Pure Worship & The Glory of God in Worship

True worship of Jehovah God and how we must approach God in true worship

Sermons Aug 3, 2025 0 30 Add to Reading List

Pure Worship & The Glory of God in Worship

Preaching Portions:

Matthew 2:2: Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. William Temple on worship

Hebrews 12: 18-29: ¹⁸For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, ¹⁹And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:²⁰(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: ²¹And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) ²²But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ²³To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. ²⁵See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: ²⁶Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. ²⁷And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: ²⁹For our God is a consuming fire.

Introduction

I want to share with you on the topic of worship. My specific topic is: Pure Worship & The Glory of God in worship. This topic is divided into three sections:

1: Worship- What it is.

2.The God we Worship

3. The Right Way in Drawing Nigh to God in Worship.

Section 1: The Act of Worship. What is it? This is broken down into:

A) Defining worship- using the definition by William Temple.

B) The locale of worship- the defined place of worship.

C)The participants of worship- those among whom we gather.

D)The demeanour of worship-The posture of the worshipper.

E) The depth of worship- borrowing from Dr R. C. Sproul’s talk on the weightiness of worship.

Section 2: The Object of our worship. The God we Worship. In this section we look at the nature of the God we worship. His holiness, and His character. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. (Psalm: 97:1-5)

Section 3 The Attitude and Approach of worship. The Right Way in Drawing Nigh to God in worship. This examines God’s directives regarding worship, and the slaying of Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu for offering an unauthorised, or strange fire before the Lord. (Leviticus10)

Section 1: The Act of Worship. What is it?

A) Defining Worship

The best definition of worship I have ever read or heard about is the one by William Temple. William Temple was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-44. Temple was a leader in the ecumenical movement and in educational, labour and social reform. He lectured in philosophy at Queen's College, Oxford (1904-10) and was ordained to the priesthood in 1909.

Temple said: ‘Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God… all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.’

After reading Temple’s definition of worship, I searched online and the AI generated definition seemingly uses William Temple ‘s definition and it says: ‘Worship is the nourishment of the mind upon God's truth. Worship is the quickening of the conscience by God's holiness. Worship is the cleansing of the imagination by God's beauty. Worship is the response of my life to God's plan for my life.

Not even artificial intelligence could say it better. What makes Temple’s definition of worship so intriguing is that the Bible never sets out to define worship for us, the same way it never sets out to prove that God exists. It simply tells us that we need to worship God and that those of us who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

What the Holy Spirit then does is that He uses men like Willam Temple, who defines worship and Jermiah Burrowes who wrote most amazing text on worship entitled ‘Gospel Worship’ and others and through their study, training, teaching, research, discipline and discipleship to reveal to us the depth of God’s message. This is what we call theology or the study of God. That is why we have churches and pastors and ministers of the gospel and gifts of the Spirit whereby persons can then be taught and instructed in the things of God.

Therefore, based on what Willam Temple’s definition teaches us, we are able to understand that to worship is to have our conscience quickened, our minds fed, our imaginations purged, our hearts open, and our wills captivated by God to God and for God. Worship then is not merely about singing songs and shouting praises. Worship may include singing songs and shouting praises but singing songs and shouting praises is not worship.

Worship goes way deeper than that. Thus, as we go a little deeper into our study and we come to the section on the participants of worship, we will begin to understand why it is that the unregenerate person does not and cannot worship God, and why it is that only the born-again believer can worship God. We will get a good grasp as to why Jesus said to the woman at the well (John4: 1-26) ‘You worship what you do not know’, as in you have no idea what you’re doing when you say you’re worshipping. That is because the Samaritans only accepted the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture, and rejected the rest. As theologian William Barclay said: ‘The Samaritans took as much of scripture as they wished and paid no attention to the rest.’ They therefore sought to worship God on their own terms without making a full commitment to Him. You cannot worship God on your terms. You cannot worship God if you have not submitted your life to Him. If you want to really worship God, then submit to Him. Accept Him as your Saviour and Lord. Also, as we go deeper, we will also understand fully what Jesus meant when He said that the those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth and why it is, that God is seeking for those who understand what it is to worship in spirit and in truth to worship Him. In making these statements Jesus was describing the basis for true worship. He was pointing out that true worship is not found in places and trappings, but in spirit and in truth. To worship in spirit means you are concerned with spiritual realities, not so much with places or outward sacrifices, cleansings, and trappings. To worship in truth means you worship according to the whole counsel of God’s word, especially in light of the New Testament revelation. It also means that you come to God in truth, not in pretense or a mere display of spirituality. (Enduring word Commentary)

Understanding the difference between true worship and what we sometimes do on Sunday morning and at other time during our christian experience, is critical to our being able to appreciate power of worship and what it does for us. We therefore need a better understanding of the word of God to get a true understanding of Worship.

Now we will refocus on worship using Wiliam Temples definition where it says: ‘To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.’

Using this definition as our guide, I want to ask today, according to Temple’s definition, do your worship? Firstly, has your conscience been quickened by the Holiness of God? And if so, what does a conscience quickened by God’s holiness look like; what are its fruits? (Pause for thought) A ‘quickened conscience’ refers to a conscience that is more sensitive, more alert, and more aware of right and wrong. It's as if the inner voice that judges actions and thoughts has become more vivid and clear. The phrase implies that experiencing or understanding God's holiness has a transformative effect on one's conscience. It can sharpen one's moral awareness, increase sensitivity to sin, and motivate a person towards righteousness.

Secondly In embracing worship, according to Temple’s definition, is to feed our minds with the truth of God’s word. The reality therefore is that if we are worshipping as we say we do are our minds constantly being fed by with the truth of the word of God. To those of us who say we are worshippers, are we truly and honestly delighting in God’s Word? Are we hiding God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him? Do we delight in God’s commandments and in his laws? The psalmist declares: ‘I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.’ (Psalm 119:16-24)

Are the Words of God sweeter to us than our daily food, yea, sweeter also than the honey and the honey comb? The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:7-10)

Thirdly in defining worship, according to Temple’s definition is to have our imaginations purged by the beauty of God. Based on this statement my question is, are we worshipping? Has our imagination been purged by the beauty of God? And if so, what does a purged, now pure imagination look like and how does a purged imagination react to this world and the things of this world? Are we thinking about whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report (Philippians 4:8). Are these the things we are thinking about?

Fourthly, in understanding worship as Temple defines it to have our hearts open to the love of God. The love of God for God Himself and for others and not just for ourselves. With this in mind I ask do you worship? Has your heart been open to the love of God? A love for God and a love for others even those who have wronged me and not just for myself or my clan or with whom I have shared mutual interest. A heart filled with God’s love open to all people because we are all made in the image and likeness of God? John says how can we say we love God who we cannot see and hate our brother who we can see? John says if we say we love God and hate our brother we lie. ‘If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

On the strength of Temple’s definition, I wish to say that if our hearts are not open to the love of God for our brothers no matter who they be, then we are not worshipping we are merely playing the fool and though we may be doing lots of other good stuff we are not worshipping. That is why Jesus said that if you come to offer your gift at the altar and know that you have things outstanding between you and your brother before you offer that gift go first and be reconciled to your brother and then come back and offer that gift. ‘Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (Matthew 5:23-24).

If you persist in offering that gift without being first reconciled to your brother which is those you have aught against and those who have aught against you my friend, then I want to tell you that God is not accepting that gift no matter how many times you offer it because you’re behaving like the Samaritans. You can’t pick and choose which parts of the scriptures you want to obey.

Fifthly worship according to Temple is to have our wills devoted to the purpose of God. Is this true about us individually and collectively as we ponder this topic? Is God the lord of our lives? On a daily basis are we saying ‘God not my will but your will be done’. Is our meat and drink, that which gives us greatest delight, to do the will of God? Is God increasing in our lives and is our personal ego or self decreasing? Or are we stuck on wanting to do it our way? It is like the hymn "Is Your All on the Altar?" written by Elisha Hoffman in 1900. Which says: ‘Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul.

