WEBVTT 00:00:16.589 --> 00:00:21.149 So the text today is from 2nd Chronicles, chapter 00:00:21.149 --> 00:00:24.629 34. Thank you, Caleb, for reading this to us 00:00:24.629 --> 00:00:26.269 earlier. So I hope you all were paying attention 00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:29.870 to Caleb this morning. So I want to begin with 00:00:29.870 --> 00:00:33.469 a simple but searching question. Why are you 00:00:33.469 --> 00:00:38.789 here? Not just physically, but spiritually. Why 00:00:38.789 --> 00:00:41.869 do you gather week after week with the people 00:00:41.869 --> 00:00:48.359 of God? Is it habit? Is it duty? Is it an expectation? 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:52.380 Or is it because you have come to meet with the 00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:56.479 living God? That is the question that matters 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:01.340 more than we often realize. Because worship is 00:01:01.340 --> 00:01:09.640 not just a neutral activity. It is something 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:12.719 we shape according to our preferences. It is 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.400 not something we shape according to our preferences. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:21.099 Worship is not ultimately what we like. It is 00:01:21.099 --> 00:01:24.879 about what God requires. And that is where our 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:28.459 modern thinking often goes wrong. We live in 00:01:28.459 --> 00:01:31.959 a time when worship is frequently evaluated like 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:36.000 anything else. Did I enjoy it? Did it move me? 00:01:36.299 --> 00:01:39.700 Did it meet my needs? But the scripture asks 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:44.239 a very, very different question. Was it acceptable 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:48.469 to God? That is the question before us this morning 00:01:48.469 --> 00:01:52.950 Because it is entirely possible Listen carefully 00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:56.829 it is entirely possible for us to gather in the 00:01:56.829 --> 00:02:01.090 name of God to sing the songs to pray the prayers 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:05.090 to hear the sermons and Yet for that worship 00:02:05.090 --> 00:02:09.490 to be unacceptable in his sight The Bible gives 00:02:09.490 --> 00:02:13.810 us sobering examples of this There were those 00:02:13.810 --> 00:02:17.349 in the Old Testament who offered sacrifices God 00:02:17.349 --> 00:02:20.490 did not command and they were judged. There were 00:02:20.490 --> 00:02:24.770 those in the New Testament who got honored, who 00:02:24.770 --> 00:02:27.710 honored God with their lips while their hearts 00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:31.009 were far from him and their worship was rejected. 00:02:32.270 --> 00:02:35.689 So we must ask ourselves, are we worshiping God 00:02:35.689 --> 00:02:40.069 rightly? That is exactly the situation we find 00:02:40.069 --> 00:02:45.289 in 2 Chronicles chapter 34. The people of God 00:02:45.289 --> 00:02:48.689 had not stopped being religious. They still had 00:02:48.689 --> 00:02:52.849 forms of it. They still had traditions, but true 00:02:52.849 --> 00:02:57.750 worship was lost. Idolatry had taken root. The 00:02:57.750 --> 00:03:00.650 temple had been neglected. And the most striking 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:04.169 thing of all, the word of God itself had been 00:03:04.169 --> 00:03:08.629 forgotten. Think about that. The people of God 00:03:08.629 --> 00:03:13.710 without the word of God. And when the Word was 00:03:13.710 --> 00:03:18.150 rediscovered in red, everything changed. Because 00:03:18.150 --> 00:03:21.370 the Word of God talks much about worship, how 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:25.750 it exposes, how it convicts, how it corrects, 00:03:25.770 --> 00:03:29.389 and how it restores. And that is what we see 00:03:29.389 --> 00:03:33.830 in the life of King Josiah, a young man raised 00:03:33.830 --> 00:03:37.169 in a corrupt generation, and yet by the grace 00:03:37.169 --> 00:03:42.400 of God, he begins to seek the Lord. And as he 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:46.520 seeks God, he begins to tear down idols, to restore 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:50.360 temples, and to bring the people back to true 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.500 covenantal worship. Please don't take this passage 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:58.740 lightly. It is a call. It is a call for every 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:02.439 church in every age, including ours, to examine 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:07.099 how we worship. Not to ask what is popular or 00:04:07.099 --> 00:04:11.139 what is convenient. or what is emotionally satisfying, 00:04:12.180 --> 00:04:16.420 but what is faithful, what is true, and what 00:04:16.420 --> 00:04:20.160 is pleasing to God. Because worship is central 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:24.040 to everything. It is not a side issue in a Christian 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:27.680 life. It is the very purpose for which we were 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:32.519 created. We were made to glorify God and to enjoy 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:37.990 Him forever. So let us ask God's blessing on 00:04:37.990 --> 00:04:43.410 this time together as we pray. Lord, we thank 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:48.970 you for this day. Father, I pray for the blessing 00:04:48.970 --> 00:04:52.029 of us meeting together as your covenant people. 