Who is Worthy of Worship?

Hebrews 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
    and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”
The preacher here points the way to Christ the Son as being worthy of worship. He shares all of His Father's characteristics; He has accomplished His Father's Will; He was there with Him at creation and is with Him now in the throne room. He is Eternal and ever the same.  Worthy is He to receive worship.  Today, may we dwell upon these words and all they reveal to us about Christ, and why He is worthy of our worship.  

Worshiping the wrong head...

Colossians 2:16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
People love to debate: sports, politics, cars, movies, religion. Everyone wants to show themselves to be so much smarter than everyone else.  Critical thinking skills and using logic are an important part of maturity, but so are wisdom, humility and faith.   Paul reminds us here how prone we are to turn from worshiping the Head of the church to worshiping our own heads.  We become puffed up with our thoughts, our reasoning skills, and our "obvious" superiority to others as to what is important, true and right, to the extent that we are actually worshiping ourselves instead of the creator.  Refuse to get caught up in it all.  Depend on Christ, the Head, not your own head.  Grow up.

Worship by the Spirit...

Philippians 3:2 "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh"
In the middle of this mostly positive and "joy-full" letter, Paul does give one stern exhortation about worship.  Still dealing with the transitional stage from Judaism to Christian celebration, Paul hits at the core issue: The Good News of Jesus Christ.  We come to God so freely and frequently now not by any ritual or rules, but on the basis of the accomplished work of Christ. Zero confidence in our flesh, ourselves; total confidence in Christ.  Watch out for anyone who tries to get you to think or act otherwise. We need to beware legalism just as much as we do those who try to lure us into open sin, if not more.  True worship is in spirit, but the Spirit, and in Christ alone.

Worship with a BAM!

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Every time I read this last verse it hits like a BAM of a drum or fist on a pulpit. We have chosen to worship what God has created instead of God Himself, BAM! The last phrase "who is blessed forever! Amen" rings out with a raised voice of a preacher pleading with people to repent.  God is in every way worthy of worship - giving Him thanks and honor for all He is and all He has done, but by and large, we have turned our backs on Him and been wowed by the stuff of this world and what we do with it. It is a BAM of judgement we deserve. Fall on your knees, beg for forgiveness, raise your voice and praise, thank, and worship the God Who made it all, owns it all, and can tell us what to do with it! 

Worshiping with a Clear Conscience

Acts 24:10b: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, talked a lot about self-examination when we come to worship celebrations.  Paul practiced it. He searched himself to make sure that he was worshiping rightly, in his relationship with God and others there.  He was now being accused of worshiping wrongly - disturbing the peace. But He was able to confidently stand and say otherwise: He worshiped the right One, in the right Way, not violating Scripture in any way.  He worshiped with a sense of other-worldliness, recognizing that there is more than meets the eye, or any other physical sense we may have.  He worshiped in hope, which many in his day had all but lost, having given up on ever seeing the Messiah.  He had seen Him, trusted in Him, and lived for Him. That is how we can worship with a clear conscience, in confidence: Recognizing Christ as Savior, trusting Him for salvation, living for Him according to His standards, looking for Him to come again.  Do you worship with a clear conscience? 

Informed Worship

Acts 17:22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Paul was speaking in the midst of the most educated people of the day. They had all sorts of knowledge, yet spiritual ignorance. They worshiped all sorts of gods to "cover all the bases."  Only one matters: the true and living God, who gives truth and life, the One who created all things and calls us back to Him. We all worship something, someone, or many things or ones; most are the wrong ones.  In a time when we can know more than we will ever know, many still seek wisdom and fulfillment in life in all the wrong places, while God through His creation, Word and servants cries out to us: "I am here; I am He; trust in Me."  

Don't Worship the Messenger

Acts 10:24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” 30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

We, as fallen human beings, tend to worship the created instead of the Creator (Romans 1).  It can be an idol, some possession, ourselves, and even others, like those who bring us what we have been searching for.  This is not the only time in scripture we see someone falling in worship of a messenger and being rebuked.  But this man did have a sincere heart and a basic understanding of worship. He saw that they were there in the presence of God to hear what He had to say.  That is always a good starting point. Let's just make sure, even during Pastor Appreciation month, that we don't worship the messenger, only rejoice in the message he brings, and the One to Whom it points: Jesus Christ.