NT Framework - What is Worship?

Perhaps the better question is 'What is Mature Worship' and how do you know if you are practicing it?

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New TestamentFramework.
Today a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Fourth point biblical culture expresses mature
worship of God.
What is this, this idea ofworship?
If I could just summarizeworship in one word, I would say
worship is appreciation for God.
It's appreciation for God, okay, but let's flesh this out a
little bit.
In a biblical culture, god iscentral to everything and every

(00:39):
thought is taken captive to him.
I think Colossians says thisright captive to him.
I think Colossians says thisright Take every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ,every thought.
Remember what I said aboutsanctification, advanced
sanctification.
It's not just talking aboutsomething like what most
Christians say oh, that's areligious thought.
It's a religious thought.

(00:59):
What are you talking about?
God made everything.
Every thought you have shouldhave God central to it.
Years ago, I mean, you know, oneof the toughest subjects for a
lot of people is mathematicsright, and everybody struggles

(01:21):
with it on some level.
But this was one where I waslike, well, how you know?
I didn't, I couldn't see yet,like how does this relate to God
?
I got this book by James Nickelcalled Mathematics is God's
Silent, and I didn't read thewhole book, but I've thumbed
through it enough to get togather the ideas that he's
gaining and presenting.
And the idea is like no, youcan't even do math unless God

(01:44):
created mathematics and iskeeping it stable.
I mean, like what would happenif tomorrow, 2 plus 2 was 5?
Wouldn't all of your matheducation be completely a waste?
I mean, you wouldn't knowanything about math if these
categories you know numericcategories weren't stable.
And then you have to ask thequestion well, how do they

(02:08):
remain stable?
I mean, is that just there?
That's what the world is.
It's just there.
We just go on, we just act likeit's just there.
It's not just there.
Things aren't just there.
That's the stupidest idea ever.
Things are just there,organized.
No, no, just come live in myhouse for one day.

(02:32):
You'll see that things are notjust staying where they are in
an organized fashion.
It's just not that way.
So something is there upholdingthis all the time.
Colossians 1.15,.
It says that Christ issustaining all things.
I mean that means at everysingle moment, at every point in
space, throughout the entiretyof the universe, his hand is
keeping it right in the orderthat it is, which then changes

(02:55):
your whole way of looking atmiracles, because now you
realize that all that he's doingin a miracle is just suspending
the way that he normallyoperates in an area, for example
, walking on water.
Typically you don't walk onwater, I mean, you step on the
water, you go under.
We know this is the way itworks.
And everybody says that'sgravity.
No, that's the hand of God,idiot.

(03:16):
This is the way it works.
And everybody says that'sgravity no, that's the hand of
God, idiot.
This is not a game.
And they're like well, we can'thave miracles.
The Bible says miraclessupernatural, that can't be,
it's impossible.
It's impossible on what grounds?
You mean, everything is justthe way it is and it just works
that way all the time, juststays that way.
So you're saying something waycrazier than what I'm saying,

(03:37):
because what I'm saying is aperson is actually controlling
this and giving us the stabilitythat we have, and every once in
a while, in a little space ontop of where his two feet were
placed on the Sea of Galileewater surface, he suspended.
That, it's his word.
I think he can suspend it.
That's not too difficult tounderstand, but your idea that
it's all just that way, that'scrazy.
It's not too difficult tounderstand, but your idea that
it's all just that way, that'scrazy.
So this is the idea of worship.

(03:58):
You're taking every thoughtcaptive to Christ.
Okay.
And when you do this, you startto have an appreciation for his
thoughts and you realizethey're superior to my thoughts.
This is called humility, whenyou're admitting that God's

(04:18):
thoughts are superior to yourown thoughts.
Nobody wants to admit this.
They think they're smart.
I came up with this idea.
Look at me, put my name in line.
No, when you recognize thateverything that you have and
everything you are is only bythe grace of God and he's
upholding and sustaining.

(04:39):
He gave you your talents, hegave you your spiritual gifts,
all this stuff, all of a suddenyou start to realize oh well,
then he's superior to me and histhoughts are more important
than my thoughts.
And this is what results inworship, because worship, again,
is this appreciation for whoGod is and what he's like.
Right, and you're thinkingabout this, you're kind of just

(05:01):
marveling about it and realizingyour brain is just a peanut and
you're just here, just in yourpeanut brain, trying to discover
some things that God has done.
And it's a journey, it's anexciting journey, but still I
just have a peanut brain.
His is Amen.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with
Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube
under Spokane Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today'slesson productive and useful in

(05:37):
growing closer to God andwalking more obediently with Him
.
If you found this podcast to beuseful and helpful, then please
consider rating us in yourfavorite podcast app, and until
next time, we hope you have ablessed and wonderful day.