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. We ask, Lord, that You would teach us to prepare our hearts that we may worship Thee acceptably in reverence and godly fear. Teach us, Lord, to deal honestly and openly with our sins. Teach us, Lord, to prepare our bodies, that we may worship Thee with all of our minds, be mentally awake, physically awake, spiritually alert, that we may concentrate on Thy Word and praise Thee for all of Your mighty works and blessings to us. Help us, Lord, to live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:40:32Z

Acceptable Worship - Part 6

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this concluding message on acceptable worship, John Weaver establishes the biblical necessity of public worship alongside private devotion. He demonstrates from Old and New Testament examples that wherever God peculiarly manifested Himself, He was worshipped publicly. The gathered assembly of believers is now the temple of God where He specially manifests His presence. Weaver emphasizes that true worship requires heart preparation, unity among believers, and giving God our best, because the Father seeks such worshipers.

Opening

And today we're going to be bringing the concluding message on acceptable worship. John chapter 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John chapter 4, verse 19. John 4, verse 19.

Scripture Reading — John 4:19-26

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that

Messiah cometh, who is called Christ.

When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Review of the Series on Acceptable Worship

The Place of Acceptable Worship: Public Worship is Necessary

Though we can worship God anywhere, this does not negate the need for public worship. Weaver introduces the principle that God is worshipped publicly where He peculiarly manifests Himself.

Old Testament Examples of Public Worship at Places of Divine Manifestation

Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua built altars and worshipped publicly at locations where God revealed Himself, establishing a pattern of public testimony.

New Testament Examples of Worship at Christ's Manifestation

Peter, Thomas, and John worshipped Jesus when He manifested Himself to them, continuing the pattern of public worship at divine revelation.

The Tabernacle and Temple as Places of God's Peculiar Presence

Old Testament worship centered on the tabernacle and temple because God's Shekinah glory dwelt there, though God cannot be contained in buildings.

The Church as the Temple of God Today

In the New Testament, the gathered assembly of believers is the temple (naos) where God peculiarly manifests Himself, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:20.

David's Longing for Public Worship

Psalm 84 shows David's intense desire to be in the tabernacle for public worship, demonstrating that private devotion cannot replace corporate worship.

Applications: Guarding Unity and Hearts in Worship

Believers must not be indifferent to public worship, must maintain unity and avoid hindering worship through bad attitudes, and must guard their own hearts.

Preparation for Acceptable Worship

Heart preparation is both God's work and our responsibility. We must break up fallow ground through confession and specific preparation, giving God our best physically and spiritually.

The Father Seeks True Worshipers

The reason we worship is because God sought us. Weaver shares his testimony of God's seeking grace, leading to a closing prayer for enablement to worship acceptably.

Acceptable Worship - Part 6

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	123103145432
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-12-28
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	81

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of the Series on Acceptable Worship: Weaver recaps previous points: worship is a duty, God is not indifferent, worship must be according to divine revelation, it is a fruit of Christ's work, the proper object is the triune God, and worship must be in spirit and truth.
The Place of Acceptable Worship: Public Worship is Necessary: Though we can worship God anywhere, this does not negate the need for public worship. Weaver introduces the principle that God is worshipped publicly where He peculiarly manifests Himself.
Old Testament Examples of Public Worship at Places of Divine Manifestation: Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua built altars and worshipped publicly at locations where God revealed Himself, establishing a pattern of public testimony.
New Testament Examples of Worship at Christ's Manifestation: Peter, Thomas, and John worshipped Jesus when He manifested Himself to them, continuing the pattern of public worship at divine revelation.
The Tabernacle and Temple as Places of God's Peculiar Presence: Old Testament worship centered on the tabernacle and temple because God's Shekinah glory dwelt there, though God cannot be contained in buildings.
The Church as the Temple of God Today: In the New Testament, the gathered assembly of believers is the temple (naos) where God peculiarly manifests Himself, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:20.
David's Longing for Public Worship: Psalm 84 shows David's intense desire to be in the tabernacle for public worship, demonstrating that private devotion cannot replace corporate worship.
Applications: Guarding Unity and Hearts in Worship: Believers must not be indifferent to public worship, must maintain unity and avoid hindering worship through bad attitudes, and must guard their own hearts.
Preparation for Acceptable Worship: Heart preparation is both God's work and our responsibility. We must break up fallow ground through confession and specific preparation, giving God our best physically and spiritually.
The Father Seeks True Worshipers: The reason we worship is because God sought us. Weaver shares his testimony of God's seeking grace, leading to a closing prayer for enablement to worship acceptably.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Public worship is biblically mandated, not replaced by private worship.

Weaver argues that the ability to worship anywhere does not eliminate the need for corporate worship, as seen in Old and New Testament patterns.

He asks, 'Does that take the place of public worship? And the answer is no. No true Israelite in the Old Testament could ever be satisfied with just mere private worship.'

The gathered church is the present-day temple where God dwells.

Using 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:20, Weaver contends that God's peculiar presence is now in the assembly of believers, not a building.