B)The Locale of Worship

Next, we want to move on to the locale or place of worship. Hebrews12: 22 tells us ‘But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.’

The locale of worship refers to a place where people gather to worship, pray, and engage in religious practices. For the christian while there is no physically defined place of worship as Jesus said in John 4 ‘it is neither this mountain nor that mountain because we worship God in Spirit and in truth’ Still in a spiritual sense there is a defined place and that defined place is in Gods’ presence. Because our worship talks place before the throne of Almighty God. Psalms 24: 1-2: The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods; and Isaiah 66:1-2 says: Thus, saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord.

Thus, as theologian R C Sproul points out, when we today as Christians worship God in Spirit and in truth, especially when we gather for corporate worship, we do it in the heavenlies., at Mount Sion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. According to Sproul, the writer of the book of Hebrews wants us to understand that when we worship, we actually ascend into heaven: we walk over the threshold and we make a transition, a spiritual transition from the profane to the Holy, from the secular to the sacred, from the common to the uncommon, from the earthly to the heavenly. This transition happens only If we are in in Jesus Christ and it is there that true worship begins. Listen if you can to RC Sproul message on the Glory of God. He says it all way better than I ever could.

Let’s take a few minutes to understand the passage in Hebrews so that we can understand the locale of worship.

Hebrews 12: 18-29: For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, ¹⁹And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:²⁰(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: ²¹And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) ²²But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ²³To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. ²⁵See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: ²⁶Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. ²⁷And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: ²⁹For our God is a consuming fire. to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

In this passage we are given a description of what it was like the first time God met with His people. The writer of Hebrews referencing Exodus chapter 20 tells us that at this first meeting on Mount Sinai where the commandments were to be received that:

. The mountain was fenced off; there was no trespassing on pain of death.

The people were commanded to wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations.
There was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud.
There was the sound of a trumpet, calling forth the nation to meet with God.
There was more smoke, like a furnace, and earthquakes.
Then the trumpet sounded long – until Moses spoke, and God Himself answered.
God spoke to Israel from Sinai, but warned them in every way possible to stay away.

It was because in that exchange/encounter Moses was about to enter into the presence of God where God would come down on the mountain and speak with Moses face to face.

The writer in Hebrews tells us is that this is not what New Testament worship is about. For we no longer come to God with such fear and trembling. But then it tells us where and when and how we worship. But ye have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12: 22-24)

The phrase ‘But you have come to Mount Zion’ tells us plainly that we are in a different place. Our relationship with God is not modeled after Israel’s experience on Mount Sinai. We come to God’s other mountain, Zion, the name of the hill upon which Jerusalem sits. The law came to Sinai; the cross was on Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven; to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect; to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant; to the blood of sprinkling that speaks of better things than that of Abel. The lesson is plain. We shouldn’t come to Mount Zion as if we were coming to Mount Sinai. Thus, we can put away our hesitation, be encouraged and get bold in coming to God. But it’s necessary to remind ourselves that ‘the invitation to come boldly is not to come arrogantly.’ (Sproul) Thus, as Sproul reminds us, when we enter into the heavenly holy of holies to worship God, we need to consider what kind of behaviour and activity is appropriate in this place especially when we consider the company (other participants) among whom we worship and the posture that they adorn. Thus, the Locale of worship is in the presence of almighty God. This understanding then that when we worship, though it is not in a defined physical place but in the presence of God, should make us consider the following: In such a defined space what should our attitude be? What should our mindset be? What should our manner be? And this is where it may seem complicated but what should our dress be? I know that in our modern theology we misquote the verse and say that the bible says render your heart and not your garment, and though this is not even a true rending of the verse, this mindset has led to all kinds of dress and attitudes attending our worship. And even though there is no such verse in the bible, we get the point that is being made. And we can all agree that God is more interested in our hearts that in our dress. Yet the suggestion that we can come into God presence irreverently and in a kind of drab don't-carish way is a lie from the pit of Hell. You wouldn’t do it to an earthly sovereign please don’t do it to almighty God, especially when you can do better. In Malachi God spoke to the people concerning their manner in approaching him. He said:

But what we miss or don’t seem to get is that in response to such contemptable behaviour God says: I AM AGREAT GOD AND YOU CAN’T DISRESPECT ME AS YOU PLEASE BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND : That from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

This tells us plainly that God must be approached and served and worshipped with honour and dignity. I am afraid however, that our modern somewhat rather overly relaxed or lazy approach, to doing church. sometimes called ‘laissez-faire,’ is characterized by a hands-off attitude, a lack of intervention, and a willingness to let things take their own course without interference. Thua this laissez-faire attitude towards modern worship has distorted a correct view of God.

What might therefore be good to get a right perspective is to look at how the angels in God’s presence worship him In Isaiah: 6:2-3. The Bible text describes a vision of heavenly beings called seraphim, each with six wings. They use two wings to cover their faces, two to cover their feet, and two to fly. They are also described as crying out to one another, proclaiming the Lord of hosts as holy, and stating that the whole earth is full of his glory. This vision is found in Isaiah of the Bible. The act of covering their faces and feet is a sign of humility and awe in the presence of God, as they cannot fully comprehend His glory. And even so while they cover themselves, they cry Holy, holy, holy. This is a declaration of God's profound holiness, so profound that it fills the entire universe.

Tell me therefore, is this the God that you think you ought to come before in any old raggedy manner, or with an incorrect attitude? Jesus tells a parable in Matthew chapter 22. In vs 11-12 of that passage The King who had invited the guest to the wedding says to one of the invited guests. ‘How dare you come in not having on a wedding garment’. What seems ironic about this is that the man who was confronted about not having on a wedding garment and ultimately removed from the banquet and cast into outer darkness, had not been among the first nor the second group of invitees but in fact had only found himself there, after the first and second invitations were dramatically rejected by those initially invited to the wedding. Thus, this man was in the third group, the forgotten group almost, who were only invited when the king realised that the wedding was about to start and that he would have an empty banquet hall and so he said to the servants, ‘look, we have sent out two sets of invitations but none of those who were invited accepted’. The king therefore determined that he would not have a wedding with an empty banquet hall and told the servants to issue a third set of invitations but this third invitation was made more broadly. All were invited, whether good or bad. So, the servants went out and told all those whom they found to come and they came. The irony is, if all those who were told to come at the last-minute showed up then one would think that it would be reasonably ok to expect that one man coming in without a wedding garment shouldn’t be such a big deal. But no, when the king came in to see the guests, he saw this man who was not wearing a wedding garment: and he said to him, Friend, how could you be so daring to have come in here not having a wedding garment? And as might have been expected, the man was speechless. The king then was very angry that the man entered the feast without wearing the required wedding attire, and instructed his servants to bind the man and throw him into outer darkness. A question that come to mind is this. What is the significance of having on the right attire? Commentators say it speaks to proper Preparation. The wedding garment symbolizes spiritual readiness, righteousness, and being prepared for God's presence. And while scholars still debate the full merits of this parable, they agree that the man without a robe was conspicuous by his difference. He came inappropriately dressed and the king noticed. Thus, the man clearly was out of place.

Trapp asks the question: ‘Is it fit to come to such a feast in thy worst? In the leathern coats, in the tattered rags and menstruous clouts of wretched old Adam?

Spurgeon says: ‘He came because he was invited, but he came only in appearance. The banquet was intended to honor the King’s Son, but this man meant nothing of the kind; he was willing to eat the good things set before him, but in his heart, there was no love either for the King or his well-beloved Son.”

When we come to worship, we come to honour God, dare we come with an improper attitude or without our hearts and consciences being touched and sprinkled by pure water. The Bible says: ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22).

C)The participants of worship.

The writer of Hebrews makes it very clear that when we worship God that we do not worship God alone. In fact, the passage of Hebrews gives a complete list of all those who are continually around the throne worshipping God even as we approach. It says that there is ‘an innumerable company of angels, the spirits of just men made perfect, the general assembly and church of the firstborn’. LET’S BREAK DOWN THESE GROUPS.

