02-03-2019 – Keith Cozort – Worship: The Apostle’s Doctrine Part 2 (AM Sermon)

We certainly appreciate your presence this morning. If you are visiting with us, we want you to know that we’re honored by your visit and hope that you’ll come back at every opportunity that you have. Yeah. For the last month, anyway, we’ve been studying concerning worship and we’re going to continue that study this morning. Last week, we started dealing with the apostles doctrines spoken of in acts chapter two and in verse 41,

and we’re going to continue actually verse 42. We’re going to continue studying that particular subject. Last week, we were studying concerning preaching or teaching his worship, and we noted several different things and then proceeded to go on to other things. But I want us to back up to that particular idea and to recognize, first of all, that Jesus commanded us to preach and to teach.

When you look at passages, such as Mark chapter 16, verses 15 and 16, where Jesus in Mark’s account anyway, gives the great commission under the apostles. Jesus says, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believe it, that is baptized shall be saved. He, that believeth not shall be damned here.

Jesus gives the command and it is a command. It’s not a request. It’s not a, just a, I think this is a good idea. This is a command that Jesus gives to the apostles that they are to go into all the world and preach the gospel. And those who believe and are baptized are those who will be saved when you turn to Matthew chapter 28,

beginning of verse 18, and going through verse 20, this is Matthew’s account concerning the great commission being given by Jesus. And he says, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying all power is given unto me in heaven and nerve go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy ghost,

teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and lo I am with you all the way, even under the end of the world. Amen Jesus in Matthew’s account begins by speaking concerning the fact that all power, all authority has been given unto him in heaven and in earth. Therefore he says, go and teach all nations. Well, what are they supposed to teach them?

Well, Mark said, Jesus said it was the gospel. Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy ghost by the authority of the father, the son and the Holy ghost. That’s what it means in the name of, by the authority of, and then he says, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever.

I have commanded you will hasn’t. He just commanded them to go into all the world and preach the guy. Yes. Therefore, or to teach others to do the exact same thing, to go into all the world and to preach the gospel, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.

Amen. And so Jesus instructs, the apostles that they are to go and to teach Mark tells us they are to teach the gospel, preach the gospel, and that those who accept believe and accept that gospel are those who are to be baptized by the authority of the father, the son, and the Holy spirit. And then they in turn are to teach others concerning the same thing.

When you turn to Luke chapter 24 and verses 46 and 47, this is Luke’s account concerning the great commission. And Luke says, he said unto them, thus, it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And so here, Luke tells us that Jesus said that these things that happened to Christ as far as his suffering was concerned, are those things that were recorded in advance in the old Testament concerning them. And therefore he is fulfilling those prophecies that were made in the old Testament about the things that he would endure and to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day.

And he says that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name by his authority among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And of course, when you go to acts chapter two, that’s exactly what you see taking place that Peter on the day of Pentecost is going to teach them concerning repentance and remission of sins as a result of them, some of them any anyway,

accepting what Peter preach that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, that they crucified, that they were responsible for his crucifixion. And therefore, if they are going to receive forgiveness for that, then they must be those who repent and are baptized in order to receive the remission of those sins. So Jesus ended that preaching be done, and He did it certainly as he’s giving the great commission,

but that’s not the only time that he did it, but certainly it is one time that he did it. And so as we started this particular study, we started with two weeks dealing with what is worship whereby we try to define worship according to, as it is used in scripture, the various terms that are used that are translated worship, but generally it is such that it,

the idea is expressed by Jesus himself in John chapter four. And in verse 24, when Jesus says, God is a spirit and they, that worship him must worship him in spirit. And in truth, therefore Jesus says if one is going to worship acceptably, as far as God is concerned, then he must worship Jesus or worship God in spirit, which is having the right attitude,

the right frame of mind as one worships him, but also to worship him in truth, doing the right things. If one is worshiping God and is not doing it in the right frame of mind with the right attitude, with the right disposition, it’s not acceptable. As far as God is concerned, one may have the right frame of mind and the right disposition and yet not do that would use truth.

