Welcome to the Women’s Weekly Bible Challenge! I’m Lisa Ann Spencer.
Today’s Blog is from my 2nd session of the PRUDENT WOMAN RETREAT 2022, hosted by “Purposeful and Meaningful”.
The theme is UNDISTRACTED – Living a Worshipful Life.
Grab your Bible and a Journal and let’s dig into today’s topic, which is Distracted Worship.
INTRODUCTION – Getting a biblical understanding of worship.
Q: What is the primary cause of DISTRACTED WORSHIP?
A: Failing to understand what it means to WORSHIP God.
If we do not have a biblical understanding of worship, how can we even know how to worship God without distraction and be pleasing to Him?
Let’s go to the Bible to get a scriptural foundation and definition of WORSHIP.
By using a free concordance available online, www.biblegateway.com, I typed in the word ‘worship’, which gave me 188 results. By carefully studying each of these results, we can gain a thorough definition of worship. As our time is limited, we will only look at a few of those results, but I encourage you to do that search for yourself.
📔NOTE: One rule of Bible study is to take note of the first time a word is used in the scripture. The first mention of a word will often define the word for us.
Using ‘worship’ as an example, the first time it is used in scripture is in Genesis chapter 22. Let’s turn there.
Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Q: What was Abraham going to do that the scripture calls ‘worship’?
A: Abraham was obeying God’s command to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to God.
Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell the of.
From this passage we can see that ‘worship’ means to obey God and to offer sacrifice unto Him. (This is probably NOT what most people think when they hear the word ‘worship’.)
📔NOTE: Another Bible study technique that I use is to go to the oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job, and consider the use of a word.
Job 1:20 Then job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
In this familiar passage, Job had just lost all of his property, and all of his children were killed; yet he prostrates himself and confesses truth. Job did not get angry with God, he did not lie about God, or try to blame Him. This is an example of worship from the oldest book in the Bible.
APPLICATION: If we had the idea that worship is a good feeling, expressed by raising our hands and singing songs to God, then we are missing out on the true meaning of worship. To get a true definition of what it means to worship God, we must allow the Bible to give us understanding.
ACTION: Here is a list of KEY PHRASES that are associated with ‘worship’ in scripture, along with one scripture reference for each key phrase.
- Bow the head, Genesis 24:26
- Blessing the Lord, 1 Chronicles 29:20
- Bow to the earth, Genesis 24:52
- Sacrifice unto the LORD, 1 Samuel 1:3
- Serve, Matthew 4:10
- Firstfruits of the land, Deuteronomy 26:10
- Fear the LORD, 2 Kings 17:36
- Bringing an offering, 1 Chronicles 16:29
- Praise, Psalm 48:2
- Sing, Psalm 66:4
- Burnt offerings, Ezekiel 46:2
- Lifting up hands, Nehemiah 8:6
- Read book of the law, Nehemiah 9:3
- Kneel, Psalm 95:6
- Keep the feast, Zechariah 14:16
I hope that by studying this list, you will come to understand that worshipping God is a lifestyle that commands the use of our whole spirit, soul and body in obedience to God. Also notice that singing praise to God is only a very small part of worshipping God.
I want to take a just moment to talk about the use of music in worship, since this is what comes to most people’s minds when they hear the word ‘worship’. It is clear from the book of Psalms, and other books of the Bible, that music is employed in the worship of God.
But I also want to issue a ⚠warning⚠ about music from the scriptures.
ADDENDUM: In Exodus 32:15-18 we read of another example of music being used in Pagan worship.
King Solomon shows us an example of how we can gather instruments and singers for the purpose of delighting, or pleasing our flesh that has nothing to do with God at all.
Ecclesiastes 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Solomon concludes in verse 11, that all this was vanity!
We also see an example from the book of Daniel, how music is used in the worship of a false god.
ACTION: In your free time, read Daniel chapter 3:1-18 and notice the use of musical instruments and ‘all kinds of musick’ in worshipping the golden image. I find it notable that the list of instruments and music is repeated 4 times, in much the same way verses are repeated in modern songs (vv. 5, 7, 10 and 15).
We are warned that the whole world will be deceived into worshipping Satan as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4,9; Revelation 12:9) in much the same way we see the whole world falling down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image in the book of Daniel.
