3 Worship God

Ron Crawford

Live the Jesus Life! • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Big Idea: Worship God in spirit and truth, and be changed forever.

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Introduction

Live the Jesus Life to become more like Him.

1 John 1:6 CSB

6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.

Free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus

1 John 2:6 NIV

6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus

Bible as God’s authoritative word.

Basics – foundational beliefs and values of our faith.

Core Value 3: We value heartfelt worship that is God-honoring, Spirit-directed, and life-changing.

What Is Heartfelt Worship?

Pictures of “worship”

Worship service, praying, bowing, giving

Other worship – muslim prayer, sports, pledge

What does “Worship” mean? Action - Bow down to, serve, praise. Feelings - expressed of awe, reverence, respect.

Human beings were created to worship. Examples of nature, sports, music, etc.

Genesis 1:26–27 CSB

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

created in God’s image.

God’s intention from the beginning was that He be the object of our deepest affections. Adam and Eve let the quest for knowledge and being like God to become their focus.

God’s Commandments – One God, no idols.

Exodus 20:3–5 CSB

3 Do not have other gods besides me. 4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,

Exodus 20:

(Summarize above)

Exodus 20:5 CSB

5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,

hwh to bow down. no images, shall not bow down to them. Also serve as slave.

Hebrew words for worship (last year we did a study of Hebrew words of praise).

hwh to bow down. no images, shall not bow down to them. Also serve as slave.

To center our devotion on anyone or anything other than God is sin = idolatry.

hwh As in bowed down to the golden calf.

Exodus 32:8 CSB

8 They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’ ”

hwh As in bowed down to the golden calf.

Greek words for worship – similar = kiss toward, bow down, pay homage or respect

Matthew 2:11 CSB

11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

fell down and worshiped (prostrate, bowing) kiss in reverence. Also to serve.

(part of above verse)

Magi worshiped Jesus - fell down and worshiped (prostrate, bowing) kiss in reverence. Also to serve.

fell down and worshiped (prostrate, bowing) kiss in reverence. Also to serve.

In both Hebrew and Greek there are subjective/feeling/attitude words of worship – awe, reverence, respect. fear

Attitude produces action. bow, serve,

Objective – focus on the One worshiped. Subjective – affected by worship.

Some people say worship means worth-ship. Expressing worth.

John Piper Quote:

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

Goal to bring the worship of God to all peoples.

Worship, glorify, praise, lift up, make big, exalt,

About function, not form

Heartfelt = the subjective part. Awe reverence respect.

Heartfelt worship then is active expression outwardly to the inner heart attitude.

How to worship? Bodily expression. Vocal expression. Action expression.

How Is Worship Expressed?

God-honoring

True worship begins with a right attitude toward God. Humility.

God-honoring = attitude of humility about ourselves and an attitude of awe and reverence toward God.

Read from Bible Psalm 8:1-4

Psalm 8:1 CSB

1 Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty.

Psalm 8:3–4 CSB

3 When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?

Psalm 139:13–14 CSB

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.

But we fail in bringing worship to God. Our heart attitude.

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

all fall short of God’s glory

Ecclesiastes 12:13 CSB

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.

fear, reverence, worship God, keep His Commandments – love God, love others.

Recently read in Job (reading plan) the greatness of God and smallness of man.

God-honoring means keeping God above all else in importance

Spirit-directed

Read from Bible John 4:20-24

John 4:20–24 CSB

20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23–24 CSB

23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

woman at the well – worship in spirit and truth. Truth is the God-honoring part, spirit is the heart attitude part.

God-honoring is the objective part. Spirit-directed is the subjective part.

Attitude – heart belief and leaning – then drives behavior. Behavior comes out of what we believe. (even what looks like right behavior can be rooted in wrong belief)

Truth and experience. Truth – God-honoring. Experience – Spirit-led.

Experience the power and presence of God’s Spirit.

1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

God sees the heart.

Good worship – not about external form as much as internal presence. Jesus is honored and His Spirit is present in the hearts of those worshiping.

Life-changing

Worship is the intersection of God’s Spirit meeting with us whose spirits He brought to life.

Read from Bible Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1–8 CSB

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who should I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

Isaiah 6:5–8 CSB

5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who should I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

the change in Isaiah’s life due to experiencing God.

(remove v.6 summarize others.)

the change in Isaiah’s life due to experiencing God.

Zacchaeus – little guy in the tree. Recognizing Jesus.

Luke 19:8 CSB

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.”

Changed by time in the presence of Jesus.

– Changed by presence of Holy Spirit

As God’s Spirit changes us through worship, we develop a lifestyle of worship.

1 Corinthians 10:31 CSB

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

do all to God’s glory. Lifestyle of worship.

Conclusion

Being careful not to limit or set boundaries on worship due to lack of understanding, limited experiences, tradition, preferences. Not limit to individual, group, day and time, method, style. Worship is not just music. It is the attitude, lifestyle, heart and action.

Living the Jesus Life means adopting a lifestyle of worship that focuses on God as the source and purpose for everything we do in life.

Worship is owning our sin, confessing, turning from the sin, and focusing our life on Christ. Truth and spirit.

Worship is facing our great fears and resting them in the hands of Jesus as our only real hope.