Christmas Series: The One Worthy of Worship

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. All of mankind worships.

We're all captivated and defined by something or someone. The question is not whether or not we will worship, but what the object of our worship will be. In today's message, Pastor Rich lays out four reasons that Jesus is the only one who is worthy of our worship. He is the one worthy of our full surrender and devotion. Let's listen to this message from the book of Hebrews chapter one. This is the fourth part of a message titled, The One Worthy of Worship. It was first preached on December 15, 2024 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem.

To hear the entire series, visit us at www.delightingrace.com. Sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. And what is he doing there for us?

He's interceding for us. And the Father sees us seated right there with him. It is the highest position. Christ has the highest position, and he has become the center of reality. He is the center of reality. And again, that is God's plan, that is God's purpose, and has been from eternity. It's what he says in what Paul says in Ephesians chapter one and verse 10. As a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. To unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. He is the center of reality. Let me say that again. He is the center of reality.

I love our empty nesters care group, and Brian Ward has said something often in there, something that he has to be constantly reminded of. He says, this is you, and this is the universe, and this is not reality. This is not reality, okay?

That's not how things go. But listen to me, we're born believing that, aren't we? We're born believing that.

Parents, your number one task is to help your children realize that this is not true. There is one, there is one who belongs at the center of reality, and it's not any one of us. And so he says, let all God's angels worship him. So as we draw this to a conclusion today, let's talk about worship. We're called to worship the son of God. This is a call to worship.

The word used here is proskuneo. It's a word that means homage and submission, homage. The idea, the picture, the mind picture there is bowing down in front of it, and that's what they did, you know, in Old Testament, in Near Eastern times, Middle Eastern times, they would bow down to somebody to whom they paid homage.

You don't see a lot of that going on today, but at least not in Western cultures. But that's what it means, homage and submission. To other words, you could put to it a reverence and service. In others, when you bow before someone else, you're essentially saying, I'm here to do your will.

I will do whatever you want me to do. That's worship. What does worship mean? Worship is what captivates and defines you. Worship is what captivates and defines you. Unfortunately, in our broken humanness, that could be another person, right?

And that could be a positive or a negative. And that person that captivates and defines you could have that position in your life negatively or positively. If there is a negative experience with a relationship that you've had before, and the negativity of that relationship continues to captivate you and therefore define a lot of your attitudes and behaviors, you're worshiping that person. Don't do that. Or it could be someone that you have, that you are in relationship with even now. It could be a spouse, it could be a colleague, whatever you know what you see as, you want to please, you are captivated by this person and you want to please this person and therefore all your thoughts, all your ambitions are about pleasing this person. You're worshiping that person.

Don't do that. There's only one who belongs there. Worship is not only what captivates and defines you. Worship is what you are devoted to. Whatever you worship, that's what you are devoted to. Thirdly, worship is the lens through which you view all else. Worship is the lens through which you view all else.

Again, like a relationship. Or it could be a task. I have to get this task done. Can you worship a task?

Yeah, many of us do. Therefore, you view everything through the lens of having to get this task done. Your interactions with people, your relationship to finances, your work, all of it, all of it is viewed and impacted by this task that you have to get done. You're worshiping a task. You could worship your wealth that way. You could worship status that way. You could worship influence that way. And do you get where it's silly for us to mock the ancient Israelites and the pagan nations for chopping down a piece of wood and carving it and painting it and bowing down to it? We do the same thing.

There are so many ways we can respond. You know, our heart is an idol factory. You long to worship. And there are no human beings who do not. We all worship.

Every one of us is a worshipper. There was a debate, I think it was 2017, I think, between Peter Singer, who is a Harvard-Stanford professor, and John Singer's an atheist, and then John Lennox, who is an Oxford mathematician. And he's Irish, so he's particularly cool. Lennox is one of my favorites to read and to listen to. And the title of their debate was, Is There a God? And John Lennox was pointing out, he says, that's why there is a difference between your faith system and mine. And Singer responds, he says, no, I wouldn't consider what I have as a faith system.

And John Lennox, in pure John Lennox fashion, says, well, of course it is. You believe it, don't you? It's a faith system. Everyone has a faith system. They have an object of faith.

They have a world view that they hold to. It is a faith system. What matters is the object of your faith. What matters is the object of your worship.

That's what matters. And that's why he says, let the angels, let God's angels worship. Say, why did he mention the angels there? Well, first of all, the word angels is simply a word that means messenger. But I think, you know, here he is referring to angels, because he's talking about the angels in this chapter, in terms of those ministering spirits to those who would inherit salvation, which is what we find in verses 1 and 2 of the Bible. And so, you know, we find in verse 14. But he says, let all God's angels worship him.

That's the point, worship him. Angels are spirit beings. And, you know, we consider them to be above us and can do more things than us, really cool things, you know. And we can't do things angels do. So we have a tendency to worship and bow down before angels. But we find in scripture that when an angel, when a human being starts to worship an angel, the angel stops, says, no, don't do that.

Don't worship me. And this is the point that the writer here is bringing out, Hebrews chapter 1. He says, the angels, he said, let all God's angels worship him because of his preeminent position.

So what about the angels? Remember Gabriel? Gabriel's mentioned several times in the scriptures, but I love it. I love it when he, Zacharias, and he tells Zacharias, you're gonna have a son.

And he's an old guy by now, right? He says, what are you talking about? He says, how can I know this is true? You know what Gabriel says? I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you. And yet that angel is one commanded to worship this one who was born. And then, of course, another well-known angel is Michael.

Revelation 12, 7, war arose in heaven. Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. Michael is the archangel. He's the warrior angel. Gabriel was the messenger. He's the mailman angel. Michael is the warrior angel. Michael worships Jesus.

If the angels worship him, certainly we ought to worship him, don't you think? So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. How many knees? Every one of them.

No exceptions. You're listening to me right now? Your knees will bow before Jesus.

And every tongue do what? Confess. Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Those are your two choices. Mark my words this morning, please. You have heard it now.

Those are your two choices. That's why we read in Psalm 2. Psalm 2 makes it very clear.

The Son is the answer. The Son, this Son, the Anointed One, the King up on my holy hill of Zion, that King, that Son, kiss him. That's a Middle Eastern embrace him, receive him, and embrace him, and identify with him. Surrender to him. It could mean get down and kiss his feet.

That's probably what we're thinking, right, Vic? Get down and kiss his feet. Surrender to him. Surrender to him.

Better to do it now than later. But this is why the writer of Hebrews points out very clearly that this One, this Son, He is the One, the One who is worthy of our worship. May that be what we do, not just in this room, but as we leave this room and through the course of the week. And if there's anyone here this morning that you do not consider yourself a worshiper of Jesus, please let's talk afterwards.

You need Jesus Christ. I invite you to surrender to him because he alone is worthy of your worship. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m. you