He states, 'He is saying that the assembly of the saints are the temple of God... you are, in this instance, the holy of holies.'

Heart preparation is a human responsibility enabled by God.

Weaver balances divine sovereignty and human responsibility, citing Hosea 10:12 to show we must 'break up fallow ground' through confession and intentional preparation.

He says, 'The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us.'

Unconfessed sin and disunity hinder acceptable worship.

Weaver argues that known sin, bad attitudes, and relational strife block God's hearing and corrupt corporate worship.

He cites 1 Peter 3:7 and Psalm 66:18, saying, 'If a husband and wife are not right with each other, they're not right with God... How dare we flaunt those sins in His face.'

Worship demands our best effort and preparation.

Weaver insists that half-hearted worship is rejected; we must be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared to give God our all.

He asks, 'How in the world can you be your best on the Lord's Day morning and give God worship with all your might if you've been up to three o'clock in the morning?'

Scripture References

John 4:19-26: The passage on worship in spirit and truth, read at the beginning of the sermon.
Genesis 12:7-8: Abram built an altar where the Lord appeared to him, establishing public worship at a place of divine manifestation.
Genesis 13:3-4, 14-18: Abram returned to the altar and later built another altar after God's promise, continuing the pattern.
Genesis 21:28-34: Abraham planted a grove and called on the name of the Lord at Beersheba after a public blessing.
Genesis 22:6-18: Abraham built an altar on Mount Moriah and worshipped after God provided a ram, naming the place Jehovah-Jireh.
Genesis 28:16-19: Jacob set up a pillar and worshipped at Bethel where God appeared to him in a dream.
Genesis 35:1: God commanded Jacob to return to Bethel and build an altar, reinforcing the place of public worship.
Joshua 5:13-15: Joshua worshipped the captain of the Lord's host on holy ground, a Christophany.
Luke 5:4-8: Peter fell at Jesus' knees in worship after the miraculous catch of fish.
John 20:26-28: Thomas worshipped Jesus as 'My Lord and my God' when Jesus appeared to him.
Revelation 1: John fell at Jesus' feet as dead when he saw the glorified Christ.
Isaiah 66:1-2: God declares heaven is His throne and earth His footstool, yet He looks to the humble; used to show God cannot be contained in a building.
1 Corinthians 3:9, 16-17: The church is God's building and temple; the assembly is the naos where God dwells.
Matthew 18:15-20: Where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, He is in the midst, showing His presence in the assembly.
1 Peter 2:5: Believers are living stones built into a holy priesthood.
Psalm 84:1-4: David's longing for the courts of the Lord, illustrating the necessity of public worship.
Proverbs 16:1: The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, showing God's sovereignty in heart preparation.
Hosea 10:12: Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord; used to call for heart preparation.
Psalm 15: Describes the character of one who dwells in God's tabernacle, illustrating continual preparation.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive; used to emphasize specific preparation through confession.

Historical References

Henry VIII and the dissolution of monasteries: Weaver mentions a study on the descendants of those who received stolen monastery lands, noting curses and early deaths as a warning against attacking the true church.

Important Quotes

Where in the world does God today peculiarly and particularly manifest himself? And the answer is in the assembly of the saints.

Identifies the gathered church as the present-day temple where God's special presence dwells.

The ability to prepare our hearts belongs to God. The responsibility to prepare our hearts belongs to us.

Balances divine sovereignty and human responsibility in worship preparation.

Unless your heart is prepared, you'll never receive one benefit from the message.

Emphasizes the necessity of heart preparation for profitable worship.

It takes just one individual to really ruin a worship service.

Highlights the corporate impact of individual sin and bad attitudes in worship.

How dare we flaunt those sins in His face, unconfessed and unrepented of.

Convicts believers of the seriousness of approaching God with known sin.

We need not give Him half-hearted worship. He refuses it. He rejects it.

Warns that God despises insincere, half-hearted worship.

The only reason we're here is because God sought us.

Roots worship in God's initiating grace, not human initiative.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the Old Testament pattern of public worship at places of divine manifestation apply to the New Testament church today?

[Context]

Weaver traces the principle from Abraham to the temple, then to the gathered assembly.

[Question]

In what ways might we be tempted to replace public worship with private devotion, and why is that insufficient?

[Context]

Weaver argues that private worship cannot replace corporate worship, using David's longing in Psalm 84.

[Question]

What are some practical steps we can take to 'break up our fallow ground' and prepare our hearts for worship?

[Context]

Weaver discusses indirect and specific preparation, including confession and physical readiness.

[Question]

How can unresolved conflict or bad attitudes among believers hinder corporate worship, and what is our responsibility?

[Context]

Weaver shares an example of a brother and sister who hadn't spoken in 10 years, affecting the church.

[Question]

What does it mean to worship God 'with all our might,' and how can we practically give Him our best?

[Context]

Weaver references David dancing before the Lord with all his might and warns against staying up late before the Lord's Day.

[Question]

How does understanding that the Father seeks worshipers change our perspective on worship?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes God's seeking grace as the foundation for our worship.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:33:04Z