Tuesday: An Issue of Worship
All through sacred history, the Lord constantly had to deal with those who fell into idolatry and other forms of false worship (see Matt. 4:8-10). In the final crisis as depicted in Revelation chapter 13, the issue of worship will again arise. Here, too, God’s people will have to make a choice about whom they will worship and serve (see Josh. 24:15).
Image © Phil McKay Goodsalt.com
In week 2, in the lesson titled “Daniel and the End Time”, we studied the story of three Hebrew boys who were ordered to “worship the golden image” (Dan. 3:5). We saw, too, how Revelation chapter 13 uses language from that chapter in depicting the persecution that God’s people will face in the end times. That is, we may see what happened in Daniel chapter 3 as a precursor to what will happen in the last days, as depicted in the immediate context of the beast powers in Revelation chapter 13. All were commanded to worship the golden image, or they would be put to death in a fiery furnace. Similarly, in Revelation chapter 13, whoever “would not worship the image of the beast [is] to be killed” (Rev. 13:15, NKJV) .
Read Revelation 14:9-11; Rev. 16:2; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:4. What do these verses tell us about how crucial the issue of worship will become?
Babylon has always been the capital of false worship. The Tower of Babel testified to its builders’ desire, like Lucifer, to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” (Isa. 14:14) as well as to efforts to save themselves in case of another global deluge. Thus, they refused to believe God’s promise never to bring another flood upon the earth (Gen. 9:8-11) .
The neo-Babylonian Empire likewise exalted the work of human hands. Nebuchadnezzar extolled “this great Babylon, that I have built” (Dan. 4:30) . Later, King Belshazzar took the golden cups of Solomon’s temple for a feast, and “they drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone” (Dan. 5:3-4, NKJV) . Notice that the true vessels of the temple were filled with intoxicating wine and deadened the sensibility of all who drank from them. As a result, many in the city perished when Babylon fell. An outward appearance of truth can deceive us by disguising the deadly “wine of Babylon”. False worship and false ideas are the currency of Satan’s kingdom.
| How can we make sure we aren’t involved in any false worship now? |
(51)
Why false worship usually associated with man made things?
Exodus mentions make us gods to go before us.
Daniel mentions worshiped the gods of gold, silver and bronze made into images by human.
2 Kings mentions I broke into pieces the bronze serpent Moses had made in the widerness
Man wants to worship self made god whom he can manipulate.
He wants a god who will obey man's commands.
Most of the world does not want a God who gives them the Ten Commandment.
Most of the world does not want a God, who says, be ye holy as I am holy.
Christ did not bring the standard down.
He brought himself down to us, so that in him we can be raised to the higher standard found in him.
We are called to Surrender our will to his will
We are called to live not according to our ways but His ways.
When Elijah thought he was the only one left, God said, I have reserved seven thousand who have never bow down to Baal.
In the end time, God is preparing a people who will never bow down to SELF or Self made gods.
He who has began a good work in you will bring it to complete.
The main way to ensure that we are not involved in false worship is by having a relationship with the true GOD, via bible study, prayer, and devotion. By studying the truth/authentic, one can recognize the fake.
We can be sure when we spent time with Jesus! When everything we do we invite Him to be with us... there is nothing good in us... But Jesus can transform our nature and we can become blessings where we are... That's the true worship, a life dedicated to God, by the love of His Son! We only have 2 choices, worshiping God or not... there is no other choice! Whom am I going to worship today?
The scriptures will be our only safeguard.
Esther
While I agree with the notion of the scriptures being our safeguard, we should be careful that we do not read that as our interpretation of scripture. There are many who read scripture and interpret in their way and then claim that everyone else is wrong.
God speaks to us in several ways and we need to listen to all those ways. I have always thankful for those people who have lived spirit-filled lives and who have influenced me in my thinking, not by telling me what to think, but in teaching me how to think. The importance of the community of believers cannot be stressed enough. People who isolate themselves on biblical belief run the risk deluding themselves that they are right. The discussion among the community of believers may be dissonant at times but that discussion, when it is Bible-based, is where we grow our understanding.
