Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts

Acceptable Worship - Part 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2003-11-30

Synopsis: In this sermon, John Weaver continues his series on acceptable worship, focusing on the proper object of worship. He argues that acceptable worship must be directed to the one true and living God as revealed in the totality of Scripture, specifically as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and as the Father of believers. Ignorance or rejection of any aspect of God's revealed character renders worship defective. The sermon emphasizes that worship must be grounded in an ever-increasing knowledge of God, not in subjective feelings or man-centered practices.

[John Weaver] This will be message number two, and I will be reviewing just briefly, and then we'll pick up where we left off. And there will probably be at least six messages in this series. So John chapter four, beginning there with 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 said in 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 said to him, I know the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ.

[John Weaver] When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said in her, I have been speaking to thee, am he?

[John Weaver] Now, may I remind you just momentarily of the message from last week? I gave you basically four points. First of all, I demonstrated from Scripture that it is our duty. It is our obligation to worship God. And of course, the Bible says Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve. So we have a duty and an obligation by virtue of our creation to worship God. We are his creatures. So God has a creation right to be worshiped. He has a providential right in that he's done good and supplied our needs. He has a redemptive right, especially in and of his people. And then he has a kingship right. because he's king of kings and lord of lords. So we are obligated and duty bound to worship him. Secondly, I pointed out that God is not indifferent as to how we worship him. In fact, I took you to Amos chapter 5, Isaiah chapter 1, Malachi chapter 1, Jeremiah chapter 7, where God told his people of old, I hate, I despise your worship.

[John Weaver] I will not have it. And you remember that God was the one who ordained the sacrifices. He ordained the solemn assemblies. And yet here he is telling them, I will not have it. And each time he was telling them that he says, your hands are full of blood. Your lives are unholy. You're ungodly. And God said, if you think I'm satisfied with rituals and ceremonies, then you're mistaken. God said, I will not have it. So God is not indifferent as to how we worship him.

[John Weaver] And the thought must occur to us. Could it be that what we're rendering under God, God hates rather than is receiving. So we need to make sure that our worship is rendered acceptably unto Him. The third thing I've pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. We do not worship according to what we think. We do not worship according to what we feel. We do not worship according to what works. We do not worship according to what feels good. We worship according to the Word of God. Rationalism is rejected. Subjectivism is rejected. Pragmatism is rejected. Sentimentalism is rejected. Our worship must be given based upon the Word of God. And then the fourth thing I pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are the true worshipers who worship God in spirit and in truth, who rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. So anyone who has ever rendered an acceptable worship, it is only by the direct fruit of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now the question that I asked last week is simply this. Do you know that your worship is acceptable unto God? I pointed out that there are certain chapters that emphasize certain themes like 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 13 deals with love. Isaiah 53 deals with the suffering of the Messiah. And when you think about worship, you think about John chapter 4. For in this one brief passage, the word worship or worshipper occurs ten times. Now when our Lord says, you know not what you worship, you worship you know not what. He said, but we know what we worship for salvation is of the Judahites.

[John Weaver] In other words, it was the southern tribe where the temple was, where the tabernacle was, where the law was, where the true preaching and teaching of the Levites was. And here the Samaritans were, and you remember the Samaritans were half-breeds because when the king of Assyria had come in and killed a lot of Israelites, had taken a lot of them captive, he brought then those other heathen in and they intermarried. And the southern kingdom hated and despised the Samaritans so greatly They would not even walk through there, they would walk around it. That is why this Samaritan woman asked our Lord, why is it that you, being a Judite, would even speak to me, which I am a woman of Samaria?

[John Weaver] Then she said, look if you would please in verse 20, she said, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and I will deal with that later, but you say that in Jerusalem is a place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain, that is Gerizim, nor yet in Jerusalem worship the Father. Then he says, you worship, you know not what. Now she said, if you are a prophet, and of course, she was acknowledging that he was, you can settle this issue, where is the correct place to worship?

[John Weaver] Our Lord said, well, you've got it all wrong. It's not going to be at Jerusalem, and it's not going to be at Gerizim. There is an acceptable worship, but it's not in those materialistic places.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would turn in your Bibles, hold John 4, But look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and notice if you would, verses 24 and 25. Because the point that I want to emphasize is this. When an individual is truly regenerated and converted, the very first thing he does is begin to worship. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and notice verse 24. The Bible says this.

[John Weaver] But if all prophesy, that is, if all preach, and there come in one that believeth not, that is, he is unconverted, or one that is unlearned, he is convinced or convicted of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. So the very first thing a converted sinner does is he really begins to worship the One True and the Living God.

[John Weaver] Now, the point that I want to deal with today is this. The proper object of acceptable worship. And of course, we know that the One True and the Living God is indeed the exclusive object of worship. Notice if you would, verse 24. Our Lord says this, God is Spirit. And I'm going to deal with this verse later on in the series. But he says, God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. So here is a reference then to God.

[John Weaver] Now if you look in verse 21, Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. And then look in verse 23 it is, 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. Now, the Bible teaches us that we must worship the one true and the living God. However, the Bible also goes further that we must worship the one true and the living God who is revealed as Father. So the worship of God is not just simply worshiping him in a general theistic sense saying, well, I believe there is a God somewhere. Oh, no. He's telling us that we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. And then we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as Father. And we must worship the one true and the living God who is in and of Himself Spirit.

[John Weaver] His essence is Spirit. So worship then involves not only the affections, but the mind that is actively engaged in giving honor and reverence and homage to the one true and living God. Now, it is true, and I'm going to point it out later in the study, that you cannot worship arightly unless your affections are right. That's why in Colossians 3 he said, set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of the Father. But it is also true that you cannot worship aright unless your thoughts are biblical and scriptural. Please listen to this. Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter 1, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 20. In Romans 1 in verse 20, the Bible says, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about the creation knowledge of God. But notice verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, Neither were thankful, but became vain or fruitless and worthless and useless in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things."

[John Weaver] Note the idolatry began in the mind and then went to the workshop. It never is the opposite. It does not begin in the workshop. It always begins in the mind.

[John Weaver] Now listen, since that is true, it is possible to be in a Christian assembly and be guilty of idolatry. Because if you have wrong thoughts about God, then to that point, you are guilty of some form of idolatry.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles. Let me just lay the introduction. Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 1, verse 2. And then we're going to chapter 3 and verse 18. Look at 2 Peter 1, verse 2. The Bible says, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.

[John Weaver] How? Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How are grace and peace to be multiplied unto us? Through what? Through knowledge.

[John Weaver] Now that's not just knowledge in a general sense. That's not just knowledge of history, or knowledge of science, or knowledge of mathematics. Certainly we could say of history and science and mathematics as they relate to God and as they are taught and clearly revealed in the Scripture. But when he says grace and peace be multiplied in you, it's specifically through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Then if you look at 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, notice he says this, But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point out one little word in verse 18. It's the word and, A-N-D. When he says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The little Greek word for and is the word kai, K-A-I. And kai is translated and many times in our Bibles. But it is also translated another way many times in our Bibles. The one little word, an, can also be translated not just an, but even. So the word chi is translated an or even. So you could read verse 18, but grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, you're not growing in grace unless you're growing in knowledge. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this.

[John Weaver] We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant. If we're going to bring to God an acceptable worship, we must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of Him as He is revealed in Scripture. So we worship God as the one true of the living God, we worship God as He is revealed as Father, and we worship God as the one who is in and of Himself Now, I told you last week, and let me re-emphasize it again, the reason our Lord looked at that Samaritan woman and said, you know not what you worship, is because the Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, that is the first five books of the Bible, as the authoritatively inspired Word of God. They rejected the Psalms. They rejected the historical books. They rejected the minor and the major prophets. And how in the world could they bring to God, then, an acceptable worship?

[John Weaver] Because what they had was basically ignorance. And our Lord says, look, you cannot bring to God an acceptable worship if you're worshiping ignorantly. So unless we understand that we're going to bring to God His worship, and His worship based upon the truth of Scripture, then our worship, to some degree, is certainly going to be unacceptable.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you an illustration. Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. In this passage, Paul is preaching on Mars Hill, and these Greeks, of course, had all their gods out there, and they even had an altar to the unknown God. just in case they missed one. And so Paul begins preaching, and he says in verse 22, watch carefully. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare unto you. Now, there's a reason why Paul said that.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to get into it right now. But he said, Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare unto you. And he says, You've got an offer out there to the unknown God. You don't even know who He is. Watch what he says. God that made the world, He's the Creator. And all things therein, seeing He is the Lord of heaven and earth, He's the only Potentate. Dwelleth not in temples made with hands, he is a spiritual being, neither is worship with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth it all life and breath and all things, and hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell in all the faces of the earth, and hath

[John Weaver] determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Now note what he said, I want to declare unto you the one true and the living God. I want to declare unto you the unity of his being. I want to declare unto you the sovereignty of his reign. I want to declare unto you the glory of his essence. and of His person that is Creator, Director, Sustainer, and Preserver of the universe. In other words, you've got this altar out there to the unknown God, and you don't even know one thing about Him.

[John Weaver] How can you worship Him? How can you give Him anything? Because you're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him. You see, if you were to read Psalm 78, and I encourage you to do that, especially 42-72, You'll notice the word He in reference to God. He chose Israel. He delivered Israel. He sent the rain. He sent the lightnings. He did this. He did that. Everything that is revealed about God in Psalm 78 shows us an aspect of His character.

[John Weaver] There was a man by the name of Bishop Oxnum. O-X-N-A-M. And he's famous for one thing. He said, the God of the Old Testament is a dirty bully. Do you know what this professed preacher was saying? There's a God in the Old Testament, and there's a God in the New Testament, and they're totally different. Well, I got news for you. Mr. Oxman has found out truth since he died, I can assure you. But everything about the Old Testament scriptures teaches us who the one true and the living God really is. Everything in the New Testament scriptures teach us who the one true and the living God really is.

[John Weaver] In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, he alone is worthy to receive all honor All glory, all praise, all homage. The same thing is true in Revelation 7, verses 11 and 12.

[John Weaver] Now you ask yourself this question, who is the proper object of worship? And the answer comes back, listen carefully, it is the one true and living God who has revealed himself in the totality of his revelation. It is the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in the totality of His revelation. Where there is ignorance of this glorious person, there cannot be acceptable worship. The starting place for worship is to convey the knowledge of God. That's why on Mars Hill in Acts 17, Paul began evangelizing those people by telling them who God really is. Listen carefully. Where there is a rejection of any aspect of God's revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Let me say that again, that's very important. Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Now, I admit I confess, I acknowledge that God's character baffles us. God is unique. There's no one like Him. His being mystifies us. And certainly we cannot comprehend nor understand God totally, fully, and completely.

[John Weaver] But there's a vast difference between not being able to understand and comprehend God and rejecting or refusing some revealed truth in the Word of God. And when we refuse or reject that revealed truth, to that extent, our worship is defective. For instance, let me give you an illustration. Many of you could point to preachers today who emphasize all the time, God is love. God is love. Well, is not God love? Well, yes, he is.

[John Weaver] That's what the Bible says. God is love. But you never, ever hear them say anything else about God. Is not God just? Yes. Is God not righteous? Yes. Is God not pure and holy? Yes. But here you have on the one hand people who will emphasize the love of God, and on the other hand, they'll reject or refuse the absolute justice of God. Here are people who deny and hate God's sovereignty. They'll say, well, God is not like that. Or they'll deny God's holiness.

[John Weaver] I told you in times past this illustration and it comes to my mind. I was in a pastor's office and he and I were sitting in there just rejoicing of some truths of the Scripture. And one of the subjects we were discussing was the biblical doctrine of election. His secretary was in the next room. She was not even partied in our conversation, but the door was open. She could hear. And we were talking about the doctrine of election.

[John Weaver] And we had been doing so for 15 or 20 minutes. And all of a sudden, she jumps up and she runs in the room and she blurts out this, I don't care what the Bible says. I know God is not like that. You understand what I'm saying? You may not understand a certain aspect of God's character. You may not be able to comprehend it. But if it's revealed in Scripture, it is truth. And to the degree that you refuse or reject that truth concerning God, to that degree, your worship is defective and unacceptable. The warm truth of the living God must be worshipped in the totality of His revelation. What does that mean? That means if we genuinely worship God, we must constantly and continually bring to God an increasing knowledge of His person and character. We ought to know more about God today than we knew last week. We ought to know more this year than we knew last year. We must come with an accurate knowledge.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you something, folks. One reason I enjoy and prefer to sing the Psalms, first of all, because the Psalms are scriptural. They're right out of the Bible. But secondly, you stop and think about the difference between music today and even music 100 or 400 or 500 years ago. You think of Martin Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, A Bulwark Never Failing. You remember the old hymn, And can it be that I should gain an entrance in my Savior's love? Died He for me? And right on down the line. You look at all of the old hymns, how they exalt God, how they exalt the truth of God or some aspect of His character. Holy, holy, holy. The holiness of God. And you compare that to the modern day music.