‘An innumerable company of angels’

This refers to the countless angels who serve God and minister to believers. The bible clearly tells us that there are also angels who serve around the throne of God 24/7. Isaiah 6: 1-7: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Revelation 4:8 also describes four living creatures around God's throne, each with six wings and eyes all around and within. They tirelessly proclaim "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!". This verse highlights the constant adoration and recognition of God's holiness and sovereignty.

‘The spirits of just men made perfect’

This describes the souls of those who have lived righteously and have attained a state of perfection in heaven.

‘The general assembly and church of the firstborn’

This highlights the unified gathering of believers, both earthly and heavenly, who are united in faith and have been redeemed by God.

‘General assembly’ This refers to a gathering of people, in this context, the redeemed, both living and, in the afterlife, who are united in Christ.

‘Church of the firstborn’ This speaks of the faithful who are part of God's family and are seen as His firstborn children, inheriting eternal life and a part of His eternal kingdom.

Thus, when we worship God, we do not do it alone. On a 24/7 basis there are also others in the presence of God constantly worshipping Him. Could someone please tell me where it says there that the unregenerate are among those worshipping God?

D)The Demeanour of Worship- Faith

The demeanour of worship speaks to the manner, or conduct of worship, the behaviour we are to exhibit in worshipping God. The Bible tells us what our demeanour in worship ought to be. God is not to be worshipped in any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture. This means that the manner of worship must be according to Scripture. Our demeanour, decorum speaks to our propriety in manners and conduct. Demeanour is about our appropriateness, or rightness. The Bible lays out the demeanour of worship as ‘faith’. This is based on what Jesus said when He pointed out: ‘they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth’. You can’t worship a God you don’t believe in and commit to. Worship is faith based and Spirit led. They that worship God must worship God in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. If you cannot understand infinite things then you cannot worship. And the only way to understand infinite things is with the help of the Holy Spirit because only infinite can understand infinite. As John Owen says: ‘Infinite things are for faith and worship. Faith and worship will bring rest and satisfaction. Infinite glory can only be approached by faith.’ Thus, the unsaved can’t worship God no matter how hard he tries and God forbid that we should try to make them do it. We need to encourage the unregenerate to be saved first, then lead them to worship God. Faith therefore is absolutely necessary for worship. Worship, at its core, is an expression of faith, a way of acknowledging and honoring God.

Without faith, worship is merely an empty act, lacking the vital connection and conviction that makes it meaningful. We come together and worship every Sunday because we believe in God as we put our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus made it very plain in Matthew11:27: ‘All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.’ Without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, we can never come to the position of truly being able to worship Him as there is no other way to know God. Not even Saul, in spite of his religious pedigree, knew who really God was as he had not yet come to a saving knowledge of Jesus himself, and Jesus is the only way to God. Thus, Saul in spite of his immense zeal and religious faith wasn’t worshipping nor honouring God. That is why when Jesus confronts Saul on the road to Damascus Saul’s first response is: ‘Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.’ (Acts 9:5-6)

Hebrews 11:6, states, ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ Coming to God in worship requires faith in His existence and in His rewarding those who seek Him earnestly. Faith fuels a relationship with God while worship is a way to express confidence in that relationship with God, trusting in His care and provision. Without this faith, it's difficult to fully appreciate and treasure God's presence. Therefore, worship strengthens faith. Worship then is not just a song or ritual, but a way of life that demonstrates and expresses faith in God.

E)The Depth of worship.

The Depth of Worship refers to the sincerity, intensity, and personal engagement one brings to their worship. R C Sproul describes it as weighty. It's about moving beyond superficial praise and entering into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God through worship. It is where we ascribe dignity, majesty, holiness to God in a way that is deep, profound, weighty, heavy. The depth of our worship to God ought not to be travail but resounding with a measure of dept and profoundness. An understanding derived because of our awareness of the very character of the God, His nature and attributes. It may be helpful for us to constantly remind ourselves by asking ourselves; do we really know the nature and the character of the God we worship. Am in-depth analysis of the nature of God is in section 2 of this message.

In essence, ‘The Depth of Worship’ is about moving beyond surface-level engagement and entering into a more meaningful and transformative relationship with God through worship. It's about actively participating in a way that honours God, expresses our devotion, and allows His presence to shape our lives. Just a note here on the depth of worship and its connection to the type of songs we sing when we gather for corporate worship on Sundays and at other times. There is a very beautiful song which is originally an appeal to God to come to the aid of those in need. The song is thought to have spread from the islands to other Southern states and the North, as well as to other places outside the United States. The song is ‘Kum ba yah’ ‘Come By Here’, transcribed by J. Cutting from the singing of H. Wylie, 1926. The song's lyrics, ‘Kum ba yah’ interpreted as ‘come by here,’ is an entreaty to God to come help oppressed folk, with later verses calling out indications of suffering (‘someone's crying, my Lord’). Yet there are times when this lovely song will not suffice to express the depth of worship we feel for God. It is then that in order to express the depth of worship we feel we turn to songs and writers like: Charles Wesley who wrote ‘in 1738 to celebrate his conversion wrote:

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Refrain:
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

2 'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

or ‘The Cleansing Wave’ based on 2 Cor. 5.17 ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…’ written by Mrs. Phoebe Worrell Palmer around 1873. The song says in part:

Oh, now I see the crimson wave!
The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
Points to His wounded side.

Refrain:
The cleansing stream I see, I see!
I plunge, and, oh, it cleanseth me!
Oh, praise the Lord, it cleanseth me!
It cleanseth me, yes, cleanseth me.

I see the new creation rise,
I hear the speaking blood;
It speaks, polluted nature dies,
Sinks ’neath the cleansing flood.

or ‘Safe in the Arms of Jesus,’ or ‘Rescue the Perishing,’ or ‘Blessed Assurance, or ‘Savior, More Than Life to Me,’ or ‘Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior’ by Fanny. J. Crosby.

This is because we understand that as we get deeper into God we cannot stand on the surface any more.

Sadly, there is an uncomfortable and unnecessary antagonism in churches among people today for having to choose between which songs to sing because some church anthems of the faith have been discarded in favour of more modern contemporary songs. Don’t get me wrong, I Love all songs about God as long as they have good theology. But way too many modern songs focus more upon the worshipper or creature rather than upon God the creator. Worship is about God not about us, and as believers we need to be maturing and the surface songs that got us moving when we first came to Christ must give way to deeper more spiritual songs today. We need to come off the milk and start eating meat. Hebrews 5:13-14 says, ‘For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.’

One song that beautifully illustrates the need to move beyond our basis stage and go deeper into worship and the things of God is the song: The mercy of God is an ocean divine written by A. B. Simpson in 1891. The song goes:

The mercy of God is an ocean divine, A boundless and fathomless flood;
Launch out in the deep, cut away the shore line, and be lost in the fullness of God.

Refrain: Launch out into the deep, O, let the shore line go,
Launch out, launch out in the ocean divine, out where the full tides flow.

But many, alas! only stand on the shore, and gaze on the ocean so wide;
They never have ventured its depths to explore, or to launch on the fathomless tide.
And others just venture away from the land, and linger so near to the shore, That the surf and the slime that beat over the strand, Dash o'er them in floods evermore.
O let us launch out on this ocean so broad, Where the floods of salvation e’er flow; O, let us be lost in the mercy of God, Till the depths of His fullness we know.

Our depth of worship needs to go deeper as in Ezekiel 47 where the prophet moves from water around his ankles to water covering his head. The prophet Ezekiel from vs 1-12 describes a vision of a river flowing from the temple in Jerusalem, bringing life and healing to the land, including the Dead Sea. The river starts as a trickle but grows increasingly deeper and wider, eventually flowing into the sea and making it fresh. This vision is interpreted as a symbol of spiritual renewal and the transformative power of God's grace. In Ezekiel the river flows into the Dead Sea and make it ‘alive’ again with fish and vegetation.

'Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. ²Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. ³And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. ⁴Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again, he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. ⁵Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. ⁶And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. ⁷Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. ⁸Then said he unto me, these waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. ⁹And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. ¹⁰And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. ¹¹But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. ¹²And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.' As in Ezekiel's vision,the fullness of God's abudance only come as we go deeper in our worship of God.

