The Ten Commandments

Acceptable Worship - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Biblical Law

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2003-11-23

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a series on acceptable worship, emphasizing that worship is a duty owed to God by virtue of creation, providence, redemption, and Christ's kingship. He warns that God is not indifferent to how He is worshiped and that unacceptable worship—mere ritual without righteousness—provokes His wrath. Acceptable worship must be according to divine revelation and is only possible through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] John 4, and I'm going to begin a short series today that really was brought to my attention as I was preaching last week on acceptable worship. So let's look in John 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John 4, verse 19, The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, And you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit, and they didn't worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman said unto him, I know that Messiah is cometh, who is called Christ.

[John Weaver] When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he. Every Christian should be vitally interested in worship. Worship is that which we render to our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only should Christians be interested in worship, I'm going to show you a little bit later that even the unconverted ought to be interested in worship. For two reasons. First one is this. If you look in your Bibles very quickly, the first Corinthians chapter 10. Let me point something out that the Apostle Paul reveals concerning worship. First Corinthians chapter 10.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. First Corinthians 10 verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes, But I say that the things which the Gentiles or the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord in the cup of devils. You cannot be partaker of the Lord's table in the table of devils. Now, what is the apostle saying? He is saying that if you are not worshiping the one true and the living God, then the alternative is whatever you're doing is satanic.

[John Weaver] It's the worship of Satan. So, worship is not only a vital interest to the saints, it should also be a vital interest to the sinner as well. And in the context, which I will demonstrate later on, Our Lord is taking the biblical doctrine of worship and using this doctrine to evangelize a lost woman in John 4. So worship is indeed a method of evangelization. So the Bible is teaching us that there is really no such thing as neutrality in worship.

[John Weaver] We're either worshiping the one true and living God, or we're worshiping the devil. Now let me give you a definition of worship. Worship is the reverence honor and homage paid to superior beings. And you will find this same definition in the same word used in the Bible in reference to God, in reference to men, even in reference to idols. Worship, then, is the reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. So acceptable worship, then, is honor and reverence and honor paid to the one true and living God. Now let me tell you what the word worship literally means. It is from the Greek word proskuneo. Pros is a preposition which means to or toward and it is translated to fall down before or it's interpreted to mean to fall down before, to do honor by kissing the hand. Now let me finish the word. Proskuneo. Pros is the preposition which means to or toward And the latter part is from Kewon, which is the Greek word for a dog. Now, how in the world does a dog figure in to the definition of worship?

[John Weaver] Well, most of us have dogs, some do not, but have you ever noticed when it is your dog When you come up to that dog, you can hold your hand out, and usually what the dog will do is what? Lick the back of your hand. Lick the hand. And sometimes, just simply lie down.

[John Weaver] Now, if you have a dog like my dog, and when Hobie was out helping me yesterday, he knelt down and had a handful of boards and couldn't do anything, guess what? My dog took full advantage of that situation. and literally washed his face for him, you know, and she was a loving, kind dog. But that's exactly what it means. That's what worship is. It literally means to bow down before, to submit to, to lick the back of the hand.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. The word worship or worshipper occurs ten times in this short passage in John chapter four. So there's a very important aspect when it comes to worship. There are certain chapters in the Bible that emphasize certain doctrines. For instance, if you wanted to study the doctrine of the resurrection, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 15, because 1 Corinthians 15 summarizes the bodily resurrection from the dead. If you wanted to study the subject of love, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 13. If you wanted to study our Lord's death, you'd go to Isaiah 53. Now, certainly those subjects are taught throughout the entirety of the Bible, but there are certain chapters that concisely state these doctrines. So likewise, when you come to John chapter 4, you have this section then that concisely states the doctrine of worship.

[John Weaver] Now the Bible says in Psalm 89 verse 7, let me just quote it for you. Psalm 89 verse 7, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be held in reverence of all them that are about Him. God is greatly to be feared where? In the assembly of the saints. And He is to be held in reverence of all them that are about Him. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 95. And let me show you this verse. I will refer to it just a little bit later. Psalm 95. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 6. Psalm 95. verse 6. The Bible says, Psalm 95 verse 6, O come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Now watch. O come let us worship and bow down. You remember the definition to bow down like a dog? Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. There is submission. Why? For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

[John Weaver] So we are the creature, and He is the Creator. We are the subjects, and He is the King. We are the servants, and He is the Lord. And so we are to bow down before Him, acknowledging His greatness.

[John Weaver] Now let me just tell you very quickly how important this subject is. Because you see, there are people all across the land today that are going to what they call worship services. Do you realize the average professing Christian actually believes that as long as he goes into a church building, sings a few hymns, throws a quarter or two in the offering plate, and listens to a sermon, and then leaves it somehow, some way, he's really worshipped God.

[John Weaver] And that is absolutely the furthest from the truth. Our Lord said in John 4, God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Do you remember in Mark chapter 7? I'm not going to ask you to turn there, but do you remember Mark chapter 7? You'll also find it in Matthew 15. The Pharisees came to our Lord and were complaining.

[John Weaver] They said, why is it your disciples wash not their hands? as the tradition of the elders teaches us before they eat. Now please let me remind you once again, it was not the subject of cleanliness, it was not a health matter, it was not sanitation they were concerned about, but it was a tradition of the elders. And our Lord looked at them and He said, why is it with your tradition you transgress the Word of God? Now, here's the point. The Pharisees were so concerned about their tradition and about their ceremonies and about their rituals, and they were griping and complaining to our Lord about His disciples, while at the same time their hearts were filthy before God, and they were not worshipping the One True and the Living God.

[John Weaver] Do you realize one of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion? Now stop and think about that. Because religion always has its own traditions, its own rituals, its own ceremonies, and people think as long as they fulfill those ceremonies, then they worship God. Do you realize that religion teaches that fallen men can do things that are acceptable unto God? Which is absolutely contrary to Scripture. Romans 8 teaches us, they that are in flesh cannot please God. Fallen men cannot please God. They cannot serve God. Now listen carefully. The truth is that unsaved men may be generous philanthropists, They may be sincere religionists. They may be zealous denominationalists. They may be regular communicants. But the truth is, the Scripture teaches, that unsaved men cannot worship God properly. Why? Because there is nothing in them that would enable them to give God the honor and the worship that He is due. Why? Because God is Spirit. And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

[John Weaver] Now let me point out the very first point today, and that is this. It is our duty to worship God. Underline that. It is our duty to worship God. Do you remember in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 1, the Bible says, And the Lord God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Verse 3, thou shalt have no other gods before me. And then our Lord in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10 said to Satan, get thee behind me Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only and him alone shalt thou serve. Let me tell you in a very general sense of the word, what your God is.

[John Weaver] Your God, in essence, is whatever you set your heart upon, whatever you give adoration and honor and devotion unto. There's an interesting verse in 1 John 5 and verse 21. It's the last verse in the book of 1 John. And it simply says this, little children, Keep yourself from idols. Now, there are a number of scholars that believe that the book of 1 John was the last book that was written, chronologically speaking, in our Bibles. Now, if that is so, instead of Revelation being the last book, 1 John would be the last book.

[John Weaver] You understand what I'm saying? If that is so, it would be interesting that Genesis 1-1 opens, in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the last verse then would be, little children, keep yourselves from idols.

[John Weaver] Now let me just give you several verses very quickly. Do you realize there is in this day and time the God of money? Someone has suggested that the motto of the United States should not be, in God we trust, But in this God we trust, because that is what most people literally trust in, is their money. But our Lord said, you cannot serve God and mammon. And the Bible talks in Ephesians 5 and verse 5 about covetous men who are idolaters. Then, of course, there is the God of pleasure. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse or chapter 3, it is in verse 4, that men should be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. So there is the God of pleasure. Then there is the God of the belly.

[John Weaver] Now, that's interesting, isn't it? But the book of Philippians chapter 3 and verse 19 talk about the ungodly, and it says this, whose God is their belly. So you have the God of money. You have the God of pleasure. You have the God of belly. You have the God of fashion. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 2 that women should dress in modest apparel, not modern. Now, there's nothing wrong with modern as long as it's modest.

[John Weaver] But let me tell you something. The attire for Christians is not to be dictated by Hollywood or by Paris, France, or even by New York City. The attire for Christians is to be dictated by the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible tells us, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Now, if the One True and the Living God, as He has revealed Himself in the Bible, is indeed the One True and the Living God, then He must be worshipped. And it is our duty to worship Him. Why? Because He is God. Let me give you several rites that He has to be worshipped. First of all, He should be worshipped by virtue of creation rite.

[John Weaver] If you'll look in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Here's a passage most people can quote, but look what it says, Psalm 100. Make a joyful noise of the Lord all ye lands. Now look. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know you that the Lord, he is God. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

[John Weaver] Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful of Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and the truth endureth to all generations."

[John Weaver] Now, why should we worship Him? Why? Because we are His people, and we are the sheep of His pasture. Listen, He has made us, and not we ourselves. So God then deserves to be worshipped simply by virtue of creation, right? He is. the Creator. And the creature owes his very existence to the Creator. Then, secondly, there is what you and I would call the providential right. Look in your Bible, if you would, to the book of Acts chapter 14.

[John Weaver] You'll also find this same truth in Psalm 29. But look in Acts 14 and verse 17. Here's when I'm talking about the providential right. Acts chapter 14 and verse 17, look what the Bible says in reference to God. Nevertheless, he, that is God, left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Note that verse, God did not leave himself without witness.

[John Weaver] You know, most people never stop to think. It is only by God's providence that we have food. It is only by God's providence that we have rain. It is only by God's providence that we have sunshine. It is only by God's providence that we have health. What has God done? God has not left Himself without witness. God has done good in that He provides for everyone, even those that hate Him.

[John Weaver] So He deserves to be worshipped. Not just simply by reason of creation right, the Creator, but also by providence right. It is his providence that brings to pass in our lives those good things that you and I take for granted on a daily basis. But then thirdly, he should be worshipped because of a redemptive right. You know, the Bible says In Psalm 107, verse 2, and then all down through Psalm 107, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy. I remember in one church Alice and I used to attend when we were young, they used to have say so meetings. And all it was was just a short period of time for a testimony where you could stand up and say what the Lord had done for you. And they would take this text, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who be redeemed out of the hand of the enemy. So if God has redeemed us, if God has saved us, if God has delivered us from our sins, then we have a duty and an obligation to worship Him, not just simply because we're creatures, not just simply because of His providence, but because He has redeemed us.

[John Weaver] He has bought us. We're His. We belong to Him. And then, fourthly, there's another reason, and that is there is a kingship right. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6, turn there, I can quote this passage, but I want you to see this. This is one of my favorite passages, 1 Timothy 6. And notice verses 15 and 16. 1 Timothy 6, verses 15 and 16.

[John Weaver] The Bible says concerning Christ, who in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, who no man hath seen nor can see, to be honor and power everlasting. Amen. Now look, who in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate. Then it says the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

[John Weaver] Now the word potentate literally means the all powerful one. I had a pastor friend with me one day. And we were going to a gun show. And the gun show. Was in the shrine temple. And we walked up to that place and I looked and here was a parking spot and a sign that said, reserve for the potentate. I looked at my pastor friend and I said, isn't that wonderful? Christ may be at this gun show because here's a parking place reserved just for him. He's the only potentate that I know.

[John Weaver] He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So there is a kingship right. Why should we worship Him? Not simply by virtue of creation, not simply by virtue of providence, not even simply by virtue of redemption, but also because He is King.

[John Weaver] Now, failure to worship the One True and Living God is a sin. In fact, it's one of the greatest sins.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you the context of John chapter 4. We did not read all of John chapter 4, verses 19 through 26 is all we read. But you'll remember beginning there in John chapter 4 and verse 4, our Lord must needs go to Samaria. Why? Because here He was seated on the well and a woman of Samaria came out to draw water and He said, give me water to drink.

[John Weaver] She said, why is it you're speaking to me? Because I'm a Samaritan and you folks don't talk to us Samaritans. And our Lord said, look, if you knew who it was that spoke to you, you would ask of Him living water and He would give you living water that you would never have to thirst again. Ah, she said, evermore, give me this water. Our Lord said, well, I'll tell you what, before I give you the water, you go and call your husband. She said, I have a husband. He said, oh, you said a mouthful, honey, because you've had five and the one you live in with now is not even your husband.

[John Weaver] And she went away to the city and said, come see a man that told me all things ever I did. Is not this the Christ? And of course, you know the saying, and you know the story, how the men then came out and told the woman, now we believe Him, not because of what you said, but because of what He said. And so it is in this context of John chapter 4 where our Lord is witnessing to this fallen woman.

