Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20021002.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part XI: Discipling Others On The Biblical Worship Of God
(Deuteronomy 12:1-32)
  1. Introduction
    1. Varieties in worship forms abound in church groups. One can go all the way from strictly formal, "High-Church" forms of worship to rollicking, wild and emotionally charged worship formats.
    2. However, God is particular about the worship HE seeks from His followers, and we can learn how do disciple others about the true worship of God by viewing God's directives through Moses to Israel on her worship of Him in Deuteronomy 12:1-32.
  2. Discipling Others On The Biblical Worship Of God, Deuteronomy 12:1-32.
    1. As we have learned, before passing on, Moses addressed Israel on her need to obey God for blessing.
    2. In the process, he sought to motivate Israel to worship the Lord in a way that was acceptable to the Lord, and he did so by contrasting the PROPER worship of God with the pagan worship of the Canaanites:
      1. Moses directed Israel not only to reject, but also to destroy the false Canaanite places of worship once they entered the Promised Land, Deuteronomy 12:1-3.
      2. Explaining why this was to be done, Moses contrasted false CANAANITE pagan worship with the TRUE worship format God desired as follows (Deuteronomy 12:4-32):
        1. Contrary to the Canaanites who chose their own various locations of worship to fit their own desires, Israel was to submit to GOD'S worship location CHOICE, a single place of worship in demonstration of submission to God as opposed to one's own will, Deuteronomy 12:4-5.
        2. Contrary to the Canaanites who would bring their own selection of offerings to manipulate their gods to perform specific things for them, Israel was to submit to GOD'S decrees of specified offerings at His single worship location for GOD to be pleased, Deuteronomy 12:6.
        3. Contrary to the Canaanites who would grieve and moan to manipulate their gods to have pity on them so as to give their desires (cf. 1 Kings 18:25-28), Israel was to rejoice before God's presence for His sovereign choice to be gracious to Israel on HIS TERMS, Deuteronomy 12:7.
        4. Contrary to the Canaanites who followed their own personal ideas of right and wrong with the details of their worship, something Israel still had a problem copying with her departure from pagan Egypt (cf. also Deut. 12:8), Israel was to follow God's prescriptions on worship details as follows: (a) Unlike the Canaanites who drank blood off of still-living sacrificial animals to gain longer life, God called Israel to avoid such self-help efforts in worshipping God, Deut. 12:15-16. God was to be worshipped on the basis of HIS GRACE, NOT on the basis of MAN'S WORKS. (b) Unlike the Canaanites who might hire their own priests and care for their own temple sites, God prescribed specifics for Israel to follow on the provision of its temple site and priesthood, Deut. 12:17-19. (c) Unlike the Canaanites who might move their worship locations to manipulate the gods to their benefit, Israel was to stay faithful in it worship practices at the location chosen by GOD, Deut. 12:20-27. (d) Unlike the Canaanites who might borrow worship ideas from neighboring pagans, Israel was not even to inquire about Canaanite worship, but carefully to follow the Scripture without detracting from it nor adding to it in the slightest, Deuteronomy 12:29-32.
Lesson: When discipling others on true worship, we must reveal our WORSHIP is a reflection of our relationship to God! Then, since GOD relates to US in GRACE, we REFLECT that by SUBMITTING to Him in HOW we worship in every way!

Application: (1) In specific terms,we must show our disciples that since we reflect God's rulership of us, ALL we do regarding worship must be (a) SUBJECT to the DICTATES of SCRIPTURE (b) and in accord with God's leading in our lives as to WHERE and HOW we worship Him. (2) Then we can turn the disciple to (a) James 4:13-17 re: our worship location, (b) to Colossians 3:16 on music, (c) to 1 Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 4:1-5 on the centrality of Bible preaching and teaching in worship and (d) to 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 on personal conduct and order in worship (for both men and women). (e) [We can include 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 on worship in our contributions.]