This is the Truth Network. Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is set for one flaw. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, Nikita Kolod. Now, the Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Hey, welcome back to the Man Up show, your host, Nikita Kolod, the one and only.
I hope there's not another, but hey, everybody. Or there's a rumor that goes around and says, hey, everybody has a twin. But in fact, I recently had that happen. I had a guy message me. He's like, are you in Chicago? And I'm like, nope, I sure am not. And they're like, well, then you got a twin because they're like, I thought for sure I saw you at the airport in Chicago.
And I was like, nope, wasn't in Chicago. So but, you know, today I want to talk about worship. And I have over the years really, I guess you might say, worked hard at or labored, has been a labor of love in developing, in becoming, you might say, or having, maybe I'll say it that way, having the heart of a worshiper.
And I've got several things I want to discuss today. And I believe it is very true that when I make a statement like, you know, we all worship something, it's just a matter of what do we worship? And I think I maybe want to start with what I would call the inner essence of worship and then maybe work out to a more public expression of worship and worship services or daily acts of worship or daily acts of love. Paul calls what Paul might call our spiritual worship, you know, Romans 12 one comes to mind and I'll talk more about that.
God created us when he created us in his image. He created us to to to be worshippers. And we're going to see this, I think, through our conversation today, my conversation with you on worship and what's that look like and how are there different ways that we can worship? You know, the reason I make a distinction between what I call the inner essence of worship and the external expression. Now, that's something let me just pause right there and say that's perhaps something that many of us are more familiar with is the external expression of our worship.
But the reason I make that distinction between the two is because really Jesus in Matthew 15, chapter 15, verse eight and nine said, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me. And perhaps you have heard that scripture before. You're familiar with that scripture.
This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me. So right away, we see that there is a type of vain worship because Jesus referenced it right for Jesus.
This type of worship might amount to a big goose egg or you might say a zero on the scale of zero to 10 when it comes to worship. That is, you know, what vain means. If you're like, well, what does vain mean?
Is there a definition for vain? In vain do they worship me? In other words, they're really not worshiping at all. They may be putting on a facade of worship, but at the core, and the core being the heart, because what did Jesus say in that passage?
Their hearts are far from me. So really it's kind of in a sense saying there's no heart involved in that person's worship, that individual's worship. On a scale of zero to 10, you might say it's a zero.
It doesn't even hit the mark of one. So all that to say, you know, you can do as many deeds as you want to do. You can go to as many church services as you want and still never be truly worshiping if it's all external and nothing is happening in your heart towards God. And, you know, at the end of the day, I have many times referenced in whether it's been a man up conference or some of you are familiar with the man up dinner I do next year. I'm a launch into a man up breakfast. Of course, today we're talking on the man up show. Some are familiar that Lex Luger and I every spring and every fall run a man camp where it's not just a day, but it's an extended period of days.
You've probably heard some of the testimonies over on the Q&A with Koloff show, interviewing, or even some on this show. I've had on this show that experienced man camp came and experienced for several days the heart of God, got to connect their heart at a deeper level with the heart of God. And that's what he desires, right? I'm reminded of the story in 1 Samuel when the prophet was given the task to anoint the next king of Israel. Now, if you're not familiar with this story, it's in 1 Samuel 16, and Samuel is given the task to anoint the next king. And so all these sons are lined up, the sons of Jesse, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, are lined up. And the first one that Samuel looks at is Eliab.
And I'm thinking in my mind, this dude must have looked like the total package Lex Luger in his prime or something because he must have been all that and a bag of chips instead of a head and shoulders taller than everybody else or something. Because Samuel is looking at Eliab. I think that's how you say that. But he's looking at Eliab and he's like, surely, surely the Lord's anointed is standing before me. And it's interesting God's response to the prophet Samuel.
Some of you are familiar, some of you are not. His response says, no, no, no, no, no. Don't look at, this is my interpretation, don't look at his outward appearance, for I have rejected him. For God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
At the heart. And so that's kind of a clue for all of us and of course today we're talking about our worship and what does that look like. And initially talking about vain worship. Worshiping without your heart being engaged or your heart involved in your worship. And so there's I think plenty I believe maybe many I don't know what the number would be that do in fact sit in services church services week after week after week or or do all kinds of what we might call good deeds and think we're doing the right thing. But because our hearts not genuinely involved in it like in other words maybe we think we can, you know, earn our way into heaven or or get into God's good graces by by performing all these acts of service or, you know, all these work, work, work related or work focused type of of activities that we can, you know, earn God's good grace by by doing that.
