Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: LETS REVIEW JUST A MINUTE. REMEMBER WE ARE STUDYING
THE 3 ANGELS MESSAGES IN REV. 14. SO FAR WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT
THE FIRST ANGEL. WE LEARNED THAT WE ARE THE ANGEL (IN TERMS OF
SPREADING THE MESSAGE) AND IF WE ARE SPREADING THE MESSAGE, WE NEED
TO KNOW WHAT IT IS! THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THAT PART OF THE MESSAGE
THAT TELLS US TO WORSHIP GOD.
I. HOW WORSHIP
A. READ REV 14:6-7. WHEN WE READ THAT WE SHOULD WORSHIP GOD,
WHAT COMES TO MIND? THAT IS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORSHIP?
(LIST ON BLACKBOARD)
1. CONSIDER THAT THE GREEK WORD FOR WORSHIP IS
"PROSKENEO" WHICH LITERALLY MEANS TO "PROS" "TOWARDS" AND
"KUNEO" "TO KISS." KISSES TO GOD! (STRONG'S SUGGESTS LIKE
A DOG LICKS HIS MASTER'S HAND.)
2. I READ A NUMBER OF TEXTS THAT USED THE WORD WORSHIP,
AND A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM DESCRIBED PEOPLE EITHER LAYING
DOWN OR KNEELING DOWN.
B. IN JOHN 4 JESUS MEETS A SAMARITAN WOMAN. YOU REMEMBER THE
STORY ABOUT HOW THE DISCIPLES WENT OFF TO TOWN TO BUY FOOD AND
JESUS IS RESTING BY THE WELL AND THIS SAMARITAN WOMAN COMES
UP. JESUS ASKS HER FOR A DRINK OF WATER AND THAT LEADS THEM
INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW JESUS IS LIVING WATER. THIS LEADS
TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT WORSHIP. READ JOHN 4:23-24.
1. JESUS SAYS THAT WE MUST WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN
TRUTH.
2. WHAT DO YOU THINK HE MEANS BY WORSHIPPING GOD "IN
SPIRIT?" WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DO YOU ATTACH TO JESUS SAYING
GOD IS A SPIRIT? (SEVERAL ASPECTS TO THIS:
a. FIRST: GOD IS NOT AN OBJECT. YOU DO NOT WORSHIP
HIM LIKE YOU WOULD AN IDOL. THAT IN ITSELF MAKES
GOD INFINITELY SUPERIOR.
b. SECOND: THE CONTEXT IS WHERE TO WORSHIP GOD:
JERUSALEM OR MT. GERIZIM? TRUE WORSHIP IS FAR MORE
THAN A LOCATION.
c. THIRD: THE SPIRIT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. TRUE
WORSHIP CANNOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT THE H.S)
3. WHAT IS MEANT BY WORSHIPPING GOD "IN TRUTH?" (A KEY
ELEMENT TO WORSHIPPING GOD IS LEARNING ABOUT HIM. THUS,
UNLESS YOU HAVE AN INFORMED WORSHIP, YOU DO NOT HAVE
PROPER WORSHIP. FOR THAT REASON, TRUE WORSHIP IS IN
ACCORD WITH THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.)
C. YOU REMEMBER TWO WEEKS AGO WE SAW THAT THE ANGEL LINKED
FEARING GOD TO THE JUDGMENT. TO WHAT DOES THE ANGEL LINK
WORSHIPPING GOD? REVELATION 14:7 (CREATION)
1. IS BELIEVING IN THE CREATION A KEY ELEMENT TO
WORSHIPPING GOD "IN TRUTH?"
2. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN CREATION, ARE YOU ABLE TO
WORSHIP GOD "IN TRUTH?"
3. IF YOU DID NOT BELIEVE IN CREATION, ON WHAT BASIS
WOULD YOU BE WORSHIPPING GOD? (A LITERAL CREATION IS ONE
OF THE MOST CONTROVERTED ASPECTS OF THE BIBLE. A LOT OF
PEOPLE BELIEVE IN GOD, "BELIEVE IN THE BIBLE," YET DO NOT
BELIEVE IN A LITERAL CREATION.)
