Why Are You Here Today?

May 6, 2007

Introduction

If someone were to ask you, “Why are you here today?” What would you say? How would you answer their question? Is it a good question? Is it a fair question?

What are the possibilities?

§ Was it to fill a need for you?

§ Was it to worship God?

§ Was it to please someone?

§ Was it to be a good example?

§ Was it because it is your custom?

§ Could it be all of the above?

§ What is the right answer?

§ Why are you here?

In Mat 2:1-12, we find this tremendous story, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, {2} saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." . . .. {8} And he [Herod] sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." {9} When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. {10} When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. {11} And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. {12} Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.”

If you had been able to ask the wise men why they were there, I think the answer is pretty obvious: they were there to worship Him. They were not there to be entertained. They were not there to get their strokes – they were there to worship Him – and they gave Him the best: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And they had a great attitude about their worship. {10} When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

David said, “I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psa 122:1 NKJV)

Why did you come to church today?

Body

I. Did you come today to worship God? Or does it really matter?

A. What is worship? What does it involve?

1. Respect and quiet.

(Hab 2:20 NKJV) But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."

2. There are times of respect and quiet.

a. Funerals

b. Weddings

c. Graduation used to be. When I was teaching, we were working to restore dignity and respect to graduation.

d. Worship should be. – Because we are in the presence of God.

(Mat 18:20 NKJV) "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

e. Others are here to worship God—that’s our first reason for being here.

B. Worship is something God deserves!

1. On various occasions, we read of God’s people bowing their heads is worshipping.

(1 Chr 29:20 NKJV) Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.

(2 Chr 29:30 NKJV) Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

2. Worship is something that God will one day demand.

(Isa 45:23 NKJV) I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

(Rom 14:11 NKJV) For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."

C. Not just any form of worship will be acceptable.

1. Jesus spoke of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

(John 4:23-24 NKJV) "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."

a. Did we come with a frame of mind to worship God?

b. Can we put aside our other thoughts and plans and concentrate on worshipping God?

1. Our spirit and attitude certainly matter as we partake of the Lords supper.

(1 Cor 11:26-30 NKJV) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. {27} Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. {28} But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. {29} For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. {30} For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

Some Bible scholars think this sickness was physical and the sleep referring to their physical death. If so, God dealt very harshly with their abuse of the Lord’s Supper.

2. Our mind and spirit matter in our singing and in our prayers.

(1 Cor 14:15 NKJV) What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

a. We need to be involved in our singing and our prayers.

b. As one brother at Harding put it, we may need to “line veto” certain items in a prayer if we do not agree with it.

c. Sometimes Carolyn and I do not sing parts of songs because we do not agree with the thought, or the sentiment.

d. Singing is to be more than pretty. It is to have understanding.

B. Jesus was concerned about how we worship God.

(Mat 15:8-9 NKJV) 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. {9} And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

II. Are there other good reasons for being here today? – Of course.

A. Our time of worship should provide us with instruction.

B. There is a need of fellowship.

1. We should encourage one another.

(Acts 20:32 NKJV) "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

2. We are to admonish one another.

(Rom 15:14 NKJV) Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

3. Do I conduct myself so that I will not distract others from their worship?

Even handling my contribution concerns me at times.

4. John said that we should have fellowship with one another.

(1 John 1:7 NKJV) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we walk in the light – then the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

III. But my selfish concerns can get in the way?

A. It is possible to get overly concerned about meeting my needs.

B. Is my first concern how I can worship God.

C. Is a second concern how I can encourage others.

Conclusion

I. Are we here to worship God for right reasons?

The wise men went to worship Him, and they did it. There is no commentary on the beauty of the service, but I’ll add mine: I think it was beautiful because they came to worship Him. Nothing else really mattered.

II. Do we worship God in Spirit and in truth?

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