That which is according to his word. And therefore that is not acceptable. As far as God is concerned, one may be claiming to be religious, and yet they’re not interested in doing it in the right spirit or in truth. And certainly that’s not going to be acceptable as far as what Jesus teaches here. But as you think, concerning those things that we talked about,

basically when you summarize those things, we come down to four points as it relates toward worship. The first one is that worship is an act or a series of religious acts characterized by a feeling of reverence and love. And certainly that’s what Jesus is talking about. When he’s talking about worshiping God in spirit, worshiping him with reverence and with love. Secondly,

these acts are addressed to God, thus, they involve purpose and intent in order to worship God, that’s been to again, worship him in spirit, but worship him according to what the truth of God’s word teaches. Thirdly, these acts must be directed to God. If he is to accept them, he is the one, many times we fail to recognize,

or we forget whichever the case may be. That when we come together in order to worship, we are not coming together in order to please one another. But rather we are to please God, in what we’re doing. Sometimes we have those who become upset and they say, well, I didn’t get anything out of the worship this morning. Well, did you put anything into the worship?

Did you come intending to get something out of the worship by putting something into the worship? Or did you just come to be entertained? If you came to be entertained, then you came to the wrong place because as you well know, I’m not an entertainer and I don’t claim to be, but these acts of worship are those that are to be directed to God.

He is the audience. It’s not those that are sitting in the Pew. You are part of the participants. And so it is that if our worship is going to be the way that God intends for it to be, then it has to be that which is directed to God if he is going to except it. And finally, yeah, those acts are to be performed by a faithful servant of God,

if they are to bring honor to God and to bless the worshiper himself or herself. And so it is such that one is to be a faithful servant of God in leading the worship. Yes, but also as being a part of the sure that is to be expected. And so those things are important for us to remember, as we think about the Apostle’s doctrine and the preaching and teaching that Jesus commanded of the apostle.

Well, now I want us to look at the scriptures to examine the idea of preaching and teaching and notice some specific points that are valuable for us to recognize. The first one is that preaching is a religious act and it is characterized by feeling the feeling of reverence and love, which we said is part of what worship is and is to be done in that particular way.

Turn to first Corinthians chapter 13, if you will, first Corinthians chapter 13, we often call this the love chapter in the new Testament. And certainly it speaks concerning love. And yet it speaks concerning so much more than love. And by the way, it’s not the only chapter that deals with love, but the context here, just to make sure that we’re all on the same page,

the context here of first Corinthians chapter 13 is that of the miraculous gifts. All right, that Paul is talking about. He begins in chapter 12, speaking concerning the miraculous gifts. And he gives us a listing of many of those miraculous gifts, not necessarily all of them, but it gives us a listing of many of those gifts. In chapter 14,

Paul is going to regulate the use of those miraculous gifts in chapter 13 sandwich, right there in the middle between chapter 12 and chapter 14. Many people think that Paul just lost it and went off on a tangent there, a chapter 13 and speaking concerning love. That’s not it at all. Actually what he ends up doing is showing that love is even more valuable than the miraculous gifts and being able to perform any of the miraculous gifts,

but he begins there in verse one. He says, though, I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity or love. I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Paul here is speaking concerning the idea as it relates toward miraculous gifts, that if one is not performing miraculous gifts and doing that in love, then it is as if he is worshiping with an ferment worshiping and with a sounding brass or tinkling symbol,

which is not acceptable as far as God is concerned. And it is not acceptable. As far as the miraculous gifts are concerned either to worship God in that particular way without love. And so Paul there speaks concerning his speaking though, I speak with the tongues of men and of angels. Well, what were they doing when they would do that? They were to do that in order to teach the gospel in order to preach the gospel,

to preach it in a language they had, not the hearers had not, or to preach it in the language that the preacher rather has not learned and thereby be able to communicate with the hearers in their own language. That was what the purpose of preaching in tongues was. It made it to where the apostles could go to any country, to any locale.

And they would be able to talk fluently with those people in their own language. They didn’t have to use Greek. So that was certainly available for them if they simply wanted to communicate with them, because at this particular time virtually the entire world, the known world anyway, was that which spoke Greek. It may not have been their primary language, but they knew it as a secondary language and thereby would be able to communicate with one another.

So if it’s only a matter of communicating with one another, they could have used Greek and therefore being able to speak to everybody, but to be able to speak in their own language and in their own dialect, never having lived in that country, never having learned those things would be that which would show that truly this person was speaking by inspiration of God because no one else could do that.

Well, when you turn over to chapter 14, where he is regulating the use of the miraculous gifts, and he says in verses 18 and 19, I thank my God. I speak with tons more than y’all yet in the church. I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice, I might teach others also than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue or an unknown language.