00:04:52.709 --> 00:04:57.170 Sanctify this time. Fix our hearts on your truth. 00:04:57.790 --> 00:05:02.529 Lord, show us if our worship is true. Show us 00:05:02.529 --> 00:05:06.199 where we have drifted and restore us. that we 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:09.980 may worship you rightly. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:16.680 So in 2 Chronicles 34, we begin to see the foundation 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.740 of all true worship, and it is this. This is 00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:24.240 my first point. Worship begins with seeking God. 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.079 Look again at verse 3. For in the eighth year 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:31.399 of his reign, while he was still young, he began 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:36.839 to seek the God of his father David. Now remember 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:40.680 where we are in the story a nation is corrupt 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:44.180 Idolatry is everywhere true worship had been 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:49.040 lost and yet before any outward changes Before 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.339 the idols are torn down before the temple is 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:55.980 restored Something happens in the heart of this 00:05:55.980 --> 00:06:00.899 young king He begins seeking God and that is 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:03.959 where it starts with a heart that turns towards 00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:08.120 God And this connects directly what we have just 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:11.879 considered. Worship is not first about what we 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:16.220 do. It is about who we are seeking. Because you 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:19.660 can do all the right things outwardly and still 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:24.800 not have it be worshiped at all. You can gather 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:28.379 with God's people. You can sing the songs. You 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:31.379 can bow your heads in prayer. You can listen 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:35.300 to faithful preaching. And yet... truly never 00:06:35.300 --> 00:06:40.439 seek him. And if you are not seeking him, you 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:44.759 are not worshiping him. But by the grace of God, 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:50.040 Josiah shows us something different. In the middle 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:54.519 of a culture that had abandoned God, he does 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:58.819 not drift deeper into it. He seeks the Lord. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:02.410 The scripture says in Jeremiah, You will seek 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:06.170 me and find me when you search for me with all 00:07:06.170 --> 00:07:09.490 of your heart. And that is the kind of seeking 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:12.990 we are talking about. A heart that desires God 00:07:12.990 --> 00:07:17.910 himself. And this is where we must examine ourselves. 00:07:18.430 --> 00:07:23.089 Because if we are honest, it is very easy for 00:07:23.089 --> 00:07:27.430 worship to become routine. We show up. We go 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:30.149 through the order of service. We know when to 00:07:30.149 --> 00:07:35.250 stand. when to sit, when to respond. But the 00:07:35.250 --> 00:07:38.610 question is not whether you are present. The 00:07:38.610 --> 00:07:43.610 question is whether you are seeking God. Did 00:07:43.610 --> 00:07:45.850 you come here this morning to meet with Him? 00:07:46.329 --> 00:07:49.629 Did you come hungry to hear His voice? Did you 00:07:49.629 --> 00:07:52.110 come expecting that the Living God would address 00:07:52.110 --> 00:07:55.350 you through His Word? Or did you come out of 00:07:55.350 --> 00:08:00.980 habit, out of obligation, out of routine? Because 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:04.660 God is not interested in any of that. He calls 00:08:04.660 --> 00:08:09.040 for your heart. You see, worship is relational. 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:12.879 It is not a performance we offer to impress God. 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:17.060 It is a drawing near to God who has called us 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:20.639 into covenant with Himself. We do not seek God 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:26.040 on our terms. We seek Him on His terms. He defines 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:29.120 how He is to be approached. He defines how He's 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.679 to be worshipped. But still, He calls us to seek 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:37.940 Him. And that is grace. That the Holy God would 00:08:37.940 --> 00:08:41.639 invite sinners to come near. We must seek Him, 00:08:42.059 --> 00:08:45.279 not just what He gives. Too often we come to 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.919 God wanting benefits. We want peace and comfort 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:53.980 in provisions. But worship calls us higher. It 00:08:53.980 --> 00:08:57.460 calls us to want Him. Josiah did not begin with 00:08:57.460 --> 00:09:02.100 blessings. He began with God. And that is why 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:06.220 everything else begins to change. Because true 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:09.019 reformation does not start with outward obedience. 