What Is Worship? — Denny Kenaston

Well, I'm very grateful to be here this morning. I Greet you in the name the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I Come from a different place and a different culture, but I want to let you know that I'm not Amish.

Someone asked me that already, but I'm not Amish. That's how you say it here Amish. We say Amish on our side, but I'm not Amish, but I live among Amish people and We've had the privilege of leading many of the Amish people to the Lord.

You may be surprised but they're not Christians. They're they're not. As soon as they get born again, they are thrown out of their fellowship. But I live in the midst of the Amish people. And Though they are not Christians. I would have to say that I've learned a few things from them and I trust that I can also Learn from you and you can learn from me as we all seek God together.

Amen. Can we just have a word of prayer? Can we do that? Oh Lord Great is our our great Lord this morning. We do acknowledge that we worship you Lord. We bring the sacrifice of our lives to you God with joy with gladness here this morning God.

We thank you for your spirit and we ask you dear God that you would just guide us. Oh Father, that's all we want. We just want to be a vessel in your hand Lord would you reach down and touch us all and bring us on Lord in the Christian life.

We ask it in the name of your son Jesus Christ, all right. Looking at a text here this morning. We want you to turn to John chapter 4. I Want to speak a bit about worship. I don't know. I don't remember when I was in a service that so fit What I'm going to say as this one, so we are trusting God that's always encouraging to a preacher when you see God working behind the scenes in many different ways to affirm and Confirm what you're going to say.

So I want to speak a bit about worship and That if I can give a title to my message it is this true worship true worship is Glad surrender and We want to read out of John chapter 4 in verse 20 through 24.

But I want to give you a bit of a definition of the word worship before we read That word worship here in the text because I think it helps us to understand The depths of what the word worship means. I don't know how it is in your country.

But in my country the word worship Which is a very high and exalted word has been brought down and lowered and lowered and lowered to where it's. It's it is now just a word that is used to describe a bit of an emotional experience while people sing songs and If you look into the scriptures worship is so much more than that.

It's so much higher than that. It's so much deeper than that. I don't believe that we'll we'll even begin to touch the reality of what true worship is all about until we get on the other side. But until we get there we can be guided by the scriptures in the heart of God to know just exactly what God What God's heart is and what his desire is in worship?

And so we want to lift that word back up here a bit this morning because it's coming down and it may be that way in your country also. Worship. I Studied this word for about two hours and I'm going to give you my little definition.

You you can skip the two hours and just take the little definition this morning. This is what worship means. It means to kiss toward with bowed obedient reverence to kiss toward with bowed obedient reverence.

These words That we find here in John chapter 4 speak about worship. We're breaking into the middle here of a discussion that Jesus was having with the woman at the well and she speaks out in verse 20 and says our fathers worshipped in This mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem.

It is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her Woman, believe me the hour cometh. When ye shall neither worship. Ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet in Jerusalem worship the father.

Ye worship, you know, not what? We worship we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews, but the hour cometh and now is. And now is and Now is when the true worshippers Shall worship the father in spirit and in truth.

For the father seek is such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him Must worship him in spirit and in truth. Now these words indicate that there are worshippers that are true. But obviously if there are true worshippers, then there are also the opposite of that there are worshippers that are not true and That's if you begin to consider the awesomeness of who God is.

To be a worshipper who is not a true worshipper is a very dangerous thing. Worship. Think about these words the glorious God our father whose name is holy. Whose very nature is holy and righteous and just.

That God our father Seeketh seeketh. The father seeketh such to worship him. You know many times we we think that this whole worship matter is it is a matter of us and it's our initiation. But in reality the father seek as such to worship him.

He's seeking true worshipers to worship him who worship him in spirit and in truth. The God of the universe seeketh this morning brothers and sisters true worshipers. He seeketh such to worship him. Those who worship him in spirit.

Those who worship him in truth. I studied this word truth in our text, and I don't know how it reads in your Your translations. I'm sure you have different translations in me. But I was a bit shocked by the modern commentaries and this word truth.