[John Weaver] I feel a feeling stealing over me, oh boy. Everything today is about man. It's not about God. And the truth is, most of our modern day music is meant to stir us and move our feet and not our hearts and not our minds. And it teaches us absolutely nothing about God. And I've got news for you folks. If a hymn is not going to teach me something, I don't want to sing it. And if it's going to teach me something wrong, I certainly don't want to sing it. And let me tell you, you can remember music when you'll forget a sermon.

[John Weaver] Alice and I, you can't help but laugh at some of these things. But we saw a little kid about three or four years old. And the little kid was going around singing When you're out of bud, you're out of beer. Well, where did he hear that? On the TV. It was just a catchy little tune. We were at the Mule Days, and here was a woman pushing this little kid in the carriage, and the kid was three or four years old. He was singing, Outback Makehouse, Outback Steakhouse. It was catchy. And the problem with music is, if you listen and learn wrong theology in your music, then you're going to bring to God a defective worship. It will be crippled. We must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in the totality of Scripture. Secondly, we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as Father. Notice verse 21, John chapter 4, Look what the Bible says, John 4 verse 21, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

[John Weaver] And then in verse 23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. So we have to worship not only one true and the living God, as he's revealed in the totality of scripture, but we also must worship this one true and the living God, who's revealed himself as Father. Now, how is God Father? Well, two ways, and I'm going to deal with them one right after the other. First of all, God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and secondly he is the father of believers in reference to his grace and mercy. Now let me deal first of all with the one which I really think needs explaining most and that is that he's the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. Do you realize there are many times in scripture when Jesus Christ referred to God as Father. Now, let me tell you, there is a vast difference between when Christ referred to God as Father and when the disciples referred to Him as Father.

[John Weaver] Because I could look at my dad and I could say to my dad, Father, And you understand that because he's older than I am. He is responsible for my being. And although I came from him, we are two different people. We are not one. Let me show you. Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God. Look in your Bibles. Well, we're in John. Let's begin John chapter 5. John chapter 5.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would please, verse 16. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath days. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now here Christ referred to God as His Father. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him. Why? Because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father.

[John Weaver] Are you looking at it? What? Making himself equal with God. So when he used the term Father, he was claiming equality of being. He is saying we are one. If you look in John 17, at our Lord's high priestly prayer, John 17, beginning there, if you would please, with verse 1. The Bible says, These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.

[John Weaver] Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Now note in verse 1, he called God his father. Now skip down to verse 5. Look what he says, O father, and now father, Glorify Thou me with Thine own self and with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." So what is Christ saying? Christ was saying He was one with God before the world was.

[John Weaver] Now, if that's not clear, go back in your Bible to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, what our Lord says very plainly beginning there with verse 29. John 10 verse 29. Here's a tremendous passage. In fact, let's read verse 27. Our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.

[John Weaver] Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father who gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Now watch. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. But because thou, being a man, makest thyself God." So whenever our Lord said, Father, He was claiming oneness or equality with the one true and the living God.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in Matthew Chapter 11. Matthew 11 and verses 26 and 27. Matthew 11 verses 26 and 27. Once again, our Lord refers to God as his father. Verse 26. He says, even so, father, for so it seemed good in my sight. Now watch the next verse. Our Lord says, all things are delivered unto me of my Father. Now watch carefully. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Only God can know God. Our Lord says, no one knows the Father but Me. And no one knows Me but the Father. And the only way you can have any Understanding who I am is the Father will reveal me. Or the only way you can have any understanding about the Father is that I will reveal Him. So Jesus Christ, when He calls God His Father, is saying that He is one with God. Now listen carefully. There can be no worship if there is ignorance or rejection of Him who is the eternal Son of God.

[John Weaver] Jesus Christ has been eternally the Son of the Father. Therefore, to worship Him, we must worship the One True and the Living God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you that in the New Testament, that is exactly how believers worshipped Him. They worshipped Him as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 15. We'll look at four or five verses, Romans chapter 15, and notice verses 5 and 6. Romans 15, verses 5 and 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, Now the God of patience and consolation grants you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus Christ. that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, which God? The One who is even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 3. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. How is He worshipped? Not just you're the Creator God.

[John Weaver] Not just you're the one true and living God. He is that. But He's more, He is the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1. Ephesians, chapter 1. And notice, if you would, verse 3, and then verse 17. Verse 3. Once again, the Scripture says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. So, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How are they praising God?

[John Weaver] How are they worshiping Him? Not just as the one true and the living God, but the one true and the living God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. Who is the God of glory? Who is the Father of Glory? He is the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So God has revealed himself, not just as the Creator God, not just as the one true and living God, but the God who is the Father of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Then if you look in your Bibles to 2 John, Right over just a few pages to 2 John, and look if you would please at verse 3. 1 John, 2 John, 3 John. Notice 2 John, verse 3. The Bible says, Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love. So God then has revealed Himself Not just as the one true and living God, but He's revealed Himself as the one who's the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now you say, Brother Weaver, I don't understand that. Well, I'm going to try to explain a little bit of it to you in just a moment. But please understand that God, the one true and living God, cannot be reduced to a mathematical formula. There is no one who can explain God. God is unique. In fact, I'll show you verses later on in this study. There is nothing with whom and to whom you can compare God.

[John Weaver] Because there is no other individual, there is no other person like Him. He is unique. And where worship is not rendered to Him as the one true and the living God, and the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, then that worship is defective. There are people today who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, and they deny the deity of Christ. They say that Jesus Christ is not God, and that God is not the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Well, let me show you something. Look in your Bibles at John chapter 5. I've had my share of conversations with those individuals, but let me show you a passage in Scripture that is so clear, it is unmistakable. Let me tell you what has happened in John chapter five. In John chapter five, our Lord goes to the pool of Bethesda, and if you'll skip down to verse three in this pool, the Bible says, or around this pool, There lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water." So here's a great number of sick people, lame people, people who need help. What does our Lord do?

[John Weaver] He walks up to one single man and He heals him. Now you've got to ask yourself, Did not our Lord have power to heal every one of those people? Well, of course He did. Why did He just single out one man? Well, skip down to verse 5. And a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. And when Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had now been a long time in that case, He said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me in the pool. But while I'm coming another step down before me, Jesus said to him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked, and on the same day was the Sabbath.

[John Weaver] Now, of course, the Jews come around to criticize him and condemn him, etc. Now, my question is this. Why did Jesus Christ go in, single out one individual, heal him, when there was a multitude there, all of them needed healing, Jesus Christ certainly had the power to heal every one of them, but He did not heal every one of them. He only healed one. Why? Let me show you why.

[John Weaver] Skip down, if you would please, to verse 21. Look how our Lord explains this to those Jews. See, in verse 17, He's answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. We read it earlier, verse 18, they were trying to kill Him. because he made himself equal with God?

[John Weaver] Now here's why he did it. Watch verse 21. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. Now just stop. Now think about this. What is the one attribute or the one characteristic of God that sets him apart from anyone or anything else? Here's the answer. God is absolutely sovereign. He does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases, and whenever he pleases. The one attribute that singles God out as God is His absolute sovereignty. Now look what our Lord said, for as the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, look, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. Just as my Father is sovereign, so I am sovereign.

[John Weaver] I do what I will, when I will, to whom I will, wherever I will. Why? Now watch. Verse 22, For the Father judgeth no man but that he committeth all judgment to the Son. Why does the Father commit all judgment to the Son? Here's why. Now look. That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent him. Now wait a minute. Let's go back. Verse 23, that all men should honor the Son even as, whenever you see these two words, even as, the Greek construction is so emphatic, it means literally equal to. So you could read verse 23, that all men should honor the Son equally as they honor the Father. Why? Because the Father is God and the Son is God. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him. So what is it then when someone says, well, Jesus Christ was a good man, he was a good example, he may have been a murderer, but he was not God?

[John Weaver] They're not honouring the Father, nor can they honour the Father, because they're dishonouring the Son, and therefore they are not worshipping God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. You follow that? Our Lord said, I heal that one man to demonstrate my absolute sovereignty. I am God. And the Father committed all judgment to him. Why? That all men may honor him equally as they honor the Father. Now listen to me.

[John Weaver] Someone says, well, you've got your religion. I've got mine. No, it's not that. There's only one God. And that is the God who has revealed Himself in the totality of Scripture. If you reject what the Scripture teaches, there is no way that you can worship the One True and the Living God. What you are worshipping is an idol. You are worshipping a figment of your imagination. You are worshipping a God of your rationality. You are not worshipping the God of the Bible. You follow me? And I've used this illustration before, and it's not a perfect illustration, but hopefully it's one that will convey the proper idea.

[John Weaver] Suppose you came up to me and you told me, Brother Weaver, you're my friend, but Alice is not. Now I really like you, Brother Weaver, but I don't like her at all. In fact, Brother Weaver, I love you, but I don't love your wife. And I stop and say, wait a minute. The only John Weaver that exists is the one who has Alice for a wife. And what does Scripture say? The two are what? One flesh. So when you're trying to tell me that you love me, but that you don't love my wife, What you're saying is, in reality, you don't really love me. Because the only John Weaver that exists is one who's married to Alice. So when you come and say, well, I believe in God, but I don't believe God's the father of Jesus Christ, and I don't believe Jesus Christ is God. Oh no. No, no. What you're trying to say is, I'm going to worship God the way I want to. I'm not going to worship Him as He's revealed in Scripture, who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] All the other gods are idols. What did He say in Isaiah 42? He said, I am the Lord, and beside Me there is none other. And My glory will I not give to another. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say, because I certainly do not want to be misunderstood. And I'm going to take the time to clarify it, okay? It is true that Jesus Christ is God. He is God in the flesh, according to 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, John 1, and innumerable other passages in the Bible. But listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Worship, which constantly, and I'm indicating the word constantly, I'm underlining it. Worship which constantly terminates upon the sun in its general mooting climate is usually unacceptable worship. You say, Brother Weaver, how can you say that? Don't you believe that Jesus Christ is God? Yes, I do. But I'm going to show you this. There are times that it is perfectly acceptable to worship Jesus Christ. Give me a minute to explain this.

[John Weaver] And I'm going to give you some illustrations. Jesus Christ is God. But I want to show you what the Scripture teaches about the proper way to worship. OK? What happened in John chapter 20? You remember when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples. Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples said, the Lord has appeared to us, Thomas said, uh-uh, except I see the prince in his hands.

[John Weaver] And unless I take my hand and thrust it through his side, I will not believe. Next time they got together, Jesus Christ appeared. They said, Thomas, he said, take your finger, put it in my hand. Take your hand, put it in my side. See that it is I myself. and not a spirit. Now, did Thomas put his finger in his hand? Did he put his hand in his side? No. What did he do?

[John Weaver] He fell on his face and he said, My Lord and my God. Jesus Christ was worshipped as God. It was totally acceptable. Do you remember in Revelation chapter 1? John heard this voice behind him and he turned and looked And here was one who was girded out of the waist with a golden girdle. His feet was as brass. His hair was white as snow. And what did John do? He fell at his feet as one did. It was our Lord. And he worshipped. In Revelation 5, verse 6 and verse 12, Christ is worshipped.

[John Weaver] Is it wrong to worship the Son? No. Is it wrong to worship the Holy Spirit? No. But here's what Scripture teaches. Scripture teaches, and I'll show you numerous verses, Scripture teaches the proper way to worship is that we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me say this. God is one. He's revealed himself in three persons. There is absolutely no jealousy in the Godhead. But Scripture teaches we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Notice, if you would please, verse 18. And, of course, you have to understand that we're talking about Christ in the context. In fact, if you look up in verse 13, you will see Christ mentioned just so that you will understand. He is in the context. Verse 13, But now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off were made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now skip down to verse 18 because in the context we're still talking about Christ. For through Him, that is through Christ, we both have access by or in one Spirit unto the Father. How do we get to the Father through Christ in the Spirit? Look in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning there in verse 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the rich of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts

[John Weaver] by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able..." Now, go back and look what he said. "...For this cause I bow my knees." To whom? To the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How did He come the Father? He came to the Father through Jesus Christ and verse 16 says,"...in the Spirit." Now, help me out. I know you can quote this. John 14, verse 6, our Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man what cometh to the Father but by Me. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ. Now, look in Hebrews 7. Hebrews 7, verse 25.

[John Weaver] Here it is stated again. Hebrews 7, verse 25. Notice, if you would, Hebrews 7, verse 25. Wherefore He, that is Christ, wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, or through Him, seeing He ever lived to make intercession for them. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I know that you can quote this one. But go back in your Bibles to Luke 11. You remember that story when the disciples came and said, Lord, teach us to pray.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point this out. Verse 1, it came to pass that he was praying in a certain place. When he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Dear Jesus. Is that what he said? No. He said, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. What was our Lord doing? Our Lord is saying the way to worship God, the Father, the way to get to God, the Father, is through me. Do you remember we quoted last week 1 Peter 3 and verse 18? The Bible says that Jesus Christ suffered the just for the unjust. Why? That he might bring us back to God. That he might bring us back to God the Father. Now, do you understand why I said that when there is an over-emphasis upon Christ, to the exclusion of the Father, it's a wrong emphasis. You remember sometimes, I guess it was in the 60's, You have the Jesus movement.