And a word of caution; we sometimes argue over little things that do not really matter to our salvation. We need to gain a perspective of what is important and what is trivial so that we do not lose our faith over the trivial issues.
Yes Maurice, we are called to "rightly divide" God's word. Notice that Esther did not say "our interpretation of scripture". So Esther is correct. There is a whole chapter in The Great Controversy entitled: "The Scriptures a Safeguard". I believe that most will approach the scriptures with a greater interest after reading this chapter.
I believe that the Everlasting Gospel the truth about the Everlasting Covenant which is found from Genesis to Revelation which is
"I will be your God, you will be My people and I will dwell with you"
If He is my God - then He determines the Principles by which we should live.
If we are His people - we submit our will to Him and He changes our hearts to be like His.
This is an example of worship:
Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, because Your righteous judgments have been manifested."
Worship is everything. Our worship reveals our true character and makes known our faith, or unbelief. Worship is defined by how we live, not how we act one day a week for a couple hours at a place of worship.
The Bible depicts the two ways one might worship, which will result in either a mark or a seal. The ones sealed will have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, the ones marked will be without this blood-washed robe. The robe is the righteous works of those who wear it, while those without it will reveal sinful works of the flesh, defined as filthy rags. The white robe is holiness, while the filthy rags indicate the presence of sin in the life, defined as lawless deeds.
So our character, revealed by our works, will reflect in character the one we worship. While God is to be worshiped "in the beauty of Holiness"(Ps 29:2, 1 Pe 1:15,16), the beast is worshiped when one gives it their "strength and power"(Rev 13:8; 17:13)
Worship is everything, so whether we are eating or drinking, or whatever we might do(thoughts, words, actions), it is worship(1 Cor 10:31, Rom 14:23) of one kind or the other.
We may avoid false worship if we "repent...and believe the gospel"(Mark 1:15).
Not to involve in any false worship: Stay with the Adventist belief. Keep the Ten Commandments of God. Because Adventist beliefs are all based from the bible. It is necessary too, to have a daily, regular basis of reading the Bible. If some make you confused--consult from your pastors or Adventist believer. With these factors, you will be sure you worship the true God,the Creator of heaven and earth.
What really constitutes 'false worship'. It seems like a term everyone except me understands...
If I worship God will all the sincerity I can muster, what will qualify it as 'false'?
Is it when I worship? Where I worship? Or how I worship? Can anyone really explain this term to me...
Thanks in advance.
Queen, with your focus on Jesus as you prayerfully study the Word of God, true worship will be clear to you if you follow faithfully all that you will learn in your study. (See Matt 7:24, John 7:17)
I would suggest that the Jews at Christ's time were engaged in "false worship." They were keen on keeping the law as well as all the rules and regulations that had been added to the law over the centuries to assure that it was kept correctly. However, they focused on the law to save themselves. They did not love their neighbors as themselves and therefore did not really love God.
I believe it is possible to slide into the same false worship today by failing to recognize that, in essence, the law of God is all about love, beginning with love for God who created us and redeemed us. Jesus gave a new commandment to replace the old commandment to "love our neighbor as ourselves" (a summary of the second table of the Decalogue) with the commandment to love one another as He has loved us. (John 13:34) That leaves us with a lot of food for thought: How can we love others as He has loved us? What does that involve in practical terms?
Queen, I believe God is asking us to choose WHO we worship, and He will reveal to us via His Word and the Holy Spirit how to worship Him.
Jos 24:14 Now, then, fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth. And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah.
Jos 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served Beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
Rev 14:7 saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
I once heard an insightful quote: "When our God hates the same people we do, we know that we have created God in our image--idolatry, the opposite of being created in His image." While stated a bit differently, that seems to capture the concept of false worship. It is possible to claim to be a Christian and worship God, but if we allow ourselves to be deceived about the nature of God we can become far from Christlike and be actually worshiping a false 'god'.