You know The father seeketh us to worship him in spirit and in truth and that word in some of the modern commentators has been changed from truth to reality and Okay reality. That's a good word as long as that reality is defined.

But if that reality is not defined it can mean anything. It can mean whatever you want it to mean it can mean whatever your experience is. It can mean an emotional experience without any depth or reality to it at all.

But the text here says that God seeks to he seeks worshipers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. And may I say this morning? Yes the reality of truth or truth in Reality in my heart and my life the father seeketh such to worship him in this way.

This word reality means truth in the hearts. It means a true and a sincere and an honest heart. And God requires that of each one of us. We know that in our minds. I'm not sure how much we know it in our hearts the word reality or the word truth means According to the true nature of God in who he is.

I mean we must worship God according to the true nature of God in who he is. And Brothers and sisters if you stop for a moment and think about what that really means just that statement that we must worship God In truth and the reality of who God is and the character of God.

How else then could we worship God? Except in utter abandonment every moment of our day. If you think about who God is. You see God is not an idol that we bow to and praise once a week on Sunday morning.

He is not a name that we say over and over again. He is the most high and holy person in the entire universe and he seeketh such to worship him. He calleth such to worship him. Yea, he goes to and fro throughout the whole earth.

Seeking such to worship him in spirit and in truth. Yes, this high and holy God, how can it be he seeketh me to worship him. Aren't we glad this morning that there's blood on the mercy seat and he is made a way.

He's made a new and a living way that we In all of our undone this can come and worship him. But Oh fool of fools. To take for granted the blood that is on the mercy seat and to come Presumptuously before a holy God for the father seek is such to worship him.

He is the most high and holy person in the entire universe. Yes, when we begin to get a glimpse of who God is we begin to understand what that word means to kiss toward with bowed obedient reverence. We begin to grasp what that means and and that takes worship in into way deeper realms.

It takes worship out of the Sunday morning service in it. It makes worship. It turns worship into something that we we do all through our lives you see our whole very lives should be a worship of this God this this awesome God who who is the greatest and highest and holiest being in all of the universe and For some reason that I don't understand he called me and Gave me the opportunity 36 years ago to bow my knee to him for the first time in reverence and in praise.

Amen, I Mean it's that it's that way for every one of us if we're if we're here this morning and and we've been born again by The Spirit of God we we have to say that we don't understand how this could be that this high and holy God that We can't even fathom or begin to understand who he is would seek Such as me to worship him and again We have to this bless God that there's blood sprinkled on the mercy seat this morning and that blood is powerful blood.

To make a way for you and I to come and we can talk to God and we could sing and worship him this morning. As we did so so beautifully. Thank you so much for that. Yes to worship this God in pretense without the reality of truth in my heart in my life.

It's a very dangerous thing. I think you know as well as I do. There is a plague of this in Christendom today a plague and again, I know nothing of your country at all. So I'm totally innocent I don't know what to preach about in your country, but in my country millions of people Live selfish lives all week long and come together on Sunday morning and worship.

My question is do they? Really worship. Or do they not just come and sing some songs and feel good in their heart about the songs they sang. And go their way again After the service is over to live their life.

However, they wish Brothers and sisters, that's not worship. That's not worship Jeremiah says and Ezekiel says eight times in those two books God Complaining through the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophet Ezekiel that my people have are worshiping a god after their own Imagination you see we can do that.

We can imagine what God is like and we can imagine what God accepts and what God doesn't accept and we can go Through all the motions of worshiping just like Israel did back in those days. But in reality, we're only worshiping a god after our own imagination.

It's not the true God and thus the father seeketh such to worship him those who worship him in Spirit and in truth true worshipers is what God is after. I Think of the whole subject of revival in the revival conference, you know, that's really what we're after.

That's what we're after. We're after God's people getting to such a place. That God can come and be who he is in reality in our lives again. I'm gonna do what I've never done before preach in 45 minutes or 40.

We'll skip that page razor. I Want to sit at this time to go to the book of Genesis chapter 22. The pastor warned me that you're not used to hearing somebody preach for an hour and a half. So I'm not gonna do that to you this morning.