[John Weaver] You remember that? Everything was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Is Jesus Christ God? Yes. But our Lord came to bring us back to the Father. It is proper to pray to our Lord. It is proper to pray to the Holy Spirit. But the overriding principle of Scripture is that we come to the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me explain something to you in theological terms.

[John Weaver] Well, look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 11. Romans 11. And notice, if you would, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36, the scripture says, For off him and through him and to him are all things to him whom be glory forever. Amen. For of him, and through him, and to him. You could say it like this, for of him, that is originally, and through him, that is providentially, and to him, that is ultimately, are all things.

[John Weaver] In theology, when you talk about God, there are two terms. There is what is known as the ontological trinity and the economical trinity. The word ontological comes from the Greek word ontos which just simply means being. All the ontological trinity is is just the logical order of being. So we say father, son, and Holy Spirit. That's just the logical order of being. But when you get to the economical trinity, that is the way that God works. And if you will study in Scripture, you will find this, that everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. Always. That's how creation was made. That's how everything comes. That is God's order of movement. Everything is of the Father through the Son in the Spirit.

[John Weaver] And so our Lord is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. The Holy Spirit is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. But the overriding principle of Scripture is this, that we worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me very quickly cover this last point. God is not only the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. God is also the Father of believers in the marvels of His grace.

[John Weaver] You remember Ephesians 2 and verse 1, And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. Have you ever stopped to think about how merciful, how gracious the Father has been to you and saving you? You look around. There are other family members that are unconverted. Other friends who are unconverted. My wife and I marvel sometimes at how God has preserved us And I told Mrs. Bowen that come January, we'll be married 41 years. And yet there are couples that we graduated with that have been married and divorced and married and divorced four and five and six times. And you stop and think. Where in the world did the knowledge of truth come from, and the grace to persevere, and the grace to do what's right, and the answer is that it all comes from God.

[John Weaver] And had God not saved us, we too may have been ruined, still living ungodly, wicked lives, if God who came to us and made us his sons. Now, look in your Bibles. First of all, to the book of Galatians chapter three, let me show you just a couple of verses. Galatians chapter three. Look at verses 13 and 14. You talk about redemption. Galatians 3 verse 13, Christ have redeemed us from the curse of the law, not from the law, but from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Now watch, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. What was the curse of the law? You remember the law demanded a personal obedience? a perfect obedience, a perpetual obedience, and if you did not give to the law that which it demanded, then the penalty was death.

[John Weaver] Christ died as our substitute to free us from the penalty and the curse of the law. He redeemed us. He kept the law perfectly, and then He gave us His righteousness.

[John Weaver] Now, look in Galatians 4, beginning there in verse 4. Watch what happens. "...been redeemed from the curse of the law..." Look at Galatians 4, verse 4. "...but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." What did God do? God sent the Spirit into our hearts, whereby we who were strangers and enemies, unconverted, were saved by His infinite grace, He made us his sons, sons by election, sons by adoption, sons by regeneration, sons by conversion. And he put his Spirit in our hearts, whereby we acknowledge it and we say, Abba, Father. It is the most natural thing for a child of God to refer to his one true and living God as his Father.

[John Weaver] I really like the word Abba. whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Abba is just the Hebrew word, and it means Papa. It's a term of endearment. It's a term of love and trust. And what do we refer to God as? Our heavenly Papa or our heavenly Father. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. at verses 15 and 16. Romans 8 verse 15 and 16.

[John Weaver] This goes right along with Galatians 4, 4 through 7. Notice Romans 8 beginning there with verse 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, But you receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Papa, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Now watch. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.

[John Weaver] If so be that we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. Notice once again, we have not received the spirit of fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you one of the most remarkable verses in the Bible. It's in 1 John 3 and verse 1. 1 John 3 and verse 1. And the amazing thing is this. This verse ought to always humble us. It ought to always encourage us. John, in contemplating the greatness and the marvels of God's grace to his own, said this, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Now watch. It is true that we must worship the one true and living God as he is revealed in the totality of scripture. We must also worship that one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. But it's equally true that we must worship Him as our Father in the marvels of His grace. So when we come to God, we come to Him saying, Father, it's just a miracle and a marvel that I'm your child.

[John Weaver] I don't deserve it. I don't merit it. I didn't earn it. But Lord, You chose me and You saved me and You made me Your son. And Father, I come to Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom You sent to be my Savior, my Redeemer, my Lord. I come to You as Your Son through the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit and I come to give you worship and honor and homage. The proper object of worship is the one true and living God. But the one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of believers. We must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of His person, His character, His attributes, and we must always be humbled with, behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. What a tremendous tremendous thought that we are the sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That should really motivate us to give to our God the glory that's due unto His name.

[John Weaver] Let's pray. Father, we thank Thee for Your love and Your grace to us. We're thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. We're thankful for the Holy Spirit. We're thankful for the Word of God, Thy truth. We're thankful for the ministry of Thy Word. And we pray, Father, that You would indeed teach us and enable us to give unto Thee the glory that is due unto Thy name Enable us to worship Thee acceptably in spirit and in truth. Enable us, Lord, to worship Thee, not only as the one true and living God in the totality of the revelation of Thyself, but the one God who has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And to us in the marvels of His grace, may we come to Thee through the Son in the Spirit. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.

Acceptable Worship - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	124039228
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	86

Formatted Transcript

Review of Previous Message

Weaver reviews four points from the prior sermon: the duty to worship God, God's non-indifference to how He is worshiped, worship as a matter of divine revelation, and worship as a fruit of Christ's work.

This will be message number two, and I will be reviewing just briefly, and then we'll pick up where we left off. And there will probably be at least six messages in this series. So John chapter four, beginning there with 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 said 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

said to him, I know the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ.

When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. Now, may I remind you just momentarily of the message from last week? I gave you basically four points. First of all, I demonstrated from Scripture that it is our duty. It is our obligation to worship God. And of course, the Bible says, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve. So we have a duty and an obligation by virtue of our creation to worship God. We are his creatures. So God has a creation right to be worshiped. He has a providential right in that he's done good and supplied our needs. He has a redemptive right, especially in and of his people. And then he has a kingship right, because he's king of kings and lord of lords. So we are obligated and duty bound to worship him. Secondly, I pointed out that God is not indifferent as to how we worship him. In fact, I took you to Amos chapter 5, Isaiah chapter 1, Malachi chapter 1, Jeremiah chapter 7, where God told his people of old, I hate, I despise your worship.

I will not have it. And you remember that God was the one who ordained the sacrifices. He ordained the solemn assemblies. And yet here he is telling them, I will not have it. And each time he was telling them that he says, your hands are full of blood. Your lives are unholy. You're ungodly. And God said, if you think I'm satisfied with rituals and ceremonies, then you're mistaken. God said, I will not have it. So God is not indifferent as to how we worship him.

And the thought must occur to us. Could it be that what we're rendering unto God, God hates rather than is receiving? So we need to make sure that our worship is rendered acceptably unto Him. The third thing I've pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. We do not worship according to what we think. We do not worship according to what we feel. We do not worship according to what works. We do not worship according to what feels good. We worship according to the Word of God. Rationalism is rejected. Subjectivism is rejected. Pragmatism is rejected. Sentimentalism is rejected. Our worship must be given based upon the Word of God. And then the fourth thing I pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are the true worshipers who worship God in spirit and in truth, who rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. So anyone who has ever rendered an acceptable worship, it is only by the direct fruit of Jesus Christ.

Now the question that I asked last week is simply this. Do you know that your worship is acceptable unto God? I pointed out that there are certain chapters that emphasize certain themes like 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 13 deals with love. Isaiah 53 deals with the suffering of the Messiah. And when you think about worship, you think about John chapter 4. For in this one brief passage, the word worship or worshipper occurs ten times. Now when our Lord says, you know not what you worship, you worship you know not what. He said, but we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews.

In other words, it was the southern tribe where the temple was, where the tabernacle was, where the law was, where the true preaching and teaching of the Levites was. And here the Samaritans were, and you remember the Samaritans were half-breeds because when the king of Assyria had come in and killed a lot of Israelites, had taken a lot of them captive, he brought then those other heathen in and they intermarried. And the southern kingdom hated and despised the Samaritans so greatly they would not even walk through there, they would walk around it. That is why this Samaritan woman asked our Lord, why is it that you, being a Jew, would even speak to me, which I am a woman of Samaria?

The Proper Object of Acceptable Worship

The sermon transitions to the main topic: the proper object of worship is the one true and living God, not a generic theistic concept.

Now, the point that I want to deal with today is this. The proper object of acceptable worship. And of course, we know that the One True and the Living God is indeed the exclusive object of worship. Notice if you would, verse 24. Our Lord says this, God is Spirit. And I'm going to deal with this verse later on in the series. But he says, God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. So here is a reference then to God.

Now if you look in verse 21, Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. And then look in verse 23 it is, 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. Now, the Bible teaches us that we must worship the one true and the living God. However, the Bible also goes further that we must worship the one true and the living God who is revealed as Father. So the worship of God is not just simply worshiping him in a general theistic sense saying, well, I believe there is a God somewhere. Oh, no. He's telling us that we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. And then we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as Father. And we must worship the one true and the living God who is in and of Himself Spirit.

Worship Must Be Based on Knowledge of God

Idolatry begins in the mind; therefore, acceptable worship requires an accurate, ever-increasing knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture. Ignorance leads to unacceptable worship.

His essence is Spirit. So worship then involves not only the affections, but the mind that is actively engaged in giving honor and reverence and homage to the one true and living God. Now, it is true, and I'm going to point it out later in the study, that you cannot worship arightly unless your affections are right. That's why in Colossians 3 he said, set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of the Father. But it is also true that you cannot worship aright unless your thoughts are biblical and scriptural. Please listen to this. Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter 1, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 20. In Romans 1 in verse 20, the Bible says, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Now, we're talking about the creation knowledge of God. But notice verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain or fruitless and worthless and useless in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Note the idolatry began in the mind and then went to the workshop. It never is the opposite. It does not begin in the workshop. It always begins in the mind.

Now listen, since that is true, it is possible to be in a Christian assembly and be guilty of idolatry. Because if you have wrong thoughts about God, then to that point, you are guilty of some form of idolatry. Now, look in your Bibles. Let me just lay the introduction. Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 1, verse 2. And then we're going to chapter 3 and verse 18. Look at 2 Peter 1, verse 2. The Bible says, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.

How? Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How are grace and peace to be multiplied unto us? Through what? Through knowledge.

Now that's not just knowledge in a general sense. That's not just knowledge of history, or knowledge of science, or knowledge of mathematics. Certainly we could say of history and science and mathematics as they relate to God and as they are taught and clearly revealed in the Scripture. But when he says grace and peace be multiplied in you, it's specifically through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Then if you look at 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, notice he says this, But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen.

Now, let me just point out one little word in verse 18. It's the word and, A-N-D. When he says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The little Greek word for and is the word kai, K-A-I. And kai is translated and many times in our Bibles. But it is also translated another way many times in our Bibles. The one little word, kai, can also be translated not just and, but even. So the word kai is translated and or even. So you could read verse 18, but grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, you're not growing in grace unless you're growing in knowledge. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this.

We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant. If we're going to bring to God an acceptable worship, we must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of Him as He is revealed in Scripture. So we worship God as the one true and the living God, we worship God as He is revealed as Father, and we worship God as the one who is in and of Himself Spirit. Now, I told you last week, and let me re-emphasize it again, the reason our Lord looked at that Samaritan woman and said, you know not what you worship, is because the Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, that is the first five books of the Bible, as the authoritatively inspired Word of God. They rejected the Psalms. They rejected the historical books. They rejected the minor and the major prophets. And how in the world could they bring to God, then, an acceptable worship?

Because what they had was basically ignorance. And our Lord says, look, you cannot bring to God an acceptable worship if you're worshiping ignorantly. So unless we understand that we're going to bring to God His worship, and His worship based upon the truth of Scripture, then our worship, to some degree, is certainly going to be unacceptable. Now, let me give you an illustration. Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. In this passage, Paul is preaching on Mars Hill, and these Greeks, of course, had all their gods out there, and they even had an altar to the unknown God, just in case they missed one. And so Paul begins preaching, and he says in verse 22, watch carefully. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. Now, there's a reason why Paul said that.

Worship the God Revealed in the Totality of Scripture

Rejecting any aspect of God's revealed character makes worship defective. The one true God must be worshiped in the fullness of His revelation, not selectively.

I'm not going to get into it right now. But he said, Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. And he says, You've got an altar out there to the unknown God. You don't even know who He is. Watch what he says. God that made the world, He's the Creator. And all things therein, seeing He is the Lord of heaven and earth, He's the only Potentate. Dwelleth not in temples made with hands, he is a spiritual being, neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things, and hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath

determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Now note what he said, I want to declare unto you the one true and the living God. I want to declare unto you the unity of his being. I want to declare unto you the sovereignty of his reign. I want to declare unto you the glory of his essence, and of His person that is Creator, Director, Sustainer, and Preserver of the universe. In other words, you've got this altar out there to the unknown God, and you don't even know one thing about Him. How can you worship Him? How can you give Him anything? Because you're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him. You see, if you were to read Psalm 78, and I encourage you to do that, especially 42-72, you'll notice the word He in reference to God. He chose Israel. He delivered Israel. He sent the rain. He sent the lightnings. He did this. He did that. Everything that is revealed about God in Psalm 78 shows us an aspect of His character.

