ONCE UPON A TIME....THERE WAS WORSHIP

This was message 3 in the Heart of Worship Series. Probably the best book I found in my study on this biblical topic of worship was: The Adventure of Worship by Gerrit Gustafson. What I enjoyed the most about it was that he followed some of the key stories of worship through the Scriptures, which I had never seen done before. So, I used that format for some of the messages, beginning with this one.

I was interested in building a theology of worship through the Scriptures, rather than just using proof texts and talking about music. However, I found that the stories found in Scripture can all be tied to worship. So, the process of picking and choosing which ones to cover and what to say about each one was a huge challenge. I began where it all began for us human beings: creation.



ONCE UPON A TIME…
THERE WAS WORSHIP

Please turn in your Bibles to the very first verse of the very first chapter of the very first book: Genesis, chapter one, verse one.

[creation v. evolution video]
[Random video]
[Fossil video]

You probably already knew this. But, the very first verse of the very first chapter of the very first book – Genesis 1:1 – has been under incredible scrutiny and criticism for many years. In fact, the issue is the truth of this verse:

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”

This is not allowed in our public school systems. It is not talked about in the mainstream media, unless it is criticized. The first verse of the Bible assumes that there is a God and that He is the creator of all. But, most of what you will hear from our secular system is that we and the world must have come about another way. I believe, wholeheartedly, that whether you believe in Creation or Evolution, that you must demonstrate incredible faith. Regardless of what we are told, there is not irrefutable, scientific evidence for Creation or Evolution. But, each person must decide, based on faith, which they will accept. It is crucial, because what you believe about this issue – the first issue the Scriptures address – will determine your life worship.

You see – If evolution is true, then it makes sense to be a humanist and in some form to worship man and his ideas, as he evolves to a greater and higher level all the time. But, if we were created by a sovereign God, then we owe our lives to Him and must answer to Him for how we live. And as we have discussed the past two weeks: worship is not about an hour on Sunday, it is the every moment of every day experience: we are talking about life worship.

Two weeks ago, I introduced to you the working definition for worship we are using for the Heart of Worship message series. I am wondering if any of you remember it by heart – yet? [give someone a chance]

Worship is responding to who God is and what He has done by giving ourselves completely to Him.

I want to invite you to join me over the next few weeks as we take a very interesting and important worship journey. It is a journey through the Scriptures, as it relates to worship.

Where better to start the worship story than at the beginning? We normally hear a classic story begin with the line: “Once Upon A Time”. In this case, the most classic story begins: “In the beginning”…….. “In the beginning, God……….
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

You need to know that I believe the Word of God is true – every word of it. I am making that statement by faith and I believe it with all of my heart. And I do believe that the evidence in our world points to these truths and supports what the Scriptures say. However, I believe these things, not because of what I can prove to you scientifically, but because of what I have accepted by faith. I believe we have an awesome, creative artist – the one and only true God, who created everything, including mankind.

ALL OF GOD’S CREATION WORSHIPS HIM

This is where worship begins. Look down several verses with me to another of God’s creations:

Genesis 1:16 – “And God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars.”

Did you know that around the time Genesis was written, there was another book of the Bible being lived out? When Genesis chapters 12-50 describe the Patriarchs, beginning with Abraham, there probably lived another man, whose life is described in the book of…..Job. Most conservative scholars believe Job lived during this time period. And it is very interesting to note one of the things God says to Job during one of his discourses:

Job 38:4-7 – “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements – surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

God says: Job, you have nothing to complain about, because you don’t understand me or what glorifies me. I am the Creator of all. In fact, he says, the morning stars sang together my praises. He gives us the picture of His creation singing His praises, even before man was created. He didn’t need us to begin the worship time: He had the angels and He had the stars!

But, that’s not all. Let me remind you what the Scriptures say about some of the other things God created, and how capable they were of praising God for who He is and what He has done in His creation. Please read the bold, underlined words with me:

Many people were loudly praising Jesus:
Luke 19:38,39 – “Saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

Luke 19:40 – “He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out!”

Psalm 96:12 – “Let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

Psalm 114:4 – “The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.”

Psalm 93:3 – “The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.”