Paul here is simply speaking concerning the fact that he is one who is able as an apostle to be able to speak in other languages, languages that he had never learned. And yet because of the Holy spirit being on him as was the other apostles, they could speak in any language. And with such, he says that I would rather be able to speak in language that I’m able to understand when I speak it then and speak just five words then to be able to speak 10,000 words in a language that I don’t understand,

but I’m speaking that which is true and that which God has given to me because the people are able to understand it. And it is, it is such that he desires for there to be this learning that is able to take place. And so he says yet in the church, I had rather speak five words with my understanding. Then by my voice,

I might teach others also than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue, by the way, when he speaks concerning that unknown tongue, he speaking of it, even as far as the idea of unknown tongue, as far as those that are recipients of it, that being the idea that if Paul is, for example, speaking in Spain, that, and we know that he desired to go Spain,

they speak Spanish. And so if he were to go to Spain, he could speak in Spanish fluidly. But if he is demonstrating the miraculous gifts and he has power to speak in other languages, if he spoke his spoke 10,000 words in Hindu, those who speak Spanish would not benefit from it at all. He would demonstrate that he’s able to speak in other languages,

but if the people can’t understand him, then it doesn’t make any difference. And so Paul here is speaking concerning preaching and teaching, but how that it has to be that which makes it to where others can understand. And therefore that which would be in reverence and in love, because he’s going to accuse the brethren at Corinth, as we’ll notice in other passages,

he’s going to accuse them of being such as causing problems, causing a tumult among those who would come into here, not being a part of the body of Christ, but those who would come in here and they would think these people are all messed up. It’s nothing but a bunch of confusion if this takes place and therefore Paul is regulating this well, we also learn that preaching is a religious act to the extent that it is to bring glory and honor to God,

as well as to Christ. And hopefully it will come back. We’re having some problems with it this morning. I noticed, but bring glory and honor to God and to Christ turn with me. If you will, to John chapter 17 and John chapter 17, this of course is where we have Jesus shortly four. He is going to be betrayed the night that he’s going to be betrayed before he will be crucified.

But in John chapter 17, there in verses four through six, Jesus says in this prayer, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do. And now, Oh, father glorify thou me with unknown self with the glory, which I had with me before the world was I have manifested thy name unto the men,

which now gave us me out of the world, dine. They were, and now gave us them, me and they have kept dye work. So Jesus here is speaking about the apostles here and how that they are ones who are, are doing what Jesus has instructed them to do, what God wanted them to do. But he also speaks concerning the fact that he himself,

I have glorified the verse four on the earth. I have finished the work, which thou gave us me to do. By the way, I find that extremely interesting with those who are the pre millennialist that they believe that Jesus didn’t finish the work he came to do because the Jews rejected him. Jesus says, right here, I finished the work that you gave me to do.

And somebody says, but the kingdom’s not set up yet, but it is going to be set up in short order after this, within the next 40 plus days, 50 days rather. And it will be completely accomplished point. And so he said now, Oh, father glorify thou me with I known self with the glory, which I had with him before the world was,

I have manifested die name unto the men, which thou gave us me out of the world, dying. They were, and dowel gave us them, me and they have kept the I word. When you drop down to verse 2021, Jesus says same prayer. He says, neither pray I for these alone, meaning the apostles, but for them also,

which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I and D that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And so Jesus speaks concerning the fact that there are going to be those who are going to believe as a result of the preaching and teaching of the apostles,

as well as the writing of the apostles. That’s the reason we believe today and that not only does he pray for them in what they preach and teach and in what they write, but those who would respond to it in the positive way through obedience, which includes you and I today. And so preaching is a religious act to the extent that it is to bring glory and honor to God.

When you turn over to chapter 16, backup just a page or two John chapter 16 verses 13 and 14, Jesus says, how be it? When he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth, or he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever, he shall hear that shall he speak? And he will show you things to come.

