Should We Worship Jesus?

1 Timothy 2.5

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Acts 17.11

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

neither accepted nor rejected the message but checked it against the Scriptures

whatever the Bible says is what I want to believe

1 Samuel 1:28

"So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

1 Samuel 24.8

Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

Revelation 3.9

Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.

Matthew 2.2

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

Deuteronomy 6.13

You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

Jeremiah 27.6

Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him.

1. submission: bowing, kneeling, prostrating

Hebrews 1.6

And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship (bow to) Him."

2. adoration: love, devotion, gratitude

1 John 5.1

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

3. veneration: respect, reverence, fear

Ephesians 6.5

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;

4. praise: recounting attributes, deeds, tongues

2 Peter 1.16-18

For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"--and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

5. meditation: contemplating, communing, fellowshipping

1 John 1.3

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

6. sacrifices: animal, cereal, wine, candy, hair, money

Luke 8.1-3

Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

7. sacred texts: reading, reciting, chanting, memorizing

The Epistle of James contains more than twenty direct and indirect allusions to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. One could even say James is a meditation on Jesus' teachings.

8. serve: follow laws, seek to please, lifestyle

Colossians 3.23-24

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

9. singing: to/about

Revelation 5.9-10

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Worship

Acts

1. Isn’t worshipping anyone other than God idolatry?

God has exalted Christ to his right hand, above the angels: Ephesians 1.20-23; Colossians 2.10;1 Peter 3.22

Worshiping Christ actually gives God glory as the indirect recipient

(Philippians 2.9-11)

In light of Phil 2.9-11 and Hebrews 1.6, Patrick Navas writes, “In fact, it would be fair to say—in accord with Scripture—that the worship, honor, glory and respect attributed to Christ is something that God not only allows but commands, is pleasing to him, and God himself is glorified in this...Yet the honor and adoration given to Christ is, in the ultimate sense, an honor and adoration given through Christ to the Father, the ultimate source of every blessing in Christ.”

(1 Peter 4.11; Hebrews 13.15)

Christ’s transparency

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1. Christ’s words were really God’s words

(John 12.49-50)

2. Christ’s actions were really God’s actions

(John 5.36)

3. Christ's will was really the Father’s will

(John 6.38)

4. Christ admitted he could do nothing

on his own (John 5.30)

2. Doesn’t Romans 1.25 forbid worshiping any created thing?

Romans 1.25

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

3. Didn’t Jesus say to worship God alone?

Matthew 4.10

Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship (bow to) the LORD your God, and serve him only.'"

idolatry

1. worshipping a statue or representation of a god

2. devotion that “takes attention away, detracts from, or takes the place of the glory of the only true God”

bowing to Satan would qualify as idolatry definition #2

in addition, Jesus was not yet exalted

4. Didn’t an angel refuse worship and tell John to worship God alone?

Revelation 22.8-9

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God."

5. Isn’t worshiping Christ taking away from God who is jealous?

everything Christ did and does is empowered by and authorized by God

Jesus is never in competition with God, but a willing son and servant

for example, praising Jesus for dying for our sins, ultimately gives glory to God whose plan it was in the first place

1. Worship should be truthful

shouldn’t sing songs that call Jesus God or credit him with actions he never did

here is a subtle example where the first verse of the song makes you think of Jesus:

Water You turned into wine

Open the eyes of the blind

There's no one like You

None like You

but the song is really about God the whole time as is evidenced by the chorus:

Our God is greater, our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome and power

Our God, Our God...

2. Exclusive worship belongs to God alone

shouldn't use exclusive language of Jesus like "to you alone" or "you are all that matters" or "there is no one else", etc.

These lyrics are problematic:

We’re coming back to the heart of worship

And it’s all about you,

It’s all about you—Jesus

3. Should primarily worship God

Jesus-olatry, christomonism in mainstream Christian music

making Jesus into the primary object of worship flips everything upside down

Should We Worship Jesus?

Limitations

Worship

Vocabulary

serving: avad ( )

latrevo ( )

bowing: shacha ( )

proskyneo ( )

Deuteronomy 5.8-10

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Introduction

Objections

Making Pancakes for Mom