Just as it was in temple worship, we have to move from just being in the courtyard, and into the holy of holies where we worship God. I like how Catherine Mullen says it: ‘Take me past the outer court, and through the holy place, Past the brazen altar, Lord, I long to see your face, pass me by the crowds of people and the priests who sing their praise Lord, I hunger and thirst for your righteousness and it's only found one place. Take me in to the Holy of Holies And take me in by the blood of the Lamb And take me in to the Holy of Holies And take the coal, cleanse my lips, Here I am.’

Section 2 The God we Worship. In this section we look at the Nature of the God we worship, His holiness, and His character.

The God we worship:

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:22-31)

Who is this God that we worship? Permit me to point out that Knowing God is essential to worshipping God. How can we worship God in spirit and in truth if we don’t have the Spirit of God and if we have not embraced the truth about Jesus Christ. The truth that Jesus came into the world to save sinners and before I can worship Him, I need to open my heart to that truth and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. After that it is through my life in the spirit that I am brought into a relationship with God where I know God and am able to worship God. The Westminster Catechism says: God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. This statement reflects the essence of the following verses:

Revelation 4:11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Romans 11:36: For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Psalm 86:9:All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

Psalm 73:24-26: ²⁴Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

All of these passages describe God as the guide and source of all strength, all power, all glory, all majesty and might, implicitly linking Him to the purpose of life. The catechism concludes therefore that because of who God is in relation to mankind and the universe, which were created by Him and for Him, ‘the chief end of man is to glorify God’.

This statement is a foundational theological concept. It emphasises that the ultimate purpose and goal of human existence is to bring honor and praise to God. Thus, bringing glory to God is not just one of many purposes, but the primary and overarching aim of human life. Brining glory to God intertwines two concepts that aren’t mutually exclusive. These concepts are to worship God and to glorify God. Unfortunately, glorifying God and worshipping God are sometimes fought over by dominion theology advocates and traditionalist as to what is the primary purpose for mankind. Dominion theology advocates argue that the chief purpose for which man was created is not to worship God but to have dominion based on Genesis:1: 26: ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth’. They further insist that the Kingdom of God is being established on earth now, through the actions of believers, rather than being solely a future event. It is therefore through our dominance that God is glorified.

On the other hand, Traditionalist insist that based on Revelation 4:11: which says, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’ That the primary purpose of our existence is to worship God in spirit and truth as the way bring ultimate glory to Him.

But the truth is that a heart that truly worships God will naturally overflow into a life that glorifies God through taking authority over all opposing forces of the devil. Thus, in reality, glorifying God and worshipping God are both indispensable aspects of a faith-filled life, with worship being the internal foundation and glorification being the outward expression. That is why Psalms 89:6 reminds us, ‘All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name’. For, it is in worshiping God, that men glorify him. It is as Philippians 2:10-11 says ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ Thus, as believers we need to avoid these over emphases which makes light of any portion of scripture in order to force a point. All things are indeed firstly created for God’s pleasure and this provides a framework for all of life. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God’.

There is therefore much truth to be gleaned in understanding more about the God we worship as outlined in the passage from Acts which we cited earlier. In this passage, two groups of philosophers encountered Paul. They were The Epicureans and the Stoics. The Epicureans pursued pleasure as the chief purpose in life, and valued most of all, the pleasure of a peaceful life, free from pain, disturbing passions and superstitious fears (including the fear of death). Though they did not deny the existence of gods, they believed that the gods had nothing to do with man. The Stoics were pantheists. They believed that everything was god and that God was in everything. They placed great emphasis on moral sincerity and a high sense of duty. They cultivated a spirit of proud dignity, and believed that suicide was better than a life lived with less dignity. They insisted that all things, whether good or evil, were from god, and so nothing should be resisted. They believed there was no particular direction or destiny for mankind. (Enduring word) Imagine then the shock when Paul comes to these philosophers, men thinking deeply about how things work, what's real, and what's right, and challenges their theology about God because of their inability to recognise the true God even though they had built an image unto him. In fact, it was said that the inscription to the unknown God originated six hundred years before Paul, when a terrible plague came on the city and a man name Epimenides had an idea. He let loose a flock of sheep through the town, and wherever they lay down, they sacrificed that sheep to the god that had the nearest shrine or temple. If a sheep lay down near no shrine or temple, they sacrificed the sheep TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. (source: Ministry Today)

Similarly, as Paul said to those in Athens, not knowing God and attempting to worship Him means that you worship in ignorance. Caution here to believers. As children of God, don’t take it for granted that people know the God we are speaking about when we speak about God. We need to tell them exactly who God is. Paul statement to those on Mars Hill about worshipping the unknown God in ignorance goes like this: ‘Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.’ (Acts 17:22-31) Paul needed to make God known unto them. Those learned men on Mars hill did not know of God’s omniscience, or His omnipresence or His omnipotence or His infinite greatness or His incomprehensible perfection. In their minds they thought of God as like an image like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. But Paul warned in that time of ignorance God winked/overlooked but now He was demanding repentance. This statement by Paul indicated a shift in God's attitude towards humanity. He made it clear that whereas God once overlooked the people's ignorance about His true nature and plan when the message was coming to mankind through the angels and prophets etc that God, since is now sending the message through Christ His Son, He no longer pardons our ignorance. ‘God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high’ (Hebrews1:1-3). Thus, after having spoken to humanity through Jesus Christ, God now commands all people everywhere to turn away from sins and turn towards Him, thus, marking the start of a new era of accountability, where humanity is expected to respond to God's revealed truth.

Yet, the reason today people still don’t worship God, is simply because they don’t know God. Some have absolutely no knowledge of the true and living God. Thus, they don’t worship Him. How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14.

Then there are those who have an incorrect understanding of God. Like those on Mars Hill, they have been misled into believing in a god other than the true and living God. It is as Jesus said, rather than being taught the truth of who God is and what He is like and what He requires of humanity, they have been told lies in Jesus’ name. (Matthew 15:9) ‘But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’

Sadly, our spurious and incorrect teaching of who God really is, continues to do a great disservice to the persons of the Godhead. That is why Paul is at pains to say ‘Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone’(Acts:17:29) Paul is here emphasising that our responsibility as children of God, is to get it right concerning who God is. As he said, because we are His offspring. We need to have the same nature that He has. We need to walk in the Spirit as He did. And, since we are His offspring, we are responsible to have right ideas about God, and therefore must reject the notion that gold or silver or stone or some other precious things can truly represent the true and living God. That was why God told Moses don’t make for yourself any graven image or any likeness of me because there is absolutely nothing that can truly represent me. (Exodus: 20:4) When God gave this command to the people through Moses, not to make unto themselves any images or likeness of Him, it seemed as if it was customary for pagan nations to make replicas of their deities. Thus, in giving this prohibition God is distinguishing Israel from the other nations around them. As the Reformation Study Bible points out: ‘Isreal is to be distinguished from the nations by worship that does not make use of images of God. Images are forbidden, not because there can be none, since God made mankind in his own image (Gen 1:26,27), but because God must reveal Himself. He is not subject to human imagination. In his own time, God did provide His own Image -Jesus Christ is the true image of God in Bodily form. (Col1:15,2:9)’.