[John Weaver] He's telling her about salvation, but He's doing so with the biblical doctrine of worship. Let me tell you something. Part of evangelism is laying upon the conscience our duty before God. When you lay upon a sinner's conscience his duty, and he understands that he cannot perform that duty, there's no way that he can do that duty, then there is a conviction that settles in. And that's exactly what our Lord was doing. He was saying, look, woman, you have a duty to worship God. But you're unfit to worship God. You're unable to worship God. You cannot worship God in your condition.

[John Weaver] In essence, you must be regenerated. You must be converted. So the truth of the matter is, the biblical doctrine of worship is also a means of evangelism. It is not just simply reminding the saints of their duty. It is also reminding sinners of their duty. They must worship So the truth is, we are obligated to worship God. God demands that we worship Him based upon creation, based upon providence, based upon redemption, and based upon the kingship of Christ.

[John Weaver] Here's the second point, and I want to dwell heavily upon this. God is not indifferent as to how we worship Him.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is we have so degenerated in our day and time. We take the idea, well, I'll just worship God any old way I please. And the response to that is, oh, no. The same Bible that teaches us that we must worship God. Also teaches us how we are to worship God. Do you realize the first overt, that is the first open sin in the Bible, was over-worship? Do you remember that?

[John Weaver] Genesis chapter 4, Cain and Abel. Abel brought the sacrifice that God required, for Cain did not. And Cain's sacrifice was condemned and rejected, where Abel's was accepted and was pleasing unto God. In that passage we find that God smiles then upon the acceptable worshipper, but then God frowns upon the unacceptable worshipper. God is not indifferent as to how we worship Him. Let me show you. In fact, let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought And ask yourself, I wonder what God's attitude is toward unacceptable worship. Let's broaden it. I wonder what God thinks about all the religious services that are going on in this city and every other city in this country.

[John Weaver] Now it may shock you what I'm about to show you from the Bible. But I'm going to show you exactly what God thinks about unacceptable worship. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Isaiah 1, verse 11. Look at the question that God asks. Isaiah 1 verse 11.

[John Weaver] To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, said the Lord? Now wait a minute. What were these people doing? They were offering sacrifice to God. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord? I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts. I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

[John Weaver] When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts? Now watch. Bring no more vain, that is useless, worthless oblations. Incense is abomination to me. The new moons and the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with it. It is iniquity, even the solid meaning. Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth. They are trouble unto me.

[John Weaver] I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes for you. Yea, when you make your prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. Did not God appoint the solemn meetings? Did not God appoint the new moons and the feast days? Yes. Did not God appoint the Sabbaths? Yes. Did not God appoint the sacrifices? Yes. But look what He says. I hate it. I won't have it. I can't stand it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just show you, it gets even Turn over in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 5. Amos, chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos, chapter 5. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 21. Oh, here it is, very plainly stated. God says, I hate I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

[John Weaver] Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy vows, but let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Now listen to what he said. I hate I despise your feast days. I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. I don't care how much incense you offer. I don't care how many sacrifices you give. I will not smell it.

[John Weaver] I will not accept it." And he said, take away from me the noise of thy songs. All their beautiful singing, all their instruments was nothing but noise to God. He said, I won't have it. And he tells you why. We'll let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. I'm not going to ask that you turn back to Isaiah chapter one. But do you remember why God refused their sacrifices and their offerings?

[John Weaver] He said, when you stretch forth your hands to me, he said, I will hide my eyes. Why? Your hands are full of blood. He said, you're wicked, you're disobedient, you're ungodly, and you think. that coming to Me with a little ritual, a little ceremony, a little tradition is going to make you acceptable in My sight and make your worship acceptable, you're wrong. I hate it. And in Amos chapter 5, once again, he says, I hate, I despise your feast days. Once again, God ordained those feast days. God ordained those solemn assemblies. God ordained those songs. God ordained that music. But God says, what you're doing is unacceptable.

[John Weaver] Because there is no judgment, there is no justice, there is no righteousness in your lives. Let me ask you a question. This is a mind-boggling question. But does it bother you that God may be hating what you're doing this very moment?

[John Weaver] Does it bother you that what the average church gives to God is detested and despised by God? That's a question, folks. Look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter one. I'm going to show you a couple more passages on this point. Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter one. Listen to these questions. Malachi 1, let's begin with verse 6. Malachi 1, verse 6, God says, A son honored his father, and a servant his master. Now watch. If I then be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear, saith the Lord of hosts, unto you a priest that despised my name? And you say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

[John Weaver] You offer polluted bread upon my altar. And you say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that you say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now to thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of hosts?

[John Weaver] And now I pray you, beseech God that He will be gracious unto us. This has been by your means. Will He regard your person, saith the Lord of hosts? Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do you, Kendall, fire upon mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from that rising of the sun, even as it is going down in the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering. For my name shall be great among the heathens, saith the Lord of Hosts."

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. If I'm a father, where is my honor? If I'm a master, where is my honor? Where is my fear? And then he says, Oh, you priests that despise my name. Now, they ask where we despised your name. Well, he answers, In that you have offered polluted bread upon my altar. In other words, I couldn't care less what they gave God. Their attitude was a sacrifice is a sacrifice is a sacrifice.

[John Weaver] He said, and that you say the table of the Lord is contemptible. Let me tell you something, folks. Whenever we think the worship of God, the preaching of the word is somehow.

[John Weaver] Second rate and second place. That is despising of God's worship. and of God's person. So they were saying the table of the Lord is contemptible.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said in verse 8. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? Remember, each of those sacrificial lambs, rams, had to be perfect. Why? Because they represented and pictured Jesus Christ. And so what these people were doing was they were offering lambs and rams that were blind, maimed, sick. Well, that's called dying. Yeah, I might as well give it to God. Said, if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Now, look what he says. Offer it now to thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of hosts? God said, I tell you what you do.

[John Weaver] You get the high civil authority and the land of your house, and you give him for supper what you give me. You get that old blind lamb out there that's sick and sore. And God blisters all over him and sores all over him. Cook that up for your governor and see if your governor will accept it. None of us would do that to a friend. None of us would do that even to an enemy. But God said, that's exactly what you're giving me. And God said, I just want you to know something. I hate it. I won't have it. I won't stand for it. Then he says, verse 10, Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do you, Kendall, fire on my altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

[John Weaver] Do you realize the average church has to pay a musician? They have to pay a janitor. They have to pay people to do things around. This is exactly what God is saying. Who is willing just to do it out of honor and adoration and worship to me? No, you're not willing to do that. You want to be paid for it. You don't understand, said God. God said, I have no pleasure in you. You're a money-oriented, money-grubbing people who are not willing to sacrifice for me.

[John Weaver] Oh, I'll tell you what. You talk about passages that condemn modern day religiosity. That's not all. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 7. Jeremiah chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. Jeremiah 7, verse 19. Let me show you why the average church cannot prosper spiritually. Jeremiah 7. Notice if you would please verse 19. Look at the question God asks.

[John Weaver] Do they provoke me to anger, saith the Lord? Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beasts, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, And I will be your God, and you shall be My people, and walk you in all the way that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.

[John Weaver] But they hearken not, nor incline their ear, but walked in the counsels of the imagination of their evil heart, and went backwards and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out in the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up and early in sending them. Yet they hearken not unto Me, nor incline their ear, But harden their neck, they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken unto thee. Thou shalt also call on them, but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receive the correction.

[John Weaver] Truth is perished and is cut off from their mouth." Now God said, let me ask you, what was the point of all the sacrifices if you are going to disobey me? God said, you think that you can settle down into some little ceremony and some little ritual and then live your life the way you please in disobedience to Me and My Word, and somehow your offerings, your sacrifice is going to be acceptable. God said, oh no.

[John Weaver] What happens is My wrath is burning against you. My wrath is burning against you. Let me tell you something, folks. It is true. that we must worship God, but we also must worship God acceptably. There is a worship that is unacceptable to God.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask a hard question. I'm going to try to answer this for you the next several weeks. How do you know whether or not your worship is acceptable? before God. What is acceptable worship? And if your worship is not acceptable, the truth of Scripture is that God's anger and God's wrath is burning against you. You see, the Bible tells us, and I'll cover this later on, that God is to be the exclusive object of worship. He said, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

[John Weaver] Thou shalt have no other gods before me. And then the very next thing he said was this. Thou shalt not make of thee any graven images. Ah, what is he saying? He is saying the one true living God cannot be materialized. I'll explain that a little bit later. You cannot have a material God the way the heathen, the way the pagans did in the Old Testament. God is the exclusive object of worship, but in worshiping Him, we must worship Him the way that He demands.

[John Weaver] Now, look in John chapter 4 at what he told the Samaritan woman. John chapter 4, notice what he said. In verse 22, He told the Samaritan woman, You worship, you know not what. We know what we worship. Now look what he said, You worship, you know not what. Why in the world did he tell that woman, You worship, you know not what? Do you remember how the Samaritans came into existence? Do you remember in 2 Kings 17, when Israel had been conquered Then the king of Assyria moved a lot of the Israelites, those who did not kill, out of the land into captivity into Assyria. And then he sent a lot of the heathen into the northern kingdom around Samaria. And there you had an amalgamation of the pagans and some of those people who were left in the land and they intermarried. That's where the Samaritans came from. They were half-breeds.

[John Weaver] And the Judahites in the southern tribe despised them. In fact, they would do everything they could. Usually they would walk around Samaria. They wouldn't even go through Samaria. They so despised the Samaritans. Now, the Samaritans had a little bit of truth, but not the whole truth. You say, what are you talking about? Well, the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim. But they only accepted the Pentateuch as the Word of God.

[John Weaver] That is the first five books in the Bible, the books of Moses. So our Lord said, you don't even know what you're worshiping. You don't even have a complete Bible. And they didn't. He said, we know what we're worshiping because unto Israel was committed the oracles of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point this out. When people say, well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to worship according to what I think best. That's rationalism. You're worshipping your own mind. You are taking your mind and putting it in competition with the divine revelation of God. But there are a lot of people that says, well, I think I'm going to worship this way. That's pure rationalism. And some folks said, well, I know what makes me feel good, and I'm going to worship according to my feelings. That's subjectivism. That's not revelation. Someone said, well, I'm going to worship according to experience because I know how it's been done for years. That's traditionalism. That's not divine revelation. Someone says, well, I want to worship based upon what works. That's pragmatism. That's not divine revelation. You say, well, I know what makes me feel good. I know what makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied. That's sentimentalism. That's not divine revelation. Now, let me ask you, I've heard people say this.

[John Weaver] I cannot even count the times. I've heard people tell me, well, Brother Weaver, the reason I go to that church is it just makes me feel so good. What? The reason I go to that church, it makes me feel so good. Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God. The question is not whether it makes you feel good, but is it acceptable unto God? That's the question. You cannot live by feelings. You must live by the Word of God. Do you think...

[John Weaver] Let me give you an illustration. I've taught school. I've taught from the fourth grade all the way through college. And there have been numerous times I've asked for papers to be written. And you know, whenever I ask for a paper to be written, I will say, I want five pages. I want it typewritten. I want it double spaced. I want the title to be at the top. I want your name to be at the right. I want the date to be there. And then when you get through, I want a bibliography and I tell them how I want it done. Now, After I give them that information, some kid comes up and he's hand scribbled a couple pages, no title, no bibliography, put his name on the left hand side. It's barely legible. And he hands that to me for the paper. Do you think that as a teacher, I would accept that paper? I'd say, son, Unless you want a zero, you're going to do this work exactly the way I tell you to do it.

[John Weaver] If I would be that fastidious as a teacher, do you think that God is less fastidious concerning his worship? Do you think that people could just give to God any old thing they please and God would just smile and say, well, I understand. I'll take it. Now stop and think about that. No. The same Bible that tells us that God must be worshipped also tells us how God is to be worshipped. And God will not accept or receive unacceptable worship.

[John Weaver] You remember I quoted this verse in here innumerable times. Galatians 6 and verse 16. What's it say? God said as many as walk according to this rule. That is this standard, this Bible, peace be upon them and mercy upon the Israel of God. Here's the third thing, and that is this, acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. I've already hinted at it, but acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation.

[John Weaver] I don't have to develop this point too much, I think that you will automatically Understand it. But here Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he's wandering around and. The children of Israel may be a little discontented. And Moses says, I know what I'll do. What? I'll just build a tabernacle. And I'll design it like this and I'll design it like that and And I'll call all the people in here and we'll worship God and it'll all work out and they'll be happy and they'll be satisfied and they'll cause me less heartache and less problem. Is that how the tabernacle came about? Oh, no. The tabernacle did not originate with Moses. The tabernacle came from God. God gave Moses the directions for everything in the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself. And then God said this to Moses, see that thou make it according to the pattern given thee in the mount. Moses couldn't make that all for any dimension he wanted to make it. Moses couldn't say, well, you know, We've got this old ugly tabernacle right here.

