Lesson 204 - Junior

Memory Verse

"Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).

Notes

Worship

At this time of the year, our Government sets aside a special day in which everyone is to give thanks to God. Our lesson today tell us what kind of praise and thanks is acceptable to God.

The Lord calls all people to worship Him. He would instruct us in the way of true worship. Jesus told the woman at the well, a Samaritan, that true worshipers "worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). Those are the ones whom God is seeking to worship Him -" those who will worship Him in sincerity. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

From the Heart

Some day God is coming in judgement and all will give an account of the way in which they have lived and worshiped before Him. A fire shall strike those who know not God and those who are disobedient ([2TS:1:8]). The heavens and the earth shall witness against those who worship not according to God's instruction. God Himself will testify against those who fail to worship in spirit and in truth. It is important that our praises and thanksgiving are the kind that re acceptable. God has no pleasure in worship that is offered as if one were doing a great service to Him, or because one feels obligated to praise God. That kind of worship is only an external worship. God wants true worship, which comes from the heart, offered out of love and faith. God has no pleasure in those who honour Him with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him ([ISA:29:13]).

A Covenant by Sacrifice

God's people, the saints, will be gathered unto the Lord. The saints are they who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. There are no other saints, only those whose agreement with God cost them something. In the next Psalm we read, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit" (Psalm 51:17). The sacrifice that God wants is a true spirit of repentance. A contrite heart, which is sorry for sins committed, He will not despise. God accepts the sacrifice that costs a person something. The first sacrifice must be his sins.

True repentance is a turning from sin. Even in the time of the Old Testament, when sin offerings were repeatedly sacrificed, the Lord said, "Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes" (II Kings 17:13).

Consecration

The saints make another sacrifice unto their God " in the consecration of their lives. Paul wrote to the Romans concerning this: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

When a person prays to be saved, he consecrates his life to God. In seeking sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, a person consecrates even more deeply. God can use our time and our talents. We consecrate those to God, too, that He may call us to greater service for Him. God requires consecration -" not only at a time when one is seeking an experience, but a daily consecration, to live for the Lord and to do His will. Children as well as adults can and must make these consecrations in order to live successful Christian lives.

Hypocrites

Thus God teaches us what offerings are acceptable in His sight -" first, those of repentance; and second, those of consecration. But in spite of this instruction given by God, there are still those who, by an outward show, would have others think that they are righteous. They are hypocrites, seeming to offer praises to God. But such praises are not acceptable.

Obedience

An example of offerings not accepted by God was given by one of the kings of Israel, who spared that which God had commanded to be destroyed. He tried to make excuse by saying that the sheep and oxen had been spared to sacrifice unto the Lord. Samuel the Prophet answered: "Hath the LORD as a great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (I Samuel 15:22).

At another time, when the Children of Israel appeared to be religious by making many offerings, God said, "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams... and I delight not in the blood of bullocks." Their worship was not true worship. God admonished them to wash and be clean, to put away the evil of their doings, to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well (Isaiah 1:11-17).

Through the Prophet Hosea, God said, "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6). At one time a prophet of Israel asked how he should come before the Lord. He asked if God would be pleased with "thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil" for his transgression and the sin of his soul. This was the answer: "He hath shewed the, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:7, 8).

Praise

The Psalmist tells that we are to "offer unto God thanksgiving." A sacrifice of praise is acceptable. Moreover, we are admonished to pay the vows that we have made. No doubt everyone has prayed and made promises to God when he was in trouble ([PS:66:13-14]). God has taken each person at his word and expects those vows to be kept. Vows are debts that must be paid, and obligations that must be met. God has done His part. Have we done ours?

Glorifying God

When one keeps his promises to God, what confidence he has in the Lord! He knows that God will hear his prayer and will deliver him in the time of need. There is one more step that God expects -" "And thou shalt glorify me." That is true worship, giving glory and praise to God. We have studied about Jesus healing ten lepers at one time (

Lesson 127). Just one of them returned, "and with a loud voice glorified God... giving him thanks." Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger" (Luke 17:15-18). We may not have been healed of leprosy, but every person has received blessings from God. Have we returned to glorify Him? or would we be numbered with the nine who went their way, failing even to thank Him?

In Paul's letter to the Romans, he tells what can happen when adoration, praise, and gratitude are withheld from God. The people lose the love of God. They are given over to sin and the penalty for sin. "When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21).

Judgement

Some people love to give instruction and to tell others what to do, but in their hearts they hate the instruction of God. They try in their own way to offer worship to God rather than learn from Him the way of true worship. God knows the things that are done against Him, and the true purpose back of them. Because He has kept silent thus far does not mean that He will be silent forever concerning these things. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Sinners often take God's silence for consent. Be not deceived; God has a record which will be opened in due time. God gives a warning -" do not forget God -" for that forgetfulness or neglect is often the root of wickedness.

As we study this fiftieth Psalm, we are impressed that true worship comes from the heart. There are some people who give their "mouth to evil" and their "tongue frameth deceit." "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things" (Matthew 12:35).

Let us apply what we have learned in this lesson, lest the awful doom which awaits hypocrites, deceivers and all sinners, fall upon us. We should offer to God the homage of our hearts; and, by His help, order aright our conversation, which means our lives, our associations, our conduct, as well as our talking. Let us not fail to give glory and praise and thanks to God -" true worship "- on Thanksgiving Day; yes, and every day of the year. Someone has said that, "thanks-giving is good but thanks-living is better."

Questions

1. Whom does God call to worship Him?

2. Who shall witness and testify against the people?

3. What are two kinds of sacrifices that are acceptable to God?

4. What kind of worship is not accepted by God?

5. Who are saints?

6. Why is it necessary to pay vows?

7. How does God want us to worship Him?

8. How can we order our lives aright?