Today, in spite of these prohibitions, some people still conjure up images of holiness, godliness and God himself in their own minds. They sometimes mistakenly associate white garments with holiness or ideas of angels with truth, or man-made images/pictures of Jesus and the crucifix with divinity or clear skies or pure water with sainthood. But like the people to whom Paul spoke in Acts 17, they have no real understanding of the true and living God. ‘The Athenians acknowledged in their altar inscription that they were ignorant of God, and so Paul gave evidence of their ignorance. However, Paul declared such ignorance to be culpable.’ (Stott) In other words you have no excuse for not getting to know God for yourself especially when you want to talk about worshipping Him. The artistic representations we have of the man Christ Jesus whether white, black or mixed are all false images. They are best avoided. The Bible even tells us plainly that even in his earthly appearance God incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ ‘hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.’ (Isaiah 53:2)

This signifies that the person, often interpreted as the Suffering Servant or Jesus Christ, was not physically striking or outwardly attractive. The lack of form and comeliness doesn't mean ugliness, but rather that there was nothing about His physical appearance that would immediately draw attention or make Him appear worthy of admiration or desire based on His looks. Yet this God not robed in regal splendour crafted by man’s hands is so enormous, so gigantic, so ginormous that king Solomon at the dedication of the temple declared: ‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? (1 Kings 8:27 and 2 Chronicles 6:18.) A temple cannot contain God. He is boundless. He is everywhere filling all time and space. God cannot be restricted nor contained. God is invincible as He is invisible. The terms we used to describe God are andromorphic terms which describe God as having human form but God has no human form. He has no hands no feet like ours, He is a Spirit. The angels around God’s throne are awesome and scary, not cosy, cuddly and mushy. They are not just passively and prettily dressed in white smiling and singing softy and sweetly. There is thunderous praise. Revelation 4:8. specifically describes the four living creatures surrounding God's throne, each having six wings and being ‘FULL OF EYES AROUND AND WITHIN’. It is felt that these eyes symbolise divine insight, omniscience, and constant vigilance, reflecting God's all-seeing nature and perfect knowledge. God is awesome. He is the only one who is awesome. I try never to use the word awesome except in relation to God. Today too many trivial things from food to sex to hanging out are described as awesome. Almost 15 years ago the Holy Spirit led me to prepare a sermon which I still have entitled ‘Only God is awesome’. It traces the use of the concept of the term awesome and how it went from being used strictly to describe things divine to being used to define created things. That is an abomination. Only God is awesome. Only things directly relating to God are awesome. Only an encounter with God may be described as awesome. God told Moses I am so awesome you can’t see me and live. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.’ (Exodus 33:18-20) Do we really know the God we say we are worshipping? The psalmist declares:^‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the seaEven there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Psalm 139:7-12.) Even the crooked Balak was forced to acknowledge: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19).

But what is ever more interesting about the passage and this awesome God which Solomon said that the heaven nor earth could contain is the fact that during the dedication of the temple, Solomon sacrificed around a staggering 144,000 animals. He sacrificed 22,000 Bulls and 120,000 sheep plus grain offerings over 7-14 days, AND GOD ACCEPTED EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT. God accepted the aroma of the sacrifices. God did not say no this is a waste, as Judas said to Mary when she anointed Jesus’ feet with the alabaster ointment. (John 5:12:1-6). No God in allowing Solomon to do it was saying YES! Go ahead and do it. Do it. I deserve it. I AM the only One who deserves it. Lavish it on Me. Lavish your praise on Me. Lavish all your worship on Me. Lavish all your sacrifices on Me. Give your life to Me. I am the only One who deserves it. Everything in this universe is Mine anyway. They are all Mine anyway. The gold is Mine, the silver is Mine, the earth is Mine. It’s all Mine. Sacrifice to Me. Imagine that this humongous sacrifice, rather than being too much, still couldn’t even begin to satisfy the glory of such a great big powerful God. Historically, concerning the sacrifice, research suggests:

Each animal was ritually sacrificed and a portion was dedicated to the LORD, and the remainder was given to the priests and the people. It was enough to feed a vast multitude for two weeks. It's worth remembering that a sacrifice in the Old Testament was usually not a whole burnt offering. Usually it involved killing the animal, the priest sprinkling some of its blood on the altar and taking a portion for himself, and then the person making the offering eating the rest of it (probably with his household). Even over seven days, that's 20000 animals/day or a sacrifice every 4 seconds. If an animal takes 2 hours to be cremated, that's 12 shifts of 1666 animals each, excluding the time between shifts. That hollowed area in the middle of the court must have accommodated 1666 animals at very least. (https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com)

According to Josephus at a Passover-feast at Jerusalem in Nero’s time, the priests counted 256,000 sacrifices, confirming the capacity of such large numbers. This means the temple and whatever possible surrounding areas to house the animals were large enough to accommodate such high numbers. (Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged. Peabody: Hendrickson. (Wars of the Jews 6.425)

God is a fearsome and awesome God who demands worship not when we feel like but at all times. He said to Moses and Aaron, burn incense to me morning and evening, signifying perpetual priestly and temple worship. It was also a continuous, perpetual offering, a sign of the ongoing presence of God in the sanctuary. ‘And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.’ (Exodus 30:7-8)

Then there are those who do not know God and worship God. This is not that they don’t know there is a God. The Bible clearly says that nature, conscience and reason all point to the fact of the existence of God. ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork’. (Psalm 19:1) Rather, it is their stubborn refusal to acknowledge God, because to acknowledge God is to recognize the need to submit to Him. An atheist therefore is not one who doubts the existence of God as much as someone who refuses to acknowledge the existence of God in spite of the light of conscience, nature and reason. (John Owen)

In reflecting upon these three categories of persons listed above; those who simply don’t know God, those who have an incorrect understanding of God, and those who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge God even though they have an awareness of Him; we see the same end result. Because they don’t know God, they don’t worship God.

It was King Nebuchadnezzar who asked: Who is this God that shall deliver you of out my hand. Daniel 3: 14-15 says: ‘Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? ¹⁵Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

The question highlights the power and authority Nebuchadnezzar believed that he had. As far as he was concerned, he was the most powerful person on earth having already conquered all the nations and their gods and there was no one left, man nor God who could deliver anyone out of his hand.

It was like Pharoah when told by Moses to let the children of Israel go in Exodus 5:1-3: And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, ‘who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.’

But in the end, he said: ‘Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.’ (Exodus 12:31-32)

Both these powerful men did not know the God they were messing with. Today I fear that many believers and non-believers alike do not know the God that they are messing with. The way we live and the things we do suggest that we take it for granted that God is like some aged, kind, mild, loving, benign old man, having no significant effect, harmless of a gentle disposition, gracious. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The light of scripture reveals:

A)God is Terrible in Majesty.

Job 37:22, which can be translated as ‘A golden light comes from the north. A terrifying majesty is with God’. This describes God's presence and power in a way that evokes both awe and fear. The verse emphasises God's overwhelming and all-encompassing majesty, suggesting that His presence is inescapable and His power is beyond human comprehension. This imagery evokes the idea of God's radiant glory, often associated with theophanies (God's appearances to humans in a tangible form that can be perceived) in the Old Testament. The north is sometimes depicted as a place of God's dwelling or the source of spiritual power. The term, A terrifying majesty is with God’ highlights God's overwhelming power and authority, which inspires both awe and fear in humans. The term ‘majesty’ can refer to God's sovereign rule and the splendour of His presence. This verse resonates with other passages in the book of Job and elsewhere in the Bible that describe God's power and majesty, such as Job 9:10-12. In essence, Job 37:22 paints a picture of God as a magnificent and powerful being whose presence is both awe-inspiring and daunting.

B)God is Awesome in Glory

‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handworks’ (Psalms 19:1). David begins by asserting that all of creation displays the glory of God. The entire heavenly panorama—the sun, stars and planets are telling the story of His glory. The vast expanse of creation is the work of God’s skilful hands.

C)God is Overwhelming in Holiness and Power.

Revelation 20.11 says ‘From whose face the nations fled away’. God Knows everything. ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.^‘But the very hairs of your head are all numbered’. (Matthew 10:29-31) Psalm 147:4-6 says: ‘He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite’.

D)God is Sovereign in the Universe.

Psalm 93:1 state, ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.’ This verse declares God's sovereignty and power, highlighting his authority and the stability of the world he has created. It further underlines the permanence of His creation, demonstrating His unwavering control and protection. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. (Psalm 97: 1-6)

E) God is Unbending in Righteousness-

Matthew 22: 1-14. Tells the story of the man invited to the wedding feast of the king’s son. The man came in not having on his wedding garment and was rejected and thrown out into ‘outer’ and utter darkness. This man without the wedding garment who was thrown out, serves as a caution to those who accept God's invitation to undergo a transformation in their lives. They need to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, signifying a change in their hearts and actions.