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:13.799 It starts in here. In the heart that turns and 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:18.639 says, I will seek the Lord. Because there is 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.779 the truth that this passage confronts us with. 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:25.200 You cannot worship God rightly if you are not 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:29.580 seeking Him earnestly. If true worship begins 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:33.299 with seeking God, then the next thing we see 00:09:33.299 --> 00:09:36.519 in this passage follows. Because seeking God 00:09:36.519 --> 00:09:40.340 will always lead to this. This is point two. 00:09:41.379 --> 00:09:44.899 True worship requires the destruction of idols. 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.419 After Josiah began to seek the Lord, what does 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:53.580 he do? He does not remain passive. He does not 00:09:53.580 --> 00:09:57.799 simply add worship Add worship of God into an 00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:01.220 already crowded life No, he begins to tear things 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:04.820 down The high places were destroyed the wooden 00:10:04.820 --> 00:10:08.159 images are cut down the carved and molded images 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:11.779 are broken into pieces All the altars of false 00:10:11.779 --> 00:10:15.700 God are demolished Josiah does not make room 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:20.350 for God alongside idols He removes them entirely 00:10:20.350 --> 00:10:24.970 You cannot truly seek God while holding on to 00:10:24.970 --> 00:10:29.269 what competes with God Because God does not share 00:10:29.269 --> 00:10:32.950 his glory The first commandment is clear. You 00:10:32.950 --> 00:10:36.710 shall have no other gods before me Not alongside 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:41.009 me not in addition to me, but before me meaning 00:10:41.009 --> 00:10:45.169 in my presence God demands exclusive worship 00:10:45.769 --> 00:10:48.990 Because while we may not bow down to carved images 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:53.370 of wood or stone We are still very capable of 00:10:53.370 --> 00:10:57.429 worshipping idols Our idols just look different 00:10:57.429 --> 00:11:03.049 They are often more subtool more socially acceptable, 00:11:03.049 --> 00:11:07.710 but no less real An idol is anything that takes 00:11:07.710 --> 00:11:11.529 the place of God in your heart Anything more 00:11:11.529 --> 00:11:15.009 you anything you love more anything you trust 00:11:15.009 --> 00:11:19.049 more anything you fear losing more than God. 00:11:20.350 --> 00:11:23.429 There are many things that can rise to that level. 00:11:24.009 --> 00:11:29.429 Comfort, money, success, sexual sin, entertainment, 00:11:30.110 --> 00:11:34.029 reputation, even family, when it is elevated 00:11:34.029 --> 00:11:38.970 above God. And here's the danger. You can attend 00:11:38.970 --> 00:11:42.409 worship on Sunday and still serve idols the rest 00:11:42.409 --> 00:11:46.590 of the week. You can sing to God with your lips 00:11:46.590 --> 00:11:49.730 while your heart is still controlled by something 00:11:49.730 --> 00:11:53.169 entirely different. But the scripture is clear. 00:11:54.009 --> 00:11:56.929 No one can serve two masters. You are either 00:11:56.929 --> 00:11:59.429 cling to God or you are cling to your idols. 00:11:59.870 --> 00:12:03.970 You cannot do both. This is why Josiah's example 00:12:03.970 --> 00:12:08.750 is so important to us. Because he begins to seek 00:12:08.750 --> 00:12:12.190 God and he does not negotiate with his idols. 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:17.279 He destroys them completely, decisively, without 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:20.879 compromise. And this is where true worship becomes 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:25.039 costly. Because it is one thing to say, I want 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:29.019 God. But it is another thing to remove everything 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:32.840 that competes with Him. But that is exactly what 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:36.100 God requires. He does not call you to manage 00:12:36.100 --> 00:12:39.159 your idols. He calls you to put them to death. 