Worship

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WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU WORSHIPING

(Sermon: July 20, 1997)

Please turn with me in your Bibles to John 4. In John 4, Jesus encounters a woman at a well. In His meeting with her, an issue is raised that I believe is most noteworthy. And in v. 20-24 of John 4, the issue is referred to a total of ten times. The issue they talk about is worship. Please follow along with me now as I read beginning in v. 19 of John 4...

The [Samaritan] woman said to [Jesus], "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship.... You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know.... But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people [He] seeks to be His worshipers. ...[Those] who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:20-24).

Worship. It's the subject I'd like to talk about today.

Worship. We hear the term used often. Sometimes the church building is called a house of worship. Sometimes the Sunday morning church gathering is called a worship service. But I don't want to talk so much about buildings and/or services. What I want to talk about is personal worship. I want to comment on worship when it comes to your life. In reality, the worship that takes place in a building or in a service is directly related to what goes on in you while you're about your day-to-day business.

Who or what are you worshiping in your life? *******

It is important that you and I have it together when it comes to worship. To help us towards that end, I'll be sharing about the following four areas this morning. First of all, I'll talk about wrong worship focuses. Secondly, I'll comment on the right focus of worship. Thirdly, I'll point out how worship releases provision. And lastly, I'll close with how worship requires surrender.

So, let us begin now by considering the first area...

I. WRONG WORSHIP FOCUSES.

Now, the term worship means "worthship." It's the recognition accorded or due to the worthiness, dignity, or merit of someone or something. Worship is the paying of homage or respect to a person, place, or thing, etc. (ZPBE 969, Vol. V).

A good way of determining what a person worships would be by asking the following questions: How much time is he or she devoting to it? Does his or her lifestyle revolve around it? Is it central to him or her? And lastly, could he or she live without it?

Who or what are you worshiping in your life? *******

As we all know, there are many things that human beings might be attracted to worship. Some people may worship their jobs or money. Some can worship their interests and/or hobbies. Others might worship a particular philosophy or belief system. And still others can worship themselves. This sounds ridiculous, but it can be true. People can also worship a moment or an experience. Some might worship a higher power. And others can worship television, sports, certain movie stars, etc. The list can be endless. Now, each of these things I've just mentioned are a wrong focus of worship. Some of them are not wrong in and of themselves. The error occurs when people give any of them the supreme place in their lives.

The Bible offers some examples of wrong worship focuses. In Romans 1, the Scripture speaks of some people who will worship creatures. In v. 25 of that chapter, we read...

For they (that is, those who refuse to honor God) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25).

Not only can creatures become a wrong focus of worship, but demons can as well. Paul spoke of this when he told of the Gentile people's practice of sacrificing to idols. In 1 Corinthians 10:20, the apostle says that...

...[The] things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God... (1 Cor. 10:20).

Demons are a wrong worship focus.

And did you know that even Christians are susceptible to worshipping the wrong thing, too? This was true in the New Testament church at Colosse. Paul had to admonish them because of the infiltration of false worship. In Colossians 2:18, the apostle writes...

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in...the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind... (Col. 2:18).

According to this verse, there were people at the Colossian church involved in angel worship. And with the proliferation of angel trinkets and statues in our time, I would dare say there may even be some today that are involved in that same practice. But even angels are a wrong worship focus.

And ministers are a wrong focus, also.

The story is told about "[a] visiting minister [who] was substituting for the famed pastor Henry Ward Beecher. A large audience had assembled to hear the popular pastor. At the appointed hour, the visiting minister entered the pulpit. Learning that Beecher was not to preach, several began to move toward the doors. The visiting minister stood and called out, 'All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church! All who have come to worship God, keep your seats!' No one then left" (Tan #7584).

Ministers are a wrong focus of worship.

To this point, I've talked about wrong worship focuses. I would now like to comment on...

II. THE RIGHT FOCUS OF WORSHIP.

The Bible declares without contradiction that God and God alone is to be the One whom we worship. In Psalm 2:11, the Scriptures say...

Worship the Lord with reverence... (Ps. 2:11).

In Psalm 29:2, we read...

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in holy array (Ps. 29:2).

And in Matthew 4:10, Jesus Himself confirms the right focus of worship. In response to the devil's demand for worship, Jesus says...

"Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only'" (Mt. 4:10).

According to these few verses and many others found in Scripture, God and God alone is to be the focus of our worship.

At this time, I would like to bring your attention to the fact that Jesus is to be worshiped. He is to be worshiped because He is God. This is important to realize because other religions direct their followers to worship their so-called "gods" which are not really gods at all. Jesus Christ is the one and only true God (Titus 2:13).

Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:6 states...

..."And let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:6; Ps. 97:7).

And in Matthew 2:11, it says...

...[The Magi] came into the house and saw the Child [Jesus] with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him... (Mt. 2:11).

While on earth, Christ Himself received worship without remark and didn't deny His Godhood. He did so because He is God and God alone is to be the focus of one's worship. In John 10:38, the man born blind and healed by Jesus says to Him...

..."Lord, I believe [in You]." And [the formerly blind man] worshiped Him (Jn. 10:38).

And in Matthew 28:17, we read of the disciples' reaction to Christ's appearance after the resurrection. There it says that...

...[When] they saw [Jesus], they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful (Mt. 28:17).

God and God alone is to be the focus of a person's worship. And because Jesus is God, when we worship Him, we are in line with this truth.

So, why is God the only right focus of worship? Is it because He has an eternal ego that must be stroked? By no means. God is the only right focus of worship not for His sake, but for ours. Allow me to try to explain. When we worship something or someone other than God, we are left empty, our needs are not met, and our lives become meaningless. You need look no further than the example of those who have made alot of money and achieved success in the world's eyes.

Take Harrison Ford for instance. As far as I understand it, he is believed to be the richest actor now living. His various movie successes (Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Fugitive, etc.) have amassed him a fortune. And yet, during an interview some time ago, he revealed that there was still a void in his life. In answer to a question Ford said something to the effect and I paraphrase, "There is one thing that I have yet to lay hold of. That one thing is peace." All his fame and all his money were not enough to meet his real needs.

It's because the needs of a person's heart can only be met when one worships God. Only in worshiping Jesus is one made fully alive and given provision for his soul.

Now the third area I'd like to point out this morning with regards to worship is how...

III. WORSHIP RELEASES PROVISION.

It is in the worship of God that a person truly has his needs met. Please turn with me to Genesis 22. In Genesis 22, Scripture tells the story of Abraham and Isaac. In essence, it is a story about worship. It is a tale about how the worship of God brings about provision for one's life. Regardless of your need this morning, it can be met through worship.

In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham's allegiance by asking him to sacrifice his son. And Abraham responds with obedience. While on his journey to the place of sacrifice, Abraham makes an interesting statement. In v. 5, he says to the young men who are accompanying him...

"Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you" (Gen. 22:5).

You see, Abraham knew that his test was concerning the issue of worship. And I would venture to say that the same is true for us. Some of the hard things that you and I face, some of the tough things that God calls you and I to do or to give up are essentially His testing of us in the area of worship. Are we worshipers of things or are we worshipers of Him?

Among the important lessons that Abraham learned from his test was that worship releases provision. In Genesis 22, we read of how Abraham, as he was about sacrifice Isaac, is stopped by an intervening angel. It is at this point that v. 13-14 reveal that...

...Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovah-Jireh), as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it will be provided" (Gen. 22:13-14).

God provided Abraham with the ram for the sacrifice. I don't know if the ram just appeared out of thin air. I rather believe that the ram began wandering, if you will, up the back side of the mountain upon Abraham's statement in v. 5...

"...I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship..." (Gen. 22:5).

Can you picture Abraham there? He's climbing the mountain. He's carrying his burden, the thing he was commanded to do. He's worshiping the Lord all the while. He's showing by His actions that His allegiance is to God alone. And during his act of worship, the ram, God's provision sent forth to meet Abraham's need, is walking up the other side. Worship releases provision.

Each of us could probably testify to a time in our own lives where we had a need and it was met through worship.

The testimony is given concerning the blessings received by a man who worshiped God during a chapel service. He says, "What does [one] get [during worship?] He gets a blessing. What is a 'blessing?' A removal of the temptation to rage and scorn and indignation; a sweetness, a satisfaction with my lot; a [contentment] with God's dealings. Take tonight. I went to chapel with plenty of dark and vexing questions--all sore as to feeling. I came away calm, sweet, fresh, all my cares gone, rejoicing in the God of my salvation..." (2500 Best Modern Illustrations by Hallock #465).

Worship releases provision.

Do you have a need this morning? Who are you worshiping in your life? *******

The final area I'd like to talk about now with regards to worship is how...

IV. WORSHIP REQUIRES SURRENDER.

To surrender means to abandon or give up possession of. It is the act of giving oneself up...as a prisoner or the yielding of oneself to another on compulsion (Webster's 602).

