God is with those who are faithful worshipers!
I. INTRO – Continue teaching about true worship / contrast it to false worship…
- John 4:23-24 – 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- False worship – is not true!
- Good trees bear good fruit… if not, destroyed
- False prophets – like bad trees. Not good fruit. Discern the fruit…
- Isaiah 61:1-3 –…trees of righteousness, that He may be glorified
II. CONTRASTING TRUE WORSHIP / FALSE WORSHIP
- True Worship — John 14:6 – Jesus is the truth
- John 1:14,17; 8:31-32,36 – He came to reveal truth that sets free from false worship
- John 17:17 – The Word of God is truth. Worship according to the Word is true worship.
- False Worship – Not true – lies, deceptive and hypocritical
- True Worship – Done in faith and belief / Faith & faithfulness
- Abraham’s Faith – Romans 4
- Faith demonstrates Worship; it pleases God; faith without works is dead.
- False Worship – Unbelief / False gods
- Doubt and unbelief are not true worship; false gods and idolatry aren’t pleasing to God!
- True Worship – in spirit / Spirit-led
- Comes from our spirit (inner-man)
- Ephesians 5:18 – be filled with the Spirit…
- False Worship – NOT in spirit.
- Fleshly, carnal, and dis-honoring to the Lord; not Holy Spirit led; just lip-service; insincere and showy…
- True Worship – Seeking the Lord
- Matthew 6:33 – seek 1st the kingdom and His righteousness
- Matthew 7:7-8 – seek and you will find
- Psalms 27:8 – be like David (man after God’s heart) and seek the Lord
- False Worship – not seeking the Lord
- Psalms 10:4 – The wicked don’t seek the Lord
- Psalms 4:2 – false worshipers are shameful; worthless; and seek falsehood
- True Worship – Delighting in the Lord
- Psalms 37:4 – Delight in the Lord
- Psalms 1:2 – Blessed when we delight in the Lord
- Psalms 40:8 – I delight to do your will, O God
- False Worship – does not take pleasure in the Lord
- 2 Thessalonians 2:12 – … did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 – … Remember our Creator now… lest we backslide and lose our desire for the Lord and His ways
- True Worship – Acceptable Sacrifices
- Psalms 19:4 – words and thoughts acceptable
- Romans 12:1-2 – bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God… good, and acceptable will of God.
- I Peter 2:5,9 – … spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (priests unto God – give him the sacrifice of praise continually – Hebrews 13:15)
- False Worship – Unacceptable Sacrifices
- Leviticus 22:20 – Some sacrifices were not acceptable
- Jeremiah 6:20 – their burnt offerings were not acceptable…
- Cain and Able (illustration – Abel’s was acceptable; Cain’s was not)
III. GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED
- Galatians 6:7 – God is not mocked – what we sow we reap
- Mark 4:18-19 – Sow on good ground, not on hard, stony ground or among thorns
IV. THE OLD TEST IS IMPORTANT
- Brings special revelations from God; helps produce the fear of God; reveals the importance of TRUE WORSHIP (with many illustrations)
V. DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS
- Chapter 1 – Captives given favor and promoted
- King from Babylon came and took Judah captive along with vessels in the house of God – to the house of his god. He was a heathen king, serving a FALSE GOD!
- King Nebuchadnezzar took some of the promising young men, from royal descent and nobility to train them at the king’s palace.
- They were to train for 3 years there, and then come before the king to be tested.
- Daniel – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
- Daniel purposed in his HEART not to defile himself
- They were given favor by the chief official (God caused them to show favor)
- Instead of the king’s dainties and wine – they requested vegetables and water
- God gave them knowledge and proficiency in wisdom – they were 10 time more proficient than their companions
- Chapter 2 – The King’s Dream (skip over lightly)
- Significant for these last days – stone that destroyed the image became a great mountain (kingdom) that filled the whole earth.
- Interpretation given – Daniel made a ruler and one of the chief men
- Not only Daniel but Shadrach, Meshack and Abed-nego were appointed to be overseers and administrators
- Chapter 3
- King Nebuchadnezzar made an image that all were to worship or be destroyed.
- All the chief people were called to come to the dedication of the IMAGE (made with hands – not the true and living God)
- They were commanded to bow, fall down and worship the image
- Everyone followed the king’s royal mandate EXCEPT Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
- They were brought before the king.
- The king was furious with them when they refused to worship his false god, and mocked them!
- They remained faithful to the Lord – TRUE WORSHIPERS! They refused to serve his gods!
- They were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire! It was so hot that it killed the mighty men in the army throwing them into it!
- They were thrown in bound…
- When the king looked in through the door, he was astonished, and amazed!
- He saw 4 men walking, UNBOUND, and unharmed in THE MIDST OF THE FIRE!
- He shouted – – “servants of the MOST HIGH GOD, come out and come here!”
- They came out – unharmed. The king blessed and praised the Lord!
- The king praised them for being TRUE WORSHIPERS! They were promoted! He gave the Lord praise!
- Chapter 5 (just share lightly, and in summary form)
- His son Belshazzar still worshiped false gods, and he was destroyed.
- Chapter 6
- Daniel was once again promoted to one of the top positions in the kingdom, but his companions were jealous. They made a plot to get rid of him.
- Daniel was a FAITHFUL, TRUE WORSHIPER! He continued to WORSHIP GOD!
- As a result, the king threw him into a den of hungry lions.
- The true and living God whom He served and worshiped him protected him because he trusted Him.
- When his persecutors and accusers were thrown into the lions’ den, they were devoured before they even could reach the bottom of the pit!
- The king made a proclamation to fear before the LIVING GOD!… and Daniel continued to prosper…
VI. DAGON
- The Philistines idolatrous god, Dagon, was humbled before the ark of God – supernaturally, and miraculously his hands and head were cut off! Only his trunk remained.
- He was put to the worse before the Lord! God’s judgment was poured out on the false worshipers
VII. OMBU STORY (CONTINUED) …
VIII. LIFE LESSONS
- God sees our hearts! Those that determine to please the Lord and be true FAITHFUL WORSHIPERS are greatly blessed! False worshipers will be destroyed!
- God is with those who are willing to be FAITHFUL WORSHIPERS. He promises to protect them, deliver them, and honor them.