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.320 What are the idols in your life? What do you 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:47.259 run to for comfort? What occupies your thoughts 00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:51.240 when your mind is at rest? Because whatever controls 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:56.039 your heart that is what you worship and If we 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:59.519 would worship God rightly those things must be 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:04.019 dealt with Not ignored but torn down and yes, 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.480 it could be painful Because idols often promise 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:12.600 us temporary happiness But in the end they enslave 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:17.240 God only satisfied God only God is worthy and 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:21.220 here's the good news God does not command you 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:24.240 to tear down your idols so that you are left 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:28.120 with nothing He calls you to tear them down so 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:32.360 that you may have him and he is better infinitely 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:36.940 better as You consider your own heart this morning 00:13:37.230 --> 00:13:41.190 Do not stop seeking God. Let that seeking lead 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:45.330 to action. Let it expose what must be removed. 00:13:46.330 --> 00:13:49.289 You cannot worship God rightly and cling to idols. 00:13:50.750 --> 00:13:54.110 May God give us the grace not only to seek Him, 00:13:54.429 --> 00:13:56.809 but to forsake everything that stands in His 00:13:56.809 --> 00:14:01.230 way. If we are to seek God truly, if we are to 00:14:01.230 --> 00:14:03.649 tear down the idols that compete for our hearts, 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:08.399 then the next question naturally flows. How do 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.320 we now worship Him rightly? Because it is not 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.480 enough to remove what is false. We also must 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:19.279 establish what is true. And this brings us to 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:24.279 our third point. True worship must be governed 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:28.700 by the Word of God. Look at what happens in our 00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:32.769 next passages beginning in verse 14. Now when 00:14:32.769 --> 00:14:35.610 they had brought the money out that was brought 00:14:35.610 --> 00:14:38.789 into the house of the Lord Hilkiah the priest 00:14:38.789 --> 00:14:41.950 found the book of the law of the Lord given by 00:14:41.950 --> 00:14:45.529 Moses The book of the law the word of God had 00:14:45.529 --> 00:14:50.450 been lost Not misplaced for a moment, but neglected 00:14:50.450 --> 00:14:54.850 ignored and forgotten over time The people of 00:14:54.850 --> 00:14:58.289 God had continued on with forms of religion with 00:14:58.289 --> 00:15:02.090 outward practices But without the word of God 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:06.000 shaping and directing their worship. Worship 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:10.659 had become corrupt, distorted, and unfaithful. 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:14.179 Because when the word of God is absent, true 00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:17.899 worship does not remain. It cannot. And when 00:15:17.899 --> 00:15:21.620 we see the book is finally found and read, listen 00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:26.200 to Josiah's response in verse 19. And when the 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:30.159 king heard the word of the law, he tore his clothes. 00:15:31.199 --> 00:15:34.679 Why is it a strong reaction? Because in that 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:39.259 moment Josiah realizes something terrifying That 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:42.000 he had not been worshiping God according to his 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.639 word They had not been doing what seemed right. 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:48.019 They have been doing what seemed right in their 00:15:48.019 --> 00:15:50.879 own eyes and beloved This is always the danger 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.200 Because we live in a time where worship is often 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:58.039 shaped by preferences by creativity or emotion 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:03.129 or by what seems meaningful to us But the scripture 00:16:03.129 --> 00:16:06.450 does not leave worship to our imagination God 00:16:06.450 --> 00:16:09.789 himself tells us how he's to be worshiped and 00:16:09.789 --> 00:16:12.389 this is what we hold to as the regulative principle 00:16:12.389 --> 00:16:16.490 of worship That we are to worship God not only 00:16:16.490 --> 00:16:19.610 We are to worship God only in the ways that he 00:16:19.610 --> 00:16:23.950 has commanded his people through his word Not 00:16:23.950 --> 00:16:27.889 adding to it not subtracting from it not improving 00:16:27.889 --> 00:16:32.059 upon it Because God is holy and he cares deeply 00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:36.899 about how he is approached. We see this throughout 00:16:36.899 --> 00:16:41.360 scripture. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.700 before the Lord, something he had not commanded 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:48.759 and they were judged. Uzziah reached his hand 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:52.240 to study the ark and he was struck down. These 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.620 are no small matters. They teach us that sincerity 00:16:56.620 --> 00:17:00.480 is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. 