1 John 4:8 (NIV) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
John 4:23-24 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
1. True Godly worship understands how to worship God on His terms (The way He desires to be worshiped).
Genesis 4:2-7 2 Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."
2. True Godly worship is not based off our personal preferences.
I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
3. True Godly worship gives the song back to the congregation. “The song of the congregation has been stolen by the song of the stage,” -Bob Sorge
Psalms 35:18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
4. True Godly worship involves bodily expression. Psalms 150:6 Let everything that hath breath praise (Halal) the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
A. Singing and Shouting to the Lord (Vocal Worship) Psalm 100:1-5 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Paul and Silas sing in prison and are set free. (Acts 16:24-26)
Psalm 96:1-2 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
B. Lifting of Hands
Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. Lamentations 3:41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. I Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. D. Dancing
E. Clapping
F. Bowing
G. Serving others
5. True Godly worship builds a culture of costly worship.
I Samuel 24: 21-25 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.c23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
The Trinity We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, equal in divine perfection. “The Trinity is not a concept to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."
Matthew 3:16–17 (NIV) 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:19 (NIV) Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
One What, Three Whos.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Father “We believe in God, the Father who is the Ruler, Creator of all that is. He is perfectly holy, just, loving, truthful, infinite, and personal. We believe that God not only created the world but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all that exists.”
The Father is the source. Genesis 1:1–2 (NIV) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
“Elohim tells us WHAT God is, YHWH tells us who God is—our covenant-keeping I AM.”
Romans 11:36 (NIV) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
1. The Father is Spirit John 4:24 (NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 2. The Father is Light 1 John 1:5 (NIV) God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Psalms 119:68(NLT) You are good and do only good. 3. The Father is Love 1 John 4:8–9 (NIV) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
The Son “We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, and is God's Anointed One, empowered by the Holy Spirit to inaugurate God's Kingdom on earth. He was crucified for our sins, died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, and is now alive today, in the presence of God the Father and in His people. The victorious redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides freedom from the power of the enemy - sin, lies, sickness, and torment.”
Colossians 1:15–20 (NIV) 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross
John 1:1–14 (NIV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
1. The Son Reveals the Father Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
John 14:9 (NIV) Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
2. The Son Redeems humanity “To take on sin, Jesus had to take on flesh.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. The Son Reigns Philippians 2:6–11 (NIV) 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Spirit “We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and the Son. The sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit empowers the Christian to live holy and minister supernaturally. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 1:4-8 and 2:4, is poured out on believers that they might have power to witness.”
John 14:16-17 (NIV) 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you 1. The Spirit Convicts: 2. The Spirit Indwells: 3. The Spirit Empowers:
Father - The Source Son - The Expression Spirit - The Presence
Galatians 4:4–7 (NIV) 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
I. The Bible Is God’s Word “God should decide what we believe about God.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
“The Holy Scriptures”
“God-breathed” “If Scripture is inspired by God, it is Authoritative.”
II. Can we trust the Bible?
Luke 1:1–4 (NIV)1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
3 Objections: #1. The Bible has been disproven. #2. The Bible was written by men. #3. There are too many versions of the Bible.
The New Testament is the most accurate literary work among 5800 copies of the original manuscript.
99.5% accuracy with only .5% textual variants.
III. The Scriptures form our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17(NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
A. Teaching: Shows us what to believe. B. Rebuking:Calls out lies we believe about God and ourselves C. Correcting: Set us on the right path when we are in error. D. Training in Righteousness: Teaches ethical & spiritual living. E. Thoroughly equipped to do every good work. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
IV. The Bible Reveals Jesus John 5:39(NIV) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.
Old Testament: Promises and prophecies fulfilled in Christ.
Gospels: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts: Jesus continued His mission through the Holy Spirit in the Church.
Epistles: Jesus’ work explained and applied.
Revelation: Jesus as the reigning King and coming Lord.
John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
V. Follow the Way means following the Scriptures James 1:22–25 (NIV) 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Close: John 6:63–64 (NIV) 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
John 6:29 (NIV) “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