When in fact it's all external and it just has nothing. To do or there's really no engagement with with the heart all true worship is in essence, a matter of the heart. So if we're going to worship, and I'll talk more about this in spirit and truth worship the one true God of the universe. The essence is a matter of of the heart it's, it is more, but not less. And then I'm reminded of of what I might term as as thinking rightly right the question that becomes you know what what is this inner authentic God word experience of the heart that we call the essence of worship.
So think, think on that a moment, think on that a moment. I'll repeat the question and give you the opportunity to really kind of ponder it for yourself. So what is this inner authentic God word experience of the heart that we call the essence of of worship. What Jesus pointed us towards at least one answer in the book of john. And if we go over to the book of john and chapter four, verse 23 and 24 where, where he said this.
The hour is coming, and is now here with the true worshipers. So we're discussing worship right what is true worship, where the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth, and perhaps you know you've heard that scripture quoted in the past, you know if not one time maybe 100 times, I don't know, 1000 times that you have heard that scripture quoted perhaps you have never heard that scripture quoted that's in john chapter four verse 23 and and 24, challenging us to worship the creator of the universe.
Almighty God in spirit and truth. And if you notice that worshiping in spirit is not contrasted with worshiping in the body or with the body instead. It's put alongside worshiping in truth. Think about that for a moment. Just ponder that consider that. That it's it's not our physical actions or physical expression, if you will, worshiping in spirit is partnered comes along side of worshiping in truth.
So, one might ask the proverbial question what what would what would that mean what what is, what does that look like. We're to be spirit worshippers we we are, we are spirit. We're a three part person right, you realize that right you are spirit.
You have a soul, which is your mind will and emotions, and you do in fact live in a physical body, an earth suit. I like to call it sometimes the dirt suit, but it's the Bible makes other references, a tabernacle, a tent, a temple, all of which is is temporary. For those of you who know, one day, one day, we are going to be united with Jesus, his second coming. He's coming back again, in case you were wondering, read the back of the book.
He came the first time born as a babe in a manger he's coming back a second time for the body of Christ and where we can be reunited or united with him for eternity forever in heaven, receiving a glorified body. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com Nikita Kollof here and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?
Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Kollof fans and like it and follow today. Would your company, business or you personally like to partner with me in supporting Kollof for Christ Ministries, the Man Up Show and Man Up Minutes? Go to Kollof.net and click the donate button.
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You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Which I'm looking forward to one day. All of that wrestling, all those body slams and all those suplexes and pile drivers, all of which brought damage to this physical body, to my neck and my back and my body in general.
There's not a day that goes by that I don't feel some kind of an ache or pain from being in that squared circle. So I, for one, am looking forward to receiving that glorified body for my spirit and soul to be united with that body. But back to not getting sidetracked by that, back to being on point here, so in worshiping him in spirit and truth. So we're spirit worshippers. We are a spirit. The Holy Spirit wants receiving Jesus Christ into our life as Lord and Savior. The Bible says, your Bible says the Holy Spirit comes to live and dwell in you. And so we are spirit worshippers. We worship from the spirit and truth driven by truth.
You know, there's always that proverbial question as well. What is truth? Pontius Pilate asked that of Jesus himself. What is truth? Well, if you know your Bible at all, you know your scriptures at all, Jesus said, I am the truth. In fact, he said, I am the way, the truth and the life. And nobody, no one, nobody comes to the Father except through me.
Meaning, translation, you have to make a personal decision to surrender your heart. Go read Romans 10 nine. We confess with our mouth and we believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and we shall be saved. It's God's hope that none should perish.
Not one should perish, but that everyone, every person he's ever created, it's his hope that that individual, that that person would make a conscious decision to surrender their life to Jesus. And then in turn, become worshippers of him and him alone, placing nothing else in front of him, but focusing solely on him, seeking him first. Matthew six thirty three, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and that all these other things will be added, added unto you. And so are where to be spirit worshippers, worshipping from the spirit, our inner man, our inner spirit, you know, tag teaming, if you will, with the Holy Spirit and tag teaming with truth, driven by truth. Jesus said, sanctify John seventeen seventeen, sanctify them by your truth for your word is truth. For those who asked that question, what is truth? Well, Jesus is truth. His word is truth. He is the word. In the beginning was the word and the word was God. So I think the point here is that when we worship right worship, good worship, pleasing worship depends on a right mental grasp of the way God really is.