There was a man by the name of Bishop Oxnam. O-X-N-A-M. And he's famous for one thing. He said, the God of the Old Testament is a dirty bully. Do you know what this professed preacher was saying? There's a God in the Old Testament, and there's a God in the New Testament, and they're totally different. Well, I got news for you. Mr. Oxnam has found out truth since he died, I can assure you. But everything about the Old Testament scriptures teaches us who the one true and the living God really is. Everything in the New Testament scriptures teach us who the one true and the living God really is.

In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, he alone is worthy to receive all honor, all glory, all praise, all homage. The same thing is true in Revelation 7, verses 11 and 12. Now you ask yourself this question, who is the proper object of worship? And the answer comes back, listen carefully, it is the one true and living God who has revealed himself in the totality of his revelation. It is the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in the totality of His revelation. Where there is ignorance of this glorious person, there cannot be acceptable worship. The starting place for worship is to convey the knowledge of God. That's why on Mars Hill in Acts 17, Paul began evangelizing those people by telling them who God really is. Listen carefully. Where there is a rejection of any aspect of God's revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Let me say that again, that's very important. Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Now, I admit I confess, I acknowledge that God's character baffles us. God is unique. There's no one like Him. His being mystifies us. And certainly we cannot comprehend nor understand God totally, fully, and completely.

But there's a vast difference between not being able to understand and comprehend God and rejecting or refusing some revealed truth in the Word of God. And when we refuse or reject that revealed truth, to that extent, our worship is defective. For instance, let me give you an illustration. Many of you could point to preachers today who emphasize all the time, God is love. God is love. Well, is not God love? Well, yes, he is.

That's what the Bible says. God is love. But you never, ever hear them say anything else about God. Is not God just? Yes. Is God not righteous? Yes. Is God not pure and holy? Yes. But here you have on the one hand people who will emphasize the love of God, and on the other hand, they'll reject or refuse the absolute justice of God. Here are people who deny and hate God's sovereignty. They'll say, well, God is not like that. Or they'll deny God's holiness.

I told you in times past this illustration and it comes to my mind. I was in a pastor's office and he and I were sitting in there just rejoicing of some truths of the Scripture. And one of the subjects we were discussing was the biblical doctrine of election. His secretary was in the next room. She was not even partied in our conversation, but the door was open. She could hear. And we were talking about the doctrine of election.

And we had been doing so for 15 or 20 minutes. And all of a sudden, she jumps up and she runs in the room and she blurts out this, I don't care what the Bible says. I know God is not like that. You understand what I'm saying? You may not understand a certain aspect of God's character. You may not be able to comprehend it. But if it's revealed in Scripture, it is truth. And to the degree that you refuse or reject that truth concerning God, to that degree, your worship is defective and unacceptable. The one true and the living God must be worshipped in the totality of His revelation. What does that mean? That means if we genuinely worship God, we must constantly and continually bring to God an increasing knowledge of His person and character. We ought to know more about God today than we knew last week. We ought to know more this year than we knew last year. We must come with an accurate knowledge.

And let me tell you something, folks. One reason I enjoy and prefer to sing the Psalms, first of all, because the Psalms are scriptural. They're right out of the Bible. But secondly, you stop and think about the difference between music today and even music 100 or 400 or 500 years ago. You think of Martin Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, A Bulwark Never Failing. You remember the old hymn, And can it be that I should gain an entrance in my Savior's love? Died He for me? And right on down the line. You look at all of the old hymns, how they exalt God, how they exalt the truth of God or some aspect of His character. Holy, holy, holy. The holiness of God. And you compare that to the modern day music.

Worship the God Who Is Father of the Lord Jesus Christ

God must be worshiped as the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus' use of 'Father' claimed equality with God, and New Testament worship consistently addresses God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. So we have to worship not only one true and the living God, as he's revealed in the totality of scripture, but we also must worship this one true and the living God, who's revealed himself as Father. Now, how is God Father? Well, two ways, and I'm going to deal with them one right after the other. First of all, God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and secondly he is the father of believers in reference to his grace and mercy. Now let me deal first of all with the one which I really think needs explaining most and that is that he's the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. Do you realize there are many times in scripture when Jesus Christ referred to God as Father. Now, let me tell you, there is a vast difference between when Christ referred to God as Father and when the disciples referred to Him as Father.

Because I could look at my dad and I could say to my dad, Father, and you understand that because he's older than I am. He is responsible for my being. And although I came from him, we are two different people. We are not one. Let me show you. Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God. Look in your Bibles. Well, we're in John. Let's begin John chapter 5. John chapter 5.

Notice, if you would please, verse 16. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath days. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now here Christ referred to God as His Father. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him. Why? Because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father.

Are you looking at it? What? Making himself equal with God. So when he used the term Father, he was claiming equality of being. He is saying we are one. If you look in John 17, at our Lord's high priestly prayer, John 17, beginning there, if you would please, with verse 1. The Bible says, These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.

Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Now note in verse 1, he called God his father. Now skip down to verse 5. Look what he says, O father, and now father, Glorify Thou me with Thine own self and with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. So what is Christ saying? Christ was saying He was one with God before the world was.

Now, if that's not clear, go back in your Bible to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, what our Lord says very plainly beginning there with verse 29. John 10 verse 29. Here's a tremendous passage. In fact, let's read verse 27. Our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.

Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father who gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Now watch. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. But because thou, being a man, makest thyself God. So whenever our Lord said, Father, He was claiming oneness or equality with the one true and the living God.

Now, if you look in Matthew Chapter 11. Matthew 11 and verses 26 and 27. Matthew 11 verses 26 and 27. Once again, our Lord refers to God as his father. Verse 26. He says, even so, father, for so it seemed good in my sight. Now watch the next verse. Our Lord says, all things are delivered unto me of my Father. Now watch carefully. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Only God can know God. Our Lord says, no one knows the Father but Me. And no one knows Me but the Father. And the only way you can have any understanding who I am is the Father will reveal me. Or the only way you can have any understanding about the Father is that I will reveal Him. So Jesus Christ, when He calls God His Father, is saying that He is one with God. Now listen carefully. There can be no worship if there is ignorance or rejection of Him who is the eternal Son of God.

Jesus Christ has been eternally the Son of the Father. Therefore, to worship Him, we must worship the One True and the Living God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want to show you that in the New Testament, that is exactly how believers worshipped Him. They worshipped Him as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 15. We'll look at four or five verses, Romans chapter 15, and notice verses 5 and 6. Romans 15, verses 5 and 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, Now the God of patience and consolation grants you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus Christ, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, which God? The One who is even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 3. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. How is He worshipped? Not just you're the Creator God.

Not just you're the one true and living God. He is that. But He's more, He is the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1. Ephesians, chapter 1. And notice, if you would, verse 3, and then verse 17. Verse 3. Once again, the Scripture says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. So, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How are they praising God?

How are they worshiping Him? Not just as the one true and the living God, but the one true and the living God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. Who is the God of glory? Who is the Father of Glory? He is the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So God has revealed himself, not just as the Creator God, not just as the one true and living God, but the God who is the Father of Jesus Christ.

Then if you look in your Bibles to 2 John, right over just a few pages to 2 John, and look if you would please at verse 3. 1 John, 2 John, 3 John. Notice 2 John, verse 3. The Bible says, Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love. So God then has revealed Himself not just as the one true and living God, but He's revealed Himself as the one who's the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now you say, Brother Weaver, I don't understand that. Well, I'm going to try to explain a little bit of it to you in just a moment. But please understand that God, the one true and living God, cannot be reduced to a mathematical formula. There is no one who can explain God. God is unique. In fact, I'll show you verses later on in this study. There is nothing with whom and to whom you can compare God.

Because there is no other individual, there is no other person like Him. He is unique. And where worship is not rendered to Him as the one true and the living God, and the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, then that worship is defective. There are people today who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, and they deny the deity of Christ. They say that Jesus Christ is not God, and that God is not the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let me show you something. Look in your Bibles at John chapter 5. I've had my share of conversations with those individuals, but let me show you a passage in Scripture that is so clear, it is unmistakable. Let me tell you what has happened in John chapter five. In John chapter five, our Lord goes to the pool of Bethesda, and if you'll skip down to verse three in this pool, the Bible says, or around this pool, there lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. So here's a great number of sick people, lame people, people who need help. What does our Lord do?

He walks up to one single man and He heals him. Now you've got to ask yourself, Did not our Lord have power to heal every one of those people? Well, of course He did. Why did He just single out one man? Well, skip down to verse 5. And a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. And when Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had now been a long time in that case, He said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me in the pool. But while I'm coming another steppeth down before me, Jesus said to him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked, and on the same day was the Sabbath.

Now, of course, the Jews come around to criticize him and condemn him, etc. Now, my question is this. Why did Jesus Christ go in, single out one individual, heal him, when there was a multitude there, all of them needed healing, Jesus Christ certainly had the power to heal every one of them, but He did not heal every one of them. He only healed one. Why? Let me show you why. Skip down, if you would please, to verse 21. Look how our Lord explains this to those Jews. See, in verse 17, He's answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. We read it earlier, verse 18, they were trying to kill Him, because he made himself equal with God.

Now here's why he did it. Watch verse 21. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. Now just stop. Now think about this. What is the one attribute or the one characteristic of God that sets him apart from anyone or anything else? Here's the answer. God is absolutely sovereign. He does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases, and whenever he pleases. The one attribute that singles God out as God is His absolute sovereignty. Now look what our Lord said, for as the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, look, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. Just as my Father is sovereign, so I am sovereign.

I do what I will, when I will, to whom I will, wherever I will. Why? Now watch. Verse 22, For the Father judgeth no man but that he committeth all judgment to the Son. Why does the Father commit all judgment to the Son? Here's why. Now look. That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent him. Now wait a minute. Let's go back. Verse 23, that all men should honor the Son even as, whenever you see these two words, even as, the Greek construction is so emphatic, it means literally equal to. So you could read verse 23, that all men should honor the Son equally as they honor the Father. Why? Because the Father is God and the Son is God. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him. So what is it then when someone says, well, Jesus Christ was a good man, he was a good example, he may have been a martyr, but he was not God?

They're not honouring the Father, nor can they honour the Father, because they're dishonouring the Son, and therefore they are not worshipping God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. You follow that? Our Lord said, I heal that one man to demonstrate my absolute sovereignty. I am God. And the Father committed all judgment to him. Why? That all men may honor him equally as they honor the Father. Now listen to me.

Someone says, well, you've got your religion. I've got mine. No, it's not that. There's only one God. And that is the God who has revealed Himself in the totality of Scripture. If you reject what the Scripture teaches, there is no way that you can worship the One True and the Living God. What you are worshipping is an idol. You are worshipping a figment of your imagination. You are worshipping a God of your rationality. You are not worshipping the God of the Bible. You follow me? And I've used this illustration before, and it's not a perfect illustration, but hopefully it's one that will convey the proper idea.

Suppose you came up to me and you told me, Brother Weaver, you're my friend, but Alice is not. Now I really like you, Brother Weaver, but I don't like her at all. In fact, Brother Weaver, I love you, but I don't love your wife. And I stop and say, wait a minute. The only John Weaver that exists is the one who has Alice for a wife. And what does Scripture say? The two are what? One flesh. So when you're trying to tell me that you love me, but that you don't love my wife, what you're saying is, in reality, you don't really love me. Because the only John Weaver that exists is one who's married to Alice. So when you come and say, well, I believe in God, but I don't believe God's the father of Jesus Christ, and I don't believe Jesus Christ is God. Oh no. No, no. What you're trying to say is, I'm going to worship God the way I want to. I'm not going to worship Him as He's revealed in Scripture, who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Proper Pattern: Worship the Father Through the Son in the Spirit

While Christ and the Spirit are proper objects of worship, the biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit, as seen in Ephesians 2:18 and other passages.

All the other gods are idols. What did He say in Isaiah 42? He said, I am the Lord, and beside Me there is none other. And My glory will I not give to another. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say, because I certainly do not want to be misunderstood. And I'm going to take the time to clarify it, okay? It is true that Jesus Christ is God. He is God in the flesh, according to 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, John 1, and innumerable other passages in the Bible. But listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Worship, which constantly, and I'm indicating the word constantly, I'm underlining it. Worship which constantly terminates upon the Son in its general mood and climate is usually unacceptable worship. You say, Brother Weaver, how can you say that? Don't you believe that Jesus Christ is God? Yes, I do. But I'm going to show you this. There are times that it is perfectly acceptable to worship Jesus Christ. Give me a minute to explain this.

And I'm going to give you some illustrations. Jesus Christ is God. But I want to show you what the Scripture teaches about the proper way to worship. OK? What happened in John chapter 20? You remember when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples. Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples said, the Lord has appeared to us, Thomas said, uh-uh, except I see the print in his hands.

