Worship Part 2
Personal Spiritual Disciplines • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Joni Erickson Tada had a terrible accident that left her a quadriplegic. In spite of her physical limitations she became an accomplished author and artist. Over 25 years ago she married her husband, Ken. For her wedding she had planned to come down the center aisle in her motorized wheel chair. Just before her grand entrance she noticed two distressing problems. First, she had rolled over her beautiful gown and made a big grease spot and tear in it. Then, the flowers in her lap had slipped and had lodged between her leg and the chair. She was filled with disappointment, and then suddenly the doors to the auditorium opened, and she saw her husband to be.
Here was the man who was committing his love and his life to her. Joni later said, “Once I saw Ken's face, all I could think of was him. Everything else—the people in the church, the flowers that were sitting a little askew on my lap, the fact that my dress didn't fall right because I was sitting in a wheelchair, the grease marks, the rip in my gown all of it paled in comparison.”
When we we see Christ, He will be all that matters to us.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
“Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship.”—Eugene Peterson
Worship is that which makes us recognize God’s inexhaustible greatness while understanding our exhaustible significance.
I. The Spiritual nature of Worship.
I. The Spiritual nature of Worship.
II. The Spirit of Worship.
II. The Spirit of Worship.
Roger Babson, an American historian, was visiting the president of Argentina about one hundred years ago when the president said to him: “You are a student of history, Will you please tell me why it is that South America, with her unlimited resources, and having been settled earlier than North America, has nevertheless made much slower progress in civilization and material prosperity?”
Mr. Babson threw the question back upon the president by saying, “Mr. President, you evidently have studied this question yourself, and I would be interested to know your answer to it.
The President replied that he thought the explanation lay in the fact that South America was settled by Spaniards who came seeking gold while North America was settled by the Pilgrim Fathers who came seeking God.
How the Thessalonians worshiped.
How the Thessalonians worshiped.
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.
For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
I. They Worshiped through WORK of the Holy Spirit.
I. They Worshiped through WORK of the Holy Spirit.
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
They were both indwelled with the Spirit and filled with the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Spirit happens at salvation and is evident by His work in our heart. The filling of the Spirit is the work that is done that gives all of us to the Spirit of God.
We will never worship God in fulness until He both lives within us and we are filled with Him.
There are many who will offer cheap imitations. They will sing, shout, cry, and talk a good talk on Sunday and live like the devil on Saturday night.
We cannot feed the flesh through what we place inside our bodies and minds, and worship God in fullness.
Many times we may come to church with an outward appearance of being right with God, while our hearts are blackened by sin and we can not worship God in this condition.
The dirtiest of sinners can worship God but only when they are honest with God, humble themselves, and fall prostrate at His feet.
Often we miss-associate music with worship.
Music is an aspect of worship, but it isn’t the main objective.
Music is an aspect of worship, but it isn’t the main objective.
Giving is part of worship, listening to God is a part of worship, prayer is part of worship, and bowing ourselves before Him is a part of worship.
“Worship is the believers response of all that we are attached to all that God is.” Johnny Nix
To worship we must recognize our sinful, helpless state and recognize that He gives worth and value to us in-spite of our insufficiency.
Often we associate with uplifted hands and although that can be a part of worship. Worship must always start with bended knee.
The reason we do not worship like we should is because pride has crept into our hearts and we have attempted to excuse our helpless state instead of bowing humbly before a holy, righteous God.
As long as we are excusing our sin, or trusting in our abilities to find favour with God we will never bring honor and glory to Him through worship.
This is what caused the widow to give her last coins to God. Because she had recognized the goodness of God, there was no sacrifice that was to great.
As the Spirit of God fills us we will begin to see Him as He is and we will begin to see ourselves for who we truly are. In return we will recognize just how worthy He is.
King David was filled with the Spirit and it caused him to dance before the lord. Paul was filled and he sang in the prison. Moses saw it and He stood before Pharoah. Samson was filled and he defeated the enemies of God.
When we are filled with the spirit, we will behave in such a way that God will receive the honor from our life.
When we are filled with the spirit, we will behave in such a way that God will receive the honor from our life.
That is why the bible says to be filled with the Spirit. What we allow to control our bodies and minds matters.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
That which influences us should be born of the Spirit of God and not of the Spirit of this world.
II. They worshiped in their WITNESS.
II. They worshiped in their WITNESS.
Worship can be performed through our witness because witnessing is an expression of our adoration of the Savior.
Worship can be performed through our witness because witnessing is an expression of our adoration of the Savior.
By telling others of Him we are admitting that He is greater than we are and we are expressing our gratitude for His work in out lives.
The witness of the church at Thessalonica was spread all over the World.
This is the spirit that turned the world upside down for the cause of Christ.
We do not hear of their great ecclesiastical separation or their great knowledge of theological matters. The truth is this was an infant church with a group of believers that had only been saved for a few short months. However, their worship of God was evident in their witness and it turned the world to Christ.
Chatsworth does not need our great theological knowledge, although we need it, they do not need us to live perfect lives, although we should strive to that end, what our world needs is for believers to Worship God in Spirit and in truth and to make that evident through our witness.
Again, this witness must be done through the Holy Spirit. And we will only have His power when we worship God.
III. They worshiped in their WAITING.
III. They worshiped in their WAITING.
Their testimony was that they were waiting for the return of the Lord. This was more than just lip service. They were living through persecution and trials. Their waiting for the Lord was a hope that encouraged them as they faced tribulation.
Often the greatest test of our faith is when we must wait.
Often the greatest test of our faith is when we must wait.
When we are hopeless and helpless without Christ. When it appears as though there is no answer before us and all we can do is cry out to the Lord. This is when we best worship, because there is nothing else we can do.
Sometimes I believe God allows trials to come into our lives so that we will humble ourselves before Him and worship His holy name.
I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Although the Psalmist said that god had heard his prayer, usually we can only say that after He has answered in a visible way. More often than not we are more like job than David.
When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: And when I waited for light, there came darkness.
Even while waiting there are times when it seems as if the darkness will prevail. When the circumstances that are most burdensome to us go from bad to worse and it seems all hope is gone. However, the Bible tells us in John 16.33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
I don’t know what you may be facing, I don’t know what may lie ahead for myself or for you, but I know that God is on my side. I know that He has already overcome, and we sang earlier we may have “Victory in Jesus.”
While you are waiting on God to move in your life or to change your circumstances, keep praising Him and relying upon Him and rest in the knowledge that He cares for you.