True worship of God requires surrender on the individual's part. He must relinquish his way and his rights to God. The worshiper must submit to God's desire and design. Abraham is also an example of this in Genesis 22. As I've already stated, the issue in God's testing of him was an issue of worship. And I'd like you to notice that it all began with Abraham surrendering both himself and his son to God. In v. 1-3 of Genesis 22, we read of his surrender when it says...

Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And [Abraham] said, "Here I am." And [God] said, "Take now your son, your only son,...and offer him...as a burnt offering.... So Abraham rose early...and went to the place [where he would sacrifice Isaac] (Gen. 22:1-3).

I don't know about you, but if God asked me to offer up Kelly or Michael (my kids!) as a sacrifice I would have a hard time with it. I think that Abraham probably did as well. In this passage, there isn't any explicit information of what he went through the night before he obeyed the Lord, but I'll bet he might not have slept very much. Might Abraham have talked to his wife Sarah about it in the pre-dawn hours of that morning? I would have to believe that she probably gave assent to what her husband needed to do, but it must not have been easy. Surrender never is. But ultimately, Abraham surrendered to God.

...[He] rose early...and went to the place [of sacrifice] (Gen. 22:3).

Worship requires surrender. A true worshiper must relinquish his way and his rights to God. He must submit himself to God's desire and design.

"...J. Wilbur Chapman was in London [and given the] opportunity to meet General Booth [(the founder of the Salvation Army)]. ...[At] that time [Booth] was past eighty years of age. Dr. Chapman listened reverently as the old general spoke of the trials and the conflicts and [the] victories [of his life]. [He] then asked the general if he would disclose his secret for success. 'He hesitated a second,' Dr. Chapman said, 'and I saw the tears come into his eyes and [fall] down his cheeks, and then he said, 'I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. ...I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.'" Dr. Chapman said he went away from that meeting with General Booth knowing "that the greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender" (Tan #6106).

True worship of God requires surrender after the likes of General William Booth.

In conclusion, I've talked about the subject of worship this morning. I've commented on wrong worship focuses that are attractive to many people. Yet the one and only right focus of worship is God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I've also stated that worship releases provision. One's deepest needs can be met in the worship of God. And finally, I mentioned that worship requires surrender. It is not until one relinquishes his way and his rights to God that he becomes a true worshiper.

Worship. It's an important subject for both you and I.

Who are you worshiping in your life?