And unless I take my hand and thrust it through his side, I will not believe. Next time they got together, Jesus Christ appeared. He said, Thomas, he said, take your finger, put it in my hand. Take your hand, put it in my side. See that it is I myself, and not a spirit. Now, did Thomas put his finger in his hand? Did he put his hand in his side? No. What did he do?

He fell on his face and he said, My Lord and my God. Jesus Christ was worshipped as God. It was totally acceptable. Do you remember in Revelation chapter 1? John heard this voice behind him and he turned and looked and here was one who was girded about the waist with a golden girdle. His feet were as brass. His hair was white as snow. And what did John do? He fell at his feet as one dead. It was our Lord. And he worshipped. In Revelation 5, verse 6 and verse 12, Christ is worshipped.

Is it wrong to worship the Son? No. Is it wrong to worship the Holy Spirit? No. But here's what Scripture teaches. Scripture teaches, and I'll show you numerous verses, Scripture teaches the proper way to worship is that we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me say this. God is one. He's revealed himself in three persons. There is absolutely no jealousy in the Godhead. But Scripture teaches we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit.

Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Notice, if you would please, verse 18. And, of course, you have to understand that we're talking about Christ in the context. In fact, if you look up in verse 13, you will see Christ mentioned just so that you will understand. He is in the context. Verse 13, But now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off were made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now skip down to verse 18 because in the context we're still talking about Christ. For through Him, that is through Christ, we both have access by or in one Spirit unto the Father. How do we get to the Father through Christ in the Spirit? Look in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning there in verse 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts

by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able... Now, go back and look what he said. For this cause I bow my knees. To whom? To the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How did He come to the Father? He came to the Father through Jesus Christ and verse 16 says, in the Spirit. Now, help me out. I know you can quote this. John 14, verse 6, our Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by Me. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ. Now, look in Hebrews 7. Hebrews 7, verse 25.

Here it is stated again. Hebrews 7, verse 25. Notice, if you would, Hebrews 7, verse 25. Wherefore He, that is Christ, wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, or through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ.

Now, I know that you can quote this one. But go back in your Bibles to Luke 11. You remember that story when the disciples came and said, Lord, teach us to pray. Now, let me just point this out. Verse 1, it came to pass that he was praying in a certain place. When he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Dear Jesus. Is that what he said? No. He said, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. What was our Lord doing? Our Lord is saying the way to worship God, the Father, the way to get to God, the Father, is through me. Do you remember we quoted last week 1 Peter 3 and verse 18? The Bible says that Jesus Christ suffered the just for the unjust. Why? That he might bring us back to God. That he might bring us back to God the Father. Now, do you understand why I said that when there is an over-emphasis upon Christ, to the exclusion of the Father, it's a wrong emphasis. You remember sometimes, I guess it was in the 60's, you have the Jesus movement.

You remember that? Everything was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Is Jesus Christ God? Yes. But our Lord came to bring us back to the Father. It is proper to pray to our Lord. It is proper to pray to the Holy Spirit. But the overriding principle of Scripture is that we come to the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me explain something to you in theological terms.

Well, look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 11. Romans 11. And notice, if you would, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36, the scripture says, For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. For of him, and through him, and to him. You could say it like this, for of him, that is originally, and through him, that is providentially, and to him, that is ultimately, are all things.

In theology, when you talk about God, there are two terms. There is what is known as the ontological trinity and the economical trinity. The word ontological comes from the Greek word ontos which just simply means being. All the ontological trinity is is just the logical order of being. So we say father, son, and Holy Spirit. That's just the logical order of being. But when you get to the economical trinity, that is the way that God works. And if you will study in Scripture, you will find this, that everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. Always. That's how creation was made. That's how everything comes. That is God's order of movement. Everything is of the Father through the Son in the Spirit.

And so our Lord is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. The Holy Spirit is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. But the overriding principle of Scripture is this, that we worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me very quickly cover this last point. God is not only the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. God is also the Father of believers in the marvels of His grace.

Worship the God Who Is Father of Believers

God is also the Father of believers by grace, adopting them as sons through Christ. This relationship should humble and motivate worship.

You remember Ephesians 2 and verse 1, And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. Have you ever stopped to think about how merciful, how gracious the Father has been to you in saving you? You look around. There are other family members that are unconverted. Other friends who are unconverted. My wife and I marvel sometimes at how God has preserved us. And I told Mrs. Bowen that come January, we'll be married 41 years. And yet there are couples that we graduated with that have been married and divorced and married and divorced four and five and six times. And you stop and think. Where in the world did the knowledge of truth come from, and the grace to persevere, and the grace to do what's right, and the answer is that it all comes from God.

And had God not saved us, we too may have been ruined, still living ungodly, wicked lives, if God who came to us and made us his sons. Now, look in your Bibles. First of all, to the book of Galatians chapter three, let me show you just a couple of verses. Galatians chapter three. Look at verses 13 and 14. You talk about redemption. Galatians 3 verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, not from the law, but from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Now watch, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. What was the curse of the law? You remember the law demanded a personal obedience, a perfect obedience, a perpetual obedience, and if you did not give to the law that which it demanded, then the penalty was death.

Christ died as our substitute to free us from the penalty and the curse of the law. He redeemed us. He kept the law perfectly, and then He gave us His righteousness. Now, look in Galatians 4, beginning there in verse 4. Watch what happens. "...been redeemed from the curse of the law..." Look at Galatians 4, verse 4. "...but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." What did God do? God sent the Spirit into our hearts, whereby we who were strangers and enemies, unconverted, were saved by His infinite grace, He made us his sons, sons by election, sons by adoption, sons by regeneration, sons by conversion. And he put his Spirit in our hearts, whereby we acknowledge it and we say, Abba, Father. It is the most natural thing for a child of God to refer to his one true and living God as his Father.

I really like the word Abba, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Abba is just the Hebrew word, and it means Papa. It's a term of endearment. It's a term of love and trust. And what do we refer to God as? Our heavenly Papa or our heavenly Father. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, at verses 15 and 16. Romans 8 verse 15 and 16.

This goes right along with Galatians 4, 4 through 7. Notice Romans 8 beginning there with verse 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Papa, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Now watch. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. Notice once again, we have not received the spirit of fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Now, let me show you one of the most remarkable verses in the Bible. It's in 1 John 3 and verse 1. 1 John 3 and verse 1. And the amazing thing is this. This verse ought to always humble us. It ought to always encourage us. John, in contemplating the greatness and the marvels of God's grace to his own, said this, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Now watch. It is true that we must worship the one true and living God as he is revealed in the totality of scripture. We must also worship that one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. But it's equally true that we must worship Him as our Father in the marvels of His grace. So when we come to God, we come to Him saying, Father, it's just a miracle and a marvel that I'm your child.

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver concludes by summarizing the proper object of worship and leads in prayer, asking God to enable acceptable worship.

I don't deserve it. I don't merit it. I didn't earn it. But Lord, You chose me and You saved me and You made me Your son. And Father, I come to Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom You sent to be my Savior, my Redeemer, my Lord. I come to You as Your Son through the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit and I come to give you worship and honor and homage. The proper object of worship is the one true and living God. But the one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of believers. We must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of His person, His character, His attributes, and we must always be humbled with, behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. What a tremendous, tremendous thought that we are the sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That should really motivate us to give to our God the glory that's due unto His name.

Let's pray. Father, we thank Thee for Your love and Your grace to us. We're thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. We're thankful for the Holy Spirit. We're thankful for the Word of God, Thy truth. We're thankful for the ministry of Thy Word. And we pray, Father, that You would indeed teach us and enable us to give unto Thee the glory that is due unto Thy name. Enable us to worship Thee acceptably in spirit and in truth. Enable us, Lord, to worship Thee, not only as the one true and living God in the totality of the revelation of Thyself, but the one God who has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And to us in the marvels of His grace, may we come to Thee through the Son in the Spirit. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Object of Worship

Summary: Acceptable worship must be directed exclusively to the one true and living God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The proper object of acceptable worship... is the one true and the living God.'

Knowledge of God Essential for Worship

Summary: Worship is defective if it is not based on an accurate, growing knowledge of God's character and revelation.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant... we must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of Him as He is revealed in Scripture.'

Rejection of God's Revelation Defiles Worship

Summary: Rejecting any aspect of God's revealed character makes worship unacceptable to that degree.

Evidence: Weaver asserts, 'Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection.'

God as Father of Christ

Summary: God must be worshiped as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, a relationship that affirms Christ's deity.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God.'

Worship Through the Son in the Spirit

Summary: The biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the mediation of the Son and in the power of the Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver cites Ephesians 2:18: 'For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.'

God as Father of Believers

Summary: Believers worship God as their Father by adoption, a relationship of grace that should produce humility and love.

Evidence: Weaver references Galatians 4:4-7 and Romans 8:15-16, emphasizing the cry 'Abba, Father.'

Key Arguments

Idolatry Begins in the Mind

Summary: Wrong thoughts about God constitute idolatry, so worship must be based on correct biblical knowledge.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind... it is possible to be in a Christian assembly and be guilty of idolatry.'

Ignorance Makes Worship Unacceptable

Summary: The Samaritans' limited canon led to ignorant worship, which Jesus condemned.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'The Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch... they rejected the Psalms... How in the world could they bring to God an acceptable worship?'

Selective Emphasis on God's Attributes Is Defective

Summary: Emphasizing only God's love while rejecting His justice or sovereignty results in defective worship.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with preachers who say 'God is love' but never mention His justice or holiness.

Jesus' Use of 'Father' Claims Deity

Summary: When Jesus called God His Father, the Jews understood it as a claim to equality with God.

Evidence: Weaver points to John 5:18: 'Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him... because he... said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.'

Honoring the Son Is Necessary to Honor the Father

Summary: One cannot honor the Father while dishonoring the Son; rejecting Christ's deity is rejecting the God of the Bible.

Evidence: Weaver cites John 5:23: 'He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.'

Worship Must Follow the Trinitarian Pattern

Summary: The consistent biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit, not to overemphasize one person to the exclusion of the others.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit... That is God's order of movement.'

Scripture References

John 4:19-26

Context: The passage about the Samaritan woman and worship in spirit and truth, read at the beginning.

1 Corinthians 14:24-25

Context: Shows that a converted sinner's first act is to worship God.

John 4:24

Context: God is Spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.

Romans 1:20-23

Context: Idolatry begins in the mind when people fail to glorify God as God.

2 Peter 1:2

Context: Grace and peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus.

2 Peter 3:18

Context: Believers are to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ; the 'and' can mean 'even'.

Acts 17:22-26

Context: Paul declares the unknown God to the Athenians, emphasizing knowledge of God.

John 5:16-18

Context: Jesus calls God His Father, and the Jews seek to kill Him for making Himself equal with God.

John 17:1,5

Context: Jesus prays to the Father, claiming shared glory before the world existed.

John 10:27-33

Context: Jesus says 'I and my Father are one,' and the Jews accuse Him of blasphemy.

Matthew 11:26-27

Context: Only the Son knows the Father, and only the Father knows the Son.

Romans 15:5-6

Context: Believers glorify God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3

Context: Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3,17

Context: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Father of glory.

1 Peter 1:3

Context: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 John 1:3

Context: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.

John 5:21-23

Context: The Son quickens whom He will, and all should honor the Son equally as the Father.

Ephesians 2:18

Context: Through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Ephesians 3:14-16

Context: Paul bows his knees to the Father, through Christ, strengthened by the Spirit.

Hebrews 7:25

Context: Christ saves to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.

Historical References

Samaritans' limited canon

Context: The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch, rejecting the Psalms and prophets, leading to ignorant worship.

Bishop Oxnam

Context: A professed preacher who called the God of the Old Testament a 'dirty bully,' illustrating rejection of God's full revelation.

Martin Luther's hymn 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God'

Context: Cited as an example of older hymns that exalt God and teach theology, contrasting with modern man-centered music.

Jesus Movement of the 1960s

Context: Mentioned as an example of overemphasis on Jesus to the exclusion of the Father.

Important Quotes

Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind.

Significance: Establishes that correct knowledge of God is foundational to acceptable worship; wrong thoughts lead to idolatry.

We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant.

Significance: Emphasizes that worship must be based on revealed truth, not ignorance.

Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection.

Significance: Key principle that selective acceptance of God's attributes renders worship unacceptable.

Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God.

Significance: Argues that Jesus' use of 'Father' was a claim to deity, essential for proper worship.

He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him.

Significance: Shows that rejecting Christ's deity is rejecting the God of the Bible.

Everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.

Significance: Summarizes the Trinitarian pattern of worship and God's operations.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Significance: Highlights the grace of adoption, motivating humble worship.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver argue that idolatry begins in the mind, and how does this affect our worship?

Context: Based on Romans 1:20-23, Weaver explains that wrong thoughts about God lead to idolatry.

How does the Samaritan woman's limited knowledge of Scripture illustrate the danger of ignorant worship?

Context: Weaver notes the Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, leading to Jesus' rebuke.

In what ways might modern worship music reflect a defective view of God?

Context: Weaver contrasts old hymns that teach theology with modern music that is man-centered and emotionally driven.