The antichrist will be so much like Christ, in the same way a counterfeit $100 bill looks just like a genuine $100 bill, otherwise there would be no deception. Only those who know and trust the very words of God will be able to distinguish the counterfeit from the genuine. That is a sobering thought that should drive us to the scriptures!
SUMMARY: The danger of music is that it has the sense of being very spiritual, when in reality it can be very carnal - of the flesh - and therefore vanity. We women are particularly prone to this type of vanity. I have heard women declare that they choose to attend a particular church because they have a wonderful music program. Sadly, it is more rare to hear a woman say, “I go to this church because we are taught to study the Bible for ourselves and to learn sound doctrine”.
APPLICATION: The best defense against being seduced by Satan’s music, even the so-called ‘Christian’ or ‘church’ music, is to know the word of God. Pay attention to the lyrics of your favorite music, including hymns, and make sure they are not contradicting the word of God. The more familiar we become with the word of God, the less likely we are to be deceived by music. We must be careful not to be distracted by the use of music in our so-called ‘worship’ of God.
ACTION: Copy Philippians 3:3 in your journal and meditate this afternoon on what it means to worship God biblically and spiritually.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Now that we have a better understanding of what ‘worship’ really means, let’s talk about other causes of Distracted Worship.
I have listed 3 causes:
#1 Failure to KNOW the true and living God of the Bible, instead of a vain god that we create in our own imaginations.
#2 Failure to KNOW the will of God for our life.
#3 Failure to understand HOW to PERFORM the will of God.
And by the way, all three of these causes stem from the same problem; failing to study the Bible for ourselves!
Let’s dig into the scriptures to find instruction and correction for these three areas of failure that causes us to be distracted from properly worshipping God.
#1 Failure to KNOW the true and living God of the Bible – How can we worship who we do not KNOW? How do we come to know God?
Romans 1:20 teaches us that everyone can look at creation and understand that there is a Creator who is powerful and eternal. Romans 2:15 teaches us that we have a conscience to understand right and wrong. But that is not all there is to know about God. He preserved His word for us, so that we can know God through His written word.
Speaking of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, John 1:14 says “… and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John was an eyewitness, and Luke 1:2 and 2 Peter 1:16 are two verses that speak of men who were eyewitnesses of God in the flesh. None of us have been eyewitnesses to behold Jesus. Therefore, we must put our faith in the written word in order to know Him. To begin to properly worship God without distraction, we must know Him!
📔Note: In the King James Bible, there is a consistency in the use of the phrase, ‘the word of God’, with a lower case ‘w’; and ‘the Word of God’ with an upper case ‘W’. The word of God and the Word of God share many attributes. To speak against One is to speak against the other.
HERE is a link to a very interesting study on those attributes that are shared by the 'word' and the 'Word'. I hope you will take time to read and enjoy this article.
Let’s look at the 2nd cause of Distracted Worship.
#2 Failure to KNOW the will of God. - WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD? And what is the will of God for the Prudent Woman?
I mentioned in my last session that the will of God is clearly stated in scripture. I shared with you, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, which says that the will of God is for all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
The will of God for the Prudent Woman is also clearly laid out in scripture. When we personally know the will of God, then we can understand what is pleasing to God and how we may worship Him without distraction.
As women we fill many roles: Daughters, Sisters, Wives, Mothers and Grandmothers, etc. Let’s look at a few examples of God’s clearly revealed will for us in scripture.
- To Daughters: Children, obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20).
- To Sisters: Do the will of our Father in heaven and be a servant of the church (Matthew 12:50 cf. Romans 16:1).
- To Young Women: Marry and bear children (1 Timothy 5:14)
- To Wives: Submit yourselves unto your husband (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18), Reverence your husband (Ephesians 5:33), Love your husband, and be obedient to him (Titus 2:5).
- To Mothers: Guide the house (1 Timothy 5:14); Love your children, be a keeper at home, and teach the young women to do likewise (Titus 2:3-5).
- To Grandmothers: (e.g., “Lois”) - Have unfeigned faith, and teach the scripture to your grandchildren (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).
- To Widows: Continue in supplication and prayers night and day (1 Timothy 5:5); Lodge strangers, Wash the saints feet, Relieve the afflicted (1 Timothy 5:10).
