Worship is a Lifestyle

1 Corinthians 10:31

Round #1:

Person A spent yesterday afternoon walking on a nature trail, enjoying the scenery, while Person B spent yesterday afternoon listening to worship songs. Which one worshiped God?

Round #2:

On Tuesday evening, Person A went to a prayer meeting at their church, while Person B spent their evening at home babysitting their little brother. Which one worshiped God?

Round #3:

At school, Person A ate lunch with some friends, while Person B ate lunch alone so that they could read their Bible. Which one worshiped God?

In each of those scenarios, you may have noticed that there was one activity that seemed “spiritual” or “religious,” and one that seemed a little more like an “everyday” type of event.

So, it might surprise some of you to know that in each of those scenarios, it is possible that both people worshiped God with what they were doing.

But it is also just as possible that neither person worshiped God with what they were doing.

Because, as we will learn in today’s lesson, worship is not about a singular act; rather, worship is a lifestyle, and if we worship with our lives, we can worship all the time! Remember, “worship” is “any action or attitude that expresses praise, love, and appreciation for God.”

Let’s begin by looking at the definition of the word “glorify.” The word “glorify” means “to praise, magnify, worship, or hold in honor.” So, when we say that we can glorify God with every part of our lives, we mean that we can praise God, magnify Him, worship Him, and hold Him in honor in everything that we do.

I. Glorifying God in Spiritual Practices

Hebrews 10:24–25 KJV 1900

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Worship is an outward expression of an inward reality. As we discussed last week, worship is expressed outwardly by our physical bodies. Does anyone remember some of the ways that we talked about that you can worship with your body?

declaring (Psalm 96:3), praising (Psalm 150:1-2), singing (Psalm 98:1), playing instruments (Psalm 150:3-5), clapping (Psalm 47:1), shouting (Psalm 66:1), lifting hands (Psalm 141:2), bowing down (Psalm 95:6), dancing (Psalm 149:3), praying (Matthew 6:9; Psalm 118:1), and giving (Proverbs 3:9). Once students have had a chance to give their answers, you might list some of the other physical expressions of worship that were not mentioned.

Another way we can worship God that we didnt mention last week is by gathering together in worship and to glorify God with other believers. Like we are doing right now!

We are called to “one-another” living. It is important for us to be committed to a group of Christians at a local church, making time together to worship God and spur one another to “love and good works”

Church is good for us! It allows us to encourage each other by our worship together and by our service together.

But church is not the only way we can bring glory to God. As a matter of fact, God calls us to bring Him glory in EVERY aspect of our lives

II. Glorifying God in Everyday Activities

1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV 1900

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

According to this verse, how should we glorify God? In everything that we do!

If we are worshipping with our lives, we can worship God at all times

But what does that look like practically speaking?

A. Through an Attitude of Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Pray without ceasing.

When do you normally pray? My prayer time is usually on my drive to work every morning. Its one of the only times I am alone and it is quiet.

Here in this verse, it tells us exactly when and how often we ought to pray

This doesnt mean we are constantly walking around with our eyes closed in prayer 24/7. It means we are always carrying around with us the ATTITUDE of prayer. As we go about our day, we are actively communicating with God. We speak to Him quietly or we just take time to listen to what He has to say.

I want to challenge you this week. At least once a day, especially when you get overwhelmed, stressed, or busy to just stop and take a deep breath and just recognize the presence of God in your life. This is a good way to stay in the attitude of prayer.

As you do this, your prayer life will become more natural and less formal.

Example: When you meet someone for the first time, your conversations are normally very formal. There is normally a very definitive starting point and ending point to your conversation. But with your best friend it is different. You can literally stop in the middle of a conversation, and then pick up where you left off a day later. Theres normally not a formal beginning or end to your conversations. This is how God wants our prayer life to be and this is what He means by “pray without ceasing”

B. Through an Attitude of Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV 1900

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In everything give thanks. There are no caveats to that. It says everything! The good and the bad things that happen to you

Why? Because this is the will of God! Everyone wants to know what God’s will is for their life, well this is one thing that is clear… in everything give thanks! And not just around Thanksgiving time either!

When we see God’s blessings in our lives, the natural response of a grateful heart is to express gratitude for our blessings. This is how we glorify God, by giving Him thanks

C. How we Treat Others

1 Peter 4:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

- This verse speaks of using the gifts and talents God has given to us to serve others. And when we serve others, this brings Glory to God

Matthew 5:23–24 (KJV 1900)

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

- Jesus here, during His sermon on the Mount says something very interesting about how we treat other people. He says essentially that our acts of worship unto Him are WORTHLESS if they do not affect how we treat other people!

1 John 4:20 (KJV 1900)

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

- This is strong language from the Apostle John! You cant love God and hate people!

If someone were to observe the way you treat others , what would they have to say about your love for God?

If our worship is an expression of our love for God, then a good indicator of whether or not our worship is genuine will be how we treat other people throughout the week.

D. Through Obedient Living

John 12:23 KJV 1900

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

John 12:28 KJV 1900

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

Jesus exemplified Obedient living. Jesus at one point in His life shared with His disciples that He would soon die in order to fulfill his Father’s Will. Jesus made it clear that this death wasnt something that He was looking forward to, but that He was doing it out of obedience to the Father.

What God was saying to Jesus in these verses is that Jesus had already glorified God up to this point because of His unwavering obedience to Him and that He would glorify it again through Jesus’ death because it was an act of obedience to the Father’s Will.

John 14:15 KJV 1900

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Then on the same night of Christ’s death, while Jesus was sharing an intimate moment with His disciples, He tells them this. The only way we can express our genuine love for God is by obeying Him. And therefore, we glorify God by obeying Him.

E. Through Giving Our Best In All We Do

Colossians 3:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

It is easy to work wholeheartedly on something you enjoy doing. On the other hand, it is easy to do the bare minimum with things you dont really enjoy. But as Christians, we are called to a different standard.

The verse says in everything we do, we ought to do it with all of our hearts. Why? Because we serve the Lord and everything we do should be in service to Him and to glorify Him.

“If its worth doing, its worth doing right” - God deserves your very best effort

F. By Making Much of Him

Psalm 40:1–3 KJV 1900

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

As we see God answering prayer, blessing us, and just moving in our hearts, we ought to make a big deal about that and tell others about it

Making much of God shouldnt only happen on Sundays. We can do it everywhere! School, work, at home, with friends… anywhere!

And as Verse 3 says: your worship of God will draw others to Him!

John 12:32 KJV 1900

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

III. Glorifying God in Everything at All Times

1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV 1900

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Worshipping God doesnt only happen at designated times or designated places. It can and should happen anywhere and at all times!

If we strive to live a life of worship, then it naturally will come out anywhere and everywhere

We can worship God in the obviously spiritual things, like going to church, singing hymns, etc. But we can and should also worship God in the everyday things in such a way that God always gets the glory for everything we do

Not every thing is worship, but you can worship God in every thing

Conclusion

None of this is to say that gathering for worship at church is not important, because it very much is. But what is equally important is that we worship God outside the walls of the church as well. In our homes, at our schools, at our jobs, around our friends, etc

Worship God at all times!