He shall glorify me for, he shall receive of mine and shall show it under you here. Jesus speaks concerning the Holy ghost coming up on them, the Holy spirit coming upon the apostles. And he says that when he comes, he’s going to guide them into all truth. That being the apostles, he’s going to guide them into all truth. Sometimes we have those who say,

well, where does Jesus say that? Well, it may not be something in particular that Jesus said, but it may be something depending on what we’re discussing. It may be something that Jesus through the Holy spirit gave to the apostles to teach and to preach. That’s just as binding as what Jesus taught. And many times people fail to recognize that, but it is such that Jesus speaks here concerning the fact that the Holy spirit is not going to speak of himself,

but he’s going to speak those things, which he hears that he is going to speak and deliver under the apostles and we’ll show them things to come. And those are things that they are to preach and to teach to others whereby that glory is going to be given under God. When you turn to the book of acts chapter 10 and acts chapter 10, this is where Peter comes to the household of Cornelius having been sent for by Cornelius,

receiving the instruction from God to do such in verses beginning in verse 34 and going down through verse 43. Notice what Luke tells us concerning this, that takes place in Cornelius’s house, verse 34. Then Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth. I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he, that feareth him and worketh.

Righteousness is accepted with you. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all that word. I say he know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing.

All that were oppressed of the devil for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things, which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but until witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he Rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach under the people and to testify that it was that it is he, which was ordained of God to be judged of quick and dead to him, give all the prophets, witness that through his name, whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins. Notice how that Jesus says here, or rather Peter says here concerning Jesus,

these things, these were published concerning Jesus beginning in Judea and in Jerusalem. And they are going to be taken throughout Galilee and to other parts of the world, just exactly the way Jesus told them to do in acts chapter one. And he says concerning the fact that they were commanded to preach these things, to proclaim these things, and therefore again, doing that,

which they were instructed to do. And that by doing this, they are those who are giving glory and honor under God. They did not take the glory and the honor upon themselves, but in preaching these things, they are giving that under God. In chapter 11, we have Peter back in Jerusalem among the Jews and is now recounting concerning those things that happened in chapter 10 when Peter was there with Cornelius and his household.

And he says in verses 15 to 18, he said it as I began to speak, the Holy ghost fell on them. As on us at the beginning, then remembered I, the word of the Lord, how that he said, John, indeed baptized with water, but he shall be baptized with the Holy ghost for as much then as God gave them in the light,

gave them the light gift as he did. And to us who believed on the Lord, Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God when they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God saying, then have God also to the Gentiles, granted repentance underlined here. You have Peter giving his account of his preaching and teaching to Cornelius and to his household,

to the Jews back in Jerusalem when he returns. And when he gets back there to Jerusalem, having heard the account of Peter having taken those six Jewish brethren with him as well, that they glorify God in these things and acknowledge that God has also to the Gentiles, granted repentance under life. And so Peter was preaching and teaching to Cornelius and then recounted to the brethren back in Jerusalem,

concerning those events and how that God had instructed him to go in order to do this in this preaching and teaching to Cornelius and his household. And they extend glory to God. As a result of that, when you look at Paul writing to Timothy in second, Timothy chapter four verses one through four, and we’ve noted this on several different occasions that Paul says,

I charge the therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season reprove, rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lush, shall they heat to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned and shall be turned unto fables.

And so, again, Paul admonishes charges, Timothy to preach the word, to do it in season and out of season when it’s convenient. And when it’s not convenient to reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering with all doctrine, Paul says, why? Because the time is going to come when these are not going to endure, they’re not going to listen to sound doctrine anymore.

They’re going to seek after teachers that will itch their, their ears with those things that are not true. They’ll seek that, which is fables rather than the truth of God’s word. And therefore they will be turned under fables rather than doing what and accepting the gospel, the way that they are supposed to. So preaching is a religious act to the extent that it is to bring glory and honor to God.

Well also preaching is a religious act. That must be directed by God. It must be directed by God. If it’s going to be that, which is going to be acceptable, therefore, meaning we must have authority for what we do. And for what we teach you turn to chapter one. As Paul is writing to the churches of glacier, glacier was a region.

It’s not a city, the churches of glacier. He says unto them beginning with verse six, I marveled at, he are so soon removed from him. That called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there’ll be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that,

which we have preached unto you, let him be a cursed, as I said before. So say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel under you than that, which he have received, let him be a cursed for, do I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ,

but I certify you brethren that the gospel, which was preached of me is not after man for, I need the received it of man. Neither was I taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. And so Paul is condemning the brethren in the churches of the region of glacier, because they are beginning to follow after what somebody else describes as being a different gospel.

Another gospel they’re promoting it as being another gospel of the same kind that the apostle Paul taught, but it’s not. He says it’s a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul taught that, which God had given to him and Jesus had given to him by revelation. He says, but that, that these are teaching is something that is completely different.