00:17:00.750 --> 00:17:04.670 Worship must be according to God's revealed will. 00:17:05.710 --> 00:17:09.809 Jesus says himself, the true worshipers will 00:17:09.809 --> 00:17:13.589 worship the Father in spirit and truth. Truth 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:17.849 matters. God is not honored by what he has not 00:17:17.849 --> 00:17:22.849 commanded. So how do we elevate worship? Not 00:17:22.849 --> 00:17:26.289 by asking did I enjoy it. Not by asking did it 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:30.619 move me. But by asking. Is it faithful to the 00:17:30.619 --> 00:17:37.420 Word of God? Is scriptural central? Is this reading 00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:40.259 of the Word? Is the reading of the Word present? 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.279 Is the preaching of the Word clear and authoritative? 00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:47.099 Are we praying according to the Word? Are we 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:50.400 singing truth that reflects the Word? Because 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:54.640 when the Word of God governs worship, He speaks 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:58.619 and His people respond. But when the word is 00:17:58.619 --> 00:18:02.440 absent or minimized worship becomes man -centered 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:06.880 and that is not worship at all Here is what the 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:11.099 passage is showing us the rediscovery of the 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:14.900 word leads to the restoration of worship and 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:18.119 The neglect of the word leads to its corruption 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:22.400 There's no middle ground So if we would worship 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.240 God rightly we must submit ourselves fully to 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:29.210 his word Not just in part, or when it's convenient, 00:18:29.250 --> 00:18:33.309 but completely. If worship must be governed by 00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:36.910 the Word of God, then we must also see what happens 00:18:36.910 --> 00:18:42.450 when that word truly takes hold of us. Because 00:18:42.450 --> 00:18:46.269 the Word of God never leaves a person unchanged. 00:18:47.450 --> 00:18:51.750 It does not simply inform, it confronts. It does 00:18:51.750 --> 00:18:55.809 not merely instruct, it exposes. And that leads 00:18:55.809 --> 00:19:01.150 us to our fourth point today. True worship produces 00:19:01.150 --> 00:19:05.829 repentance. Look again at Josiah's response in 00:19:05.829 --> 00:19:17.710 verse 19. This is no small reaction. This is 00:19:17.710 --> 00:19:23.240 deep, visible, undeniable conviction. Why? Because 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.559 when Josiah hears the word of God, he sees clearly, 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:31.119 for the first time, the gap of who God is and 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:35.920 how they had been living had been exposed. He 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:41.160 sees God's holiness. He sees God's law. And in 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:44.180 light of that, he sees his own sin and the sin 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:49.539 of the nation. And he does not excuse it. He 00:19:49.539 --> 00:19:53.099 repents. This is always the effect of true worship. 00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:57.140 When God and His Word is revealed rightly, sin 00:19:57.140 --> 00:20:00.519 is exposed. And when sin is exposed, the only 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:05.299 right response is repentance. But this is where 00:20:05.299 --> 00:20:08.420 our modern approach to worship often goes wrong. 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:12.160 Because many want to worship that confronts but 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:15.539 it does not convict. They want to feel encouraged 00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:17.680 but they do not want to deal with their sin. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:21.599 But that is not biblical worship, because you 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:25.140 cannot truly encounter a holy God without becoming 00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:29.460 aware of your sin. The prophet Isaiah understood 00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:32.680 this. When he saw the Lord high and lifted up, 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:36.900 he did not celebrate himself. He cried out, Woe 00:20:36.900 --> 00:20:40.940 is me, for I am undone. For my eyes have seen 00:20:40.940 --> 00:20:45.339 the King, the Lord of hosts. That is the language 00:20:45.339 --> 00:20:48.960 of repentance and that is the necessary pathway 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:53.259 to true worship Because repentance is most definitely 00:20:53.259 --> 00:21:00.799 part of true worship It is how we come honestly 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:04.599 before God We do not come pretending or hiding 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:08.619 or justifying ourselves, but confessing turning 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:12.279 humbling humbly acknowledging our need for mercy 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:16.500 if our worship never leads to repentance. Something 00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:19.940 is wrong. Either we are not seeking God rightly, 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:22.880 or we are not listening to His Word carefully, 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:26.400 or we are hardening our hearts. Because the Word 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.779 of God is described as a sword. It pierces. It 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:34.579 discerns. It reveals what is really within us. 