[John Weaver] I think if I put a little bay window right here on this side, that'd make it more beautiful and more appealing. No, no, no! He did not have that option! He had to make it exactly the way God ordained it when the temple was built. Did Solomon just simply build it according... No, no, no! He built it according as it was revealed. When you understand that worship must be acceptable, you must also comprehend the fact that for worship to be acceptable, it must be according to divine revelation. God has said, this is what pleases me.

[John Weaver] This is what I want. And God's not going to receive anything else. God has revealed in His Word what is acceptable, what is unacceptable.

[John Weaver] Now one last thought today, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to several passages. I want you to see that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Let's turn in our Bibles first of all to Matthew 1. Matthew 1. And look, if you would, please. At verse 21. Matthew 1 verse 21. Our Lord is to be born. And the angel tells Mary and Joseph. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Why?

[John Weaver] For he shall save his people from their sins. Now listen carefully. The only reason anyone can give unto God the Father acceptable worship is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ did not save us, We could not give to God that which he demands. Romans 8 once again says, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. So whatever is acceptable to God must be through the person of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. And let's begin reading there. With verse one. Philippians three, verse one. Paul writes, finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord to write the same thing to you, to me, and need is not grievous, but for you to say beware of dogs. He's not talking about the four legged kind. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision. He's talking about the Jews, the Pharisees. Then he says this, for we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Did you hear that? We're the circumcision who worship God in spirit. How can we worship Him in spirit? Because we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. In other words, the true worship of God is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. I'm just showing you, you cannot worship Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] You cannot worship God the Father except through Jesus Christ. Notice 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. The Bible says, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Now note, Christ has also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust. Why did he suffer for our sins? Why did the just one suffer for we, the unjust ones? Here's the answer. that He might bring us to God. It would be impossible to be brought to God in any other way except through Jesus Christ. Now, let me just give you a quote on the last verse.

[John Weaver] You don't have to turn there. I know that you know this verse. John 14, verse 6, Our Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Help me out now. And no man cometh to the Father, but by me. The only way that we can worship God acceptably is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to think about worship this week. It's going to take me four or five weeks to finish this, but I'm going to show you from the Bible, Lord willing. what worshipping God in spirit, what worshipping God in truth really are, and how that we can give that acceptable worship to God. There's more to worship than plopping down in a pew, flipping a quarter in the plate, and singing a song, and hearing a sermon, and going home. The one thought I want to leave you with today is this. We must worship God and we must worship Him acceptably.

[John Weaver] And the only way we can do that is by worshiping Him according to divine revelation through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, help us today. Speak to our hearts. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Teach us what it really is to worship Thee, Lord. And enable us to give Thee the worship that is due unto Thy great and glorious and majestic name. For Thou only art worthy. And we bow to Thee, O Lord. We kneel to Thee this day. For Thou art our Creator, and we are the creature. Thou art our King, and we are the subjects. Thou art our Master, and we are the slaves. In Thy divine providence Thou hast given us all good things, and we acknowledge it today, and we worship Thee. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Acceptable Worship - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	112603151059
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	The Ten Commandments
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-23
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	84

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Importance of Worship

Worship is vital for both saints and sinners; there is no neutrality—one either worships God or the devil. The doctrine of worship is concisely taught in John 4.

John 4, and I'm going to begin a short series today that really was brought to my attention as I was preaching last week on acceptable worship. So let's look in John 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John 4, verse 19,

Scripture Reading — John 4:19-26

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

When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, "I that speak unto thee am he." Every Christian should be vitally interested in worship. Worship is that which we render to our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only should Christians be interested in worship, I'm going to show you a little bit later that even the unconverted ought to be interested in worship. For two reasons. First one is this. If you look in your Bibles very quickly, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Let me point something out that the Apostle Paul reveals concerning worship. 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

And notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

"But I say that the things which the Gentiles or the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils."

Now, what is the apostle saying? He is saying that if you are not worshiping the one true and the living God, then the alternative is whatever you're doing is satanic.

It's the worship of Satan. So, worship is not only a vital interest to the saints, it should also be a vital interest to the sinner as well. And in the context, which I will demonstrate later on, our Lord is taking the biblical doctrine of worship and using this doctrine to evangelize a lost woman in John 4. So worship is indeed a method of evangelization. So the Bible is teaching us that there is really no such thing as neutrality in worship.

Definition and Meaning of Worship

Worship is reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. The Greek word proskuneo means to bow down, submit, like a dog licking its master's hand.

We're either worshiping the one true and living God, or we're worshiping the devil. Now let me give you a definition of worship. Worship is the reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. And you will find this same definition and the same word used in the Bible in reference to God, in reference to men, even in reference to idols. Worship, then, is the reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. So acceptable worship, then, is honor and reverence paid to the one true and living God. Now let me tell you what the word worship literally means. It is from the Greek word proskuneo. Pros is a preposition which means "to" or "toward," and it is translated "to fall down before" or it's interpreted to mean "to fall down before, to do honor by kissing the hand." Now let me finish the word. Proskuneo. Pros is the preposition which means "to" or "toward," and the latter part is from kuon, which is the Greek word for a dog. Now, how in the world does a dog figure into the definition of worship?

Well, most of us have dogs, some do not, but have you ever noticed when it is your dog, when you come up to that dog, you can hold your hand out, and usually what the dog will do is what? Lick the back of your hand. Lick the hand. And sometimes, just simply lie down.

Now, if you have a dog like my dog, and when Hobie was out helping me yesterday, he knelt down and had a handful of boards and couldn't do anything, guess what? My dog took full advantage of that situation and literally washed his face for him, you know, and she was a loving, kind dog. But that's exactly what it means. That's what worship is. It literally means to bow down before, to submit to, to lick the back of the hand.

Now, the interesting thing is this. The word worship or worshipper occurs ten times in this short passage in John chapter 4. So there's a very important aspect when it comes to worship. There are certain chapters in the Bible that emphasize certain doctrines. For instance, if you wanted to study the doctrine of the resurrection, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 15, because 1 Corinthians 15 summarizes the bodily resurrection from the dead. If you wanted to study the subject of love, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 13. If you wanted to study our Lord's death, you'd go to Isaiah 53. Now, certainly those subjects are taught throughout the entirety of the Bible, but there are certain chapters that concisely state these doctrines. So likewise, when you come to John chapter 4, you have this section then that concisely states the doctrine of worship.

The Duty to Worship God

It is our duty to worship God based on creation right, providential right, redemptive right, and kingship right. Failure to worship is a great sin.

Now let me point out the very first point today, and that is this. It is our duty to worship God. Underline that. It is our duty to worship God. Do you remember in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 1, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"And the Lord God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt."

Verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

And then our Lord in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10 said to Satan,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and him alone shalt thou serve."

Let me tell you in a very general sense of the word, what your God is. Your God, in essence, is whatever you set your heart upon, whatever you give adoration and honor and devotion unto. There's an interesting verse in 1 John 5 and verse 21. It's the last verse in the book of 1 John. And it simply says this, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Now, there are a number of scholars that believe that the book of 1 John was the last book that was written, chronologically speaking, in our Bibles. Now, if that is so, instead of Revelation being the last book, 1 John would be the last book.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:5

You understand what I'm saying? If that is so, it would be interesting that Genesis 1:1 opens, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." And the last verse then would be, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Now let me just give you several verses very quickly. Do you realize there is in this day and time the god of money? Someone has suggested that the motto of the United States should not be, "In God we trust," but "In this god we trust," because that is what most people literally trust in, is their money. But our Lord said, "You cannot serve God and mammon." And the Bible talks in Ephesians 5 and verse 5 about covetous men who are idolaters. Then, of course, there is the god of pleasure. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 3, it is in verse 4, that men should be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. So there is the god of pleasure. Then there is the god of the belly.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 3:4

Now, that's interesting, isn't it? But the book of Philippians chapter 3 and verse 19 talk about the ungodly, and it says this, "Whose god is their belly." So you have the god of money. You have the god of pleasure. You have the god of the belly. You have the god of fashion. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 2 that women should dress in modest apparel, not modern. Now, there's nothing wrong with modern as long as it's modest.

But let me tell you something. The attire for Christians is not to be dictated by Hollywood or by Paris, France, or even by New York City. The attire for Christians is to be dictated by the Word of God. Now, the Bible tells us, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Now, if the one true and the living God, as He has revealed Himself in the Bible, is indeed the one true and the living God, then He must be worshipped. And it is our duty to worship Him. Why? Because He is God. Let me give you several rights that He has to be worshipped. First of all, He should be worshipped by virtue of creation right.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 100

If you'll look in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Here's a passage most people can quote, but look what it says, Psalm 100. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, he is God. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture."

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations." Now, why should we worship Him? Why? Because we are His people, and we are the sheep of His pasture. Listen, He has made us, and not we ourselves. So God then deserves to be worshipped simply by virtue of creation, right? He is the Creator. And the creature owes his very existence to the Creator. Then, secondly, there is what you and I would call the providential right. Look in your Bible, if you would, to the book of Acts chapter 14.

You'll also find this same truth in Psalm 29. But look in Acts 14 and verse 17. Here's when I'm talking about the providential right. Acts chapter 14 and verse 17, look what the Bible says in reference to God. "Nevertheless, he," that is God,

Scripture Reading — Acts 14:17

"left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Note that verse, God did not leave himself without witness. You know, most people never stop to think. It is only by God's providence that we have food. It is only by God's providence that we have rain. It is only by God's providence that we have sunshine. It is only by God's providence that we have health. What has God done? God has not left Himself without witness. God has done good in that He provides for everyone, even those that hate Him.

So He deserves to be worshipped. Not just simply by reason of creation right, the Creator, but also by providence right. It is his providence that brings to pass in our lives those good things that you and I take for granted on a daily basis. But then thirdly, he should be worshipped because of a redemptive right. You know, the Bible says in Psalm 107, verse 2, and then all down through Psalm 107,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:2

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy."

I remember in one church Alice and I used to attend when we were young, they used to have say-so meetings. And all it was was just a short period of time for a testimony where you could stand up and say what the Lord had done for you. And they would take this text,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:2

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy."

So if God has redeemed us, if God has saved us, if God has delivered us from our sins, then we have a duty and an obligation to worship Him, not just simply because we're creatures, not just simply because of His providence, but because He has redeemed us.

He has bought us. We're His. We belong to Him. And then, fourthly, there's another reason, and that is there is a kingship right. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6, turn there, I can quote this passage, but I want you to see this. This is one of my favorite passages, 1 Timothy 6. And notice verses 15 and 16. 1 Timothy 6, verses 15 and 16.

The Bible says concerning Christ, "Who in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." Now look, "Who in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate." Then it says, "the King of kings and Lord of lords." Now the word potentate literally means the all-powerful one. I had a pastor friend with me one day. And we were going to a gun show. And the gun show was in the Shrine temple. And we walked up to that place and I looked and here was a parking spot and a sign that said, "Reserved for the Potentate." I looked at my pastor friend and I said, "Isn't that wonderful? Christ may be at this gun show because here's a parking place reserved just for him. He's the only potentate that I know."

He is King of kings and Lord of lords. So there is a kingship right. Why should we worship Him? Not simply by virtue of creation, not simply by virtue of providence, not even simply by virtue of redemption, but also because He is King.

Now, failure to worship the one true and living God is a sin. In fact, it's one of the greatest sins.

Worship as a Means of Evangelism

Jesus used the doctrine of worship to evangelize the Samaritan woman, showing her duty to worship and her inability to do so without regeneration.

Now, let me give you the context of John chapter 4. We did not read all of John chapter 4, verses 19 through 26 is all we read. But you'll remember beginning there in John chapter 4 and verse 4, our Lord must needs go through Samaria. Why? Because here He was seated on the well and a woman of Samaria came out to draw water and He said, "Give me water to drink." She said, "Why is it you're speaking to me? Because I'm a Samaritan and you folks don't talk to us Samaritans." And our Lord said, "Look, if you knew who it was that spoke to you, you would ask of Him living water and He would give you living water that you would never have to thirst again." Ah, she said, "Evermore, give me this water." Our Lord said, "Well, I'll tell you what, before I give you the water, you go and call your husband." She said, "I have no husband." He said, "Oh, you said a mouthful, honey, because you've had five and the one you're living with now is not even your husband."

