I wanted to share with you the points of a sermon that I heard a few weeks ago that I thought was refreshing for me to be reminded of and convicting for me on my own attitude towards worship.
I. Not all worship is rea/true worship
a) geographical worship is not true worship
Luke 4: 7-26
b) Ignorant worship is not true worship
Acts 17:23 " For while I was passing thorugh and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you."
c) self serving or disobedient worship is not true worship
1 Samuel 15:20-22 Saul disobeys the Lord in keeping some of the livestock from the Amalekites, which he was to utterly destroy, with the excuse of using them to sacrifice to the Lord, Samuel corrects Saul in these verses by telling him that the Lord does not delight in sacrifice, but in obedience. therefore Saul's worship was not true
d) the worship of other god's is not true worship
Matthew 4:8-10 "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
10Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
e)irreverant worship is nto true worship, and it is innapropriate
Ps 2:11 "Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.
f)vain worship is not true worship
Matthew 15: 1-9 1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
2"Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
4"For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'
5"But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,"
6he is not to honor his father or his mother' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"
g)impure worship is not real worship
Psalm 96:9 9Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
II. True Worship is the ultimate priotiry fot all mankind
Daniel 3-4
III. True Worship is the ultimate Reality in human experience
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
In Spirit And Truth (John 4:23-24)
a) that the worhipper has a genuine desire to worship God for WHO HE IS!!
b) Sincere, genuine, a real and reverential respect for who God is
c) the worshipper has an admiring devotion to God
d) the worshipper has not allowed any devioation or taking away from who God has revealed Himself to be
True Worship brings True Satisfaction
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him
Without true worship, don't expect true JOY
The chief end of man is to glorify God and Enjoy Him forever!
IV. True Worship is a determined worship
Psalms 145:1-7 (notice how many times the psalmist says I WILL) (there is no subsitute for resolve)
V. True Worship Encompasses all life
Romans 12:1-2Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Phillipians 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh
VI. True worship is greatly enhanced by an ever increasing knowledge of God
Hosea 6:3 "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
That's a great verse to close with!!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
My All
1. When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
While singing this hymn this morning I was thinking over the implications of the words. The first thing that struck me was in verse two where it says "all the vain things that charm me most" I got to thinking about all the things in this life that I have yet to fully sacrifice to the Lord, whether in giving them up or in giving them over to His will. I thought about my desires for the things of this life such as material possessions, relationships, and even future relationships. I can't help but think that those are things that I have not yet fully given over to His will. I say in my heart "but I want" or "yes, I'm consigned to Your will, but doesn't it include _____" I am again brought to the realization that I have not yet today given those fully over. I do think at times that I do, but then I grasp for them once again, clinging onto any hope of having them so desperately.
Then in the fourth verse where it states that God's amazing love demands my soul, my life and my all, Wow! It's one of those things that is so easy to say "yeah, I know that" but that you actually rarely sit down and think about. God shed His own Son's blood for me, He owns my life. Am I submitting to His authority? Or am I simply running around making decisions left and right without much thought as to His will? I confess that more often than not I don't bring every decision before His throne. Sure the "big" things I remember....but everything? Am I giving my all to Jesus? What does it mean to give my all? I think it points to the whole matter of control and my need to surrender it completely over. To not try and direct my life where I want it to be, to be doing what I think is right, or what I think will make me happy... I need to be emptied of myself, my pride, my own desires even that I may be filled with Christ. How could I want anything less when I see even the tiniest glimpse of what I am and Who Christ is?
This reminds me of another Hymn "I Surrender All" verse two goes like this : "All to Jesus I surrender; humbly at his feet I bow, worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now." This is my desire and my song today.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
While singing this hymn this morning I was thinking over the implications of the words. The first thing that struck me was in verse two where it says "all the vain things that charm me most" I got to thinking about all the things in this life that I have yet to fully sacrifice to the Lord, whether in giving them up or in giving them over to His will. I thought about my desires for the things of this life such as material possessions, relationships, and even future relationships. I can't help but think that those are things that I have not yet fully given over to His will. I say in my heart "but I want" or "yes, I'm consigned to Your will, but doesn't it include _____" I am again brought to the realization that I have not yet today given those fully over. I do think at times that I do, but then I grasp for them once again, clinging onto any hope of having them so desperately.
Then in the fourth verse where it states that God's amazing love demands my soul, my life and my all, Wow! It's one of those things that is so easy to say "yeah, I know that" but that you actually rarely sit down and think about. God shed His own Son's blood for me, He owns my life. Am I submitting to His authority? Or am I simply running around making decisions left and right without much thought as to His will? I confess that more often than not I don't bring every decision before His throne. Sure the "big" things I remember....but everything? Am I giving my all to Jesus? What does it mean to give my all? I think it points to the whole matter of control and my need to surrender it completely over. To not try and direct my life where I want it to be, to be doing what I think is right, or what I think will make me happy... I need to be emptied of myself, my pride, my own desires even that I may be filled with Christ. How could I want anything less when I see even the tiniest glimpse of what I am and Who Christ is?
This reminds me of another Hymn "I Surrender All" verse two goes like this : "All to Jesus I surrender; humbly at his feet I bow, worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me, Jesus, take me now." This is my desire and my song today.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
discipline
I've been thinking a lot lately on how undisciplined I am in so many things, but my time especially sticks out to me. I waste so much time and spend precious moments doing pointless things with no eternal value whatsoever. But the worst of it is that I don't take or should I say make the time for the Lord that I ought to. So in light of this, and the conviction that there must be a change, I have a plan of action. I really owe this plan to one of my sisters in Christ, it was ultimately through a conversation with her and multiple suggestions that we came up with a plan.
So the plan(please feel free to ask me how I am doing at anytime, I would appreciate the accountability) is to set aside time in the morning for a shorter devotional time(reading/prayer/reflection) and then of course making time throughout my week to keep up on doctrine class reading/memorizing. Then as things progress I would like to start a more in-depth study time possibly in the evening....but I want to start small at this point so as to not fail early on.
So Lord willing I will start a pattern of faithfullness, I confess my own fears of failing in this, as I have failed time and time again, but I was reminded of the verse in James that says to draw near to God and He will draw near to you, I want to be near to God, and that means that I must draw myself near to Him, hearing His word weekly or even twice a week is just not enough! Reading by itself with no time of reflection is not going to do it either, So I am praying that the Lord will enable me to be faithful to Him! He never asks anything of us that He does not also give us the strength and ability to do! Isn't that just amazing and what a comfort!
So the plan(please feel free to ask me how I am doing at anytime, I would appreciate the accountability) is to set aside time in the morning for a shorter devotional time(reading/prayer/reflection) and then of course making time throughout my week to keep up on doctrine class reading/memorizing. Then as things progress I would like to start a more in-depth study time possibly in the evening....but I want to start small at this point so as to not fail early on.
So Lord willing I will start a pattern of faithfullness, I confess my own fears of failing in this, as I have failed time and time again, but I was reminded of the verse in James that says to draw near to God and He will draw near to you, I want to be near to God, and that means that I must draw myself near to Him, hearing His word weekly or even twice a week is just not enough! Reading by itself with no time of reflection is not going to do it either, So I am praying that the Lord will enable me to be faithful to Him! He never asks anything of us that He does not also give us the strength and ability to do! Isn't that just amazing and what a comfort!
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