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:38.099 When you come to worship, are you willing to 00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:40.920 be confronted? Are you willing for God's Word 00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:44.500 to search your hearts? Josiah tore his clothes, 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:48.240 but he did not despair. Because the same God 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.859 who revealed sin is the same God who shows mercy. 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:58.160 Not just to conviction, but to Christ. To forgiveness, 00:21:58.779 --> 00:22:02.440 to cleansing, to restoration. So do not fear 00:22:02.440 --> 00:22:07.259 repentance. Do not resist it. Embrace it. Because 00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:10.140 it is evidence that God is at work in your heart. 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:14.980 It is evidence that your worship is real. If 00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:18.180 there is no repentance, there is no true worship. 00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:22.200 May God give us soft hearts, hearts that hear 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:25.680 His word, hearts that are quick to repent, hearts 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:29.880 that cling to His mercy in Christ. If true worship 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:34.720 produces repentance, then we must now ask, what 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:38.339 does restored worship actually look like among 00:22:38.339 --> 00:22:42.299 the people of God? Where does repentance lead? 00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:45.720 Praise God, it does not end in sorrow or isolation. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.440 It brings us back into right relationship with 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:55.539 God. And that brings us to our fifth point. Look 00:22:55.539 --> 00:23:03.039 at verse 29 through 33. After Josiah hears the 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:08.000 word, after he humbles himself, after he repents, 00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:13.799 repentance takes place. What does He do? He gathers 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:17.460 the people, all of them, great and small, and 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:20.740 He reads them the Word of God. And when He makes 00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:24.500 a covenant before God to walk after Him, to keep 00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:27.519 His commandments, and to follow Him with all 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:30.940 His heart and all His soul. And the people join 00:23:30.940 --> 00:23:34.480 with Him in this covenant. This is corporate 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:38.799 covenantal worship. The people of God gathered 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:41.559 together renewing their commitment to the God 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:46.880 who has bound himself to them. This is what worship 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:50.420 is. It is a covenant meeting between God and 00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:54.200 his people. And this pattern runs throughout 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:58.240 all scripture. God calls his people to himself. 00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:02.630 They respond. He speaks his word. They confess 00:24:02.630 --> 00:24:06.150 their sin. He assures them of His mercy. He feeds 00:24:06.150 --> 00:24:09.190 us, and then He sends them out with His blessing. 00:24:10.390 --> 00:24:13.349 This is how God relates to His people. And this 00:24:13.349 --> 00:24:17.269 is exactly what we participate in every Lord's 00:24:17.269 --> 00:24:21.369 Day. When we gather for worship, we are not just 00:24:21.369 --> 00:24:26.349 attending worship. We are entering into a covenant 00:24:26.349 --> 00:24:30.009 renewal ceremony. The living God meets with His 00:24:30.009 --> 00:24:34.519 people. He calls us into His presence. He confronts 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:37.920 us through His Word. He cleanses us through Christ. 