F)God is Fearful in Praises Doing Wonders.

Exodus 15:11-13 says: ‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right, hand, the earth swallowed them. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?’ This phrase from Exodus 15:11, is also part of a song of praise and celebration for God's deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians. The verse ‘There is no one like you, O Lord, among the gods.’ highlights God's unique greatness and power, contrasting Him with the many gods worshipped by the Egyptians. The phrase emphasises the following points: 1. God's Uniqueness- It asserts that God is distinct and superior to all other deities. 2. God's Power- It showcases God's ability to perform wonders and deliver His people, demonstrating His power over the gods of Egypt. 3. God's Holiness- it declares God's holiness, emphasising His moral perfection and distinct nature from the other gods.

G)God is Unmatched in Greatness.

God created all things and not a single molecule is wandering loose in the universe. ‘He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.’ (Psalms 147:4) Isaiah 40:26 says: ^‘Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth’. In Revelations 22:13 God says: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last’. There is no god like Him. There was never a god before Him. There was never any god like Him past or present and there will never be any god like Him. Before time began to begin there was God and God wants us to understand that and remember that and to know therefore that it is a privilege to worship Him. Thus, God gets angry when we don’t honour Him. God is angry when we put other things before Him. The very first commandment in scripture is: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Exodus 20:3 & Deuteronomy 5:7). This command demands the exclusive worship of God, because God says He will not share His glory with another. ‘I am the LORD; that is my name: and my glory will I not give unto another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Isaiah 42:8) This verse affirms that God, who is the Lord, is the only one worthy of glory and praise, and He will not share His glory because none share His attributes. God must be worshipped and Him alone. The verse thus unmistakenly emphasises God's unique and exclusive claim to glory and praise, establishing Him as the sole source of worship and honour. God also gets angry when we doubt His Promises. He said concerning Israel: ‘So, I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. (Hebrews 3:11-19) These words by God takes us back to Kadesh-Barnea, a location in the Sinai Desert where the Israelites camped for a long period and faced various challenges, including lack of water and complaints about their situation. Dr Ed Cole author of ‘Maximized Manhood’ reminds us that the children of Israel stumbled at Kadesh Barnea and were kept out of Canaan because of unbelief. Hebrews 4 warns us to fear, ‘lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.’ God in His greatness is highly displeased when we doubt His greatness and if we persist in this state of unbelief, we shall not easily escape. God is also angered when men refuse to acknowledge Him for who He is. John Owen in his wonderful text ‘Spiritual Mindedness’ reasons that all spiritual thoughts come from God and return to God. He is the centre. ‘For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.’ (Romans 11.36). Thus, He is highly displeased when we don’t acknowledge Him. That is because God is infinite. He is the only supreme and absolute power there is in the universe. All other beings and creatures are inferior to Him. Therefore, when we deny God’s existence, we reject the origin and source of all goodness, truth and life itself. Henceforth it is futile to expect help from inferior beings when the highest and most noble has already been rejected. As Simon Peter answered when Jesus asked the disciples if they too would abandon Him to which Peter replied: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.’ John 6:68: Yet in spite of these irrefutable facts, we read Psalm 14:1 where: ‘The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God’. Such a stance therefore prompts a great and powerful God to say in Proverbs: 1:7: ‘I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh’. This passage is a warning to those who reject wisdom and choose to live without fear of the Lord. In this Proverb wisdom is personified as God and God as wisdom. In it those who reject God reject wisdom. As a result, God will watch with disinterest when the inevitable consequence of rejecting wisdom starts to play out. The ‘words laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh’ highlights the severity of the judgment that will befall those who have refused to heed wisdom.

Question: is this the God we are presenting to men or are we presenting some other God who is so desperate to get people into the kingdom that he takes anyone who doesn’t meet His standard?

John Metcalfe says it takes the awakening of the conscience when all is stripped away for men to see God as He truly is. Thus, if men’s consciences have not been awakened, they cannot see God as being holy and majestic. That is why the unsaved or the unregenerate cannot worship because with darkened eyes and consciences they do not know God nor appreciate God. Before being awakened our reality as to who God is, our reality is but a dream, but unfortunately that dream of what God is like is our reality. But with the awakening of the conscience by the word of God and the Spirit of God, the dream is shattered and we came face to face with the dreadful God as Jacob did in the book of Genesis as he went out from Beersheba toward Haran at the advice of God.

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. ¹¹And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. ¹²And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. ¹³And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; ¹⁴And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ¹⁵And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. ¹⁶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. ¹⁷And he was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. ¹⁸And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. ¹⁹And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. ²⁰And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, ²¹So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: ²²And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:10-22)

Note what happens after Jacob awakes to the truth of who God is. His dream is shattered. He comes to the realisation as to who God is. When this happens, he is afraid, and he says in Genesis 28.17; ‘This place is dreadful, this place is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.’ There is no way that we can become awakened to the truth of who God is and not be filled with Godly fear. There is no way we can be awakened to the reality of who God is and still be irreverent or naïve in God’s presence and approach holy things without a degree of fear and trembling, not fear born of dread but fear and nervousness born of reverence. When awakened to the truth of God you realise that wherever you are that God is there with you. So, you know that whatever you do, you do it in the full glare of heaven. As John Owen says, ‘meditating on God means imagining that God is right there in the room. A very present help in time of trouble but also a reminder that God is always right there with you in the room when you sin.’ An awakened mind therefore cannot help being shocked on realising that in every circumstance, God is there sitting, watching, and weeping, when we fail, because we are sinning in the full glare of His presence.

Note the other three things Jacob does immediately after his awakening. He worships the dreadful God, he vows and he commits to sacrifice. In worshipping (vs 18) he takes the stone he had used for a pillow and he sets it up and he pours oil upon it. He worships, then he makes a vow. He entrusts himself to God’s protection while committing himself to transformation. He says God, ‘if you keep me safe and help me get home again then God I commit to serving you. I will no longer be a thief and a supplanter, a crafty man. I will make you my God and my Lord’. He also says ‘God I will sacrifice. I will give you 10 percent of everything you give me back to you. Because I understand that all things come from you and return back to you.’ Few things show our character as much as what we are prepared to do with our money. Thus, when the realisation as to who God is really hits home man’s conscience is awakened, his mind becomes clear, his priorities change, his goals are sanctified.

The tragedy is that today we have those who claim to know God but have no reverence for Him. They fail to worship Him as He deserves. Theres is no Holy fear. They treat the things of God with contempt. They make light and make mockery of the sacred things of God. And so, because they do not know Him, God in anger and disgust is saying as he did in Malachi:

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name? ⁷Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar; and ye say, wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, the table of the Lord is contemptible. ⁸And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. ⁹And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. ¹⁰Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. ¹¹For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. ¹²But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, the table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. ¹³Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus, ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. ¹⁴But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. (Malachi 1:6-14)

Thus, as in Malachi’s day men go on dishonouring God rather than worshiping God. This is partly because, we have church leaders today who rather than teach the word of God and preach the whole counsel of God, teach their own ideas or fantasies. It is therefore as Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, ‘in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men’.

The hard question we therefore really need to ask is: Do we who profess to know Him do we really know him? Today we have people who say they are worshipping God, yet doing things and asking God for all kinds of things contrary to the teachings of scripture. Reason suggests that they don’t really know Him. Thus, they don’t worship him because they can’t. As Metcalfe reminds us, ‘The awakening of the soul is profound. The conviction deep. This is because it is God himself who does it. The natural man knows nothing about it. These spiritually discerned things are foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually discerned. Thus, the inability of the unsaved or unregenerate man to worship God persist because he cannot and will not worship a God he does not know. We need to get to know Who is this God that we may worship Him. Do you know him?

The psalmist gives us three impeccable reasons why we should worship God. He says, ^‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him’. (Psalm 18:30). When thoroughly broken down this verse reminds us:

As for God, his way is perfect;
His word is flawless;
He shields/Protects all who take refuge in him.

Section 3: The right way in drawing nigh to God in worship. There is a right way in drawing nigh to God.

