One Can Worship in Vain
Jesus met a woman of Samaria who had been married 5 times and was with another,
and after telling her all that she had done, they talked about how to worship God.
The Bible tells us how to worship (John 4:19-26) “the woman said to Him, Sir, I
perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and You
say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her,
woman, believe Me, the hour comes, 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 comes, and now is, when the true
worshipper shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to
worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and
by truth. The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ,
when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I that speaks to you am
He”.
To worship in spirit and in truth, is to worship inwardly (from your heart), not by what
you can see, hear, feel, touch or smell (II Corinthians 4:18) “while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. Remember that
God looks at the heart, not at our outward words or songs. The Bible says that
“obedience is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:22). Jesus says “if you love Me, you
will keep My commandments” (John 14:21).
Psalms 100 tells us “make a joyful noise to the Lord Yahweh, all you lands. Serve the
Lord Yahweh with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know you that
the Lord Yahweh He is God, it is He that has 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 to Him and bless His name. For the Lord
Yahweh is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations”. In
our lives, instead of focusing on what we don’t have, focus on what Jesus death, burial
and resurrection provided for us and our praise and thanksgiving will show in our
worship. Let’s look at Mary Magdalene, which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities, out of whom went seven devils. A woman in the city which was a sinner,
when she knew that Jesus was there she brought an alabaster box of ointment. And
stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did
wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with the
ointment. And while the Pharisees reasoned why He let this woman touch Him, Jesus
spoke a parable (Luke 7:41-43) “there was a certain creditor which had two debtors,
the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly forgave them both, tell Me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most, and He said to
him, you have rightly judged”; then He turned to the woman and said, your sins are
forgiven. Your faith has saved you, go in peace.
Now let’s look at the Pharisees, Jesus pronounced woes to them (Matthew 23:13-15)
“but woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men, for you, neither go in yourselves, neither allow you them that are
entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour
widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayer therefore you shall receive the
greater damnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves”. They had religion without
relationship, they lived by a set of rules outwardly, but we should live a lifestyle of
godliness. Do people see you the same on your worship day and they see you any
other day?
We are told to examine ourselves (I Corinthians 11:27-32). We are to examine how
we are worshiping God, and don’t be like the Israelites who worshipped Him in vain
(Matthew 15:8-9) “this people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with
their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men”. Paul speaks to the Corinthians in chapter 6:1
“we then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain”.
Psalms 96:9 says “O worship the Lord Yahweh in the beauty of holiness, reverence
before Him, all the earth”.
We are told to study to show yourselves approved to God, a workman that needs not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
We are told to present our body (Romans 12:1-2) “I beseech you therefore, brethren
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this
world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
We are told to pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-3) “I exhort therefore, that, first of
all, supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty. For that is good and acceptable in sight of God our
Savior”.
Hebrews 12:28 tells us “wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let
us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear. For our God is a consuming fire”.
The good news is that as we tune into the Spirit of God, He will lead us into all truth.
The Bible tells us many times “he that has an ear, let him hear”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 6, 2008
Jesus met a woman of Samaria who had been married 5 times and was with another,
and after telling her all that she had done, they talked about how to worship God.
The Bible tells us how to worship (John 4:19-26) “the woman said to Him, Sir, I
perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and You
say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her,
woman, believe Me, the hour comes, 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 comes, and now is, when the true
worshipper shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to
worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and
by truth. The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ,
when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I that speaks to you am
He”.
To worship in spirit and in truth, is to worship inwardly (from your heart), not by what
you can see, hear, feel, touch or smell (II Corinthians 4:18) “while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. Remember that
God looks at the heart, not at our outward words or songs. The Bible says that
“obedience is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:22). Jesus says “if you love Me, you
will keep My commandments” (John 14:21).
Psalms 100 tells us “make a joyful noise to the Lord Yahweh, all you lands. Serve the
Lord Yahweh with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know you that
the Lord Yahweh He is God, it is He that has 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 to Him and bless His name. For the Lord
Yahweh is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations”. In
our lives, instead of focusing on what we don’t have, focus on what Jesus death, burial
and resurrection provided for us and our praise and thanksgiving will show in our
worship. Let’s look at Mary Magdalene, which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities, out of whom went seven devils. A woman in the city which was a sinner,
when she knew that Jesus was there she brought an alabaster box of ointment. And
stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did
wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with the
ointment. And while the Pharisees reasoned why He let this woman touch Him, Jesus
spoke a parable (Luke 7:41-43) “there was a certain creditor which had two debtors,
the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly forgave them both, tell Me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most, and He said to
him, you have rightly judged”; then He turned to the woman and said, your sins are
forgiven. Your faith has saved you, go in peace.
Now let’s look at the Pharisees, Jesus pronounced woes to them (Matthew 23:13-15)
“but woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men, for you, neither go in yourselves, neither allow you them that are
entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour
widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayer therefore you shall receive the
greater damnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves”. They had religion without
relationship, they lived by a set of rules outwardly, but we should live a lifestyle of
godliness. Do people see you the same on your worship day and they see you any
other day?
We are told to examine ourselves (I Corinthians 11:27-32). We are to examine how
we are worshiping God, and don’t be like the Israelites who worshipped Him in vain
(Matthew 15:8-9) “this people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with
their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men”. Paul speaks to the Corinthians in chapter 6:1
“we then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain”.
Psalms 96:9 says “O worship the Lord Yahweh in the beauty of holiness, reverence
before Him, all the earth”.
We are told to study to show yourselves approved to God, a workman that needs not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
We are told to present our body (Romans 12:1-2) “I beseech you therefore, brethren
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this
world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
We are told to pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-3) “I exhort therefore, that, first of
all, supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty. For that is good and acceptable in sight of God our
Savior”.
Hebrews 12:28 tells us “wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let
us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear. For our God is a consuming fire”.
The good news is that as we tune into the Spirit of God, He will lead us into all truth.
The Bible tells us many times “he that has an ear, let him hear”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 6, 2008