Why is it essential to worship God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Context: Weaver argues that Jesus' use of 'Father' claims deity, and New Testament worship consistently addresses God this way.

What does Weaver mean by worshiping the Father 'through the Son in the Spirit,' and why is this pattern important?

Context: He cites Ephesians 2:18 and other passages to show the biblical order of worship.

How does the doctrine of adoption influence our worship?

Context: Weaver explains that being made sons of God by grace should humble us and motivate worship.

Applications

Pursue Knowledge of God

Summary: Believers must continually grow in their knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture to offer acceptable worship.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of His person, His character, His attributes.'

Examine Worship Content

Summary: Evaluate the songs and prayers used in worship to ensure they teach accurate theology about God.

Evidence: Weaver criticizes modern music that teaches nothing about God and prefers Psalms and doctrinally rich hymns.

Worship the Triune God in Biblical Order

Summary: Pattern worship to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, avoiding overemphasis on one person to the exclusion of others.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The overriding principle of Scripture is that we come to the Father through the Son in the Spirit.'

Embrace All of God's Attributes

Summary: Do not reject or ignore difficult aspects of God's character (e.g., sovereignty, justice) but worship Him in the fullness of His revelation.

Evidence: Weaver warns that rejecting any revealed truth makes worship defective.

Cultivate a Spirit of Adoption

Summary: Approach God with the intimacy and humility of a child, recognizing the marvel of being made a son or daughter through grace.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes the cry 'Abba, Father' and the love that makes us sons of God.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:14:52Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:13:13Z