R C Sproul says that ‘worship’ should be marked with a sense of gravity, a gravity that resounds with the weight of the God whom we worship. He calls it a solemnity born of reverence and adoration; an awareness of the augustness of God’s majesty. Not one that brings with it a weight of sadness or sorrow but a weightiness from recognition of a position of honour, a recognition which causes us to realise who God is and who we are. Again, we are reminded that in Exodus 20 God gives to Moses the 10 commandments but before that in Exodus 19, part of which we read about in Hebrews 12, God sets the stage/scene in which those commandments were to be received.

The mountain was fenced off; there was no trespassing on pain of death.
They were commanded to wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations.
There was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud.
There was the sound of a trumpet, calling forth the nation to meet with God.
There was more smoke, like a furnace, and earthquakes.
Then the trumpet sounded long – until Moses spoke, and God Himself answered.
God spoke to Israel from Sinai, but warned them in every way possible to stay away.

It was because in that exchange/encounter Moses was about to enter into the presence of God where God would come down on the mountain and speak with Moses face to face.

Now it is true to say, as mentioned previously, that what this passage in Hebrews is not suggesting this this is what New Testament worship is about. For, as we all know, we no longer come into the presence of God with such fear and trembling. Thus, the lesson is plain as believers in Christ, we shouldn’t come to Mount Zion as if we were coming to Mount Sinai. So as Children of God and true worshippers, we can put away our hesitation, be encouraged and get bold in coming to God. But it’s also necessary to remind ourselves that the invitation to come boldly is not an excuse to come arrogantly. Thus, as Sproul reminds us, when we enter into the heavenly holy of holies to worship God, we need to consider what kind of conduct, activity, and dress is appropriate in this place, especially when we consider its God’s presence we are entering into as well as the fact that we will be among the other distinguished worshippers who are ever present.

In listening to Dr Sproul’s concerns about coming to God irreverently, I realise that he warns of what may be regarded as our irreverence in modern worship: an irreverence for who God almighty is, an irreverence born of pride, arrogance, ignorance, lack of understanding and a familiarity that breeds contempt, a nauseating contempt of who we really are and who God is and what worship really is. This is why it’s so important that we get hold of william Temples definition of worship and ponder over it for a while and allow it to inform our perspective of the Christian life especially in such things as worship.

In Hebrews along with being told the blessings of the new covenant the writer also sounds a warning in verses 25-26: ‘See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven’.

These verses remind us that we need to watch or be careful, for great privilege usually has an inherent warning and danger within it.

The waring was that the modern worshipper must not ignore God when He speaks. The passage warns believers to not refuse God's voice. Drawing a comparison between those who rejected Moses's message on Earth and the consequences of rejecting Christ's message from heaven. It highlights that the voice of God previously shook the earth at Sinai, and promises a future shaking of both earth and heaven. Therefore, if our forerunners did not escape the dire consequences for disobeying neither shall we. As described in the previous verses, God holds the goodness and glory of Mount Zion before us – the perfect and finished work of Jesus and the New Covenant through Him. If we choose to refuse this from God, we can’t ignore the consequences. We are reminded that those who were disobedient and rebellious at Mount Sinai did not escape God’s punishment and that there are and should be even greater consequences for resisting God’s greater work at Mount Zion.

As one commentator puts it, ‘it is easy and dangerous to think that God was severe and mean in the Old Testament and somehow became nice in the New Testament. This is so simplistic that it is deceiving. There is more mercy in the Old Testament than many imagine, and there is more judgment in the New Testament than many imagine.’ (Enduring word commentary)

The truth is that God then and now is a consuming fire. And while this is a comfort to the believer, it should be sobering to the unsaved.

Hence, for this final section, I want us to look to the Bible using references from the Old and New Testament at the right way in approaching God in worship. We begin by peering into the account of the death of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 1-7.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. ²And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. ³Then Moses said unto Aaron, this is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. ⁴And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. ⁵So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. ⁶And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled. ⁷And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. (Leviticus 10:1-7)

This passage tells us that Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, God’s priests at the altar took their censors and put in fire and incense which the Lord commanded them not and came before the altar to worship and minister to the Lord, and the Lord slew them. But what is most shocking was that in the midst of the grief God instructs Moses to have the remaining sons of Aaron to come and get the bodies of their dead brothers out of the sanctuary and drag them outside of the tent. They are not allowed to bury them, not even to mourn for them lest God kills them also.

Please don’t think for one minute that Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were bad men. In fact, they were anointed men of God. Exodus 24:5-8 tells us that of the three times the Sprinkling of the blood was done in the OT signifying cleansing that Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were present.

A question that therefore probably springs to mind is why is God being so harsh? Why do His actions seem so cruel?

The answer is found in Leviticus 10: 3: Then Moses said unto Aaron, this is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Note the words: ‘I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me’. In other words, God is saying let my glory be seen in all those that come near to me. Otherwise, you risk incurring my wrath and displeasure.

Nadab and Abihu died because they offered strange fire. The fire on the altar had been lit by God and they were commanded never to let it go out. Somehow when they came to worship, they brought unauthorised profane fire not commanded by God and they died instantly.

This tells us plainly that you cannot come to worship God by offering worship or anything to God not ordained by God or prescribed by God himself.

To offer to God fire he did not create is to shift the glory from God to us. This was unacceptable and so Nadab and Abihu died. We can expect the same result today even if it doesn’t happen to us physically as instantaneously as it did to Aaron’s sons.

Taking a deeper look at the phrase in Leviticus 10.3: ‘before all the people I will be glorified’. We instantly realise that God is saying, bluntly that He will be sanctified in us in one way or another. So, either we demean ourselves and allow God’s glory to be seen in our worship of him and in all we say and do, or God will demean us and magnify himself through us, so that the heathen will see His Glory.

Note that it was on these words spoken by Moses to Aaron that Aaron held his peace. Aaron got the message. He went quiet. He immediately understood that worship was all about God and not about us. He had no response. God was emphatic. The assembly was quiet. You cannot worship God on your own terms.

The challenge I am seeing today is that much modern worship seeks to worship God on its own terms. But a close reading and thorough understanding of Haggai chapter 1.1-11 and Isaiah 58.1-5 underscores the folly of trying to worship or honour God on our own terms.

In Haggai chapter 1, the captives had returned from captivity but were devoted to their own progress at the expense of God’s temple where He would receive worship. God therefore in anger mocks them and tells them this is why your efforts at progressing are being wasted because you’re putting yourself and your self-interest ahead of my worship. That is not the way it must be done. God still wants us to find the old paths of worship and walk in them.

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. ⁶Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. ⁷Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore, the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. ¹¹And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. (Haggai 1:1-11)

Don’t ever disregard the things God holds sacred. We cannot fight against God and win.

In Isaiah 58 God exposes the shallow worship of His people by highlighting the kind of worship He was demanding in contrast to what they were offering.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? (Isaiah 58: 1-5)

In rebuking them, God asks the piercing question: ‘is not this the fast that I have chosen’? vs. 6. God then rebukes them for their arrogance, folly and hypocrisy while outlining His terms for acceptable worship which they were compelled to follow before He would accept their sacrifices, entertain their petitions, or heal their condition.

^‘Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’(Isaiah 58:6-14)

In both accounts of ungodly worship referenced in Haggai and Isaiah, failure to approach the things of God in the correct way resulted in the frustration and impoverishment of the people.

It’s a similar case as in chronicles 13.1-14. In this heart wrenching account, David sought to bring back the ark of the covenant to Israel using a manner and method not approved by God. The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, was a sacred chest in ancient Israel. It is described as a wooden storage chest adorned with gold and topped by an ornamental lid called the Mercy Seat. In Jewish traditions, the ark was to be carried only by Levites, using wooden poles inserted through rings on its sides. Touching the Ark itself was forbidden and considered a death sentence. David adopted and sought to use the method he had seen the heathen use and for this Uzza lost his life.

