Meaningful Worship
Encounter: A life of worship for a God of wonder • Sermon • Submitted
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· 58 viewsWe cannot be me-centered or mindless in our effort for meaningful worship.
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Introduction
Introduction
Preparation is everything!
ILLUST - My first cylinder head install - countless hours working on it but I missed a few things in preparation so it didn’t start.
I also learned how important the prepping process is for refinishing cars.
I learned this: There is a direct correlation with the effort of preparation and the final result
This idea flows into our worship as well.
The purpose of what Solomon is doing in Ecclesiastes is peeling away the meaningless things in life in order to search for the meaningful.
Areas of meaninglessness:
Work
?
While these ideas are most obviously displayed on Sunday mornings, it is all true every other day of our lives.
“Many go to church. Few go to worship.” (James P. Gills, M.D., The Dynamics of Worship, 132)
- Victoria Osteen
“I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for God—I mean, that’s one way to look at it—we’re doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy,” she declares in the undated 36-second clip with her husband standing by her side and nodding. “That’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy…”
“So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy,” Osteen continues. “When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?”
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
Guard your steps - lit. ‘guard your feet’
Internal preparation for worship matters more than the external display of worship.
To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Notice it is a categorical difference not a quantitative difference
i.e. God d
God would rather you
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Notice it is a categorical difference not a quantitative difference
i.e., Samuel did not say, ‘Great obedience is better than some sacrifice’
They are any sacrifice without obedience is pointless.
God would rather you listen, respond, and obey to one thing he is saying today than for you to:
serve in the nursery
sing on worship team
tithe more than 10%
etc.
Empty religious motions are meaningless.
God is more concerned with a clean heart on Monday than he is clean clothes on Sunday.
English Standard Version Chapter 5
offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
The sacrifice mentioned here is a sacrifice that is offered to God and a portion of it is eaten by the people.
This is different than the whole burnt offering
It is easy to see how this sacrifice could become me-centered
ILLUST - focusing on yourself - me-centered in worship, means you can miss the whole point of what makes worship meaningful.
The time dad and I went shopping at Boscovs and I (unknowingly) got into the elevator with a Eagles football star who was there to sign autographs. I missed the opportunity because I was focused on myself.
Be Satisfied 1. Don’t Rob the Lord (Ecc. 5:1–7)
Offerings in the hands without obedient faith in the heart become “the sacrifice of fools,” because only a fool thinks he can deceive God. The fool thinks he is doing good, but he or she is only doing evil. And God knows it.
Are you more prepared to have an encounter with God or to complete a ritual? (1)
Are you more prepared to have an encounter with God or to complete a ritual? (1)
Be Receptive
Be Receptive
Be Serious
Be Serious
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God
‘Space-filling’ Prayer
You all know those people who can talk for miles without really saying anything?
ILLUST - Christine and I ‘church-shopping’ and visiting a church with a preacher who said words but we could not follow a thought he had.
I wonder if there is anything that bothers God more in worship than careless prayers.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Careless prayers mean we are talking more for ourselves than we are talking to God.
If you can pray and do your taxes then you’re not really praying.
This is the HMMM, HMMM mentality. I can HMMM, HMMM when Christine is talking, but I have no idea what she said.
‘Habit-keeping’ Prayer
We give mindless words to mindless prayers to stave off guilt
“Dear God, thank you for this day, thank you that we could be gathered here today. Bless this food to our body - Amen” (as if the food will rot if it is not blessed)
ILLUST - This is about as meaningful as the prayers we said as a kid
ILLUST -
‘Rub-a-dub-dub thanks for the grub. Amen’
‘Amen, brother Ben, shot a goose and killed a hen.’
Imagine if you spoke to your spouse as a habit-keeper so as to stave off guilt
‘Hey Babe. Thank you for the food. Thank you for meeting me at the table today. I would ask that you give me enjoyable conversation for a good evening. Goodbye.’
God would rather you sit in silence than fill the air with words you don’t really mean or have even thought through
‘Magic-making’ Prayer
This is the idea that the number of repetitions or specific words used will ‘magically’ move the hand of God more than the same thought uttered in simplicity.
This is what Jesus is talking about
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
‘Religious-posturing’ Prayer
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
When you pray don’t try to impress others to yourself; instead, when you pray try to press into God.