These are just a few verses that clearly delineate the will of God for women. Knowing God’s will is profitable; it is like having proper directions to your desired destination.
Now that we know what the will of God is for us, that brings us to the 3rd cause of distracted worship – ignorance of HOW to PERFORM the WILL of God.
#3 Failure to understand HOW to DO the will of God - HOW DO I OBEY THE WILL OF GOD?
Our problem is not that we do not know the will of God. The problem is we do not know how to perform it! Just as it says in Romans.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
One thing we know for certain: Our flesh is unable to obey the law!
Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
📔Note: It says ‘the carnal mind’. It is not talking about our body nor our brain. In order for the body to be moved to do something, the mind must make a decision based on a belief and then direct the body to follow. This is why scripture says we must renew our MIND.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We need to prove, by our walk, what is the perfect will of God. That is not possible in our fleshly attempts. We must renew our minds by the word of God. We must study it, seek to understand it, believe it and obey it.
Let me give you an example of how we often attempt to do things in our flesh.
Turn to Galatians 5.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
As we read this verse, it is in our nature to put ourselves under a law of performance and say, “I am going to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, gentle, good, faithful, meek, and temperate today”.
Guess what? No we’re not! The Bible tells up plainly, we cannot. The flesh cannot obey laws.
Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
This truth would be very discouraging, except that the apostle Paul tells us how we can please God. It is only when we are walking in the Spirit and not under the law that we can be pleasing to Him.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
So many people read this verse backwards. They think it says that if you walk in the flesh then you are not in Christ or in the Spirit. NO! That is not what it says, and that is not Paul’s point.
Our salvation does not depend upon how we walk; it depends on our trust in Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross which paid for our sins. If you have trusted in that, you are saved and you are in the Spirit. You are in Him.
What Romans 8:1 does for us is to define what it means to be in Christ Jesus. If we are saved, we are in Him, and we are walking after the Spirit. Is Jesus walking after the Spirit? Yes! Then we are also walking after the Spirit because we are in Him. We know this by comparing it with other verses in the Bible such as,
Ephesians 1:6 … He hath made us Accepted in the beloved.
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, …
We who have trusted in Christ’s work on the cross are in the Spirit!
Do not be carnally minded and think, “I feel really good today, therefore I am in the spirit today”, or “I’m just down in the dumps and tired and failing at every attempt to do good; therefore I’m not in the spirit today”. NO! We are in the Spirit because we are IN CHRIST. We are not in and out based on our feelings. Once you are IN CHRIST, you cannot get out. You are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)! It is our standing in Him, only made possible by what HE has done that saves us and causes us to walk in the spirit.
APPLICATION: So the answer to our problem of “HOW to perform the will of God”, is to get established in the word of God and grow up into Him. We must not attempt to obey God in our flesh because we will always fail. Instead, what we are to do is renew our mind with the word of God. When we believe the word of God, it will work effectually in us and cause us to bear the fruit of the spirit unto God.
We should be like a tree, deeply rooted in sound doctrine. The deeper the roots go, the more established the tree becomes. By nature a healthy tree will bear more and more fruit. The tree does not have to work to produce the fruit; it simply abides in the soil where it is being nourished. Likewise, we can bear the fruit of the spirit as we saw listed in Galatians 5:22, if we will get established in sound doctrine of the word of God.
CONCLUSION:
To solve the problem of DISTRACTED WORSHIP, we must:
- Know the true and living God
- Understand what it means to worship God
- We must know the will of God
- We must know how to perform the will of God
These four points can only be accomplished by spending time in the word of God.
📔NOTE: When it comes to the will of God, most Christians are confused. They think that the will of God for their lives is determining who they will marry, where they will work, how many children they bare, and where they choose to live, etc. However, God’s will for your life is for you to have knowledge of Him and of His word, so that you can grow into maturity and bear fruit. Knowing this will enable you to share the gospel with others and help them to grow up into Christ Jesus, which is the will of God.
ACTION: I will end with a list of verses for you to copy in your journal. I hope you will meditate on these and consider committing them to memory.
- Ephesians 4:14-16.
- Galatians 4:19
- Colossians 2:6-7
Thank you for joining me. Until next time, Keep digging into God’s word!
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