And she went away to the city and said, "Come see a man that told me all things ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" And of course, you know the saying, and you know the story, how the men then came out and told the woman, "Now we believe Him, not because of what you said, but because of what He said." And so it is in this context of John chapter 4 where our Lord is witnessing to this fallen woman. He's telling her about salvation, but He's doing so with the biblical doctrine of worship. Let me tell you something. Part of evangelism is laying upon the conscience our duty before God. When you lay upon a sinner's conscience his duty, and he understands that he cannot perform that duty, there's no way that he can do that duty, then there is a conviction that settles in. And that's exactly what our Lord was doing. He was saying, "Look, woman, you have a duty to worship God. But you're unfit to worship God. You're unable to worship God. You cannot worship God in your condition."

In essence, you must be regenerated. You must be converted. So the truth of the matter is, the biblical doctrine of worship is also a means of evangelism. It is not just simply reminding the saints of their duty. It is also reminding sinners of their duty. They must worship. So the truth is, we are obligated to worship God. God demands that we worship Him based upon creation, based upon providence, based upon redemption, and based upon the kingship of Christ.

God Is Not Indifferent to How We Worship

God hates and despises unacceptable worship—rituals offered by the disobedient. Passages in Isaiah, Amos, Malachi, and Jeremiah show His wrath against such worship.

Now, the interesting thing is we have so degenerated in our day and time. We take the idea, "Well, I'll just worship God any old way I please." And the response to that is, "Oh, no." The same Bible that teaches us that we must worship God also teaches us how we are to worship God. Do you realize the first overt, that is the first open sin in the Bible, was over worship? Do you remember that? Genesis chapter 4, Cain and Abel. Abel brought the sacrifice that God required, but Cain did not. And Cain's sacrifice was condemned and rejected, where Abel's was accepted and was pleasing unto God. In that passage we find that God smiles then upon the acceptable worshipper, but then God frowns upon the unacceptable worshipper. God is not indifferent as to how we worship Him. Let me show you. In fact, let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought and asked yourself, "I wonder what God's attitude is toward unacceptable worship?" Let's broaden it. I wonder what God thinks about all the religious services that are going on in this city and every other city in this country.

Now it may shock you what I'm about to show you from the Bible. But I'm going to show you exactly what God thinks about unacceptable worship. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Isaiah 1, verse 11. Look at the question that God asks. Isaiah 1 verse 11.

"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" saith the Lord. Now wait a minute. What were these people doing? They were offering sacrifice to God. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" saith the Lord. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts. I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats."

"When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination unto me. The new moons and the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with it. It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me."

"I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood." Now let me ask you a question. Did not God appoint the solemn meetings? Did not God appoint the new moons and the feast days? Yes. Did not God appoint the Sabbaths? Yes. Did not God appoint the sacrifices? Yes. But look what He says. "I hate it. I won't have it. I can't stand it."

Now, let me just show you, it gets even stronger. Turn over in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 5. Amos, chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos, chapter 5. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 21. Oh, here it is, very plainly stated. God says,

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:21-24

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts."

"Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Now listen to what he said. "I hate, I despise your feast days. I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." I don't care how much incense you offer. I don't care how many sacrifices you give. I will not smell it. I will not accept it. And he said, "Take away from me the noise of thy songs." All their beautiful singing, all their instruments was nothing but noise to God. He said, "I won't have it." And he tells you why. "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." I'm not going to ask that you turn back to Isaiah chapter 1. But do you remember why God refused their sacrifices and their offerings?

He said, "When you stretch forth your hands to me, I will hide my eyes. Why? Your hands are full of blood." He said, "You're wicked, you're disobedient, you're ungodly, and you think that coming to Me with a little ritual, a little ceremony, a little tradition is going to make you acceptable in My sight and make your worship acceptable, you're wrong. I hate it." And in Amos chapter 5, once again, he says, "I hate, I despise your feast days." Once again, God ordained those feast days. God ordained those solemn assemblies. God ordained those songs. God ordained that music. But God says, "What you're doing is unacceptable."

Because there is no judgment, there is no justice, there is no righteousness in your lives. Let me ask you a question. This is a mind-boggling question. But does it bother you that God may be hating what you're doing this very moment?

Does it bother you that what the average church gives to God is detested and despised by God? That's a question, folks. Look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter 1. I'm going to show you a couple more passages on this point. Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 1. Listen to these questions. Malachi 1, let's begin with verse 6. Malachi 1, verse 6, God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 1:6-11

"A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"

"Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts."

"And now I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us. This hath been by your means. Will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering. For my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts."

Now look what he said. "If I'm a father, where is my honor? If I'm a master, where is my fear?" And then he says, "Oh, you priests that despise my name." Now, they ask, "Wherein have we despised thy name?" Well, he answers, "In that you have offered polluted bread upon mine altar." In other words, I couldn't care less what they gave God. Their attitude was, "A sacrifice is a sacrifice is a sacrifice." He said, "And in that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible." Let me tell you something, folks. Whenever we think the worship of God, the preaching of the word is somehow second rate and second place, that is despising of God's worship and of God's person. So they were saying, "The table of the Lord is contemptible."

Now look what he said in verse 8. "And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil?" Remember, each of those sacrificial lambs, rams, had to be perfect. Why? Because they represented and pictured Jesus Christ. And so what these people were doing was they were offering lambs and rams that were blind, maimed, sick. "Well, that's called dying. Yeah, I might as well give it to God." He said, "If ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?" Now, look what he says. "Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts." God said, "I tell you what you do."

"You get the high civil authority in the land to your house, and you give him for supper what you give me. You get that old blind lamb out there that's sick and sore, and God blisters all over him and sores all over him. Cook that up for your governor and see if your governor will accept it." None of us would do that to a friend. None of us would do that even to an enemy. But God said, "That's exactly what you're giving me." And God said, "I just want you to know something. I hate it. I won't have it. I won't stand for it." Then he says, verse 10, "Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."

Do you realize the average church has to pay a musician? They have to pay a janitor. They have to pay people to do things around. This is exactly what God is saying. "Who is willing just to do it out of honor and adoration and worship to me? No, you're not willing to do that. You want to be paid for it. You don't understand," said God. God said, "I have no pleasure in you. You're a money-oriented, money-grubbing people who are not willing to sacrifice for me."

Oh, I'll tell you what. You talk about passages that condemn modern day religiosity. That's not all. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 7. Jeremiah chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. Jeremiah 7, verse 19. Let me show you why the average church cannot prosper spiritually. Jeremiah 7. Notice if you would please verse 19. Look at the question God asks.

"Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord. Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beasts, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk ye in all the way that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."

"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels of the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck, they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken unto thee. Thou shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction." "Truth is perished and is cut off from their mouth." Now God said, let me ask you, what was the point of all the sacrifices if you are going to disobey me? God said, "You think that you can settle down into some little ceremony and some little ritual and then live your life the way you please in disobedience to Me and My Word, and somehow your offerings, your sacrifice is going to be acceptable." God said, "Oh no."

What happens is My wrath is burning against you. My wrath is burning against you. Let me tell you something, folks. It is true that we must worship God, but we also must worship God acceptably. There is a worship that is unacceptable to God.

Acceptable Worship Is a Matter of Divine Revelation

Worship must be according to God's revealed pattern, not human rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, or sentimentalism. The tabernacle was built exactly as God commanded.

Now let me ask a hard question. I'm going to try to answer this for you the next several weeks. How do you know whether or not your worship is acceptable before God? What is acceptable worship? And if your worship is not acceptable, the truth of Scripture is that God's anger and God's wrath is burning against you. You see, the Bible tells us, and I'll cover this later on, that God is to be the exclusive object of worship. He said, "I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt."

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And then the very next thing he said was this. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images." Ah, what is he saying? He is saying the one true living God cannot be materialized. I'll explain that a little bit later. You cannot have a material God the way the heathen, the way the pagans did in the Old Testament. God is the exclusive object of worship, but in worshiping Him, we must worship Him the way that He demands.

Now, look in John chapter 4 at what he told the Samaritan woman. John chapter 4, notice what he said. In verse 22, He told the Samaritan woman, "Ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship." Now look what he said, "Ye worship ye know not what." Why in the world did he tell that woman, "Ye worship ye know not what"? Do you remember how the Samaritans came into existence? Do you remember in 2 Kings 17, when Israel had been conquered, then the king of Assyria moved a lot of the Israelites, those who did not kill, out of the land into captivity into Assyria. And then he sent a lot of the heathen into the northern kingdom around Samaria. And there you had an amalgamation of the pagans and some of those people who were left in the land and they intermarried. That's where the Samaritans came from. They were half-breeds.

And the Judahites in the southern tribe despised them. In fact, they would do everything they could. Usually they would walk around Samaria. They wouldn't even go through Samaria. They so despised the Samaritans. Now, the Samaritans had a little bit of truth, but not the whole truth. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim. But they only accepted the Pentateuch as the Word of God.

That is the first five books in the Bible, the books of Moses. So our Lord said, "You don't even know what you're worshiping. You don't even have a complete Bible." And they didn't. He said, "We know what we're worshiping because unto Israel was committed the oracles of God."

Now, let me point this out. When people say, "Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to worship according to what I think best." That's rationalism. You're worshipping your own mind. You are taking your mind and putting it in competition with the divine revelation of God. But there are a lot of people that say, "Well, I think I'm going to worship this way." That's pure rationalism. And some folks said, "Well, I know what makes me feel good, and I'm going to worship according to my feelings." That's subjectivism. That's not revelation. Someone said, "Well, I'm going to worship according to experience because I know how it's been done for years." That's traditionalism. That's not divine revelation. Someone says, "Well, I want to worship based upon what works." That's pragmatism. That's not divine revelation. You say, "Well, I know what makes me feel good. I know what makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied." That's sentimentalism. That's not divine revelation. Now, let me ask you, I've heard people say this.

I cannot even count the times. I've heard people tell me, "Well, Brother Weaver, the reason I go to that church is it just makes me feel so good." What? The reason I go to that church, it makes me feel so good. Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God. The question is not whether it makes you feel good, but is it acceptable unto God? That's the question. You cannot live by feelings. You must live by the Word of God. Do you think...

Let me give you an illustration. I've taught school. I've taught from the fourth grade all the way through college. And there have been numerous times I've asked for papers to be written. And you know, whenever I ask for a paper to be written, I will say, "I want five pages. I want it typewritten. I want it double spaced. I want the title to be at the top. I want your name to be at the right. I want the date to be there. And then when you get through, I want a bibliography and I tell them how I want it done." Now, after I give them that information, some kid comes up and he's hand scribbled a couple pages, no title, no bibliography, put his name on the left hand side. It's barely legible. And he hands that to me for the paper. Do you think that as a teacher, I would accept that paper? I'd say, "Son, unless you want a zero, you're going to do this work exactly the way I tell you to do it."

If I would be that fastidious as a teacher, do you think that God is less fastidious concerning his worship? Do you think that people could just give to God any old thing they please and God would just smile and say, "Well, I understand. I'll take it"? Now stop and think about that. No. The same Bible that tells us that God must be worshipped also tells us how God is to be worshipped. And God will not accept or receive unacceptable worship.

You remember I quoted this verse in here innumerable times. Galatians 6 and verse 16. What's it say? God said, "As many as walk according to this rule," that is this standard, this Bible, "peace be upon them and mercy upon the Israel of God." Here's the third thing, and that is this, acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. I've already hinted at it, but acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. I don't have to develop this point too much, I think that you will automatically understand it. But here Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he's wandering around and the children of Israel may be a little discontented. And Moses says, "I know what I'll do. What? I'll just build a tabernacle. And I'll design it like this and I'll design it like that and I'll call all the people in here and we'll worship God and it'll all work out and they'll be happy and they'll be satisfied and they'll cause me less heartache and less problem." Is that how the tabernacle came about? Oh, no. The tabernacle did not originate with Moses. The tabernacle came from God. God gave Moses the directions for everything in the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself. And then God said this to Moses, "See that thou make it according to the pattern given thee in the mount." Moses couldn't make that altar any dimension he wanted to make it. Moses couldn't say, "Well, you know, we've got this old ugly tabernacle right here."

"I think if I put a little bay window right here on this side, that'd make it more beautiful and more appealing." No, no, no! He did not have that option! He had to make it exactly the way God ordained it. When the temple was built, did Solomon just simply build it according... No, no, no! He built it according as it was revealed. When you understand that worship must be acceptable, you must also comprehend the fact that for worship to be acceptable, it must be according to divine revelation. God has said, "This is what pleases me."