00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:41.819 He nourishes us by His grace. And He sends us 00:24:41.819 --> 00:24:46.599 out to live for His glory. This is why worship 00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:50.660 matters so deeply. Because this is where our 00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:53.700 relationship with God is renewed and strengthened 00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:58.319 week after week. And yet, how easy it is to lose 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:02.160 sight of this. to think worship as routine, as 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:06.380 something ordinary, as just another part of the 00:25:06.380 --> 00:25:10.500 week. But there is nothing ordinary about meeting 00:25:10.500 --> 00:25:13.859 with the living God. The scripture tells us in 00:25:13.859 --> 00:25:17.619 Hebrews that when we gather, we come to Mount 00:25:17.619 --> 00:25:21.500 Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:25.279 accompany of angels, to Jesus, the mediator of 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:28.720 the new covenant. That is what is happening in 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:33.299 worship. God meets with his people. This is how 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:38.700 you view worship. Do you come with reverence? 00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:43.640 Do we come with expectation? Do you come aware 00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:46.140 that you are entering into the presence of the 00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:50.000 Holy God? Or has it become familiar or casual 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.259 or routine? Because if we lose the covenant nature 00:25:54.259 --> 00:25:58.650 of worship, we will inevitably lose the seriousness 00:25:58.650 --> 00:26:03.930 and the joy of it. We will treat lightly what 00:26:03.930 --> 00:26:07.950 God has sacred. But when we understand what is 00:26:07.950 --> 00:26:11.769 happening, that this is a covenant renewal between 00:26:11.769 --> 00:26:15.750 God and his people, everything changes. We listen 00:26:15.750 --> 00:26:19.329 more carefully. We confess more sincerely. And 00:26:19.329 --> 00:26:24.210 we sing more wholeheartedly. We receive more 00:26:24.210 --> 00:26:28.380 gratefully. This is not about us reaching up 00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:31.119 to God. This is about God coming down to meet 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:36.279 with us and that again is grace So beloved do 00:26:36.279 --> 00:26:39.480 not think of worship as something small. Do not 00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:43.119 think of it as optional or routine This is the 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:46.940 central act of the Christian life Where God renews 00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:50.380 his covenant with his people week after week 00:26:50.380 --> 00:26:54.319 Lord's Day after Lord's Day until that final 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:58.740 day when faith becomes sight. So here is the 00:26:58.740 --> 00:27:02.819 fifth point. Excuse me. So here is the truth 00:27:02.819 --> 00:27:07.220 we must hold fast. Worship is not casual gathering. 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:11.319 It is covenant renewal with the living God. May 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:15.579 he give us hearts that understands it, that treasures 00:27:15.579 --> 00:27:19.400 it, and that enters into it with reverence and 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:23.740 joy. If worship is covenant renewal, If it is 00:27:23.740 --> 00:27:27.440 truly a meeting between God and His people, then 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:30.279 we must ask one final and essential question. 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:33.839 How can sinful people come into the presence 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.940 of a holy God? How can worship be acceptable 00:27:37.940 --> 00:27:42.140 at all? Because we have not sought God as we 00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:45.880 ought. We have loved idols. We have neglected 00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:49.240 His word. We have not repented as we should. 00:27:50.349 --> 00:27:53.190 So how can our worship possibly be pleasing to 00:27:53.190 --> 00:27:56.250 Him? And that brings us to our fifth and final 00:27:56.250 --> 00:28:01.230 point. True worship is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 00:28:02.390 --> 00:28:04.950 You see, everything we have seen in Josiah's 00:28:04.950 --> 00:28:08.390 life, as important and as powerful as it was, 00:28:08.789 --> 00:28:12.549 was not the final answer. Because the real problem 00:28:12.549 --> 00:28:16.569 was not just about broken worship. It was about 00:28:16.569 --> 00:28:20.609 the condition of our sinful heart. And no king, 00:28:21.269 --> 00:28:24.289 not even a faithful king like Josiah, could fix 00:28:24.289 --> 00:28:28.470 that. But God in His mercy provided what we could 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:32.930 not. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ. And Christ 00:28:32.930 --> 00:28:36.470 is the center, the substance, and the fulfillment 00:28:36.470 --> 00:28:40.970 of all true worship. Well, Josiah was where he 00:28:40.970 --> 00:28:43.769 restored the temple. Christ is the true temple. 00:28:44.490 --> 00:28:46.670 He said, destroy this temple and I will rebuild 00:28:46.670 --> 00:28:51.190 it in three days. Where sacrifices were offered 00:28:51.190 --> 00:28:55.269 again and again, Christ is the final sacrifice, 00:28:55.809 --> 00:28:59.089 offered once and for all, securing eternal redemption 00:28:59.089 --> 00:29:03.710 for His people. Where priests stood as mediators, 00:29:04.069 --> 00:29:07.130 Christ is our great High Priest, who forever 00:29:07.130 --> 00:29:10.990 lives to intercede for us. Everything that worship 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:15.480 points to finds its fulfillment in Him. And that 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:18.359 changes everything because now we do not come 00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:21.720 before God based on our performance. We do not 00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:23.859 come hoping that our worship is good enough. 