And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim. And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, saying, how shall I bring the ark of God home to me? So, David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had. (1 Chronicles 13)

A lesson we learn from the story is that the Philistines may get away with putting the Ark of the Covenant on an ox cart or horse cart but in this case David and the people of God didn’t. They paid the price. Ecclesiastes 8.11-13 reminds us that because judgement is not speedily executed upon evil doers, men remain set in their hearts to do evil continually. Because God doesn’t always send thunder from heaven with lighting and dark smoke, some people persist in doing things their way. They become emboldened in doing unscriptural things. It would be wise to remember however that delay isn’t denial and God hasn’t relented on His demand of holiness, rightness and obedience. Let’s take it as a warning that regardless of how long injustice appear to prosper, evil action eventually begets an evil end.

For over 369 years the Ark of God had stayed in Shiloah and before that it was 7 months by the Philistines and after that a further 20 years in Kiriath-jearim, where it had been left or neglected after the Philistines returned it, but during all that time God never relented in his command as to how the Ark should be handled and how it was to be transported. Thus, when David and his counsellors approached the Ark of God to bring it back without first inquiring from the scriptures how it ought to be done, their actions were callous, undignified, unscriptural, unholy, and unworthy. And God was angry about it. But in His mercy, God fired a warning shot and only took out one man: one innocent, well meaning, slavishly devoted church man named Uzza. I see here a lesson for the zealous Uzzah in church. Before you jump to do what your leaders or influencers are wanting you to do, make sure it is what God is asking you to do. Make sure your well-intentioned efforts are lining up with scripture. Don’t sacrifice yourself for anyone’s folly. If what the leader is doing is contrary to God’s Word don’t do it. Respectfully decline. Uzza should have allowed the ark to fall in the dirt or the mud but he thought he could save it. In his zeal, he forgot that human hands shouldn’t touch it. God will be sanctified in us one way or another. To the Uzzahs of this world I say stop and check what you’re supporting.

The Philistines were able to capture the ark of God during the days of Eli and his corrupt sons both of whom God also slew. 1 Samuel 4. It happened during a battle when the Israelites, were fearing poorly against the Philistines. In seeking to turn their fortunes around through invoking divine assistance, the leaders sent and brought the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh to the battlefield, hoping it would ensure victory. They mistakenly believed that merely having the Ark of the Covenant in their possession in the midst of the battle would automatically secure their victory. It was like Samson thinking that all he needed to do was to shake himself and that he would have supernatural strength. ‘And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him’. (Judges 16:20) Or like the believer who naively thinks he can serve God any old way he chooses and all he needs to do in times of difficulty is to shout a few praises and the enemy will flee. That person needs to re-read Deuteronomy 32:30 ‘How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?’ Note that it does not simply say that one chases a thousand and two ten thousand. It says when their Rock sells them, when God shuts them up. Then and only then, when God is at the centre of the situation does one chase a thousand.

The hocus pocus in which today’s church is engaging in thinking that you can worship and serve God anyway you want and still get good results that is not Christianity my friend. That is what you call magic. The Israelites saw the Ark as a sort of talisman or charm or magic-object that would grant them favour in God's eyes. But it didn’t work like that because God is not like that. They were defeated and the unthinkable happened. The Ark of the Covenant was captured. The news of the Ark's capture brought grief to the Israelites. When the news reached Eli, the high priest, who had failed to chastise his evil sons who were running racket in the temple, died of shock and his daughter-in-law who was giving birth at the time named her son ‘Ichabod’, meaning ‘Glory has departed,’. The story of the Ark's capture is a reminder that God's power and guidance are not to be manipulated or forced. God works according to His own will, not according to human desires. Stop saying we are worshipping when God is not in it.

Thus when David was first attempting to bring the Ark back into the nation of Israel, he needed to understand that one couldn’t carry around that which represented God’s glory on the back of a cart. Thats which bore God’s glory was to be carried on the backs of the priest and only those from the tribe of Levi. Thus, in spite of David’s pure heart and good intentions he was not approaching God in the correct manner and for that, a man would pay with his life.

Our God is a jealous God. He must not be trifled with. God will be glorified in us one way or another. To reflect back on the account of Pharoah we studied earlier, Exodus 7.3 tells us that God hardened Pharoah’s heart to show the world who was boss. Pharoah messed with God. When God told Pharoah to let His people go so that they might go and worship him Pharaoh asked, who is this God? Because of that God told Moses “I will harden Pharoah’s heart until the nations around see who this God is.” In his stubbornness and stupidity, Pharoah could not perceive that he was fighting a losing battle. His actions conjure up the old Latin phrase by Reverend William Anderson Scott's which says, ‘Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad, meaning those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason. Pharaoh was made mad, so mad that he could not see that his actions were destroying his life, his family and his kingdom. With every stubborn refusal to let the people God go, God delivered another deadly blow to Pharaoh and his kingdom and to Egypt and their gods. Yet he was blind to the destruction of his land. By the time the children of Israel left Egypt after the demise of the kingdom it had reached a point where all the heathen nations around, whose territory Israel passed through, knew full well not to mess with this awesome terrible God. These heathen nations trembled at Israel passing through their land because of what God did to Pharaoh.

God is a Holy God He must not be trifled with. You can’t do the work of the Holy Spirit. You can’t carry God’s glory on the back of a cart. You can’t kindle what God has not ordained to worship Him. You cannot embrace what God has not embraced. You can’t approach God any old how and think that it is ok.

Four 4 steps in drawing nigh to God

In drawing nigh to God whether in worship or in sacrifice, nothing must be tendered to God which He has not commanded. Mattthew 5.24. God doesn’t ever want your gifts if you are at odds with your brother.

We must be willing worshippers. We need to come to God and worship God freely. God is seeking such to worship Him, not because were commanded or feel guilty. Worship must spring from the heart. Sunday morning worship leaders must not be begging people in corporate worship to open up and sing. If that is what it takes to get you going then something is wrong. If you can’t get going without the music there’s something wrong. Our approaching God and worshipping God should spring from our understanding of God by the Holy Spirit, not because we are either commanded or the music sways us.

Approach God reverently and with fear. God is no respecter of persons. Nadad and Abihu were not bad men. They were men of renown. Author Jeremiah Burrowers in his text Gospel Worship points out that in Exodus chapter 24, Nadad and Abihu were mentioned as men of repute in Israel. They were among the 70 Elders God called to work with Moses. They were God’s High Priests. But God struck them down because they violated His sanctuary. Don’t forget that God is no respecter of persons. Their good name, good intentions, blessings and privileges could not save them when they dared to approach God the wrong way. Remember as Hebrews reminds us, our God is a consuming fire. He doesn’t mess around.

Have no confidence in the flesh. The more confident we are in the flesh the more likely we are to be on the wrong side of what God is doing and saying. Matthew 7.21 is a stark reminder that some people’s sins go before them and they are punished and for some others, their sin only shows up at the end. For the ones whose sins were expose, they may be able to recover, but with the others, God allows them to continue in their sin, secret or otherwise without warning because they have confidence in the flesh and they never realise until it is too late that they are lost. I am finding more and more that in the body of Christ as we come to worship God there is misplaced confidence which seems more like arrogance. This is evident when today’s church tells the sinner that God is like a beggar waiting hat in hand on them when in fact the church needs to be telling them that God is an awesome God who needs to be worshipped. They need to know that God is terrible and fearsome and that his love is matched by His wrath. Thus, all the opportunities to repent must not be wasted. It is like Jonathan Edwards pointed out in his famous sermon Sinners in the hand of an angry God’ that the unregenerate hangs suspended by a thread over a deep eternal abyss and without the intervention of a loving merciful God they are doomed. Thus, those who are not yet saved should be crying out desperately to God do save them rather than being led to believe that life is theirs to do as they choose and that they can just be careless and come to God when they like.

Conclusion In worshipping God, nothing must be tendered to God which He has not commanded. The things we use, the methods and practices we employ should be explicitly stated in God’s Word. Perish the thought that we can include things in our worship of God just because it’s in our mind to do so or because it is not expressly forbidden in the Word and therefore you think there can’t be any harm in doing it. Let’s take heed in approaching God and be sure to sanctify His name.