Clean Transcript

Acceptable Worship - Part 2

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

This will be message number two, and I will be reviewing just briefly, and then we'll pick up where we left off. And there will probably be at least six messages in this series. So John chapter four, beginning there with 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 said 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 said to him, I know the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ.
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When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
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Now, may I remind you just momentarily of the message from last week? I gave you basically four points. First of all, I demonstrated from Scripture that it is our duty. It is our obligation to worship God. And of course, the Bible says, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve. So we have a duty and an obligation by virtue of our creation to worship God. We are his creatures. So God has a creation right to be worshiped. He has a providential right in that he's done good and supplied our needs. He has a redemptive right, especially in and of his people. And then he has a kingship right, because he's king of kings and lord of lords. So we are obligated and duty bound to worship him. Secondly, I pointed out that God is not indifferent as to how we worship him. In fact, I took you to Amos chapter 5, Isaiah chapter 1, Malachi chapter 1, Jeremiah chapter 7, where God told his people of old, I hate, I despise your worship.
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I will not have it. And you remember that God was the one who ordained the sacrifices. He ordained the solemn assemblies. And yet here he is telling them, I will not have it. And each time he was telling them that he says, your hands are full of blood. Your lives are unholy. You're ungodly. And God said, if you think I'm satisfied with rituals and ceremonies, then you're mistaken. God said, I will not have it. So God is not indifferent as to how we worship him.
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And the thought must occur to us. Could it be that what we're rendering unto God, God hates rather than is receiving? So we need to make sure that our worship is rendered acceptably unto Him. The third thing I've pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. We do not worship according to what we think. We do not worship according to what we feel. We do not worship according to what works. We do not worship according to what feels good. We worship according to the Word of God. Rationalism is rejected. Subjectivism is rejected. Pragmatism is rejected. Sentimentalism is rejected. Our worship must be given based upon the Word of God. And then the fourth thing I pointed out is this, that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are the true worshipers who worship God in spirit and in truth, who rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. So anyone who has ever rendered an acceptable worship, it is only by the direct fruit of Jesus Christ.
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Now the question that I asked last week is simply this. Do you know that your worship is acceptable unto God? I pointed out that there are certain chapters that emphasize certain themes like 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 13 deals with love. Isaiah 53 deals with the suffering of the Messiah. And when you think about worship, you think about John chapter 4. For in this one brief passage, the word worship or worshipper occurs ten times. Now when our Lord says, you know not what you worship, you worship you know not what. He said, but we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews.
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In other words, it was the southern tribe where the temple was, where the tabernacle was, where the law was, where the true preaching and teaching of the Levites was. And here the Samaritans were, and you remember the Samaritans were half-breeds because when the king of Assyria had come in and killed a lot of Israelites, had taken a lot of them captive, he brought then those other heathen in and they intermarried. And the southern kingdom hated and despised the Samaritans so greatly they would not even walk through there, they would walk around it. That is why this Samaritan woman asked our Lord, why is it that you, being a Jew, would even speak to me, which I am a woman of Samaria?
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Then she said, look if you would please in verse 20, she said, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and I will deal with that later, but you say that in Jerusalem is a place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain, that is Gerizim, nor yet in Jerusalem worship the Father. Then he says, you worship, you know not what. Now she said, if you are a prophet, and of course, she was acknowledging that he was, you can settle this issue, where is the correct place to worship?
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Our Lord said, well, you've got it all wrong. It's not going to be at Jerusalem, and it's not going to be at Gerizim. There is an acceptable worship, but it's not in those materialistic places.
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Now, if you would turn in your Bibles, hold John 4, but look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and notice if you would, verses 24 and 25. Because the point that I want to emphasize is this. When an individual is truly regenerated and converted, the very first thing he does is begin to worship. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and notice verse 24. The Bible says this.
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But if all prophesy, that is, if all preach, and there come in one that believeth not, that is, he is unconverted, or one that is unlearned, he is convinced or convicted of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. So the very first thing a converted sinner does is he really begins to worship the One True and the Living God.
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Now, the point that I want to deal with today is this. The proper object of acceptable worship. And of course, we know that the One True and the Living God is indeed the exclusive object of worship. Notice if you would, verse 24. Our Lord says this, God is Spirit. And I'm going to deal with this verse later on in the series. But he says, God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. So here is a reference then to God.
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Now if you look in verse 21, Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. And then look in verse 23 it is, 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. Now, the Bible teaches us that we must worship the one true and the living God. However, the Bible also goes further that we must worship the one true and the living God who is revealed as Father. So the worship of God is not just simply worshiping him in a general theistic sense saying, well, I believe there is a God somewhere. Oh, no. He's telling us that we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. And then we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as Father. And we must worship the one true and the living God who is in and of Himself Spirit.
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His essence is Spirit. So worship then involves not only the affections, but the mind that is actively engaged in giving honor and reverence and homage to the one true and living God. Now, it is true, and I'm going to point it out later in the study, that you cannot worship arightly unless your affections are right. That's why in Colossians 3 he said, set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of the Father. But it is also true that you cannot worship aright unless your thoughts are biblical and scriptural. Please listen to this. Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter 1, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 20. In Romans 1 in verse 20, the Bible says, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
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Now, we're talking about the creation knowledge of God. But notice verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain or fruitless and worthless and useless in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.
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Note the idolatry began in the mind and then went to the workshop. It never is the opposite. It does not begin in the workshop. It always begins in the mind.
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Now listen, since that is true, it is possible to be in a Christian assembly and be guilty of idolatry. Because if you have wrong thoughts about God, then to that point, you are guilty of some form of idolatry.
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Now, look in your Bibles. Let me just lay the introduction. Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 1, verse 2. And then we're going to chapter 3 and verse 18. Look at 2 Peter 1, verse 2. The Bible says, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.
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How? Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How are grace and peace to be multiplied unto us? Through what? Through knowledge.
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Now that's not just knowledge in a general sense. That's not just knowledge of history, or knowledge of science, or knowledge of mathematics. Certainly we could say of history and science and mathematics as they relate to God and as they are taught and clearly revealed in the Scripture. But when he says grace and peace be multiplied in you, it's specifically through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Then if you look at 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, notice he says this, But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen.
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Now, let me just point out one little word in verse 18. It's the word and, A-N-D. When he says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The little Greek word for and is the word kai, K-A-I. And kai is translated and many times in our Bibles. But it is also translated another way many times in our Bibles. The one little word, kai, can also be translated not just and, but even. So the word kai is translated and or even. So you could read verse 18, but grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, you're not growing in grace unless you're growing in knowledge. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this.
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We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant. If we're going to bring to God an acceptable worship, we must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of Him as He is revealed in Scripture. So we worship God as the one true and the living God, we worship God as He is revealed as Father, and we worship God as the one who is in and of Himself Spirit. Now, I told you last week, and let me re-emphasize it again, the reason our Lord looked at that Samaritan woman and said, you know not what you worship, is because the Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, that is the first five books of the Bible, as the authoritatively inspired Word of God. They rejected the Psalms. They rejected the historical books. They rejected the minor and the major prophets. And how in the world could they bring to God, then, an acceptable worship?
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Because what they had was basically ignorance. And our Lord says, look, you cannot bring to God an acceptable worship if you're worshiping ignorantly. So unless we understand that we're going to bring to God His worship, and His worship based upon the truth of Scripture, then our worship, to some degree, is certainly going to be unacceptable.
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Now, let me give you an illustration. Look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. In this passage, Paul is preaching on Mars Hill, and these Greeks, of course, had all their gods out there, and they even had an altar to the unknown God, just in case they missed one. And so Paul begins preaching, and he says in verse 22, watch carefully. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. Now, there's a reason why Paul said that.
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I'm not going to get into it right now. But he said, Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. And he says, You've got an altar out there to the unknown God. You don't even know who He is. Watch what he says. God that made the world, He's the Creator. And all things therein, seeing He is the Lord of heaven and earth, He's the only Potentate. Dwelleth not in temples made with hands, he is a spiritual being, neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things, and hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
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determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Now note what he said, I want to declare unto you the one true and the living God. I want to declare unto you the unity of his being. I want to declare unto you the sovereignty of his reign. I want to declare unto you the glory of his essence, and of His person that is Creator, Director, Sustainer, and Preserver of the universe. In other words, you've got this altar out there to the unknown God, and you don't even know one thing about Him.
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How can you worship Him? How can you give Him anything? Because you're absolutely, totally ignorant of Him. You see, if you were to read Psalm 78, and I encourage you to do that, especially 42-72, you'll notice the word He in reference to God. He chose Israel. He delivered Israel. He sent the rain. He sent the lightnings. He did this. He did that. Everything that is revealed about God in Psalm 78 shows us an aspect of His character.
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There was a man by the name of Bishop Oxnam. O-X-N-A-M. And he's famous for one thing. He said, the God of the Old Testament is a dirty bully. Do you know what this professed preacher was saying? There's a God in the Old Testament, and there's a God in the New Testament, and they're totally different. Well, I got news for you. Mr. Oxnam has found out truth since he died, I can assure you. But everything about the Old Testament scriptures teaches us who the one true and the living God really is. Everything in the New Testament scriptures teach us who the one true and the living God really is.
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In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, he alone is worthy to receive all honor, all glory, all praise, all homage. The same thing is true in Revelation 7, verses 11 and 12.
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Now you ask yourself this question, who is the proper object of worship? And the answer comes back, listen carefully, it is the one true and living God who has revealed himself in the totality of his revelation. It is the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in the totality of His revelation. Where there is ignorance of this glorious person, there cannot be acceptable worship. The starting place for worship is to convey the knowledge of God. That's why on Mars Hill in Acts 17, Paul began evangelizing those people by telling them who God really is. Listen carefully. Where there is a rejection of any aspect of God's revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Let me say that again, that's very important. Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection. Now, I admit I confess, I acknowledge that God's character baffles us. God is unique. There's no one like Him. His being mystifies us. And certainly we cannot comprehend nor understand God totally, fully, and completely.
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But there's a vast difference between not being able to understand and comprehend God and rejecting or refusing some revealed truth in the Word of God. And when we refuse or reject that revealed truth, to that extent, our worship is defective. For instance, let me give you an illustration. Many of you could point to preachers today who emphasize all the time, God is love. God is love. Well, is not God love? Well, yes, he is.
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That's what the Bible says. God is love. But you never, ever hear them say anything else about God. Is not God just? Yes. Is God not righteous? Yes. Is God not pure and holy? Yes. But here you have on the one hand people who will emphasize the love of God, and on the other hand, they'll reject or refuse the absolute justice of God. Here are people who deny and hate God's sovereignty. They'll say, well, God is not like that. Or they'll deny God's holiness.
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I told you in times past this illustration and it comes to my mind. I was in a pastor's office and he and I were sitting in there just rejoicing of some truths of the Scripture. And one of the subjects we were discussing was the biblical doctrine of election. His secretary was in the next room. She was not even partied in our conversation, but the door was open. She could hear. And we were talking about the doctrine of election.
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And we had been doing so for 15 or 20 minutes. And all of a sudden, she jumps up and she runs in the room and she blurts out this, I don't care what the Bible says. I know God is not like that. You understand what I'm saying? You may not understand a certain aspect of God's character. You may not be able to comprehend it. But if it's revealed in Scripture, it is truth. And to the degree that you refuse or reject that truth concerning God, to that degree, your worship is defective and unacceptable. The one true and the living God must be worshipped in the totality of His revelation. What does that mean? That means if we genuinely worship God, we must constantly and continually bring to God an increasing knowledge of His person and character. We ought to know more about God today than we knew last week. We ought to know more this year than we knew last year. We must come with an accurate knowledge.
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And let me tell you something, folks. One reason I enjoy and prefer to sing the Psalms, first of all, because the Psalms are scriptural. They're right out of the Bible. But secondly, you stop and think about the difference between music today and even music 100 or 400 or 500 years ago. You think of Martin Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, A Bulwark Never Failing. You remember the old hymn, And can it be that I should gain an entrance in my Savior's love? Died He for me? And right on down the line. You look at all of the old hymns, how they exalt God, how they exalt the truth of God or some aspect of His character. Holy, holy, holy. The holiness of God. And you compare that to the modern day music.
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I feel a feeling stealing over me, oh boy. Everything today is about man. It's not about God. And the truth is, most of our modern day music is meant to stir us and move our feet and not our hearts and not our minds. And it teaches us absolutely nothing about God. And I've got news for you folks. If a hymn is not going to teach me something, I don't want to sing it. And if it's going to teach me something wrong, I certainly don't want to sing it. And let me tell you, you can remember music when you'll forget a sermon.
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Alice and I, you can't help but laugh at some of these things. But we saw a little kid about three or four years old. And the little kid was going around singing, When you're out of bud, you're out of beer. Well, where did he hear that? On the TV. It was just a catchy little tune. We were at the Mule Days, and here was a woman pushing this little kid in the carriage, and the kid was three or four years old. He was singing, Outback Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse. It was catchy. And the problem with music is, if you listen and learn wrong theology in your music, then you're going to bring to God a defective worship. It will be crippled. We must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in the totality of Scripture. Secondly, we must worship the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as Father. Notice verse 21, John chapter 4, Look what the Bible says, John 4 verse 21, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
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And then in verse 23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. So we have to worship not only one true and the living God, as he's revealed in the totality of scripture, but we also must worship this one true and the living God, who's revealed himself as Father. Now, how is God Father? Well, two ways, and I'm going to deal with them one right after the other. First of all, God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead and secondly he is the father of believers in reference to his grace and mercy. Now let me deal first of all with the one which I really think needs explaining most and that is that he's the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. Do you realize there are many times in scripture when Jesus Christ referred to God as Father. Now, let me tell you, there is a vast difference between when Christ referred to God as Father and when the disciples referred to Him as Father.
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Because I could look at my dad and I could say to my dad, Father, and you understand that because he's older than I am. He is responsible for my being. And although I came from him, we are two different people. We are not one. Let me show you. Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God. Look in your Bibles. Well, we're in John. Let's begin John chapter 5. John chapter 5.
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Notice, if you would please, verse 16. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath days. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now here Christ referred to God as His Father. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him. Why? Because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father.
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Are you looking at it? What? Making himself equal with God. So when he used the term Father, he was claiming equality of being. He is saying we are one. If you look in John 17, at our Lord's high priestly prayer, John 17, beginning there, if you would please, with verse 1. The Bible says, These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.
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Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Now note in verse 1, he called God his father. Now skip down to verse 5. Look what he says, O father, and now father, Glorify Thou me with Thine own self and with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. So what is Christ saying? Christ was saying He was one with God before the world was.
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Now, if that's not clear, go back in your Bible to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, what our Lord says very plainly beginning there with verse 29. John 10 verse 29. Here's a tremendous passage. In fact, let's read verse 27. Our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.
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Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father who gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Now watch. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. But because thou, being a man, makest thyself God. So whenever our Lord said, Father, He was claiming oneness or equality with the one true and the living God.
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Now, if you look in Matthew Chapter 11. Matthew 11 and verses 26 and 27. Matthew 11 verses 26 and 27. Once again, our Lord refers to God as his father. Verse 26. He says, even so, father, for so it seemed good in my sight. Now watch the next verse. Our Lord says, all things are delivered unto me of my Father. Now watch carefully. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Only God can know God. Our Lord says, no one knows the Father but Me. And no one knows Me but the Father. And the only way you can have any understanding who I am is the Father will reveal me. Or the only way you can have any understanding about the Father is that I will reveal Him. So Jesus Christ, when He calls God His Father, is saying that He is one with God. Now listen carefully. There can be no worship if there is ignorance or rejection of Him who is the eternal Son of God.
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Jesus Christ has been eternally the Son of the Father. Therefore, to worship Him, we must worship the One True and the Living God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now, I want to show you that in the New Testament, that is exactly how believers worshipped Him. They worshipped Him as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 15. We'll look at four or five verses, Romans chapter 15, and notice verses 5 and 6. Romans 15, verses 5 and 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, Now the God of patience and consolation grants you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus Christ, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, which God? The One who is even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 3. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. How is He worshipped? Not just you're the Creator God.
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Not just you're the one true and living God. He is that. But He's more, He is the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1. Ephesians, chapter 1. And notice, if you would, verse 3, and then verse 17. Verse 3. Once again, the Scripture says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. So, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How are they praising God?
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How are they worshiping Him? Not just as the one true and the living God, but the one true and the living God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. Who is the God of glory? Who is the Father of Glory? He is the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 and verse 3. 1 Peter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So God has revealed himself, not just as the Creator God, not just as the one true and living God, but the God who is the Father of Jesus Christ.
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Then if you look in your Bibles to 2 John, right over just a few pages to 2 John, and look if you would please at verse 3. 1 John, 2 John, 3 John. Notice 2 John, verse 3. The Bible says, Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love. So God then has revealed Himself not just as the one true and living God, but He's revealed Himself as the one who's the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now you say, Brother Weaver, I don't understand that. Well, I'm going to try to explain a little bit of it to you in just a moment. But please understand that God, the one true and living God, cannot be reduced to a mathematical formula. There is no one who can explain God. God is unique. In fact, I'll show you verses later on in this study. There is nothing with whom and to whom you can compare God.
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Because there is no other individual, there is no other person like Him. He is unique. And where worship is not rendered to Him as the one true and the living God, and the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, then that worship is defective. There are people today who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, and they deny the deity of Christ. They say that Jesus Christ is not God, and that God is not the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Well, let me show you something. Look in your Bibles at John chapter 5. I've had my share of conversations with those individuals, but let me show you a passage in Scripture that is so clear, it is unmistakable. Let me tell you what has happened in John chapter five. In John chapter five, our Lord goes to the pool of Bethesda, and if you'll skip down to verse three in this pool, the Bible says, or around this pool, there lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. So here's a great number of sick people, lame people, people who need help. What does our Lord do?
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He walks up to one single man and He heals him. Now you've got to ask yourself, Did not our Lord have power to heal every one of those people? Well, of course He did. Why did He just single out one man? Well, skip down to verse 5. And a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. And when Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had now been a long time in that case, He said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me in the pool. But while I'm coming another steppeth down before me, Jesus said to him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked, and on the same day was the Sabbath.
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Now, of course, the Jews come around to criticize him and condemn him, etc. Now, my question is this. Why did Jesus Christ go in, single out one individual, heal him, when there was a multitude there, all of them needed healing, Jesus Christ certainly had the power to heal every one of them, but He did not heal every one of them. He only healed one. Why? Let me show you why.
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Skip down, if you would please, to verse 21. Look how our Lord explains this to those Jews. See, in verse 17, He's answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. We read it earlier, verse 18, they were trying to kill Him, because he made himself equal with God.
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Now here's why he did it. Watch verse 21. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. Now just stop. Now think about this. What is the one attribute or the one characteristic of God that sets him apart from anyone or anything else? Here's the answer. God is absolutely sovereign. He does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases, and whenever he pleases. The one attribute that singles God out as God is His absolute sovereignty. Now look what our Lord said, for as the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, look, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. Just as my Father is sovereign, so I am sovereign.
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I do what I will, when I will, to whom I will, wherever I will. Why? Now watch. Verse 22, For the Father judgeth no man but that he committeth all judgment to the Son. Why does the Father commit all judgment to the Son? Here's why. Now look. That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent him. Now wait a minute. Let's go back. Verse 23, that all men should honor the Son even as, whenever you see these two words, even as, the Greek construction is so emphatic, it means literally equal to. So you could read verse 23, that all men should honor the Son equally as they honor the Father. Why? Because the Father is God and the Son is God. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him. So what is it then when someone says, well, Jesus Christ was a good man, he was a good example, he may have been a martyr, but he was not God?
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They're not honouring the Father, nor can they honour the Father, because they're dishonouring the Son, and therefore they are not worshipping God who has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. You follow that? Our Lord said, I heal that one man to demonstrate my absolute sovereignty. I am God. And the Father committed all judgment to him. Why? That all men may honor him equally as they honor the Father. Now listen to me.
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Someone says, well, you've got your religion. I've got mine. No, it's not that. There's only one God. And that is the God who has revealed Himself in the totality of Scripture. If you reject what the Scripture teaches, there is no way that you can worship the One True and the Living God. What you are worshipping is an idol. You are worshipping a figment of your imagination. You are worshipping a God of your rationality. You are not worshipping the God of the Bible. You follow me? And I've used this illustration before, and it's not a perfect illustration, but hopefully it's one that will convey the proper idea.
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Suppose you came up to me and you told me, Brother Weaver, you're my friend, but Alice is not. Now I really like you, Brother Weaver, but I don't like her at all. In fact, Brother Weaver, I love you, but I don't love your wife. And I stop and say, wait a minute. The only John Weaver that exists is the one who has Alice for a wife. And what does Scripture say? The two are what? One flesh. So when you're trying to tell me that you love me, but that you don't love my wife, what you're saying is, in reality, you don't really love me. Because the only John Weaver that exists is one who's married to Alice. So when you come and say, well, I believe in God, but I don't believe God's the father of Jesus Christ, and I don't believe Jesus Christ is God. Oh no. No, no. What you're trying to say is, I'm going to worship God the way I want to. I'm not going to worship Him as He's revealed in Scripture, who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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All the other gods are idols. What did He say in Isaiah 42? He said, I am the Lord, and beside Me there is none other. And My glory will I not give to another. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say, because I certainly do not want to be misunderstood. And I'm going to take the time to clarify it, okay? It is true that Jesus Christ is God. He is God in the flesh, according to 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, John 1, and innumerable other passages in the Bible. But listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Worship, which constantly, and I'm indicating the word constantly, I'm underlining it. Worship which constantly terminates upon the Son in its general mood and climate is usually unacceptable worship. You say, Brother Weaver, how can you say that? Don't you believe that Jesus Christ is God? Yes, I do. But I'm going to show you this. There are times that it is perfectly acceptable to worship Jesus Christ. Give me a minute to explain this.
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And I'm going to give you some illustrations. Jesus Christ is God. But I want to show you what the Scripture teaches about the proper way to worship. OK? What happened in John chapter 20? You remember when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples. Thomas was not there. And when the other disciples said, the Lord has appeared to us, Thomas said, uh-uh, except I see the print in his hands.
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And unless I take my hand and thrust it through his side, I will not believe. Next time they got together, Jesus Christ appeared. He said, Thomas, he said, take your finger, put it in my hand. Take your hand, put it in my side. See that it is I myself, and not a spirit. Now, did Thomas put his finger in his hand? Did he put his hand in his side? No. What did he do?
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He fell on his face and he said, My Lord and my God. Jesus Christ was worshipped as God. It was totally acceptable. Do you remember in Revelation chapter 1? John heard this voice behind him and he turned and looked and here was one who was girded about the waist with a golden girdle. His feet were as brass. His hair was white as snow. And what did John do? He fell at his feet as one dead. It was our Lord. And he worshipped. In Revelation 5, verse 6 and verse 12, Christ is worshipped.
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Is it wrong to worship the Son? No. Is it wrong to worship the Holy Spirit? No. But here's what Scripture teaches. Scripture teaches, and I'll show you numerous verses, Scripture teaches the proper way to worship is that we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me say this. God is one. He's revealed himself in three persons. There is absolutely no jealousy in the Godhead. But Scripture teaches we're to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit.
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Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Notice, if you would please, verse 18. And, of course, you have to understand that we're talking about Christ in the context. In fact, if you look up in verse 13, you will see Christ mentioned just so that you will understand. He is in the context. Verse 13, But now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off were made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now skip down to verse 18 because in the context we're still talking about Christ. For through Him, that is through Christ, we both have access by or in one Spirit unto the Father. How do we get to the Father through Christ in the Spirit? Look in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning there in verse 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts
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by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able... Now, go back and look what he said. For this cause I bow my knees. To whom? To the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How did He come to the Father? He came to the Father through Jesus Christ and verse 16 says, in the Spirit. Now, help me out. I know you can quote this. John 14, verse 6, our Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by Me. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ. Now, look in Hebrews 7. Hebrews 7, verse 25.
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Here it is stated again. Hebrews 7, verse 25. Notice, if you would, Hebrews 7, verse 25. Wherefore He, that is Christ, wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, or through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. How do we get to the Father? Through Jesus Christ.
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Now, I know that you can quote this one. But go back in your Bibles to Luke 11. You remember that story when the disciples came and said, Lord, teach us to pray.
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Now, let me just point this out. Verse 1, it came to pass that he was praying in a certain place. When he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Dear Jesus. Is that what he said? No. He said, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. What was our Lord doing? Our Lord is saying the way to worship God, the Father, the way to get to God, the Father, is through me. Do you remember we quoted last week 1 Peter 3 and verse 18? The Bible says that Jesus Christ suffered the just for the unjust. Why? That he might bring us back to God. That he might bring us back to God the Father. Now, do you understand why I said that when there is an over-emphasis upon Christ, to the exclusion of the Father, it's a wrong emphasis. You remember sometimes, I guess it was in the 60's, you have the Jesus movement.
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You remember that? Everything was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Is Jesus Christ God? Yes. But our Lord came to bring us back to the Father. It is proper to pray to our Lord. It is proper to pray to the Holy Spirit. But the overriding principle of Scripture is that we come to the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me explain something to you in theological terms.
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Well, look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 11. Romans 11. And notice, if you would, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36. Romans 11, verse 36, the scripture says, For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. For of him, and through him, and to him. You could say it like this, for of him, that is originally, and through him, that is providentially, and to him, that is ultimately, are all things.
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In theology, when you talk about God, there are two terms. There is what is known as the ontological trinity and the economical trinity. The word ontological comes from the Greek word ontos which just simply means being. All the ontological trinity is is just the logical order of being. So we say father, son, and Holy Spirit. That's just the logical order of being. But when you get to the economical trinity, that is the way that God works. And if you will study in Scripture, you will find this, that everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. Always. That's how creation was made. That's how everything comes. That is God's order of movement. Everything is of the Father through the Son in the Spirit.
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And so our Lord is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. The Holy Spirit is indeed a proper object of worship, and He should be worshipped. But the overriding principle of Scripture is this, that we worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Let me very quickly cover this last point. God is not only the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. God is also the Father of believers in the marvels of His grace.
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You remember Ephesians 2 and verse 1, And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. Have you ever stopped to think about how merciful, how gracious the Father has been to you in saving you? You look around. There are other family members that are unconverted. Other friends who are unconverted. My wife and I marvel sometimes at how God has preserved us. And I told Mrs. Bowen that come January, we'll be married 41 years. And yet there are couples that we graduated with that have been married and divorced and married and divorced four and five and six times. And you stop and think. Where in the world did the knowledge of truth come from, and the grace to persevere, and the grace to do what's right, and the answer is that it all comes from God.
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And had God not saved us, we too may have been ruined, still living ungodly, wicked lives, if God who came to us and made us his sons. Now, look in your Bibles. First of all, to the book of Galatians chapter three, let me show you just a couple of verses. Galatians chapter three. Look at verses 13 and 14. You talk about redemption. Galatians 3 verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, not from the law, but from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Now watch, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. What was the curse of the law? You remember the law demanded a personal obedience, a perfect obedience, a perpetual obedience, and if you did not give to the law that which it demanded, then the penalty was death.
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Christ died as our substitute to free us from the penalty and the curse of the law. He redeemed us. He kept the law perfectly, and then He gave us His righteousness.
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Now, look in Galatians 4, beginning there in verse 4. Watch what happens. "...been redeemed from the curse of the law..." Look at Galatians 4, verse 4. "...but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." What did God do? God sent the Spirit into our hearts, whereby we who were strangers and enemies, unconverted, were saved by His infinite grace, He made us his sons, sons by election, sons by adoption, sons by regeneration, sons by conversion. And he put his Spirit in our hearts, whereby we acknowledge it and we say, Abba, Father. It is the most natural thing for a child of God to refer to his one true and living God as his Father.
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I really like the word Abba, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Abba is just the Hebrew word, and it means Papa. It's a term of endearment. It's a term of love and trust. And what do we refer to God as? Our heavenly Papa or our heavenly Father. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, at verses 15 and 16. Romans 8 verse 15 and 16.
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This goes right along with Galatians 4, 4 through 7. Notice Romans 8 beginning there with verse 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Papa, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Now watch. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.
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If so be that we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. Notice once again, we have not received the spirit of fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
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Now, let me show you one of the most remarkable verses in the Bible. It's in 1 John 3 and verse 1. 1 John 3 and verse 1. And the amazing thing is this. This verse ought to always humble us. It ought to always encourage us. John, in contemplating the greatness and the marvels of God's grace to his own, said this, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Now watch. It is true that we must worship the one true and living God as he is revealed in the totality of scripture. We must also worship that one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Godhead. But it's equally true that we must worship Him as our Father in the marvels of His grace. So when we come to God, we come to Him saying, Father, it's just a miracle and a marvel that I'm your child.
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I don't deserve it. I don't merit it. I didn't earn it. But Lord, You chose me and You saved me and You made me Your son. And Father, I come to Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom You sent to be my Savior, my Redeemer, my Lord. I come to You as Your Son through the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit and I come to give you worship and honor and homage. The proper object of worship is the one true and living God. But the one true and living God who has revealed himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of believers. We must bring to God an ever-increasing knowledge of His person, His character, His attributes, and we must always be humbled with, behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. What a tremendous, tremendous thought that we are the sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That should really motivate us to give to our God the glory that's due unto His name.
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Let's pray. Father, we thank Thee for Your love and Your grace to us. We're thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. We're thankful for the Holy Spirit. We're thankful for the Word of God, Thy truth. We're thankful for the ministry of Thy Word. And we pray, Father, that You would indeed teach us and enable us to give unto Thee the glory that is due unto Thy name. Enable us to worship Thee acceptably in spirit and in truth. Enable us, Lord, to worship Thee, not only as the one true and living God in the totality of the revelation of Thyself, but the one God who has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And to us in the marvels of His grace, may we come to Thee through the Son in the Spirit. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.
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Acceptable Worship - Part 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, John Weaver continues his series on acceptable worship, focusing on the proper object of worship. He argues that acceptable worship must be directed to the one true and living God as revealed in the totality of Scripture, specifically as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and as the Father of believers. Ignorance or rejection of any aspect of God's revealed character renders worship defective. The sermon emphasizes that worship must be grounded in an ever-increasing knowledge of God, not in subjective feelings or man-centered practices.