4. IS A LITERAL CREATION A FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH? OR IS THIS
JUST ONE OF THOSE DEBATED AND DEBATEABLE THINGS THAT HAS
LITTLE, IF ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SALVATION? (IT IS
FUNDAMENTAL. CONSIDER THE FIRST CHPT OF JOHN. IF YOU DO
NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD MADE US, THEN IT IS MORE DIFFICULT
TO BELIEVE THAT HE "RECREATED US" WHEN HE AROSE. IF YOU
DON'T BELIEVE EITHER OF THOSE (CREATION OR RECREATION),
IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE BASIS FOR YOUR WORSHIP.)
5. DOES GOD SAY THAT BELIEF IN CREATION IS FUNDAMENTAL?
(YES. TUESDAY'S LESSON HAS SEVERAL TEXTS, BUT ONE IS PS
96:4-5. GOD COMPARES HIMSELF WITH OTHER GODS AND HE SAYS
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT HE MADE THE HEAVENS!)
II. THE SABBATH AND WORSHIP
A. WHAT ROLE DOES THE SABBATH PLAY, IF ANY, IN THE MESSAGE
"WORSHIP HIM WHO MADE THE HEAVENS [AND] THE EARTH ...." (REV
14:7)
1. DOES GOING TO CHURCH ON THE SABBATH DAY RELATE IN ANY
WAY TO A BELIEF IN A LITERAL CREATION? (GEN 2:2-3
EXPRESSLY LINKS THE SABBATH TO CREATION AND TO A LITERAL
CREATION WEEK. THE SAME IS EX 20:11. EX 31:13 LINKS THE
SABBATH TO GOD MAKING US HOLY.)
B. CONSIDER THAT GOD GAVE MAN THE SABBATH COMMAND (GEN 2:2-3)
BEFORE SIN ENTERED AND MAN WAS WORKING BY THE SWEAT OF HIS
BROW. DOES THIS MODIFY THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE SABBATH AS A
DAY OF REST? (IT HIGHLIGHTS THE TURNING AWAY FROM NORMAL
PURSUITS AND DOWNPLAYS THE REST (SLEEPING IN BED) ASPECT OF
THE DAY. P&P p.48 HAS A NICE QUOTE ON THIS.)
C. IF YOU WERE THE DEVIL AND YOU WANTED TO ERASE THE IMAGE OF
GOD AND TURN MAN AWAY FROM BEING GRATEFUL TO HIS CREATOR. HOW
WOULD YOU DO IT? (TURN AWAY FROM THE SOURCE OF THE GRATITUDE.
MAYBE GET HIM TO STOP WORSHIP.)
1. DOESN'T THE DEVIL'S WORK TO CREATE DISREGARD FOR THE
SABBATH AND THE GENESIS STATEMENT OF CREATION MAKE
PERFECT SENSE TO YOU NOW?
III. THE BEHAVING SIDE TO WORSHIP
A. A.M.HUNTER SAID THAT THE GOSPEL HAS TWO SIDES -- A
BELIEVING SIDE AND A BEHAVING SIDE. LETS TURN TO ROMANS 12:1-2
TO LOOK AT THE "BEHAVING" SIDE OF WORSHIP. READ
B. IT SAYS THAT IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY WE SHOULD OFFER OUR
BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES AND THAT THIS IS WORSHIP.
1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OFFER OUR BODIES AS LIVING
SACRIFICES? (IT MEANS THAT PART OF WORSHIP IS A CHANGE IN
THE WAY YOU LIVE.)
2. WHY DO WE DO THIS "IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY?" IT SAYS
THAT WE OFFER OUR BODIES IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY. (HE MADE
THE SACRIFICE TO GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE. THAT SHOULD MAKE
A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIFE. THAT DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE LIVE
DIFFERENTLY.
3. VERSE TWO SAYS DON'T CONFORM, BE TRANSFORMED. AND IT
SAYS THAT WE ARE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF OUR
MINDS. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? (WE RENEW OUR MINDS IN GOD'S
WORD AND BY PRAYER.)
IV. NEXT WEEK:BABYLON THE PRETENDER. REV 14:8