Level Up 3 - Worship
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
We are continuing our Level Up series
We have already talked about the importance of Reading the Bible and Serving
Today we are going to be talking about Worship
The Spiritual discipline of worship is one that I bet almost every person in this room has a similar definition to, but it’s the wrong definition
For so many people they only see worship as music. More specifically they view worshipping as only singing songs that are deemed “Worship Music” and nothing else
However if that’s your view of worship you are so far from the truth
Worship is not just simply singing songs, instead it is a lifelong process of knowing God and being known by God
Worship is far deeper than just singing a song, or listening to music
Gaines Dobbins says this about Worship:
Worship is the interruption of our daily routine to recognize the supreme worth of God, to praise him for his goodness, to meditate on his holiness, to renew devotion to his service.
Gaines Dobbins
Worship is breaking up our daily rhythms to instead praise God and adore Him for who He is
Worship is sacrificing something to give honor and glory to God
Worship is understanding who God is, and praising Him for who He is
Tonight I want to look at two things when it comes to the lens of worship
Who is God - because you can’t worship someone you don’t know
Six practical ways you can worship because of who God is
Who is God?
Who is God?
I want to look at three specific characteristics of who God is
God is Love
God is Love
God is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
God is love
The literal definition of love is just very simply God
The statement in Greek is wrote The God is love - which is significant because it cannot be love is God. It must be God is love
Love as I have told you is best defined as seeking the greatest good for the object being loved
God being love means He is constantly seeking the greatest good for us
That’s why when sin entered the world in Genesis 3 God promised a savior from the beginning
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
God promised immediately that a Savior would come, that He would crush the head of the snake that deceived Adam and Eve
Since God is love, that’s why He didn’t give up on the Israelites when they consistently fled and turned from Him, but instead offered them forgiveness and salvation
Since God is love we have verses like John 3:16 which tell us
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
God promised a savior, saved Israel countless times, then sent Jesus to save us from our sins, forever!
We must first understand that God is love!
God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign
Secondly I want you to see that
God is Sovereign
The word sovereign means principal, chief, supreme
It refers first to the position of God - Chief over everything, then of the power to be in control of all
God is in complete control of all things
There is nothing that is outside of God’s control
God has a plan:
18 known from of old.’
Which is all-inclusive:
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Which He controls:
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Which includes evil, but does not involve himself in evil:
4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Which is all for His praise and glory:
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
God is in control of all things, there is nothing outside of His control, there is nothing that He doesn’t know
He created all things, so of course He is in control of all things
He has final say on everything that is happening and will happen, and there is nothing you can do, I can do, or anyone else can do that will surprise God
God is in all control!
To truly worship God you must understand that He is in control of all things
God is Truth
God is Truth
The last thing you need to understand about God is:
God is Truth
To truly worship God we must understand that God is truth
In culture today everything is screaming that this is truth, or that is truth, what is true for you may not be true for me
Live out your truth, speak your truth, be true to yourself and your feelings, you are the source of truth
However, the Bible calls God truth
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
God is the only true God, there is nothing else that is true
The world, other religions, maybe even your friends may claim to be true or right, but God is the only source of absolute truth
Because God is true He cannot lie
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
God cannot lie, He is truth, and everything He says is truth
This means when God promises us a Savior Jesus came
When God tells us our greatest deeds are dirty rags to Him, they are
When God says that Jesus is coming back to take us to the Father, He will
BECAUSE GOD CANNOT LIE
He is truth
Because He is truth He is fully reliable
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
He will do what He says He will do!
God cannot deny Himself
He is not like us who make plans and then don’t follow through
God will always follow through with everyone of His plans
God is faithful because He is true
Wrapping up who God is
Wrapping up who God is
To worship God we must first know who God is
God is love - the very definition
God is sovereign - there is nothing out of His control
God is truth - everything He says will be done
How to Worship God
How to Worship God
Since we know who God is, the question then is how do we worship God?