This is what I want. And God's not going to receive anything else. God has revealed in His Word what is acceptable, what is unacceptable.

Acceptable Worship Is a Fruit of Christ's Work

Only through Jesus Christ can we worship God acceptably. He saves us from sin and brings us to God, enabling us to worship in spirit and truth.

Now one last thought today, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to several passages. I want you to see that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Let's turn in our Bibles first of all to Matthew 1. Matthew 1. And look, if you would, please, at verse 21. Matthew 1 verse 21. Our Lord is to be born. And the angel tells Mary and Joseph. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Why?"

"For he shall save his people from their sins." Now listen carefully. The only reason anyone can give unto God the Father acceptable worship is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ did not save us, we could not give to God that which he demands. Romans 8 once again says, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So whatever is acceptable to God must be through the person of Jesus Christ.

Now look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Philippians 3, verse 1. Paul writes, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs." He's not talking about the four-legged kind. "Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision." He's talking about the Jews, the Pharisees. Then he says this, "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Did you hear that? "We are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit." How can we worship Him in spirit? Because we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. In other words, the true worship of God is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. I'm just showing you, you cannot worship Jesus Christ.

You cannot worship God the Father except through Jesus Christ. Notice 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. The Bible says, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Now note, Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust. Why did he suffer for our sins? Why did the just one suffer for we, the unjust ones? Here's the answer. "That he might bring us to God." It would be impossible to be brought to God in any other way except through Jesus Christ. Now, let me just give you a quote on the last verse.

You don't have to turn there. I know that you know this verse. John 14, verse 6, Our Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Help me out now. "And no man cometh to the Father, but by me." The only way that we can worship God acceptably is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to think about worship this week. It's going to take me four or five weeks to finish this, but I'm going to show you from the Bible, Lord willing, what worshipping God in spirit, what worshipping God in truth really are, and how that we can give that acceptable worship to God. There's more to worship than plopping down in a pew, flipping a quarter in the plate, and singing a song, and hearing a sermon, and going home. The one thought I want to leave you with today is this. We must worship God and we must worship Him acceptably.

Conclusion: Call to Acceptable Worship

We must worship God acceptably according to divine revelation through Christ. The series will explore what it means to worship in spirit and truth.

And the only way we can do that is by worshiping Him according to divine revelation through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, help us today. Speak to our hearts. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Teach us what it really is to worship Thee, Lord. And enable us to give Thee the worship that is due unto Thy great and glorious and majestic name. For Thou only art worthy. And we bow to Thee, O Lord. We kneel to Thee this day. For Thou art our Creator, and we are the creature. Thou art our King, and we are the subjects. Thou art our Master, and we are the slaves. In Thy divine providence Thou hast given us all good things, and we acknowledge it today, and we worship Thee. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Duty of Worship

Summary: All people, both saints and sinners, have a duty to worship God because He is Creator, Provider, Redeemer, and King.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'It is our duty to worship God' and lists creation right, providential right, redemptive right, and kingship right as reasons.

God's Hatred of Unacceptable Worship

Summary: God is not indifferent to how He is worshiped; He hates and despises worship offered by the disobedient, even if it follows prescribed rituals.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 1:11-15, Amos 5:21-23, Malachi 1:6-10, and Jeremiah 7:19-28 to show God's rejection of insincere worship.

Worship According to Divine Revelation

Summary: Acceptable worship must be based on God's revealed Word, not human ideas, feelings, traditions, or pragmatism.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation' and contrasts it with rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, and sentimentalism.

Christ as the Only Way to Acceptable Worship

Summary: Only through the person and work of Jesus Christ can anyone offer acceptable worship to God, because He saves us and brings us to God.

Evidence: Weaver references Matthew 1:21, Philippians 3:3, 1 Peter 3:18, and John 14:6 to show that acceptable worship is a fruit of Christ's work.

Worship as Evangelism

Summary: The biblical doctrine of worship can be used to convict sinners of their duty and inability, leading to regeneration.

Evidence: Weaver explains that Jesus used worship to evangelize the Samaritan woman, showing her duty and her unfitness to worship without conversion.

The Meaning of Worship

Summary: Worship involves bowing down, submission, and honoring God, illustrated by the Greek word proskuneo and the image of a dog licking its master's hand.

Evidence: Weaver defines worship as 'reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings' and explains proskuneo as 'to bow down before, to submit to, to lick the back of the hand.'

Key Arguments

Worship is a universal duty

Summary: Every person must worship God because He is Creator, Provider, Redeemer, and King; failure to do so is a great sin.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'It is our duty to worship God' and gives four rights: creation, providence, redemption, and kingship.

Unacceptable worship provokes God's wrath

Summary: God explicitly states He hates and despises worship from those who are disobedient, even if the forms are biblically prescribed.

Evidence: Weaver reads Isaiah 1:11-15, Amos 5:21-23, Malachi 1:6-10, and Jeremiah 7:19-28, where God rejects sacrifices and assemblies.

Worship must be according to Scripture

Summary: Human methods of worship—rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, sentimentalism—are invalid; only divine revelation determines acceptable worship.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation' and contrasts it with human approaches.

Christ enables acceptable worship

Summary: Without Christ's saving work, no one can please God or worship acceptably; He is the only way to the Father.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 1:21, Philippians 3:3, 1 Peter 3:18, and John 14:6 to show that worship is a fruit of Christ's work.

Worship is not about personal feelings

Summary: The purpose of worship is to honor God, not to make the worshiper feel good; the question is whether it is acceptable to God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God.'

Religion can hinder true worship

Summary: Religious traditions and rituals can become a hindrance when they replace heartfelt obedience and righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'One of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion' and references Mark 7 and Matthew 15.

Scripture References

John 4:19-26

Context: The primary text for the series; Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman about worship in spirit and truth.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21

Context: Paul teaches that pagan sacrifices are to devils, showing there is no neutrality in worship.

Psalm 89:7

Context: God is to be feared in the assembly of the saints and held in reverence.

Psalm 95:6-7

Context: A call to worship and bow down before the Lord our Maker.

Mark 7 (also Matthew 15)

Context: Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for elevating tradition over God's Word, hindering true worship.

Romans 8:8

Context: Those in the flesh cannot please God, showing the inability of the unsaved to worship acceptably.

Exodus 20:1-3

Context: The first commandment: no other gods before the Lord.

Matthew 4:10

Context: Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.'

1 John 5:21

Context: Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Ephesians 5:5

Context: Covetous men are idolaters.

2 Timothy 3:4

Context: Men will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

Philippians 3:19

Context: Whose god is their belly.

1 Timothy 2:9

Context: Women should dress in modest apparel.

Psalm 100

Context: A call to worship because the Lord is God and we are His people.

Acts 14:17

Context: God's providence in giving rain, fruitful seasons, food, and gladness.

Psalm 107:2

Context: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

1 Timothy 6:15-16

Context: Christ is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Isaiah 1:11-15

Context: God rejects the sacrifices and assemblies of the wicked; He hates their worship.

Amos 5:21-24

Context: God hates and despises their feast days and will not accept their offerings; He desires righteousness.

Malachi 1:6-11

Context: God rebukes the priests for offering polluted bread and blind sacrifices, showing contempt for His table.

Historical References

Samaritans' origin (2 Kings 17)

Context: The Samaritans were a mixed race from the intermarriage of Israelites left in the land and pagans brought in by Assyria; they accepted only the Pentateuch.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

Context: The first open sin in the Bible was over worship; Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain's was rejected.

Tabernacle construction (Exodus)

Context: Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shown on the mount; he had no creative license.

Important Quotes

God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Significance: The foundational verse for the series, quoted from John 4:24, establishing the requirement for acceptable worship.

One of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion.

Significance: Highlights the danger of empty rituals and traditions replacing genuine worship.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

Significance: A direct quote from Amos 5:21 showing God's strong rejection of unacceptable worship.

Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God.

Significance: Corrects the common misconception that worship is about personal feelings rather than honoring God.

Acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation.

Significance: Summarizes the principle that worship must be based on Scripture, not human ideas.

The only way that we can worship God acceptably is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Significance: Emphasizes that Christ's saving work is the sole basis for acceptable worship.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver say that even the unconverted should be interested in worship?

Context: Weaver argues that worship is a duty for all and that failure to worship the true God is satanic worship.

What does the Greek word proskuneo teach us about the nature of worship?

Context: Weaver explains the word means to bow down, submit, like a dog licking its master's hand.

How does the story of Cain and Abel illustrate the importance of acceptable worship?

Context: Weaver notes that the first open sin was over worship; Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain's was rejected.

Why does God say He hates the worship described in Isaiah 1 and Amos 5?

Context: God rejects worship from those whose hands are full of blood and who lack righteousness.

What does Malachi 1 teach about offering God our best versus our leftovers?

Context: God rebukes the priests for offering blind and lame sacrifices, asking if they would offer such to their governor.

How does Weaver contrast divine revelation with human approaches to worship?

Context: He lists rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, and sentimentalism as invalid bases for worship.

Why is it impossible to worship God acceptably apart from Jesus Christ?

Context: Weaver cites Romans 8:8 and John 14:6 to show that only through Christ can we please God and come to the Father.

Applications

Examine the object of your worship

Summary: Consider whether you are worshiping the true God or an idol such as money, pleasure, or self.

Evidence: Weaver warns that your god is whatever you set your heart upon and lists modern idols.

Evaluate your worship by Scripture, not feelings

Summary: Assess whether your worship is based on God's revealed Word rather than personal feelings or traditions.

Evidence: Weaver states that worship must be according to divine revelation, not subjectivism or sentimentalism.

Offer God your best, not leftovers

Summary: Give God the honor due His name by offering Him the best of your time, resources, and devotion, not what is convenient or leftover.

Evidence: Weaver applies Malachi 1, where God rebukes offering blind and lame sacrifices.

Trust in Christ alone for acceptable worship

Summary: Recognize that only through faith in Jesus Christ and His saving work can you worship God acceptably.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ.

Use the doctrine of worship in evangelism

Summary: When sharing the gospel, help sinners understand their duty to worship God and their inability to do so without Christ.

Evidence: Weaver explains how Jesus used worship to convict the Samaritan woman.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:44:31Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:26:16Z