Abraham's Worship and the First Mention of Worship

I Turn to turn with me to Genesis chapter 22 as we as we Get a glimpse into a worship service and I don't know I don't. I don't know how much you understand about biblical interpretation. But in biblical interpretation, there is a law of interpretation.

Which is called the law of first mention and if you want to understand a word in the Bible. The first place you go is not to a dictionary. But you go to the first place in the Bible where that word shows up and you'll get a tremendous Insight into what that word means and here in Genesis chapter 22 is the first place in the Bible that you find the word worship.

So we're going to go to a worship service. One of the first ones now there were others. I know Noah. He he worshiped God thereafter the flood and all this but here we have a beautiful worship service.

Abraham is Who we're going to look at he was a man who had a true heart, didn't he? He was a worshiper in spirit and in truth. He had a true heart. He had a surrendered heart. He had a heart for God's will and purpose.

He had a heart of trust and yieldedness to God. He had a heart that loved God. He was a true worshiper. Let us see how he worships in chapter 22 reading from verse 1. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt or test Abraham and said unto him Abraham and he said Behold here am I.

You see Abraham knew the voice of God. He knew he knew that voice and he God said Take now thy son thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee under the land of Moriah. And offer him there for a burnt offering Upon one of the mountains, which I will tell thee.

Oh, the Bible doesn't tell us what he did from here. He didn't it doesn't seem like he went to seek any counsel. I don't know if he went to ask Sarah what she thought about this word that God gave to him.

Take your son Your only son the son whom you love and go and offer him for a burnt Sacrifice on Mount Moriah, which by the way is where the temple was built but the Bible says in verse 3 that Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and claimed the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went under the place from which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham said unto his young men abide ye here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you.

I want you to notice the faith in that statement I'm going to go offer my son for a burnt offering and Me and my son will return to you is what he said. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son and took the fire that in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together and Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said my father.

And he said here I am son and he said behold the fire and the wood but Where is the lamb? Where is the lamb for a burnt offering. What a powerful prophetic word that was coming out of Isaac's mouth. Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said my son God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together and they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there.

I Wonder how long it took him to build that altar. I wonder what he was thinking about while he was building it. I wonder the depth of what was going on inside of that father's heart as he built an altar there.

Knowing that he's going to sacrifice his son on that altar. It's good for us to go there and get inside of Abraham's heart to see what must have been going on because remember Brothers and sisters we are looking at the word worship and These this is the depth of what needs to be inside the heart of man who is a true worshiper of God and so here he is building an altar that he's going to put his son on and Sacrifice him there.

Came to the place which God had told him of and Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood now this again the scripture doesn't say but I don't believe that he had to wrestle Isaac to the ground and tie him up and Put him on the altar.

I believe he explained to Isaac and Isaac was an obedient son who reverenced his father and he said to his son my son God has told me that I'm to offer you as a Burnt offering as a sacrifice on this altar now son lay down so I can tie your hands and I believe that that boy.

Just like the picture or the type that he was of the Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life There and allowed his father Abraham to tie him and put him on that altar. So I just want you to see into the heart of these true these two true worshipers father and son and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

Now we know because we read the rest of those verses that God stopped him in midair but I Guarantee you God didn't stop him until in his own heart. The knife had already gone into this son because God said I want you to offer your son and Abraham offered his son that day.

God gave him back. But Abraham offered his son. God gave Isaac back his life. But Isaac laid down his life. These are two true worshipers. This is the first place where the word worship appears in the Bible.

So we're talking about worshiping God. You say well, that's Abraham and that was Isaac and that was just a nice type of things to come. I don't think so brothers and sisters I think that's the kind of heart that God wants all of his people to have toward him.

You see again if we can grasp the character of who God really is. How could we do anything less? I Think many times we do less than that because we do not understand who God really is. May God open the eyes of our understanding that we may behold him and understand who he is.

That we might give him his rightful place. Which is the only place in our hearts with nothing else coming anywhere near to him. For he is God, isn't that right? He is God and the angel the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said to Abraham Abraham He said it twice.

