James 1:21-22

INTRODUCTION: Keith Huttenlocker has said, concerning worship, "Let the one who would worship God open his mouth in praise, his heart in receptivity, his mind in contemplation, his purse in dedication, and his hand in fellowship." These are true words indeed! But in order to receive in worship we must consider something we do before worship, during worship, and after worship.

BODY

I. SOMETHING TO DO BEFORE THE SERVICE.

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness"

 
A. God has always wanted those who worship Him to be cleanses of personal sinfulness before entering into worshiping.

1. Zechariah 3:3-4 "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. 4- Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.""

2. Psalms 24:3-4 "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4- He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully."

B. Christians need to seek to purify their lives before God as a prerequisite to worship.

1. Matthew 5:23-24 ""Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24- leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

2. Colossians 3:8- "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth."

3. 1 Peter 2:1- "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,"

4. We must maintain personal righteousness, because our Lord is present in our assemblies.

a. Matthew 18:20- ""For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.""

"receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls."

A. One of the great purposes of the assembly is to receive the Word of God.

1. In our singing

b. Ephesians 5:19- "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord,"

c. Colossians 3:16- "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

2. In the sermon

a. Acts 20:7

b. Nehemiah 8:7-8 "Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8- So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading."

B. Teaching and receiving the wrong doctrine can cause our worship to be vain in the sight of the Lord.

1. Matthew 15:8-9 "'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9- And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'""

2. John 4:24

C. In light of this, what can we conclude?

1. We have an obligation to listen attentively to what is being taught.

a. Acts 10:33- ""So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.""

III. SOMETHING TO DO AFTER THE SERVICE

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

A. We need to remember that worship is not the sum total of our duty to God!

1. Luke 9:23-24 "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me. 24- For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

2. Acts 2:46- "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,"

B. We must apply the lessons that we hear and follow them each day!

1. Matthew 7:21

2. Romans 2:13- "(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;"

3. James 1:23-25

4. One person has said, "Worship does not conclude your Christian obligation; it merely equips you to carry it out."

CONCLUSION: Ted Malone, whose radio show came on early in the morning, told of the Idaho shepherd who wrote: "Will you, on your broadcast, strike the note 'A'? I'm a sheepherder way out here on a ranch, far away from a piano.
The only comfort I have is my old violin. It's all out of tune. Would you strike 'A' so that I might get in tune?"

Malone honored the request. Later he received a "thank you" note from the distant shepherd saying, "Now I'm in tune."

One of the purposes and responsibilities of personal and public worship is to enable the aspirant to keep tuned to the Great Shepherd. One of the joys of the Christian life is to help others recapture the missing note!