	From Our Heart To Yours \| home End Of Days \| Friendship \| Visions Of The Lord (Part 1) \| Da Vinci Code (Part 1) \| Da Vinci Code (Part 2) \| Worship WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU WORSHIPING IN YOUR LIFE? (Sermon: July 20, 1997) Please turn with me in your Bibles to John 4. In John 4, Jesus encounters a woman at a well. In His meeting with her, an issue is raised that I believe is most noteworthy. And in v. 20-24 of John 4, the issue is referred to a total of ten times. The issue they talk about is worship. Please follow along with me now as I read beginning in v. 19 of John 4... The [Samaritan] woman said to [Jesus], "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship.... You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know.... But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people [He] seeks to be His worshipers. ...[Those] who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:20-24). Worship. It's the subject I'd like to talk about today. Shall we pray? Worship. We hear the term used often. Sometimes the church building is called a house of worship. Sometimes the Sunday morning church gathering is called a worship service. But I don't want to talk so much about buildings and/or services. What I want to talk about is personal worship. I want to comment on worship when it comes to your life. In reality, the worship that takes place in a building or in a service is directly related to what goes on in you while you're about your day-to-day business. Who or what are you worshiping in your life? ***** It is important that you and I have it together when it comes to worship. To help us towards that end, I'll be sharing about the following four areas this morning. First of all, I'll talk about wrong worship focuses. Secondly, I'll comment on the right focus of worship. Thirdly, I'll point out how worship releases provision. And lastly, I'll close with how worship requires surrender. So, let us begin now by considering the first area... I. WRONG WORSHIP FOCUSES. Now, the term worship means "worthship." It's the recognition accorded or due to the worthiness, dignity, or merit of someone or something. Worship is the paying of homage or respect to a person, place, or thing, etc. (ZPBE 969, Vol. V). A good way of determining what a person worships would be by asking the following questions: How much time is he or she devoting to it? Does his or her lifestyle revolve around it? Is it central to him or her? And lastly, could he or she live without it? Who or what are you worshiping in your life? *** As we all know, there are many things that human beings might be attracted to worship. Some people may worship their jobs or money. Some can worship their interests and/or hobbies. Others might worship a particular philosophy or belief system. And still others can worship themselves. This sounds ridiculous, but it can be true. People can also worship a moment or an experience. Some might worship a higher power. And others can worship television, sports, certain movie stars, etc. The list can be endless. Now, each of these things I've just mentioned are a wrong focus of worship. Some of them are not wrong in and of themselves. The error occurs when people give any of them the supreme place in their lives. The Bible offers some examples of wrong worship focuses. In Romans 1, the Scripture speaks of some people who will worship creatures. In v. 25 of that chapter, we read... For they (that is, those who refuse to honor God) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). Not only can creatures become a wrong focus of worship, but demons can as well. Paul spoke of this when he told of the Gentile people's practice of sacrificing to idols. In 1 Corinthians 10:20, the apostle says that... ...[The] things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God... (1 Cor. 10:20). Demons are a wrong worship focus. And did you know that even Christians are susceptible to worshipping the wrong thing, too? This was true in the New Testament church at Colosse. Paul had to admonish them because of the infiltration of false worship. In Colossians 2:18, the apostle writes... Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in...the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind... (Col. 2:18). According to this verse, there were people at the Colossian church involved in angel worship. And with the proliferation of angel trinkets and statues in our time, I would dare say there may even be some today that are involved in that same practice. But even angels are a wrong worship focus. And ministers are a wrong focus, also. The story is told about "[a] visiting minister [who] was substituting for the famed pastor Henry Ward Beecher. A large audience had assembled to hear the popular pastor. At the appointed hour, the visiting minister entered the pulpit. Learning that Beecher was not to preach, several began to move toward the doors. The visiting minister stood and called out, 'All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church! All who have come to worship God, keep your seats!' No one then left" (Tan #7584). Ministers are a wrong focus of worship. To this point, I've talked about wrong worship focuses. I would now like to comment on... II. THE RIGHT FOCUS OF WORSHIP. The Bible declares without contradiction that God and God alone is to be the One whom we worship. In Psalm 2:11, the Scriptures say... Worship the Lord with reverence... (Ps. 2:11). In Psalm 29:2, we read... Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in holy array (Ps. 29:2). And in Matthew 4:10, Jesus Himself confirms the right focus of worship. In response to the devil's demand for worship, Jesus says... "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only'" (Mt. 4:10). According to these few verses and many others found in Scripture, God and God alone is to be the focus of our worship. At this time, I would like to bring your attention to the fact that Jesus is to be worshiped. He is to be worshiped because He is God. This is important to realize because other religions direct their followers to worship their so-called "gods" which are not really gods at all. Jesus Christ is the one and only true God (Titus 2:13). Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:6 states... ..."And let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:6; Ps. 97:7). And in Matthew 2:11, it says... ...[The Magi] came into the house and saw the Child [Jesus] with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him... (Mt. 2:11). While on earth, Christ Himself received worship without remark and didn't deny His Godhood. He did so because He is God and God alone is to be the focus of one's worship. In John 10:38, the man born blind and healed by Jesus says to Him... ..."Lord, I believe [in You]." And [the formerly blind man] worshiped Him (Jn. 10:38). And in Matthew 28:17, we read of the disciples' reaction to Christ's appearance after the resurrection. There it says that... ...