He used his word his name twice there and he said here am I and He the angel said lay not thine hand upon the lad neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know That thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead Of his son.

Surrendering Intellect, Affections, and Will

I want us just stop there again. Now they just started their worship the sacrifice. But I want us to look into the heart of these two men again this man and his son. And look at the depth of what took place there.

I mean they had a worship service that day they worshiped God. God gave abraham back his son. God gave isaac back his life. His dreams his plans his future. God gave them back. And those two men worshiped.

They worshiped god. Notice the depth of abraham's surrender here. Thy son thine only son whom thou lovest. Abraham must surrender his intellect. It doesn't make any sense to do what god is telling him to do right now.

There are times when we also must surrender our intellect. It doesn't make sense what god is telling us to do. But we do it. Anyway, we trust him. That's what surrender is all about. He must trust in the lord with all of his heart and lean not unto his own understanding.

He must in all of his ways acknowledge god. Notice the depth of his surrender. He must surrender his affections his emotions. This is the son that he loves. This is his only son. He must surrender all of that and he must surrender his will to do the will of god.

He must gladly surrender his whole heart and life to god and brothers and sisters. It is the same for every one of us. It is the same for every one of us. And oh, by the way. That's not something that you do one time at an altar here or here.

That's something that should be taking place continually in our lives as we go through our everyday life. You see Christianity is every day. It's an everyday christianity. It's not it's not a sunday morning christianity.

And I know you know that here. It's an everyday christianity. It's a surrender that takes place moment by moment moment to moment. And sad to say but many times our surrenders are you know? I gotta surrender my job or I need to surrender this car.

I need to surrender this. Girlfriend, you know many times our surrenders are are only things but you know, that's those are very very shallow issues. You know god is not after things god is after our hearts.

That's what god wants. He wants our hearts. And the problem is that many times he finds other things in there that have set themselves up against him. And to come to worship god with something set up in there and the image of jealousy set up inside of our heart.

And to come with that image of jealousy and to to worship god and sing and all those things that we do is presumption. And by the way, it's a dangerous thing to do. Amen. He must gladly surrender his whole heart and life to god.

His plans are in his son his future. They're in his son even his perception of god. And god's will even that he has to surrender because god said Sacrifice your son. But I want us to notice that his response was immediate.

Unquestioning obedience. And I believe the reason why it was so immediate and unquestioning is two reasons. One Abraham knew the voice of god. So he didn't have to wonder was that god? Or me. He knew who it was because he knew that voice.

He knew it was god. And number two. He was already surrendered. That man was already given up to god. And when you're totally given up to god god can steer you this way and that way and go this way and that way.

And abraham was ready for that command and god knew that abraham was ready for that command when he said I want you to take your son thine only son whom thou lovest and offer him for a sacrifice. And he rose up early in the morning and went Praise god his surrender was in obedience to the will of god.

His surrender was a worship to god. His surrender was in faith and his surrender was continued when brothers and sisters that's that is the true christian life. Is it not? For each and every one of us.

Christ’s Exaltation and Universal Surrender

And you study that man's life he didn't surrender one time god asked him many times. Many times and it's that way with us. Also. We know that. Some time ago. I was meditating on some of those verses there in philippians chapter 2 verse 9 through 11.

You know, those are the ones that follow those verses where it talks about christ emptying himself you know the great self emptying of christ and and ending in in the. The agonizing death on the cross and and after it explains those beautiful verses.

It says wherefore god also hath highly exalted him. Why. Because he was willing to die because he was willing to surrender his life. And live a surrendered life which ended in a in a gruesome death on the cross because he was willing to do that.

Wherefore god also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of jesus christ. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that jesus christ is lord.

We know those verses. But I was meditating upon those verses Some time ago and I it dawned on me one day, you know. Everyone is going to do that. I mean the wickedest most vile sinner in this world the strongest king.

The most arrogant hitler or whoever you wanted to be. The day is going to come when they will all bow their knee down before the lord. Jesus christ and Confess that he is the lord. And I was meditating and reflecting upon that and I thought to myself, you know when that day comes.