00:29:24.140 --> 00:29:27.640 We come through Christ and only through Christ. 00:29:28.500 --> 00:29:31.299 The scripture says we are to offer up spiritual 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:35.339 sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:38.680 This means that even our best worship, our most 00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:42.319 sincere prayers, our most heartfelt songs are 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:45.500 not acceptable on their own. They are stained 00:29:45.500 --> 00:29:49.359 with sin and they fall short. But when they are 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:52.420 offered through Christ, they are received, not 00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:55.619 because they are perfect, but because He is. 00:29:57.299 --> 00:30:00.900 And this is our hope and our confidence, that 00:30:00.900 --> 00:30:04.140 our worship is accepted, not based on the basis 00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:09.079 of our worthiness, but on the basis of His righteousness. 00:30:09.960 --> 00:30:14.190 And this also defines the kind of worship God 00:30:14.190 --> 00:30:17.509 seeks. God says the hour is coming and is here 00:30:17.509 --> 00:30:20.950 now when the true worshipers will worship the 00:30:20.950 --> 00:30:24.829 Father in spirit and truth. In spirit, meaning 00:30:24.829 --> 00:30:29.309 a heart made alive by the Holy Spirit. In truth, 00:30:29.750 --> 00:30:32.490 meaning according to the revealed will of God 00:30:32.490 --> 00:30:36.430 and centered on Christ. And only Christ makes 00:30:36.430 --> 00:30:39.869 that possible. Apart from Christ, our worship 00:30:39.869 --> 00:30:44.039 is empty. But in Christ, Our worship is accepted. 00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:49.519 So do not come to God this morning thinking you 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:54.039 must earn His favor. Come through Christ. Do 00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:58.420 not come trusting in what you bring. Come trusting 00:30:58.420 --> 00:31:01.839 in what He has already accomplished. And when 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:06.160 you do that, you are free. You are free to confess 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.660 your sin honestly, free to lift your voices and 00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:14.660 praise. free to draw near with confidence because 00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:19.160 Christ has opened the way. He is not only the 00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:23.359 object of our worship. He is the reason our worship 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:26.859 is received. So here's the truth that anchors 00:31:26.859 --> 00:31:30.059 everything we have said. Our worship is acceptable 00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:35.420 to God, not because it is perfect, but because 00:31:35.420 --> 00:31:41.519 Christ is perfect. May we come then, not trusting 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.900 in ourselves, but in Him. Not resting in our 00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:49.180 efforts, but in the finished work, but in His 00:31:49.180 --> 00:31:53.180 finished work. And may all our worship, now and 00:31:53.180 --> 00:31:58.799 forever, be through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:04.880 Let's pray together. Almighty and most holy God, 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:09.000 you alone are worthy. of all worship, honor, 00:32:09.160 --> 00:32:12.680 and praise. We confess that we have not worshiped 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:16.160 you as we ought. Our hearts have wondered. Our 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:19.660 affections have been divided. We have often gone 00:32:19.660 --> 00:32:22.839 through the motions while neglecting true devotion. 00:32:23.980 --> 00:32:27.420 Forgive us, we pray. Cleanse us from our sin 00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:31.000 through Jesus Christ. Renew our hearts by your 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:34.599 Spirit. Teach us to seek you earnestly, to love 00:32:34.599 --> 00:32:38.829 you fully. and to worship you rightly. Father, 00:32:38.890 --> 00:32:42.509 tear down every idol within us. Give us a deeper 00:32:42.509 --> 00:32:45.569 hunger for your word. Grant us repentance that 00:32:45.569 --> 00:32:48.450 is sincere and lasting, and cause our worship 00:32:48.450 --> 00:32:51.369 to be pleasing in your sight. Not because of 00:32:51.369 --> 00:32:55.710 our worthiness, but because of Christ. Strengthen 00:32:55.710 --> 00:32:59.890 us as your people. Unite us in truth, and send 00:32:59.890 --> 00:33:03.049 us out from this place with renewed hearts, to 00:33:03.049 --> 00:33:06.210 live for your glory in all things. We ask this, 00:33:06.509 --> 00:33:12.349 all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. We now 00:33:12.349 --> 00:33:16.089 lift the prayer up for the men of the congregation 00:33:16.089 --> 00:33:17.609 to pray.