Review of Previous Message

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 said 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

said to him, I know the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ.

The Proper Object of Acceptable Worship

The sermon transitions to the main topic: the proper object of worship is the one true and living God, not a generic theistic concept.

Worship Must Be Based on Knowledge of God

Idolatry begins in the mind; therefore, acceptable worship requires an accurate, ever-increasing knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture. Ignorance leads to unacceptable worship.

How? Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How are grace and peace to be multiplied unto us? Through what? Through knowledge.

Worship the God Revealed in the Totality of Scripture

Rejecting any aspect of God's revealed character makes worship defective. The one true God must be worshiped in the fullness of His revelation, not selectively.

Worship the God Who Is Father of the Lord Jesus Christ

God must be worshiped as the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus' use of 'Father' claimed equality with God, and New Testament worship consistently addresses God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Proper Pattern: Worship the Father Through the Son in the Spirit

While Christ and the Spirit are proper objects of worship, the biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit, as seen in Ephesians 2:18 and other passages.

Worship the God Who Is Father of Believers

God is also the Father of believers by grace, adopting them as sons through Christ. This relationship should humble and motivate worship.

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver concludes by summarizing the proper object of worship and leads in prayer, asking God to enable acceptable worship.

Acceptable Worship - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	124039228
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	86

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Message: Weaver reviews four points from the prior sermon: the duty to worship God, God's non-indifference to how He is worshiped, worship as a matter of divine revelation, and worship as a fruit of Christ's work.
The Proper Object of Acceptable Worship: The sermon transitions to the main topic: the proper object of worship is the one true and living God, not a generic theistic concept.
Worship Must Be Based on Knowledge of God: Idolatry begins in the mind; therefore, acceptable worship requires an accurate, ever-increasing knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture. Ignorance leads to unacceptable worship.
Worship the God Revealed in the Totality of Scripture: Rejecting any aspect of God's revealed character makes worship defective. The one true God must be worshiped in the fullness of His revelation, not selectively.
Worship the God Who Is Father of the Lord Jesus Christ: God must be worshiped as the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus' use of 'Father' claimed equality with God, and New Testament worship consistently addresses God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Proper Pattern: Worship the Father Through the Son in the Spirit: While Christ and the Spirit are proper objects of worship, the biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit, as seen in Ephesians 2:18 and other passages.
Worship the God Who Is Father of Believers: God is also the Father of believers by grace, adopting them as sons through Christ. This relationship should humble and motivate worship.
Conclusion and Prayer: Weaver concludes by summarizing the proper object of worship and leads in prayer, asking God to enable acceptable worship.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Idolatry Begins in the Mind

Wrong thoughts about God constitute idolatry, so worship must be based on correct biblical knowledge.

Weaver says, 'Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind... it is possible to be in a Christian assembly and be guilty of idolatry.'

Ignorance Makes Worship Unacceptable

The Samaritans' limited canon led to ignorant worship, which Jesus condemned.

Weaver notes, 'The Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch... they rejected the Psalms... How in the world could they bring to God an acceptable worship?'

Selective Emphasis on God's Attributes Is Defective

Emphasizing only God's love while rejecting His justice or sovereignty results in defective worship.

Weaver illustrates with preachers who say 'God is love' but never mention His justice or holiness.

Jesus' Use of 'Father' Claims Deity

When Jesus called God His Father, the Jews understood it as a claim to equality with God.

Weaver points to John 5:18: 'Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him... because he... said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.'

Honoring the Son Is Necessary to Honor the Father

One cannot honor the Father while dishonoring the Son; rejecting Christ's deity is rejecting the God of the Bible.

Weaver cites John 5:23: 'He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.'

Worship Must Follow the Trinitarian Pattern

The consistent biblical pattern is to worship the Father through the Son in the Spirit, not to overemphasize one person to the exclusion of the others.

Weaver explains, 'Everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit... That is God's order of movement.'

Scripture References

John 4:19-26: The passage about the Samaritan woman and worship in spirit and truth, read at the beginning.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25: Shows that a converted sinner's first act is to worship God.
John 4:24: God is Spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.
Romans 1:20-23: Idolatry begins in the mind when people fail to glorify God as God.
2 Peter 1:2: Grace and peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus.
2 Peter 3:18: Believers are to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ; the 'and' can mean 'even'.
Acts 17:22-26: Paul declares the unknown God to the Athenians, emphasizing knowledge of God.
John 5:16-18: Jesus calls God His Father, and the Jews seek to kill Him for making Himself equal with God.
John 17:1,5: Jesus prays to the Father, claiming shared glory before the world existed.
John 10:27-33: Jesus says 'I and my Father are one,' and the Jews accuse Him of blasphemy.
Matthew 11:26-27: Only the Son knows the Father, and only the Father knows the Son.
Romans 15:5-6: Believers glorify God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3: Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3,17: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Father of glory.
1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 John 1:3: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.
John 5:21-23: The Son quickens whom He will, and all should honor the Son equally as the Father.
Ephesians 2:18: Through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians 3:14-16: Paul bows his knees to the Father, through Christ, strengthened by the Spirit.
Hebrews 7:25: Christ saves to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.

Historical References

Samaritans' limited canon: The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch, rejecting the Psalms and prophets, leading to ignorant worship.
Bishop Oxnam: A professed preacher who called the God of the Old Testament a 'dirty bully,' illustrating rejection of God's full revelation.
Martin Luther's hymn 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God': Cited as an example of older hymns that exalt God and teach theology, contrasting with modern man-centered music.
Jesus Movement of the 1960s: Mentioned as an example of overemphasis on Jesus to the exclusion of the Father.

Important Quotes

Idolatry does not begin in the workshop, it begins in the mind.

Establishes that correct knowledge of God is foundational to acceptable worship; wrong thoughts lead to idolatry.

We cannot worship God acceptably if we're ignorant.

Emphasizes that worship must be based on revealed truth, not ignorance.

Where there is rejection of any aspect of His revealed character, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection.

Key principle that selective acceptance of God's attributes renders worship unacceptable.

Every time our Lord used the term Father, He was identifying Himself as God.

Argues that Jesus' use of 'Father' was a claim to deity, essential for proper worship.

He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him.

Shows that rejecting Christ's deity is rejecting the God of the Bible.

Everything is always out of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.

Summarizes the Trinitarian pattern of worship and God's operations.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Highlights the grace of adoption, motivating humble worship.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver argue that idolatry begins in the mind, and how does this affect our worship?

[Context]

Based on Romans 1:20-23, Weaver explains that wrong thoughts about God lead to idolatry.

[Question]

How does the Samaritan woman's limited knowledge of Scripture illustrate the danger of ignorant worship?

[Context]

Weaver notes the Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, leading to Jesus' rebuke.

[Question]

In what ways might modern worship music reflect a defective view of God?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts old hymns that teach theology with modern music that is man-centered and emotionally driven.

[Question]

Why is it essential to worship God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ?

[Context]

Weaver argues that Jesus' use of 'Father' claims deity, and New Testament worship consistently addresses God this way.

[Question]

What does Weaver mean by worshiping the Father 'through the Son in the Spirit,' and why is this pattern important?

[Context]

He cites Ephesians 2:18 and other passages to show the biblical order of worship.

[Question]

How does the doctrine of adoption influence our worship?

[Context]

Weaver explains that being made sons of God by grace should humble us and motivate worship.

Applications

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