This is a very subjective question because 1 Corinthians tells us:
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
That you can worshiping God is giving Him glory-
But I want to get a little practical with how you can worship God
Here are six ways you can worship God
Silence
Silence
Dedicate a sacrifice of silence to the Lord
Sacrifice is the idea of giving up something
One way you can worship God is by setting aside time each day where you are quiet and waiting on the Lord
No TV, no music, just silence listening
You listen by reading your Bible, it is God’s Word
God speaks in a still small voice, to hear Him, you must listen for Him
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
1 Kings 19 gives us the story of Elijah where He is listening for God’s voice
It tells us how there was a great storm, wind that tore apart the mountains, earthquakes, yet God’s voice was a whisper
We can worship God by sacrificing some extra sleep, time on the TV/cell phone, or by sacrificing our radio/podcast in the car for silence. For listening to God
Worship God by setting apart time for silence
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
The second way you can worship God is this:
Read the Bible
You can be worshiping God by simply reading your Bible
Reading your Bible is the way you know God and see God and so reading is one of the easiest ways to worship God
But take it a step further
Read the Bible out loud - specifically in your quiet time that you are making
This may sound crazy, but let me break it down for you
We tend to remember more fully what we speak out loud
Reading out loud will keep your mind from wondering/getting distracted
Reading out loud will help you to pick out important phrases/words
Reading God’s word out loud reminds us of the power of God and will give you courage to obey
Reading the Bible is important!
Reading out loud will help you to digest them and understand them and remember them
3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Our tongue/our words are powerful
They can change people and things
Reading out loud is powerful because that will help you know God
Memorize Scripture
Memorize Scripture
The next way is:
Memorize the Bible
Memorizing the Bible sounds like such a daunting task
It can feel impossible to start, but it is something that can make a huge impact on your life
Memorizing the Bible can be as simple as one verse a week, or as complex as striving to memorize entire chapters/books
But what I have found personally is when I memorize the Bible I am constantly being reminded of those verses when times are hard
Memorizing can help you when talking to a non-believer
It can help you bless other believers
And it can also do what Psalm 119:11 says
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Knowing God’s word and memorizing it will help you to better believe His promises
Help you know who God is
It will help you flee from sin
Memorizing God’s Word is an amazing act of worship
Admire nature
Admire nature
You can worship God by:
Admiring God’s glory in nature
We often times look for God in the big and mighty things
We want to see God show up and move in the big ways, yet do you ever stop to think - God is moving all the time?
He is moving in the sunrises and sunsets
He is moving in the birds singing, and grass growing
You can see God and his majesty all over the small things
Proverbs puts it this way
24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: 25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; 27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
God created ants, badgers, locusts, and lizards. They are unimpressive yet he cares for each of them
We can see God’s glory in His creation and that should lead us to worship Him
Romans tells us
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
We can see God’s glory in His creation
God created everything we see, and we can worship Him by admiring His creation and giving Him glory
Songs
Songs
The fifth way is:
Sing songs of praise
The music that you listen to can be all the difference between worshiping God, and worshiping Satan
It’s something I am coming to terms with more and more
I personally was a major secular rap fanatic - lil Wayne, Drake, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar just to name a few
But what I have realized now is the music you listen to impacts your thoughts, speech and motives
It changes you in ways you don’t even understand
It doesn’t have to be all worship music, hillsong, and elevation, but it should all be praising the name of Jesus
Listen to what the Psalms say
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
We should be singing praises to God because God gave us a voice to use
We should be making music for Him because He gave us the ability to make music
We should be worshiping God by the music we listen to
Love
Love
The last way to worship God everyday is:
Love others
Loving others can look like a lot of different things
It can be bending over backwards to help someone in crisis
But I can also be just giving someone a phone call and asking how they are doing
Loving someone can be cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes
Love can be so many things
But to worship God we should be loving others
Listen to how Jesus put it
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
We are called to love others and treat them as neighbors, that means we are to care for them, help them, be with them, and most importantly tell them about Jesus!
Showing love to someone is one of the easiest ways you can worship God!
Conclusion
Conclusion
God is love, God is sovereign, and God is truth
Because of those things we should be worshipping God!
Because God is love, and cares for us
Because God is sovereign and in all control
And because God is truth, and doesn’t lie we should worship God!
How do we worship Him?
Spend time in silence listening to God through
Read your Bible, and read it out loud to help you remember it and understand it
Memorize the Bible so you can help others and flee from sin
Worship God because of we can see Him working all the time in nature
Worship God through the songs you sing and listen to
And worship God in loving and caring for other people
Worshiping God can look like a lot of different things
But one thing is for certain, worshiping God is involves you sacrificing to praise and honor His name