Revelation 5:13 – “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Revelation 15:4 – “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

The stars, the rocks, the trees, the mountains, the oceans, the animals all given voices by the biblical writers to describe how everything God has created gives Him worship. Then, following all of these created things, mankind, and eventually all nations worship Him as well. But, worship began with His very first creations.

I read a couple weeks ago about the teenager who was in England, and in trouble, hanging from the side of a cliff. He dialed 999 – the United Kingdom’s equivalent to 9-1-1; and was put on hold. But, I suppose, while he waiting for emergency services to listen to his cries for help, he could look out from the cliff from which he was hanging, and look down at the beautiful creation of God and worship Him. I suppose he had greater priorities at the time.

This past week, I happened to be standing outdoors early in the morning, and the sky was filled with bright stars. I had started studying for this message and pictured in my mind how the stars sing the praise of God. They are reminders of how great our God is.

Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

The Hymn writer states it this way:

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

Would you please turn over a few chapters to Genesis, chapter 4.

The story of worship continues:

There were once two boys born to two elated parents. The parents named their boys: Cain and Abel. The boys grew up hearing stories about the neighborhood their parents had first lived in when God created them. Their parents, Adam and Eve, didn’t have a childhood themselves because God created them as adults; but they had perfect lives and a perfect environment until they gave into sinful temptation. Adam felt the curse as he now had to work difficult ground, continually, in order to live; and Eve experienced the tremendous labor and pain of childbirth.

These two boys never knew of the perfect world their parents had experienced; and unfortunately, the sinful nature brought passed along from their parents would have deadly impact – in a literal way. You see, when the boys grew up, they went into different businesses: Cain was a farmer, and Abel, a rancher. Both were successful, but their hearts were not the same.

In the Scriptures, we read that sacrifices to God were a very important key in worship; because eventually, there would be a once for all sacrifice, in the person of Jesus Christ, as He shed His blood on the cross. But, at that time, there were other sacrifices that were expected to be brought and given as acts of worship.

Cain and Abel, at the right time, brought their choices for sacrifice. But God accepted only one of the offerings presented. This caused jealousy and anger in the older brother; in fact, enough hatred developed in the heart that one brother murdered the other. We read this story in:

Genesis 4:1-8 – “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.”

At first glance, it might be difficult to point out the specific problem. We know God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s, but why? And why would this cause Cain to commit murder? Well, as we have discussed the first two weeks of our Heart of Worship message series: worship is a matter of the heart. That is where it begins. John tells us:

I John 3:12 – “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.”

It was before the murder, that his works were described as evil. And the only work we know about that could be considered that way is his sacrifice to God. What did God say to Cain when he was upset that God rejected his offering? He said: “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” God pointed out that all Cain needed to do what have the right attitude which would lead to the right sacrifices. Before he murdered his brother, God confronted him with this and warned, that if he did not take control of his spirit, more sinful actions were on the way.

Are you still wondering: why was one sacrifice acceptable and one not acceptable? What was really wrong with the heart attitude and actions of Cain (before he murdered his brother)? We get another clue to more detail when we come to the passage of Scripture sometimes known as “The Hall of Faith”:

Hebrews 11:4 – “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts…”

Somehow, the faith that Abel had led him to know the right sacrifice to offer God. His sacrifice came from a heart full of faith. And the author of Hebrews continues to tell us how important it was that Abel demonstrated faith in his worship:

Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

So, we now have a little better idea of what was going on in the hearts and minds of these worshippers. Cain was not acting in faith. Perhaps he was acting with convenience, taking the sacrifice he could do without. Perhaps he was prideful, thinking his sacrifice was better. But, what we know for sure, is that he was not acting in faith. He was not seeking God, which is a description of faith in Hebrews 11. It began in his heart and came out through an unacceptable sacrifice.

Abel was acting out of faith. He gave an acceptable sacrifice, a gift of worship, to the invisible God. And the way God rewarded him was to commend him and accept his gifts of worship. It all started with a heart of faith. And faith is a sacrifice of life. Living by faith is a daily battle, and the life lived by faith is acceptable worship to God.

