Has Your Faith Been Detoured by an Angel of light? Part 6: Worship

What is worship? Who do you worship? How do you worship?

I believe worship is a response to knowing the truth of God.  It is in response to the doctrines of God for us, and the joy of our salvation! It is with a thankful heart we worship God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to shed His blood, to die on the cross for our sins. Who resurrected defeating death for us who believe to live with Him eternally in heaven.

Many worship the things that are NOT of God. It is called idolatry, which is the worship of things which are not God.  Idols, images or anything made by the hands of men.

Many worship angels, yet the word of God tells us explicitly not to do this.

Though we hear stories of people who have supposedly seen and talked with angels, God tells us they are intruding into those things which they have not seen, vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind.

Col 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

However, we are told that Satan presents himself today AS an angel of light, as well as his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness!

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

Many do not even realize that they are involved in self worship. If one goes to church for the entertainment value, this is actually feeding the flesh, not worshipping in Spirit.  Most often these kinds of services are directed at pleasing the people’s flesh and not God, for their numbers sake.

Php 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

Php_3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Drama worship or performance worship is on the rise! Huge bands, stage productions, music is played to wring out the Spirit and get one’s heart straight into the flesh, drums beating rhythms to stir up the flesh. One might easily do the two-step, swing dance or whatever rock and roll movements that really please the flesh!

I fully realize how hard this truth is to hear! It took me a long time to recognize it was feeding my emotions and flesh rather than my Spirit in truth. It took me awhile to understand the difference as I had been going to modern, performance churches for some time.  I missed the drama and feelings that were evoked as self- gratification rather than attention on my spirit worshipping God.

Too many are bringing their children up with these stage productions to make worship interesting to the kids. Rather than instilling in them the love of God through the truth of His Word. It is truth that works effectively in those who believe, not those who are merely being entertained by an emotional work out.

Music, singing to the Lord is a WONDROUS thing, but it is to be done in the Spirit with understanding and not in the flesh.  While our flesh certainly does produce emotions, we can also certainly be emotional in the Spirit! Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…and the joy of being likeminded with other believers worshipping God! It is the most tremendous joy to be of one accord, having the same love being of one accord and mind with other believers, singing and worshipping God together in truth!

Gal_5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Php_2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

1Th_2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

1Co 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Those who do not worship God, DO worship themselves in the flesh. Yes, self- worship is as real today as it has ever been. Self-worship is the pleasing of oneself instead of God. It is the process of conforming to the world, instead of being transformed by the renewing of our mind…proving what is good, and acceptable and the perfect, will of God.

Many are being detoured from the faith today by falsely being taught they must love themselves first or they cannot love others.  You will not find this teaching in the word of God…as God already knows how self-centered we are in the flesh.

It is sad how many cannot tell the difference anymore…when they are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit.  Remember to prove all things that are good…and we do this through the word of God. When we are in walking the Spirit we will not be fulfilling the lusts of our flesh.  Remember too, that you can be in the Spirit, being saved and still choose not to walk in Him, which is what Romans 8:8 and 9 address and Galatians 5 addresses the walk.

Rom_12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Rom_8:8-9 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Gal_5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal_5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

Many worship other men!

For example, Jacques Davy Du Perron was a Frenchman who was trained by his father as a humanist. He also studied in Tournon and at the University of Bologna, where he earned doctorates in canon and civil law.

He became a Catholic Cardinal in 1604.  He is noted for having said; “As there is only one God in heaven, so there ought to be a God on earth.  All Christians, therefore, should look upon the Pope as God himself.”

This belief is still held that the Roman Catholic Pope is the representative of God today on earth. That when He speaks for God he is infallible! They believe that along with his priests, THEY are the mediatos to God for men!

This is a form of worshipping men because God has told us:

1Ti_2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Many worship or have worshipped political leaders.  Lots of political leaders have their pictures projected everywhere and totalitarian leaders require worship of their personalities. For example Stalin, Hitler, Kim Jong-11 and many, many, many more! Even Obama had his followers singing songs by children as if he were the Christ. There are other presidents too, for example such as Lincoln, FDR, Trump that too many put their faith in instead of where it belongs with God.  Then the many, many, many false gods of the various religions. As well as movie stars, sports heroes’ et al are given honor and worship.  They do not call them idols, idly.

God does not want nor need this kind of worship. He does not need a stadium full of people wearing His colors and screaming His name. He does not want unholy sacrifices. For example, when the Israelites worshipped Baal, God did not want that worship merely redirected at Him, but rather He wanted them to worship Him in the way He prescribed.

Many worship things.

It is called materialism.  The love of money IS the root of all evil.  There are hundreds of millions of people who do NOT have money (or things) who make that more important than God. Conversely, many who do have money use it unwisely, in temporal pursuits of their own choosing.

There are ministries who take advantage of folks and are designed to prey upon a person to get them to believe that with the proper “giving” (usually to that ministry) that God will then supply all their physical needs and desires. They sell prayer mats, beads, water from a holy spring, self-help books, video series or even prayer cards… you name it! Transformed ministers who get rich off these works of darkness and leave the poor, the poor in spirit…poorer.

Without the truth of God providing for their spiritual needs, they play to people’s flesh, instead of producing a right worship towards God in truth. The pursuit of happiness in acquiring THINGS rather than worshipping God.

1Ti_6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1Th_2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

So what is it that you worship?

We are to worship only the one true God.

Our God Who is three distinct persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in One God.  Jesus Christ who is the FULLNESS of the Godhead bodily!

2Co 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Eph 2:18 For through him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Col_2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

What is worship and how do we worship?

Worship is giving honor to God doing His will with love. Knowing the will of God in order to worship Him as He wants us to worship with thanksgiving!

1Th_5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We worship God by our obedience and honor.

We are to consider how we are to operate in this world. Such as, are we doing things that God would have us do? Is what we are doing something that can stand before God in good conscience?  Is our priority God and His will for us, or are we allowing other things to take priority in our lives?

1Ti_1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

Rom_12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Eph_6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

1Th_5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

2Ti_2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Gal_5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal_5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Php_3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

We are no longer to live to ourselves but unto Christ.

We are daily to seek being renewed in the Spirit of our minds.

Eph_4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Everything we do is to be done all to the glory of God!

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

We glorify God for His mercy and sing unto His name!

Rom_15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Do not be detoured by an angel of light or one of his transformed ministers into walking in the flesh instead of the Spirit.  Do not be miss-lead into a fleshy worship that has nothing to do with God.

We are to glory ONLY in the cross.

Gal_6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.