Clean Transcript

Acceptable Worship - Part 1

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

John 4, and I'm going to begin a short series today that really was brought to my attention as I was preaching last week on acceptable worship. So let's look in John 4, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. John 4, verse 19, "The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper 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 unto him, "I know that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ."
#1 | 0:00 to 1:06 | cleaned
When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, "I that speak unto thee am he." Every Christian should be vitally interested in worship. Worship is that which we render to our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only should Christians be interested in worship, I'm going to show you a little bit later that even the unconverted ought to be interested in worship. For two reasons. First one is this. If you look in your Bibles very quickly, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Let me point something out that the Apostle Paul reveals concerning worship. 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
#2 | 1:06 to 1:50 | cleaned
And notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes, "But I say that the things which the Gentiles or the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils." Now, what is the apostle saying? He is saying that if you are not worshiping the one true and the living God, then the alternative is whatever you're doing is satanic.
#3 | 1:50 to 2:27 | cleaned
It's the worship of Satan. So, worship is not only a vital interest to the saints, it should also be a vital interest to the sinner as well. And in the context, which I will demonstrate later on, our Lord is taking the biblical doctrine of worship and using this doctrine to evangelize a lost woman in John 4. So worship is indeed a method of evangelization. So the Bible is teaching us that there is really no such thing as neutrality in worship.
#4 | 2:28 to 3:00 | cleaned
We're either worshiping the one true and living God, or we're worshiping the devil. Now let me give you a definition of worship. Worship is the reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. And you will find this same definition and the same word used in the Bible in reference to God, in reference to men, even in reference to idols. Worship, then, is the reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. So acceptable worship, then, is honor and reverence paid to the one true and living God. Now let me tell you what the word worship literally means. It is from the Greek word proskuneo. Pros is a preposition which means "to" or "toward," and it is translated "to fall down before" or it's interpreted to mean "to fall down before, to do honor by kissing the hand." Now let me finish the word. Proskuneo. Pros is the preposition which means "to" or "toward," and the latter part is from kuon, which is the Greek word for a dog. Now, how in the world does a dog figure into the definition of worship?
#5 | 3:00 to 4:28 | cleaned
Well, most of us have dogs, some do not, but have you ever noticed when it is your dog, when you come up to that dog, you can hold your hand out, and usually what the dog will do is what? Lick the back of your hand. Lick the hand. And sometimes, just simply lie down.
#6 | 4:28 to 4:51 | cleaned
Now, if you have a dog like my dog, and when Hobie was out helping me yesterday, he knelt down and had a handful of boards and couldn't do anything, guess what? My dog took full advantage of that situation and literally washed his face for him, you know, and she was a loving, kind dog. But that's exactly what it means. That's what worship is. It literally means to bow down before, to submit to, to lick the back of the hand.
#7 | 4:51 to 5:21 | cleaned
Now, the interesting thing is this. The word worship or worshipper occurs ten times in this short passage in John chapter 4. So there's a very important aspect when it comes to worship. There are certain chapters in the Bible that emphasize certain doctrines. For instance, if you wanted to study the doctrine of the resurrection, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 15, because 1 Corinthians 15 summarizes the bodily resurrection from the dead. If you wanted to study the subject of love, you'd go to 1 Corinthians 13. If you wanted to study our Lord's death, you'd go to Isaiah 53. Now, certainly those subjects are taught throughout the entirety of the Bible, but there are certain chapters that concisely state these doctrines. So likewise, when you come to John chapter 4, you have this section then that concisely states the doctrine of worship.
#8 | 5:21 to 6:20 | cleaned
Now the Bible says in Psalm 89 verse 7, let me just quote it for you. Psalm 89 verse 7, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be held in reverence of all them that are about Him." God is greatly to be feared where? In the assembly of the saints. And He is to be held in reverence of all them that are about Him. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 95. And let me show you this verse. I will refer to it just a little bit later. Psalm 95. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 6. Psalm 95 verse 6. The Bible says, "O come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." Now watch. "O come let us worship and bow down." You remember the definition to bow down like a dog? "Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." There is submission. Why? "For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand."
#9 | 6:20 to 7:30 | cleaned
So we are the creature, and He is the Creator. We are the subjects, and He is the King. We are the servants, and He is the Lord. And so we are to bow down before Him, acknowledging His greatness.
#10 | 7:30 to 7:49 | cleaned
Now let me just tell you very quickly how important this subject is. Because you see, there are people all across the land today that are going to what they call worship services. Do you realize the average professing Christian actually believes that as long as he goes into a church building, sings a few hymns, throws a quarter or two in the offering plate, and listens to a sermon, and then leaves, that somehow, some way, he's really worshipped God.
#11 | 7:49 to 8:24 | cleaned
And that is absolutely the furthest from the truth. Our Lord said in John 4, "God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Do you remember in Mark chapter 7? I'm not going to ask you to turn there, but do you remember Mark chapter 7? You'll also find it in Matthew 15. The Pharisees came to our Lord and were complaining.
#12 | 8:24 to 8:48 | cleaned
They said, "Why is it your disciples wash not their hands as the tradition of the elders teaches us before they eat?" Now please let me remind you once again, it was not the subject of cleanliness, it was not a health matter, it was not sanitation they were concerned about, but it was a tradition of the elders. And our Lord looked at them and He said, "Why is it with your tradition you transgress the Word of God?" Now, here's the point. The Pharisees were so concerned about their tradition and about their ceremonies and about their rituals, and they were griping and complaining to our Lord about His disciples, while at the same time their hearts were filthy before God, and they were not worshipping the one true and the living God.
#13 | 8:48 to 9:35 | cleaned
Do you realize one of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion? Now stop and think about that. Because religion always has its own traditions, its own rituals, its own ceremonies, and people think as long as they fulfill those ceremonies, then they worship God. Do you realize that religion teaches that fallen men can do things that are acceptable unto God? Which is absolutely contrary to Scripture. Romans 8 teaches us, "They that are in the flesh cannot please God." Fallen men cannot please God. They cannot serve God. Now listen carefully. The truth is that unsaved men may be generous philanthropists, they may be sincere religionists, they may be zealous denominationalists, they may be regular communicants. But the truth is, the Scripture teaches, that unsaved men cannot worship God properly. Why? Because there is nothing in them that would enable them to give God the honor and the worship that He is due. Why? Because God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
#14 | 9:36 to 11:05 | cleaned
Now let me point out the very first point today, and that is this. It is our duty to worship God. Underline that. It is our duty to worship God. Do you remember in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 1, the Bible says, "And the Lord God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt." Verse 3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And then our Lord in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10 said to Satan, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and him alone shalt thou serve." Let me tell you in a very general sense of the word, what your God is.
#15 | 11:06 to 12:03 | cleaned
Your God, in essence, is whatever you set your heart upon, whatever you give adoration and honor and devotion unto. There's an interesting verse in 1 John 5 and verse 21. It's the last verse in the book of 1 John. And it simply says this, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Now, there are a number of scholars that believe that the book of 1 John was the last book that was written, chronologically speaking, in our Bibles. Now, if that is so, instead of Revelation being the last book, 1 John would be the last book.
#16 | 12:05 to 12:53 | cleaned
You understand what I'm saying? If that is so, it would be interesting that Genesis 1:1 opens, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." And the last verse then would be, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."
#17 | 12:53 to 13:09 | cleaned
Now let me just give you several verses very quickly. Do you realize there is in this day and time the god of money? Someone has suggested that the motto of the United States should not be, "In God we trust," but "In this god we trust," because that is what most people literally trust in, is their money. But our Lord said, "You cannot serve God and mammon." And the Bible talks in Ephesians 5 and verse 5 about covetous men who are idolaters. Then, of course, there is the god of pleasure. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 3, it is in verse 4, that men should be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. So there is the god of pleasure. Then there is the god of the belly.
#18 | 13:12 to 13:59 | cleaned
Now, that's interesting, isn't it? But the book of Philippians chapter 3 and verse 19 talk about the ungodly, and it says this, "Whose god is their belly." So you have the god of money. You have the god of pleasure. You have the god of the belly. You have the god of fashion. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 2 that women should dress in modest apparel, not modern. Now, there's nothing wrong with modern as long as it's modest.
#19 | 14:01 to 14:28 | cleaned
But let me tell you something. The attire for Christians is not to be dictated by Hollywood or by Paris, France, or even by New York City. The attire for Christians is to be dictated by the Word of God.
#20 | 14:29 to 14:42 | cleaned
Now, the Bible tells us, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Now, if the one true and the living God, as He has revealed Himself in the Bible, is indeed the one true and the living God, then He must be worshipped. And it is our duty to worship Him. Why? Because He is God. Let me give you several rights that He has to be worshipped. First of all, He should be worshipped by virtue of creation right.
#21 | 14:43 to 15:11 | cleaned
If you'll look in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Here's a passage most people can quote, but look what it says, Psalm 100. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, he is God. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture."
#22 | 15:12 to 15:39 | cleaned
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations."
#23 | 15:40 to 15:51 | cleaned
Now, why should we worship Him? Why? Because we are His people, and we are the sheep of His pasture. Listen, He has made us, and not we ourselves. So God then deserves to be worshipped simply by virtue of creation, right? He is the Creator. And the creature owes his very existence to the Creator. Then, secondly, there is what you and I would call the providential right. Look in your Bible, if you would, to the book of Acts chapter 14.
#24 | 15:51 to 16:29 | cleaned
You'll also find this same truth in Psalm 29. But look in Acts 14 and verse 17. Here's when I'm talking about the providential right. Acts chapter 14 and verse 17, look what the Bible says in reference to God. "Nevertheless, he," that is God, "left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Note that verse, God did not leave himself without witness.
#25 | 16:29 to 17:04 | cleaned
You know, most people never stop to think. It is only by God's providence that we have food. It is only by God's providence that we have rain. It is only by God's providence that we have sunshine. It is only by God's providence that we have health. What has God done? God has not left Himself without witness. God has done good in that He provides for everyone, even those that hate Him.
#26 | 17:05 to 17:33 | cleaned
So He deserves to be worshipped. Not just simply by reason of creation right, the Creator, but also by providence right. It is his providence that brings to pass in our lives those good things that you and I take for granted on a daily basis. But then thirdly, he should be worshipped because of a redemptive right. You know, the Bible says in Psalm 107, verse 2, and then all down through Psalm 107, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy." I remember in one church Alice and I used to attend when we were young, they used to have say-so meetings. And all it was was just a short period of time for a testimony where you could stand up and say what the Lord had done for you. And they would take this text, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy." So if God has redeemed us, if God has saved us, if God has delivered us from our sins, then we have a duty and an obligation to worship Him, not just simply because we're creatures, not just simply because of His providence, but because He has redeemed us.
#27 | 17:36 to 18:59 | cleaned
He has bought us. We're His. We belong to Him. And then, fourthly, there's another reason, and that is there is a kingship right. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6, turn there, I can quote this passage, but I want you to see this. This is one of my favorite passages, 1 Timothy 6. And notice verses 15 and 16. 1 Timothy 6, verses 15 and 16.
#28 | 19:00 to 19:24 | cleaned
The Bible says concerning Christ, "Who in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." Now look, "Who in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate." Then it says, "the King of kings and Lord of lords."
#29 | 19:32 to 20:01 | cleaned
Now the word potentate literally means the all-powerful one. I had a pastor friend with me one day. And we were going to a gun show. And the gun show was in the Shrine temple. And we walked up to that place and I looked and here was a parking spot and a sign that said, "Reserved for the Potentate." I looked at my pastor friend and I said, "Isn't that wonderful? Christ may be at this gun show because here's a parking place reserved just for him. He's the only potentate that I know."
#30 | 20:02 to 20:49 | cleaned
He is King of kings and Lord of lords. So there is a kingship right. Why should we worship Him? Not simply by virtue of creation, not simply by virtue of providence, not even simply by virtue of redemption, but also because He is King.
#31 | 20:50 to 21:10 | cleaned
Now, failure to worship the one true and living God is a sin. In fact, it's one of the greatest sins.
#32 | 21:10 to 21:17 | cleaned
Now, let me give you the context of John chapter 4. We did not read all of John chapter 4, verses 19 through 26 is all we read. But you'll remember beginning there in John chapter 4 and verse 4, our Lord must needs go through Samaria. Why? Because here He was seated on the well and a woman of Samaria came out to draw water and He said, "Give me water to drink."
#33 | 21:18 to 21:40 | cleaned
She said, "Why is it you're speaking to me? Because I'm a Samaritan and you folks don't talk to us Samaritans." And our Lord said, "Look, if you knew who it was that spoke to you, you would ask of Him living water and He would give you living water that you would never have to thirst again." Ah, she said, "Evermore, give me this water." Our Lord said, "Well, I'll tell you what, before I give you the water, you go and call your husband." She said, "I have no husband." He said, "Oh, you said a mouthful, honey, because you've had five and the one you're living with now is not even your husband."
#34 | 21:40 to 22:16 | cleaned
And she went away to the city and said, "Come see a man that told me all things ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" And of course, you know the saying, and you know the story, how the men then came out and told the woman, "Now we believe Him, not because of what you said, but because of what He said." And so it is in this context of John chapter 4 where our Lord is witnessing to this fallen woman.
#35 | 22:17 to 22:43 | cleaned
He's telling her about salvation, but He's doing so with the biblical doctrine of worship. Let me tell you something. Part of evangelism is laying upon the conscience our duty before God. When you lay upon a sinner's conscience his duty, and he understands that he cannot perform that duty, there's no way that he can do that duty, then there is a conviction that settles in. And that's exactly what our Lord was doing. He was saying, "Look, woman, you have a duty to worship God. But you're unfit to worship God. You're unable to worship God. You cannot worship God in your condition."
#36 | 22:44 to 23:26 | cleaned
In essence, you must be regenerated. You must be converted. So the truth of the matter is, the biblical doctrine of worship is also a means of evangelism. It is not just simply reminding the saints of their duty. It is also reminding sinners of their duty. They must worship. So the truth is, we are obligated to worship God. God demands that we worship Him based upon creation, based upon providence, based upon redemption, and based upon the kingship of Christ.
#37 | 23:26 to 24:06 | cleaned
Here's the second point, and I want to dwell heavily upon this. God is not indifferent as to how we worship Him.
#38 | 24:07 to 24:17 | cleaned
Now, the interesting thing is we have so degenerated in our day and time. We take the idea, "Well, I'll just worship God any old way I please." And the response to that is, "Oh, no." The same Bible that teaches us that we must worship God also teaches us how we are to worship God. Do you realize the first overt, that is the first open sin in the Bible, was over worship? Do you remember that?
#39 | 24:19 to 24:56 | cleaned
Genesis chapter 4, Cain and Abel. Abel brought the sacrifice that God required, but Cain did not. And Cain's sacrifice was condemned and rejected, where Abel's was accepted and was pleasing unto God. In that passage we find that God smiles then upon the acceptable worshipper, but then God frowns upon the unacceptable worshipper. God is not indifferent as to how we worship Him. Let me show you. In fact, let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought and asked yourself, "I wonder what God's attitude is toward unacceptable worship?" Let's broaden it. I wonder what God thinks about all the religious services that are going on in this city and every other city in this country.
#40 | 24:56 to 26:07 | cleaned
Now it may shock you what I'm about to show you from the Bible. But I'm going to show you exactly what God thinks about unacceptable worship. Look in your Bibles, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 11. Isaiah 1, verse 11. Look at the question that God asks. Isaiah 1 verse 11.