A LIFE OF FAITH WORSHIPS HIM

There is certainly an issue of application here. Are you living by faith? I’m not asking if you always demonstrate faith. I’m asking if you are living by faith right now. Today, are you worshiping by responding to God in faith? How would you know that? You might have demonstrated faith by just making sure that you came today, trusting that all the other good things you could have done with your time are not as important as corporate worship; and that God will provide those things you need.

Some of you demonstrated faith today by giving sacrificially in the offering when you know the bills are tight and there are other good things to spend your money on. But, you gave anyway, believing that it is all God’s in the first place, obeying His request that you give the first part back to Him; believing that God’s promise of providing for you and blessing you is true. You might have demonstrated faith today by seeking God in the midst of a difficult challenge you or a family member is facing. You can’t see all of the answers and you’re not sure why you are going through it; but you trust that God is in control and is working out everything for your spiritual good. That takes faith.

Please turn in your Bible to I Peter 2.

People who do not live by faith may look a certain way, but their heart comes out by their actions. Some true stories I read about recently bear this out:

· A Denver man has been accused of selling hundreds of books and DVDs he borrowed from local libraries; losses are estimated at $35,000. His long-standing overdue bill was $11,000. Here was a guy that might have looked like a real bookworm – a guy who loved to read good books and watch movies. But, in reality, he was selling them for a profit.

· A California couple returned from their honey-moon to discover – on videotape- that a man, dressed exactly like their grooms-men, had crashed their reception to steal money envelopes. Here was a man who looked like another great friend of the bride and groom. In reality, he was there to rob them blind.

· In New York, an ice cream man was arrested for dispensing marijuana and cocaine along with the Drumsticks and Popsicles. Great – the good old fashioned ice cream man, who we suspect is handing out ice cream, is also a drug dealer.

· A long time University of Tennessee employee has admitted to stealing about $20,000 in change from library copy machines over the past two years. The nice, friendly librarian? Nope. He’s actually stealing $10,000 a year from copy machines.

In all of these cases, you have an outward façade of people we expect to be nice, moral- there to serve you in some way. But, in reality, they are there to serve themselves, many times at the expense of the unsuspecting people. The same thing happens with the issue of life worship. We can say the right things and look the right way and come to the right places of worship. But, we can also turn around and worship ourselves by serving ourselves, many times robbing God of true life worship.

In our heart of worship series throughout the Scriptures, we are not going to be able to escape a couple of truths that will keep resurfacing: Worship is a matter of the heart and worship is a matter of every day life. This is not just about you are at church. This is how you are at work, at school, at home, and when no one else is looking.

There is one more thing I want us to consider this morning about worship by offering sacrifices. Back in the Old Testament times, God set up the sacrificial system with Priests who would offer those sacrifices for His people. There are religious traditions, today, that have also emphasized the important position of a Priest who would bring people to God. I have asked one of our members, Paul Foradora, to come and share a little of his story with you.

Paul Foradora story
· Growing up Catholic
· Desire to be a Priest
· Position and presence of a Priest
· Problem with the power of a Priest

Thank you Paul. There is a biblical principle you need to understand about this issue of Priesthood. Have you ever had the desire to be a priest, like Paul had at one time? I’ve got news for you. You can determine if it is good news or not. You are a Priest. Did you hear that? You are a priest! You don’t believe me?

I Peter 2:5 – “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

ALL BELIEVERS ARE PRIESTS WHO WORSHIP HIM

Speaking to all believers, the Bible tells us that we are all a part of the priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God. This is not a seminary trained priest, who stands between you and God. You are a priest, if you are a Christian, who goes directly before God with your sacrifice of life worship. Instead of offering the blood of animals, you are offering your life – all that you are to God – on a daily basis.

So, as we close this morning, let me ask you to take a few moments to take these truths in. If you are a true believer in Christ, then you are a priest who is responsible to offer sacrifices. And your main sacrifice is to demonstrate faith on a daily basis, seeking to know God and obey Him. Is there anything that God would ask you to change in your heart attitude or actions, so that your life sacrifices would be more acceptable to Him?

From the beginning of time, all of God’s creation responds with worship. The inanimate objects are giving voices to exult in praise; and we, God’s creation meant to glorify Him, are not just to praise Him with our mouths but with our lives. Please take time to commit your day to Him, your new week to Him, your life to Him.