I’d rather pray with power than panache
‘God help me’ is probably the best worded-prayer ever.
I would rather look a fool for a good reason than seem impressive with insincerity.
ILLUST - I have sung some silly songs and danced like a fool in several ER rooms in order to make my children smile - I didn’t care what others thought - my focus was on them.
For God is in heaven and you are on Earth
Has less to do with distance than it does with perspective
Remembering our relationship with God will temper our conversations with him.
Ex. my relationship with my wife changes the tone and words used in my conversations with her.
Are you more prepared to display your ‘godliness’ than to be convicted of sin? (2-3)
Are you more prepared to display your ‘godliness’ than to be convicted of sin? (2-3)
Be Genuine
Be Genuine
Be Humble
Be Humble
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
*False promise is false religion.
God is neither a vending machine nor a motivational speaker.
Vending machine - ‘If you do this, I promise to do that’
"Oh, God, if you'll get me out of this predicament, I'll serve you."
"Lord, if you'll just help me do this one thing, I'm going to start coming to church more often."
“Yes, Lord, I promise to tithe.”
“I dedicate this child to you - that I will be a parent that sets the direction for my child in both example and teaching”
“I promise to be morally pure for my marriage partner.”
"I rededicate my life to you. I will go wherever you call me to go.”
Listen, to bargain with God is not a special kind of Christianity - it’s flat-out paganism.
You don’t manipulate God to get all that you want. You surrender to God so that he has all of you.
Motivational speaker - Pep talk for the week.
We don’t come here for some ‘religious pep-rally’ to make you feel better about yourself and to motivate you to follow some moral behavior.
We don’t come here for some spiritual pep-talk to help prop up a religious ego.
We are here to have an encounter with God.
Worship = An encounter with God that leaves us changed.
*Delay is sin.
“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Satan would love nothing more than time to distract.
But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
"Lord, if you'll just help me do this one thing, I'm going to start coming to church more often."
*There are no excuses in the face of the eternal.
“Yes, Lord, I promise to tithe.”
English Standard Version Chapter 5
Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake.
"I rededicate my life to you. I will go wherever you call me to go.”
Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake.
“I dedicate this child to you - that I will be a parent that sets the direction for my child in both example and teaching”
messenger - same word for angel but likely refers to temple attendants.
“I promise to be morally pure for my marriage partner.”
"I rededicate my life to you. I will go wherever you call me to go.”
The problem is not just when we do not do what God is
Are you more prepared to have an emotional response to the Holy Spirit than to have someone hold you accountable to what He says? (4-6)
Are you more prepared to have an emotional response to the Holy Spirit than to have someone hold you accountable to what He says? (4-6)
When was the last time God spoke to you in worship? What were the next steps you took and how has your life changed?
Be Teachable
Be Teachable
Be Teachable
Be Teachable
Be Accountable
Be Accountable
For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
God is the one you must fear.
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There it is in simplicity.
We are not here to practice religion, we are here to encounter God.
There is nothing special about this building.
There is nothing special about our music.
There is nothing special about my preaching.
The necessary components for worship are the People and the Presence.
In worship today:
Are you more prepared for religion for yourself than for a relationship with God? (7)
Are you more prepared for religion for yourself than for a relationship with God? (7)
Be Simple
Be Simple
Be Hungry
Be Hungry
Conclusion
Conclusion
Mindless and ‘me-centered’ worship is meaningless,
There is nothing special about this building.
There is nothing special about our music.
There is nothing special about my preaching.
Humility is the attitude - submission is the action
The necessary components for worship are the People and the Presence.
the only way to approach God is through trusting in Jesus through humility.
In Solomon’s day the people could only approach God through the Temple.
Now we approach God through Jesus.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
-17
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
but thoughtful and God-centered worship is meaningful.
Maybe your in a desert place in your worship.
Pray Simply.
What is the Spirit saying to you today? To not listen makes worship pointless. To not respond and obey makes worship sin.
Don’t put it off!
I pray:
Your receptive
the Spirit is speaking to you today - that you respond to the small voice you hear saying “walk this way”
your not pretending - you’ll be honest with God and with each other
I pray you are done:
with empty religion
empty prayers that are mindless and careless
with emotional highs on a Sunday that only leave you feeling guilty on a Monday because you didn’t follow through.
you find accountability - someone to walk with you
you are hungry -