#41 | 26:09 to 26:48 | cleaned
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" saith the Lord. Now wait a minute. What were these people doing? They were offering sacrifice to God. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" saith the Lord. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts. I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats."
#42 | 26:48 to 27:10 | cleaned
"When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination unto me. The new moons and the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with it. It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me."
#43 | 27:11 to 27:35 | cleaned
"I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood."
#44 | 27:35 to 27:44 | cleaned
Now let me ask you a question. Did not God appoint the solemn meetings? Did not God appoint the new moons and the feast days? Yes. Did not God appoint the Sabbaths? Yes. Did not God appoint the sacrifices? Yes. But look what He says. "I hate it. I won't have it. I can't stand it."
#45 | 27:45 to 28:10 | cleaned
Now, let me just show you, it gets even stronger. Turn over in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 5. Amos, chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos, chapter 5. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 21. Oh, here it is, very plainly stated. God says, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts."
#46 | 28:13 to 29:00 | cleaned
"Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Now listen to what he said. "I hate, I despise your feast days. I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." I don't care how much incense you offer. I don't care how many sacrifices you give. I will not smell it.
#47 | 29:00 to 29:24 | cleaned
I will not accept it. And he said, "Take away from me the noise of thy songs." All their beautiful singing, all their instruments was nothing but noise to God. He said, "I won't have it." And he tells you why. "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." I'm not going to ask that you turn back to Isaiah chapter 1. But do you remember why God refused their sacrifices and their offerings?
#48 | 29:24 to 29:52 | cleaned
He said, "When you stretch forth your hands to me, I will hide my eyes. Why? Your hands are full of blood." He said, "You're wicked, you're disobedient, you're ungodly, and you think that coming to Me with a little ritual, a little ceremony, a little tradition is going to make you acceptable in My sight and make your worship acceptable, you're wrong. I hate it." And in Amos chapter 5, once again, he says, "I hate, I despise your feast days." Once again, God ordained those feast days. God ordained those solemn assemblies. God ordained those songs. God ordained that music. But God says, "What you're doing is unacceptable."
#49 | 29:52 to 30:33 | cleaned
Because there is no judgment, there is no justice, there is no righteousness in your lives. Let me ask you a question. This is a mind-boggling question. But does it bother you that God may be hating what you're doing this very moment?
#50 | 30:35 to 31:00 | cleaned
Does it bother you that what the average church gives to God is detested and despised by God? That's a question, folks. Look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter 1. I'm going to show you a couple more passages on this point. Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 1. Listen to these questions. Malachi 1, let's begin with verse 6. Malachi 1, verse 6, God says, "A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"
#51 | 31:08 to 32:11 | cleaned
"Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts."
#52 | 32:12 to 32:36 | cleaned
"And now I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us. This hath been by your means. Will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering. For my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts."
#53 | 32:37 to 33:08 | cleaned
Now look what he said. "If I'm a father, where is my honor? If I'm a master, where is my fear?" And then he says, "Oh, you priests that despise my name." Now, they ask, "Wherein have we despised thy name?" Well, he answers, "In that you have offered polluted bread upon mine altar." In other words, I couldn't care less what they gave God. Their attitude was, "A sacrifice is a sacrifice is a sacrifice."
#54 | 33:08 to 33:43 | cleaned
He said, "And in that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible." Let me tell you something, folks. Whenever we think the worship of God, the preaching of the word is somehow
#55 | 33:45 to 33:57 | cleaned
second rate and second place, that is despising of God's worship and of God's person. So they were saying, "The table of the Lord is contemptible."
#56 | 33:59 to 34:11 | cleaned
Now look what he said in verse 8. "And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil?" Remember, each of those sacrificial lambs, rams, had to be perfect. Why? Because they represented and pictured Jesus Christ. And so what these people were doing was they were offering lambs and rams that were blind, maimed, sick. "Well, that's called dying. Yeah, I might as well give it to God." He said, "If ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?" Now, look what he says. "Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts." God said, "I tell you what you do."
#57 | 34:11 to 34:57 | cleaned
"You get the high civil authority in the land to your house, and you give him for supper what you give me. You get that old blind lamb out there that's sick and sore, and God blisters all over him and sores all over him. Cook that up for your governor and see if your governor will accept it." None of us would do that to a friend. None of us would do that even to an enemy. But God said, "That's exactly what you're giving me." And God said, "I just want you to know something. I hate it. I won't have it. I won't stand for it." Then he says, verse 10, "Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for naught. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."
#58 | 34:57 to 36:01 | cleaned
Do you realize the average church has to pay a musician? They have to pay a janitor. They have to pay people to do things around. This is exactly what God is saying. "Who is willing just to do it out of honor and adoration and worship to me? No, you're not willing to do that. You want to be paid for it. You don't understand," said God. God said, "I have no pleasure in you. You're a money-oriented, money-grubbing people who are not willing to sacrifice for me."
#59 | 36:03 to 36:43 | cleaned
Oh, I'll tell you what. You talk about passages that condemn modern day religiosity. That's not all. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 7. Jeremiah chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. Jeremiah 7, verse 19. Let me show you why the average church cannot prosper spiritually. Jeremiah 7. Notice if you would please verse 19. Look at the question God asks.
#60 | 36:46 to 37:31 | cleaned
"Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord. Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beasts, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk ye in all the way that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."
#61 | 37:32 to 38:18 | cleaned
"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels of the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck, they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken unto thee. Thou shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction."
#62 | 38:18 to 38:55 | cleaned
"Truth is perished and is cut off from their mouth." Now God said, let me ask you, what was the point of all the sacrifices if you are going to disobey me? God said, "You think that you can settle down into some little ceremony and some little ritual and then live your life the way you please in disobedience to Me and My Word, and somehow your offerings, your sacrifice is going to be acceptable." God said, "Oh no."
#63 | 38:55 to 39:29 | cleaned
What happens is My wrath is burning against you. My wrath is burning against you. Let me tell you something, folks. It is true that we must worship God, but we also must worship God acceptably. There is a worship that is unacceptable to God.
#64 | 39:29 to 39:50 | cleaned
Now let me ask a hard question. I'm going to try to answer this for you the next several weeks. How do you know whether or not your worship is acceptable before God? What is acceptable worship? And if your worship is not acceptable, the truth of Scripture is that God's anger and God's wrath is burning against you. You see, the Bible tells us, and I'll cover this later on, that God is to be the exclusive object of worship. He said, "I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt."
#65 | 39:52 to 40:32 | cleaned
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And then the very next thing he said was this. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images." Ah, what is he saying? He is saying the one true living God cannot be materialized. I'll explain that a little bit later. You cannot have a material God the way the heathen, the way the pagans did in the Old Testament. God is the exclusive object of worship, but in worshiping Him, we must worship Him the way that He demands.
#66 | 40:33 to 41:11 | cleaned
Now, look in John chapter 4 at what he told the Samaritan woman. John chapter 4, notice what he said. In verse 22, He told the Samaritan woman, "Ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship." Now look what he said, "Ye worship ye know not what." Why in the world did he tell that woman, "Ye worship ye know not what"? Do you remember how the Samaritans came into existence? Do you remember in 2 Kings 17, when Israel had been conquered, then the king of Assyria moved a lot of the Israelites, those who did not kill, out of the land into captivity into Assyria. And then he sent a lot of the heathen into the northern kingdom around Samaria. And there you had an amalgamation of the pagans and some of those people who were left in the land and they intermarried. That's where the Samaritans came from. They were half-breeds.
#67 | 41:11 to 42:28 | cleaned
And the Judahites in the southern tribe despised them. In fact, they would do everything they could. Usually they would walk around Samaria. They wouldn't even go through Samaria. They so despised the Samaritans. Now, the Samaritans had a little bit of truth, but not the whole truth. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim. But they only accepted the Pentateuch as the Word of God.
#68 | 42:30 to 43:05 | cleaned
That is the first five books in the Bible, the books of Moses. So our Lord said, "You don't even know what you're worshiping. You don't even have a complete Bible." And they didn't. He said, "We know what we're worshiping because unto Israel was committed the oracles of God."
#69 | 43:05 to 43:25 | cleaned
Now, let me point this out. When people say, "Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to worship according to what I think best." That's rationalism. You're worshipping your own mind. You are taking your mind and putting it in competition with the divine revelation of God. But there are a lot of people that say, "Well, I think I'm going to worship this way." That's pure rationalism. And some folks said, "Well, I know what makes me feel good, and I'm going to worship according to my feelings." That's subjectivism. That's not revelation. Someone said, "Well, I'm going to worship according to experience because I know how it's been done for years." That's traditionalism. That's not divine revelation. Someone says, "Well, I want to worship based upon what works." That's pragmatism. That's not divine revelation. You say, "Well, I know what makes me feel good. I know what makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied." That's sentimentalism. That's not divine revelation. Now, let me ask you, I've heard people say this.
#70 | 43:26 to 44:50 | cleaned
I cannot even count the times. I've heard people tell me, "Well, Brother Weaver, the reason I go to that church is it just makes me feel so good." What? The reason I go to that church, it makes me feel so good. Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God. The question is not whether it makes you feel good, but is it acceptable unto God? That's the question. You cannot live by feelings. You must live by the Word of God. Do you think...
#71 | 44:51 to 45:36 | cleaned
Let me give you an illustration. I've taught school. I've taught from the fourth grade all the way through college. And there have been numerous times I've asked for papers to be written. And you know, whenever I ask for a paper to be written, I will say, "I want five pages. I want it typewritten. I want it double spaced. I want the title to be at the top. I want your name to be at the right. I want the date to be there. And then when you get through, I want a bibliography and I tell them how I want it done." Now, after I give them that information, some kid comes up and he's hand scribbled a couple pages, no title, no bibliography, put his name on the left hand side. It's barely legible. And he hands that to me for the paper. Do you think that as a teacher, I would accept that paper? I'd say, "Son, unless you want a zero, you're going to do this work exactly the way I tell you to do it."
#72 | 45:41 to 46:55 | cleaned
If I would be that fastidious as a teacher, do you think that God is less fastidious concerning his worship? Do you think that people could just give to God any old thing they please and God would just smile and say, "Well, I understand. I'll take it"? Now stop and think about that. No. The same Bible that tells us that God must be worshipped also tells us how God is to be worshipped. And God will not accept or receive unacceptable worship.
#73 | 46:59 to 47:39 | cleaned
You remember I quoted this verse in here innumerable times. Galatians 6 and verse 16. What's it say? God said, "As many as walk according to this rule," that is this standard, this Bible, "peace be upon them and mercy upon the Israel of God." Here's the third thing, and that is this, acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation. I've already hinted at it, but acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation.
#74 | 47:39 to 48:11 | cleaned
I don't have to develop this point too much, I think that you will automatically understand it. But here Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he's wandering around and the children of Israel may be a little discontented. And Moses says, "I know what I'll do. What? I'll just build a tabernacle. And I'll design it like this and I'll design it like that and I'll call all the people in here and we'll worship God and it'll all work out and they'll be happy and they'll be satisfied and they'll cause me less heartache and less problem." Is that how the tabernacle came about? Oh, no. The tabernacle did not originate with Moses. The tabernacle came from God. God gave Moses the directions for everything in the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself. And then God said this to Moses, "See that thou make it according to the pattern given thee in the mount." Moses couldn't make that altar any dimension he wanted to make it. Moses couldn't say, "Well, you know, we've got this old ugly tabernacle right here."
#75 | 48:13 to 49:45 | cleaned
"I think if I put a little bay window right here on this side, that'd make it more beautiful and more appealing." No, no, no! He did not have that option! He had to make it exactly the way God ordained it. When the temple was built, did Solomon just simply build it according... No, no, no! He built it according as it was revealed. When you understand that worship must be acceptable, you must also comprehend the fact that for worship to be acceptable, it must be according to divine revelation. God has said, "This is what pleases me."
#76 | 49:46 to 50:36 | cleaned
This is what I want. And God's not going to receive anything else. God has revealed in His Word what is acceptable, what is unacceptable.
#77 | 50:38 to 50:58 | cleaned
Now one last thought today, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to several passages. I want you to see that acceptable worship is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Let's turn in our Bibles first of all to Matthew 1. Matthew 1. And look, if you would, please, at verse 21. Matthew 1 verse 21. Our Lord is to be born. And the angel tells Mary and Joseph. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Why?"
#78 | 50:59 to 51:47 | cleaned
"For he shall save his people from their sins." Now listen carefully. The only reason anyone can give unto God the Father acceptable worship is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ did not save us, we could not give to God that which he demands. Romans 8 once again says, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So whatever is acceptable to God must be through the person of Jesus Christ.
#79 | 51:48 to 52:29 | cleaned
Now look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Philippians 3, verse 1. Paul writes, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs." He's not talking about the four-legged kind. "Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision." He's talking about the Jews, the Pharisees. Then he says this, "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Did you hear that? "We are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit." How can we worship Him in spirit? Because we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. In other words, the true worship of God is a direct fruit of the work of Jesus Christ. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. I'm just showing you, you cannot worship Jesus Christ.
#80 | 52:30 to 54:01 | cleaned
You cannot worship God the Father except through Jesus Christ. Notice 1 Peter 3 and verse 18. The Bible says, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Now note, Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust. Why did he suffer for our sins? Why did the just one suffer for we, the unjust ones? Here's the answer. "That he might bring us to God." It would be impossible to be brought to God in any other way except through Jesus Christ. Now, let me just give you a quote on the last verse.
#81 | 54:01 to 54:57 | cleaned
You don't have to turn there. I know that you know this verse. John 14, verse 6, Our Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Help me out now. "And no man cometh to the Father, but by me." The only way that we can worship God acceptably is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
#82 | 54:57 to 55:25 | cleaned
Now, what I want you to do is this. I want you to think about worship this week. It's going to take me four or five weeks to finish this, but I'm going to show you from the Bible, Lord willing, what worshipping God in spirit, what worshipping God in truth really are, and how that we can give that acceptable worship to God. There's more to worship than plopping down in a pew, flipping a quarter in the plate, and singing a song, and hearing a sermon, and going home. The one thought I want to leave you with today is this. We must worship God and we must worship Him acceptably.
#83 | 55:27 to 56:22 | cleaned
And the only way we can do that is by worshiping Him according to divine revelation through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, help us today. Speak to our hearts. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Teach us what it really is to worship Thee, Lord. And enable us to give Thee the worship that is due unto Thy great and glorious and majestic name. For Thou only art worthy. And we bow to Thee, O Lord. We kneel to Thee this day. For Thou art our Creator, and we are the creature. Thou art our King, and we are the subjects. Thou art our Master, and we are the slaves. In Thy divine providence Thou hast given us all good things, and we acknowledge it today, and we worship Thee. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
#84 | 56:23 to 57:34 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:44:31Z