There won't be any angels standing there telling hitler bow the knee. This is the lord jesus christ. No one will need to tell anyone to bow their knee nor to say lord. No one will need to say that to anyone.

Because you see in that day in that beautiful day that glorious day. We will not be bowing before some name. We will be bowing before the lord. Jesus christ in all his glory and his presence. And all the character of god will be emanating forth out of his being.

And all you'll be able to do is bow down. I mean you won't have to have somebody to tell you. This is the proper thing to do. You're in the presence of jesus christ get on your knees and acknowledge. He's the lord.

Every wicked sinner will bow down on their knees and acknowledge that he is the lord. And I thought about it, you know. We can have a we can make that surrender now and it's a glad surrender. Or we can make that surrender someday in the future, but it'll be a sad surrender then but everyone will surrender.

And acknowledge who he is. And as I pondered all of that, I thought oh god. That's what we want. We want our life to be a glad surrender. We want our life to be a worship to god. You see when our heart and our life is a glad surrender and it's a continual surrender.

That's worship. Praise god we get to gather together like this on a sunday morning and sing and. And lift our hearts in in praise and adoration to god and that's worship. We would bring such a worship to god that flows outside of this church building and reaches out into into our everyday life.

Into the workplace where we are where our hearts are so surrendered to god gladly joyously surrendered to god. That our life just becomes a worship. And we find ourselves in all the different ways of life.

Kissing toward the sun with bowed obedient reverence that's what true worship is and We all know that i'm not telling you something new here this morning most of you. Dear people, you know what i'm saying.

It's not new to you. But maybe maybe i'm just another voice to come along and remind you or to affirm and confirm What your pastor has already been saying to you that god is after our lives. He's after our lives.

That's what he wants. I don't know how you understand it, but In my understanding jesus did not go to the cross so that you could go to heaven. Oh praise god. Yes. When this is all said and done we get to go to heaven, but he didn't go to the cross.

Christ’s Cross and a People Set Apart for God

Just so you could get a ticket to go to heaven. He went to the cross that he might Sanctify unto himself a people that he might possess a people that he might bring a people back into a right Relationship with him that they might love him that they might serve him that they might Worship him all of their day and all the days of their life and thus their lives bringing honor and glory to him.

By the way, they live and by the way, they love him. That's why jesus went to the cross. And I wonder this morning if we're willing for him to possess us like that. You know, it's a pretty exciting thing when you think about god getting possessed possessive with me.

That's pretty exciting thing but It can have some discipline in it. Also When god gets possessive with me It can have some discipline in it. Oh, I think i'll say these words and then i'll be done. Not new words to any of us.

Presenting the Body as a Living Sacrifice

But hear them again this morning. Out of the heart of the apostle paul who walked with god so beautifully all the days of his life. He said these words I beseech you therefore I beg you therefore brethren By the mercies of god because of the mercies of god that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto god, which is your Reasonable service.

Oh, and by the way Be not conformed to this world. Don't let the world stamp you into its mold. 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.

You see what god is after. He needs a body. Will you give him your body. In order for him to have your body. He must have your heart every moment of every day. And if he gets your heart and your body.

Then he's got hands that he can work through. He's got feet that he can lead. He's got eyes who can look out and bless a world. He's got a mouth that he can use to speak to a heart a hurting world around you.

He's got a body. God's looking for a body. Amen. He has in his wisdom tied his own hands. And limited himself that he would reach out to this world around us through us. He has done that in his wisdom, I don't understand he could do anything he wants.

He could reach the world around us in any way that he wanted but god needs a body. And he won't get a body 24 7 until he gets a heart that says okay lord. I'm giving you my life I kiss toward you with a bow.

Obedient reverence lord. You can have my life In such a way that you can use it two hours from now. As you lead me by your spirit. May god help us to fine-tune our life By the spirit and by the blood.

That we are in fact true worshipers. Who have gladly surrendered? With joy and enthusiasm. Gladly surrender to god, you know. How could we think that god? Would expect anything less? Since he's god. How could we expect that he would think anything less than that.

Because he is god. Thank you.