The Omaha guide., 1946-07-20
JESUS AND TRUE WORSHIP

LESSON TEXT-Deuteronomy 8:11-14.
1920; Isaiah 40:30. 81: Mark 12:28-34.
MEMORY SELECTION - God is a
Spirit: and the that worship him must
worship in spirit and t~ruth.-John 4:2f.
The one true God is worthy Of
the Wholehearted worship Of all
men. The second commandment,
& which we studied last week, forbids
all and every idolatry and thus re-
quires exclusive worship Of God.
Ii really means something in the
life of a man to worship God in
sincerity and truth. 1t makes life
worthwhile both here and hereaft-
er.q
/. Worship Balances Life Deut.
8:1l-14).
Prosperity is usually thought to
be d blessing. We fear depression
and poverty. The Lord through
Moses warned his people that pros
perity was dangerous. 1t still is,
because material. things have the
power 70 so satisfy the natural de-
sires Of nan as 10 make him for
get his spiritual nee1s.
Is it not true that material pros
perity usually brings with it a cor
responding decrease in spirituality.
Life values are weighed in gold,
silver, wheat and iron instead OF be-
ing viewed in the light Of Gods
Word.
Worship of God will balance life
for it viii keep man from forget
ting God ard his laws. In the will
derness Israel had to call on God
for daily bread. Now that they were
to come into the promised land they
would be apt 10 think they produced
their W food,
II. Worship Protects Life Deut.
S:18-2O).
One Of the most mischievous mis-
takes of life is the idea that man
is the maker of his own money. Only
God can give man the power Of
hand and heart, Of muscle and
mind. which brings forth wealth.
and then he can only draw it out Of
Gods resources in mine or field or
sea. q
This fallacy of man leads him
astray, ard he begins to worship the
very powers he uses and finds pleas
ure in the gods Of this world. That
way leads only to eternal destruc-
ton, to spiritual death.
How is man to be delivered from
this awful destructive force? BY a
rislt relationship to God, by WOE
ship of and devotion to the Lord.
Israel had a covenant with God
and in the keeping Of it they would
find d%eliverance from all which
would pull down and Gestroy-yes,
and from the judgment of God ".
2O).
We who are believers tn Christ are
under the new covenant of grace.
If we have been born again we
have the promise Of God that we
have eternal life. But let us be
clear that it is possible for a Chris
tian to so forget God and his ov-
Grant with the Lord as to lose his
fellowship and joy, and to be use
less and f%ruitless.
III. Worship Strengthens Life
Osa. 40: 80, 80.
The Christian life is not an easy
one to live. After all, who wants
it easy? There is, however, full
provision by God for the power
needed to live a life as victorious
and exultant as that Of the soaring
eagle. That power is for those who
"wait upon the Lord" ". Sd.
1t is taken for granted that those
who are old may become weary
and faint, but the fact is that even
the youth have this disappointing
experience.
We, leaders in the church and
parents, are apt to forget that youth
is often a time of great struggle.
The young man or woman must
make the choices of purposes and
ideals which will determine their fu-
ture. Too often youth, left unguid-
ed and without the balance of a
real faith in God, makes the wrong
choices and winds up in bitter dis
appointment.
Only God is sufficient for the need
of young people but he is suf-
fcient. Let US teach our boys and
girls to wait on the Lord.
". Worship Completes Life
mark u: 28-34.
Here was a man, who, by the tes-
timony Of Jesus was mot far from
the kingdom of God" He was very
near to a full devotion to God in
Christ. He kneE "an the answers"
but he did not follow the teaching
which he knew to its proper and
blessed conclusion.
1t Is terrifying to think how close
a man can come to entering into
eternal life. and yet miss it altogeth-
er. It prompts the writer of thes6
notes 70 ask you, Ine IedOST, very
earnestly, Fave you entered into
eternal life through Jesus Christi
'Almost" will not avail; you can be
almost Swaziland ~eternally lost.
The true nature Of worship is re-
vealed in this lesson as a loving de-
penoence on God at all times and
in all circumstances. We recognize
HIM as the one who can supply our
every need, spiritual and temporal.
We accord to him quick and full
obedience. We find in him such
complete satisfaction that We can
not withhold our love and his love
from our fellow men. We worship
him!