They may try to pass it off as being the same thing, but it’s not. It’s a perversion of the gospel of Christ. And so he says, if we, even, if, even if the apostle Paul were to come and to teach them something different from what he taught them originally, that contradicts that Paul says objective. Even if I’m the one that does that,

if we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that, which we have preached unto you, that in be a curse, let it be eternally cut off, let it be eternally damned. Paul is talking about, even if that were to apply to Paul, which it doesn’t of course, but it’s such that he says, even if we did that,

those that were with Paul. And so again, preaching is a religious act. That must be directed by God. Paul brings that out vividly here in Galatians chapter one, verses six through 12. We also find that preaching is a religious act. That is to be done by faithful servants of God, faithful servants of God. We turn to second Timothy chapter two and notice as Paul is writing to Timothy,

this, this second time that he says unto him in verses one and two thou, therefore my son be strong in the grace and in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others. Also notice that Paul says that he calls Timothy his, his son,

meaning his son in the faith, but he says the things that you heard me teach among many witnesses, the same are those things that you’re to teach to others. Well, who is he to teach those two? He says to faithful men who shall be able to teach others, well, who are they supposed to teach? Those that are faithful men?

And therefore it is the idea to continue to teach and to promote those things, which the apostle Paul preached, which were by revelation of Jesus Christ. So are those things that Timothy is to teach to a brethren and then they in turn are to continue to teach to others. It is that which is to be done by one who is a faithful servant of God.

Those who are not faithful are not those who are to be proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. When you drop down to verses 15 through 19, there in that second chapter, Paul says, study or give diligence to show thy self approved under God, a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, but Shung, profane,

and vain babblings for, they will increase unto Morgan godliness and their word will eat as death. A canker of, of whom is Hymenaeus and fetus who concerning the truth have earned saying that the resurrection is passed already and overthrow the faith of sub nevertheless, the foundation of God’s standard. Sure. Having this seal, the Lord know with them that are his and let everyone that name with the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

So again, Paul is making the point that those who are faithful servants of God are those who are given the responsibility to preach and to teach the gospel. He acknowledges that Hymenaeus and Philetus are those who are bringing about destruction. They’re overthrowing The faith Rather than promoting the faith. And Paul condemns them for that very idea, just as he condemned there in Galatians chapter one,

those who were teaching a perverted gospel and claiming it was the same gospel such as just simply not true. Well, when you go back there to Galatians chapter one and notice a few verses down there in that first chapter that Paul says beginning in verse 20. Now, the things which I write unto you behold, before God, I lie, not afterwards.

I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia and was unknown by face under the children or under the churches of Judea, which are in Christ. But they heard, they had heard only that he, which persecuted us in times past now preach the faith, which was which once was excuse me, which once he destroyed and they glorified God in me, Paul says concerning those in Jerusalem and other areas that they had heard concerning what he had done in persecuting the church.

And yet he says that once he was converted, they were unwilling. Many of them unwilling to accept him and unwilling, to listen to him preach because they knew what he was like before. And they were not convinced that he had changed. They were not convinced, but he continued to preach and to make these things know, and they glorified, God,

God, in me, the point is Paul is showing to us that preaching is in fact, a religious act that is to be done by a faithful servant of God. As Paul was a faithful servant of God, we’re going to continue next week and notice some other things that the Bible writers speak concerning preaching and teaching and how that all preaching and teaching is not that which is going to be acceptable as far as God is concerned.

And we’ll notice some of those things. But again, it is the idea that yes, preaching and teaching is worship. It is that which is acceptable. It is that which is commanded. And it is that which God expects us to be a part of in order to be right with him. If you’re one who’s outside the body of Christ this morning,

are you one who having heard the word, you believe it, you believe that it is the word of God. You believe that Jesus is the Christ. The son of God, If you do where you obey it will you To be one who will repent change of mind, which brings about a change in action. Will you be one who will confess your faith in Christ that you believe that he is the Christ,

the son of God. He is who he claimed to be. And will you be baptized to receive the remission of your sins to be saved from your sins in order to be added to the church in order to be added to the kingdom of God in order to be added to the family of God in order to be saved, that’s what it takes to become a child of God.

That’s what it takes to a Christian. If you’re one is already a member of the body of Christ, but you’ve turned against God, you’ve turned against the church. Will you come back and repentance, praying to God for forgiveness? Will you begin again, walking in the way of righteousness? If we can help you, will you come as together? We stand and as we sing.