Acceptable Worship - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a series on acceptable worship, emphasizing that worship is a duty owed to God by virtue of creation, providence, redemption, and Christ's kingship. He warns that God is not indifferent to how He is worshiped and that unacceptable worship—mere ritual without righteousness—provokes His wrath. Acceptable worship must be according to divine revelation and is only possible through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Introduction: The Importance of Worship

Worship is vital for both saints and sinners; there is no neutrality—one either worships God or the devil. The doctrine of worship is concisely taught in John 4.

Scripture Reading — John 4:19-26

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

And notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 20. The Apostle Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

"But I say that the things which the Gentiles or the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils."

Now, what is the apostle saying? He is saying that if you are not worshiping the one true and the living God, then the alternative is whatever you're doing is satanic.

Definition and Meaning of Worship

Worship is reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. The Greek word proskuneo means to bow down, submit, like a dog licking its master's hand.

The Duty to Worship God

It is our duty to worship God based on creation right, providential right, redemptive right, and kingship right. Failure to worship is a great sin.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"And the Lord God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt."

Verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

And then our Lord in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 10 said to Satan,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-3

"Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and him alone shalt thou serve."

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:5

You understand what I'm saying? If that is so, it would be interesting that Genesis 1:1 opens, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." And the last verse then would be, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Now let me just give you several verses very quickly. Do you realize there is in this day and time the god of money? Someone has suggested that the motto of the United States should not be, "In God we trust," but "In this god we trust," because that is what most people literally trust in, is their money. But our Lord said, "You cannot serve God and mammon." And the Bible talks in Ephesians 5 and verse 5 about covetous men who are idolaters. Then, of course, there is the god of pleasure. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 3, it is in verse 4, that men should be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. So there is the god of pleasure. Then there is the god of the belly.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 3:4

Now, that's interesting, isn't it? But the book of Philippians chapter 3 and verse 19 talk about the ungodly, and it says this, "Whose god is their belly." So you have the god of money. You have the god of pleasure. You have the god of the belly. You have the god of fashion. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 2 that women should dress in modest apparel, not modern. Now, there's nothing wrong with modern as long as it's modest.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 100

If you'll look in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Here's a passage most people can quote, but look what it says, Psalm 100. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, he is God. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture."

Scripture Reading — Acts 14:17

"left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:2

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 107:2

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy."

Now, failure to worship the one true and living God is a sin. In fact, it's one of the greatest sins.

Worship as a Means of Evangelism

Jesus used the doctrine of worship to evangelize the Samaritan woman, showing her duty to worship and her inability to do so without regeneration.

God Is Not Indifferent to How We Worship

God hates and despises unacceptable worship—rituals offered by the disobedient. Passages in Isaiah, Amos, Malachi, and Jeremiah show His wrath against such worship.

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:21-24

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts."

Scripture Reading — Malachi 1:6-11

"A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"

Acceptable Worship Is a Matter of Divine Revelation

Worship must be according to God's revealed pattern, not human rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, or sentimentalism. The tabernacle was built exactly as God commanded.

This is what I want. And God's not going to receive anything else. God has revealed in His Word what is acceptable, what is unacceptable.

Acceptable Worship Is a Fruit of Christ's Work

Only through Jesus Christ can we worship God acceptably. He saves us from sin and brings us to God, enabling us to worship in spirit and truth.

Conclusion: Call to Acceptable Worship

We must worship God acceptably according to divine revelation through Christ. The series will explore what it means to worship in spirit and truth.

Acceptable Worship - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	112603151059
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	The Ten Commandments
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-23
Dictation Name
Book	Book 167: Acceptable Worship — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	84

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Importance of Worship: Worship is vital for both saints and sinners; there is no neutrality—one either worships God or the devil. The doctrine of worship is concisely taught in John 4.
Definition and Meaning of Worship: Worship is reverence, honor, and homage paid to superior beings. The Greek word proskuneo means to bow down, submit, like a dog licking its master's hand.
The Duty to Worship God: It is our duty to worship God based on creation right, providential right, redemptive right, and kingship right. Failure to worship is a great sin.
Worship as a Means of Evangelism: Jesus used the doctrine of worship to evangelize the Samaritan woman, showing her duty to worship and her inability to do so without regeneration.
God Is Not Indifferent to How We Worship: God hates and despises unacceptable worship—rituals offered by the disobedient. Passages in Isaiah, Amos, Malachi, and Jeremiah show His wrath against such worship.
Acceptable Worship Is a Matter of Divine Revelation: Worship must be according to God's revealed pattern, not human rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, or sentimentalism. The tabernacle was built exactly as God commanded.
Acceptable Worship Is a Fruit of Christ's Work: Only through Jesus Christ can we worship God acceptably. He saves us from sin and brings us to God, enabling us to worship in spirit and truth.
Conclusion: Call to Acceptable Worship: We must worship God acceptably according to divine revelation through Christ. The series will explore what it means to worship in spirit and truth.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Worship is a universal duty

Every person must worship God because He is Creator, Provider, Redeemer, and King; failure to do so is a great sin.

Weaver argues, 'It is our duty to worship God' and gives four rights: creation, providence, redemption, and kingship.

Unacceptable worship provokes God's wrath

God explicitly states He hates and despises worship from those who are disobedient, even if the forms are biblically prescribed.

Weaver reads Isaiah 1:11-15, Amos 5:21-23, Malachi 1:6-10, and Jeremiah 7:19-28, where God rejects sacrifices and assemblies.

Worship must be according to Scripture

Human methods of worship—rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, sentimentalism—are invalid; only divine revelation determines acceptable worship.

Weaver states, 'Acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation' and contrasts it with human approaches.

Christ enables acceptable worship

Without Christ's saving work, no one can please God or worship acceptably; He is the only way to the Father.

Weaver cites Matthew 1:21, Philippians 3:3, 1 Peter 3:18, and John 14:6 to show that worship is a fruit of Christ's work.

Worship is not about personal feelings

The purpose of worship is to honor God, not to make the worshiper feel good; the question is whether it is acceptable to God.

Weaver says, 'Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God.'

Religion can hinder true worship

Religious traditions and rituals can become a hindrance when they replace heartfelt obedience and righteousness.

Weaver states, 'One of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion' and references Mark 7 and Matthew 15.

Scripture References

John 4:19-26: The primary text for the series; Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman about worship in spirit and truth.
1 Corinthians 10:20-21: Paul teaches that pagan sacrifices are to devils, showing there is no neutrality in worship.
Psalm 89:7: God is to be feared in the assembly of the saints and held in reverence.
Psalm 95:6-7: A call to worship and bow down before the Lord our Maker.
Mark 7 (also Matthew 15): Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for elevating tradition over God's Word, hindering true worship.
Romans 8:8: Those in the flesh cannot please God, showing the inability of the unsaved to worship acceptably.
Exodus 20:1-3: The first commandment: no other gods before the Lord.
Matthew 4:10: Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.'
1 John 5:21: Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Ephesians 5:5: Covetous men are idolaters.
2 Timothy 3:4: Men will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
Philippians 3:19: Whose god is their belly.
1 Timothy 2:9: Women should dress in modest apparel.
Psalm 100: A call to worship because the Lord is God and we are His people.
Acts 14:17: God's providence in giving rain, fruitful seasons, food, and gladness.
Psalm 107:2: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
1 Timothy 6:15-16: Christ is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Isaiah 1:11-15: God rejects the sacrifices and assemblies of the wicked; He hates their worship.
Amos 5:21-24: God hates and despises their feast days and will not accept their offerings; He desires righteousness.
Malachi 1:6-11: God rebukes the priests for offering polluted bread and blind sacrifices, showing contempt for His table.

Historical References

Samaritans' origin (2 Kings 17): The Samaritans were a mixed race from the intermarriage of Israelites left in the land and pagans brought in by Assyria; they accepted only the Pentateuch.
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4): The first open sin in the Bible was over worship; Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain's was rejected.
Tabernacle construction (Exodus): Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shown on the mount; he had no creative license.

Important Quotes

God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The foundational verse for the series, quoted from John 4:24, establishing the requirement for acceptable worship.

One of the greatest hindrances to real worship is religion.

Highlights the danger of empty rituals and traditions replacing genuine worship.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

A direct quote from Amos 5:21 showing God's strong rejection of unacceptable worship.

Has it ever dawned upon you that worship is not designed for you? It's designed for God.

Corrects the common misconception that worship is about personal feelings rather than honoring God.

Acceptable worship is a matter of divine revelation.

Summarizes the principle that worship must be based on Scripture, not human ideas.

The only way that we can worship God acceptably is because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Emphasizes that Christ's saving work is the sole basis for acceptable worship.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver say that even the unconverted should be interested in worship?

[Context]

Weaver argues that worship is a duty for all and that failure to worship the true God is satanic worship.

[Question]

What does the Greek word proskuneo teach us about the nature of worship?

[Context]

Weaver explains the word means to bow down, submit, like a dog licking its master's hand.

[Question]

How does the story of Cain and Abel illustrate the importance of acceptable worship?

[Context]

Weaver notes that the first open sin was over worship; Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain's was rejected.

[Question]

Why does God say He hates the worship described in Isaiah 1 and Amos 5?

[Context]

God rejects worship from those whose hands are full of blood and who lack righteousness.

[Question]

What does Malachi 1 teach about offering God our best versus our leftovers?

[Context]

God rebukes the priests for offering blind and lame sacrifices, asking if they would offer such to their governor.

[Question]

How does Weaver contrast divine revelation with human approaches to worship?

[Context]

He lists rationalism, subjectivism, traditionalism, pragmatism, and sentimentalism as invalid bases for worship.

[Question]

Why is it impossible to worship God acceptably apart from Jesus Christ?

[Context]

Weaver cites Romans 8:8 and John 14:6 to show that only through Christ can we please God and come to the Father.

Applications

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

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:26:16Z