Courage to Worship
Notes
Transcript
Courage to Worship
INTRODUCTION
House churches in China today. Worship much different than we do.
We have a tendency to equate worship with music and only music.
-buildings, pews, instruments, pulpits, projectors, lights
-The biggest reason churches are segregated by age in America- we can't agree on "worship style". What we mean is "music style". We should all agree on worship style. Worship is who we are doing it for.
10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
Greek Word and Hebrew Word translated worship the most often in scripture literally means "to bow down".
The idea of surrender. Placing self under the authority of. Making them more important.
3 Truths Concerning Worship
3 Truths Concerning Worship
1. Obedience is Worship
1. Obedience is Worship
10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
Best way to win a battle is surprise-- They are failing the surprise part of this battle.
They are still camped at Gilgal. 2 Miles north of Jericho.
They stop and obey an important command of God.
"kept the Passover"-- kept= Obeyed the command to "Keep the Passover" (common phrase in O.T.)
It means they did what they were commanded.
The Passover
When God gave them the Law, they were told to remember the Passover.
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.
4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Coming to church does not make you saved but it does make you obedient.
Hebrews 10:24-25
We've been called to religious ceremonies- Baptism and Lord's Supper
Great Commission- obedience is worship
Religious services, when from the heart and in obedience are worship.
Being entertained with Christian music is not worship.
It is possible to come into this building, and this room, and have all these things that are to help us worship, with people who are here to lead you to worship, and leave this place and not worship.
Being obedient to God is part of our worship. He has called us to worship, not just in this building, but everywhere we are living in obedience.
2. Remembrance is Worship
2. Remembrance is Worship
Remembrance Brings confidence
They are reminded of the power of God.
They had defeated the Egyptian military without raising a single sword. Crippled the most powerful nation in the world.
Reminded of what God can do.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This religious holiday did not get in their way, it provided confidence for what was to come.
Why is it that religious activities get in the way?
Don’t have time for worship on Sunday, Bible Study, Wednesday night Praise and Prayer.
Don’t have time for daily quiet times.
These things do not take from our life. They make our life better.
You will live your life with more confidence if you are obedient in the little things.
Remembrance Brings peace-
Can you imagine the tension among the people as they prepared for battle?
They didn't know how God was going to get them into that city.
Big walls= big defense.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Now they are minded of God delivering them from a bigger enemy.
We can do this. God can do this.
Christmas/ Easter
Remembering what Christ did for us in incarnation and resurrection.
Reading Acts-- Seeing how God works in the church.
Today-- I remember how he has provided for my family in the past.
I remember the phone call that came after my father-in-law prayed for decades for his brothers to be saved that they put their faith in Jesus.
I remember that check in college that came the day before our rent was going to be late.
I remember when Jonathan took his first breath after his heart almost stopping during every contraction.
I remember those two beautiful faces that showed up at our front door after we had been praying for months about adoption.
I remember when DHS said it was over that we received that phone call that they were coming back.
I remember when Jordan graduated from college when it didn't look like she would graduate high school because of Lyme Disease.
I remember when I packed up my family in the middle of a pandemic and moved across the country.
I am more confident in my faith because I remember all he has done in the past.
3. Work is Worship
3. Work is Worship
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Harvest
They had been harvesting manna every day for 40 years in wilderness.
They reaped what they had no sown.
Now they will harvest from the Promise Land.
Land of the giant cluster of grapes.
First year- without sowing a single seed.
"They ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan."
servants are commanded in Ephesians 6:5-7
5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Worship is bowing down-- surrender-- All we do is about God's glory and not our glory.
CONCLUSION
Woman at the Well
After offering her living water and revealing to her her sins..
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
What did Jesus, the messiah, reveal about worship?
True worship is in spirit and truth.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He paid for our sin.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Are you a worshiper?
Are you a worshiper?