And that's a capital T and it stands for truth, truth. So we worship if we worship, you know, many, many worship idols, many of idols in their lives. They worship things other than God. I've heard others say I've heard others say, you know, man, I worship, you know, the ground my wife walks on. And that's the wrong focus, my friends. That's the wrong focus. Don't worship the ground your wife walks on or don't worship the ground your husband walks on.
Don't do that. Don't, you know, some have, you know, worship their children. Right. And, and, and, and some you could fill in the blank with a hundred different things of what people place in their life as idols. And, and in turn worship. Right.
These other things. But we're not to worship anyone or anything other than worshiping God. Secondly, worship depends on a right spiritual or emotional or one might say affectional heart grasp of God's supreme value. Do you value God? Do you value the God of the universe?
Do you value the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? So true worship is based on a right understanding of God's nature. Do you have a right understanding of God's nature? It's a right valuing of God's worth. How do you view God? What kind of value and what kind of worth do you place on the God of the universe? On your relationship with God.
Can I emphasize it enough? I hope you have a personal relationship with God. His worth is infinite.
It's infinite. True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things. Can I drive that point home? It's, it's, it's treasuring or valuing God above all things.
Not some things, all things. That means, that would mean to, you know, the closer you get to him, you know, if I were to give you a definition, I suppose true worship is valuing or treasuring of God above all things. If I were to give you, do my best to take it a stab at giving you a definition. The inner essence of worship is the response of the heart to the knowledge, you know, your mind. The mind being rightly, having a right understanding of who God is and the heart being postured in a right, in the right way of valuing who God is.
So that's something to consider, right? You could use words like treasuring, prizing God, delighting in God, reverencing God, right? Being satisfied with God above all of these inner responses to God. It reflects his infinite worth and beauty. At the end of the day, it's a reflection of his infinite worth and beauty. How much value or reverence or respect or awe of God.
Do you have an awe of God? That's what worship was designed to do, was put you and I in a position to recognize the supreme worth of who God is, putting him on display. And so, in kind of winding down our discussion today, two acts of worship, right? We worship God authentically when we know him truly and treasure him duly.
Let me say that again. We worship God authentically when we know him truly, truly know him, like down in the core, down in the inner man, into the core of who we are, and then we treasure him duly. That word worship, meaning referring to valuing and inner value, and then it becoming visible to the world with two basic types of ways we do that.
One is an act of the mouth, right? Acts of praise, repentance and worship services, or maybe even in small group gatherings, and then the other is acts of love with the body and hands and feet, becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, right? Acts of love that show the supreme value of God by what we are willing to sacrifice for the good of others. What are you willing to sacrifice? If you consider those two things, think about Hebrews chapter 13 verse 25, or excuse me, 15 and 16.
Listen to this amazing summary here. It says, through him then, through Christ, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of the lips that acknowledges his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Go reread Hebrews 13, 15 and 16. These two verses begin and end with the term sacrifice. And of course the sacrifice is an echo, really from the Old Testament. Many sacrifices from the Old Testament were centered on the worship of God and were a display of God's value as they offered up the animals in sacrifice.
And so my challenge to all of you today is bringing this to our show to a close today is consider where you place your value. Do you value his redemption that comes through the sacrifice he made, that Christ made on the cross? Do you value that through Christ, who things become worshipable sacrifices in our own life, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name, and worshiping through service and singing and praying and repenting and confessing in the fruit of our deeds, right? So, having a heart of worship, we see it once again, I referenced Romans 12, 1 earlier. I appeal to you therefore, my brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable, which is your spiritual service of worship. So we worship him in spirit and in truth. So in summary, if I were to summarize this all today together, here it is. The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, by treasuring God, by prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. So consider that today. Does that summarize your life, what your life reflects? And if not, if there's some of those areas that need some work, I just encourage you and I challenge you to spend some time in focusing on having a heart for God.