[When] they saw [Jesus], they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful (Mt. 28:17). God and God alone is to be the focus of a person's worship. And because Jesus is God, when we worship Him, we are in line with this truth. So, why is God the only right focus of worship? Is it because He has an eternal ego that must be stroked? By no means. God is the only right focus of worship not for His sake, but for ours. Allow me to try to explain. When we worship something or someone other than God, we are left empty, our needs are not met, and our lives become meaningless. You need look no further than the example of those who have made alot of money and achieved success in the world's eyes. Take Harrison Ford for instance. As far as I understand it, he is believed to be the richest actor now living. His various movie successes (Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Fugitive, etc.) have amassed him a fortune. And yet, during an interview some time ago, he revealed that there was still a void in his life. In answer to a question Ford said something to the effect and I paraphrase, "There is one thing that I have yet to lay hold of. That one thing is peace." All his fame and all his money were not enough to meet his real needs. It's because the needs of a person's heart can only be met when one worships God. Only in worshiping Jesus is one made fully alive and given provision for his soul. Now the third area I'd like to point out this morning with regards to worship is how... III. WORSHIP RELEASES PROVISION. It is in the worship of God that a person truly has his needs met. Please turn with me to Genesis 22. In Genesis 22, Scripture tells the story of Abraham and Isaac. In essence, it is a story about worship. It is a tale about how the worship of God brings about provision for one's life. Regardless of your need this morning, it can be met through worship. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham's allegiance by asking him to sacrifice his son. And Abraham responds with obedience. While on his journey to the place of sacrifice, Abraham makes an interesting statement. In v. 5, he says to the young men who are accompanying him... "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you" (Gen. 22:5). You see, Abraham knew that his test was concerning the issue of worship. And I would venture to say that the same is true for us. Some of the hard things that you and I face, some of the tough things that God calls you and I to do or to give up are essentially His testing of us in the area of worship. Are we worshipers of things or are we worshipers of Him? Among the important lessons that Abraham learned from his test was that worship releases provision. In Genesis 22, we read of how Abraham, as he was about sacrifice Isaac, is stopped by an intervening angel. It is at this point that v. 13-14 reveal that... ...Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovah-Jireh), as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it will be provided" (Gen. 22:13-14). God provided Abraham with the ram for the sacrifice. I don't know if the ram just appeared out of thin air. I rather believe that the ram began wandering, if you will, up the back side of the mountain upon Abraham's statement in v. 5... "...I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship..." (Gen. 22:5). Can you picture Abraham there? He's climbing the mountain. He's carrying his burden, the thing he was commanded to do. He's worshiping the Lord all the while. He's showing by His actions that His allegiance is to God alone. And during his act of worship, the ram, God's provision sent forth to meet Abraham's need, is walking up the other side. Worship releases provision. Each of us could probably testify to a time in our own lives where we had a need and it was met through worship. The testimony is given concerning the blessings received by a man who worshiped God during a chapel service. He says, "What does [one] get [during worship?] He gets a blessing. What is a 'blessing?' A removal of the temptation to rage and scorn and indignation; a sweetness, a satisfaction with my lot; a [contentment] with God's dealings. Take tonight. I went to chapel with plenty of dark and vexing questions--all sore as to feeling. I came away calm, sweet, fresh, all my cares gone, rejoicing in the God of my salvation..." (2500 Best Modern Illustrations by Hallock #465). Worship releases provision. Do you have a need this morning? Who are you worshiping in your life? *** The final area I'd like to talk about now with regards to worship is how... IV. WORSHIP REQUIRES SURRENDER. To surrender means to abandon or give up possession of. It is the act of giving oneself up...as a prisoner or the yielding of oneself to another on compulsion (Webster's 602). True worship of God requires surrender on the individual's part. He must relinquish his way and his rights to God. The worshiper must submit to God's desire and design. Abraham is also an example of this in Genesis 22. As I've already stated, the issue in God's testing of him was an issue of worship. And I'd like you to notice that it all began with Abraham surrendering both himself and his son to God. In v. 1-3 of Genesis 22, we read of his surrender when it says... Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And [Abraham] said, "Here I am." And [God] said, "Take now your son, your only son,...and offer him...as a burnt offering.... So Abraham rose early...and went to the place [where he would sacrifice Isaac] (Gen. 22:1-3). I don't know about you, but if God asked me to offer up Kelly or Michael (my kids!) as a sacrifice I would have a hard time with it. I think that Abraham probably did as well. In this passage, there isn't any explicit information of what he went through the night before he obeyed the Lord, but I'll bet he might not have slept very much. Might Abraham have talked to his wife Sarah about it in the pre-dawn hours of that morning? I would have to believe that she probably gave assent to what her husband needed to do, but it must not have been easy. Surrender never is. But ultimately, Abraham surrendered to God. ...[He] rose early...and went to the place [of sacrifice] (Gen. 22:3). Worship requires surrender. A true worshiper must relinquish his way and his rights to God. He must submit himself to God's desire and design. "...J. Wilbur Chapman was in London [and given the] opportunity to meet General Booth [(the founder of the Salvation Army)]. ...[At] that time [Booth] was past eighty years of age. Dr. Chapman listened reverently as the old general spoke of the trials and the conflicts and [the] victories [of his life]. [He] then asked the general if he would disclose his secret for success. 'He hesitated a second,' Dr. Chapman said, 'and I saw the tears come into his eyes and [fall] down his cheeks, and then he said, 'I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. ...I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.'" Dr. Chapman said he went away from that meeting with General Booth knowing "that the greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender" (Tan #6106). True worship of God requires surrender after the likes of General William Booth. In conclusion, I've talked about the subject of worship this morning. I've commented on wrong worship focuses that are attractive to many people. Yet the one and only right focus of worship is God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I've also stated that worship releases provision. One's deepest needs can be met in the worship of God. And finally, I mentioned that worship requires surrender. It is not until one relinquishes his way and his rights to God that he becomes a true worshiper. Worship. It's an important subject for both you and I. Who are you worshiping in your life? Let's pray.**