Heart Over Habit: Starting the Year with True Worship
Notes
Transcript
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Title: “Heart Over Habit: Starting the Year with True Worship”
Scripture: Matthew 15:1-9
Big Idea: True worship doesn’t come from what you do but from who you are in Christ.
Introduction: (Energetic, Authentic, Relatable)
Pastor Dave Welch walks onto the stage, smiling and energetic.
“Happy New Year, Faithway! How are we feeling today? Excited? Hopeful? Maybe a little tired because you stayed up way too late binge-watching something you won’t admit to anyone?
If you’re joining us online, hit the chat with ‘2025 is my year!’ because I believe it can be.
Here’s a question: How many of you made a New Year’s resolution? Be honest—raise your hands. Okay, keep them up if you’ve already failed at one of them. It’s okay, you’re in good company! Most resolutions don’t make it past January 15. Why? Because real change isn’t about fixing what you do—it’s about transforming who you are. And that’s what we’re preaching about today.”
True worship doesn’t come from what you do but from who you are in Christ.
“As we step into a new year, it’s easy to rely on habits and routines to make us feel like we’re making progress. But the Pharisees in Matthew 15 remind us that even the best traditions can sometimes lead us astray. We are going to see how Jesus confronted this issue head-on.”
Traditions Are Comfortable, but They Can Keep Us Stuck
Traditions Are Comfortable, but They Can Keep Us Stuck
• Scripture: Matthew 15:1-3
• Teaching:
“Jesus is face-to-face with the Pharisees, who were professional rule-followers. They had more traditions than a small-town diner has pie recipes. And they didn’t just follow the rules—they added extra ones to make sure no one could even get close to breaking them.
Sounds intense, right? But we do this too. We create habits and routines that make us feel spiritual, but over time, they can become more about the habit than about God. Going to church? Important. Reading your Bible? Life-changing. But if we’re not careful, those habits can shift from a relationship with God to a checkbox for Him.”
• Illustration:
“Have you ever been on autopilot during your morning routine? You brush your teeth, grab coffee, check your phone—wait, did I even talk to God today? Traditions are like that. They can be good, but they can’t replace the heart of worship.”
• Application:
“This week, ask yourself: What spiritual habits have I turned into routines? Instead of just doing them, invite God into the middle of them.”
“So, traditions can become a trap when they overshadow the heart of worship. But there’s something even deeper at play here. The Pharisees weren’t just stuck in routines—they were letting their own traditions take the place of God’s authority. Let’s look at what Jesus says next.”
Recognizing the Right Authority in Your Life
Recognizing the Right Authority in Your Life
• Scripture: Matthew 15:4-6
• Teaching:
“The Pharisees had elevated their traditions above God’s Word. And if we’re honest, we all have something we elevate too: a tradition, a person, maybe even our own opinions. But here’s the truth: when you put anything above God, you can’t hear from God.
What’s your authority? Is it social media? A news channel? A self-help book? Those things aren’t inherently bad, but they’ll never guide you like the ultimate authority—God’s Word.”
• Illustration:
“Imagine you’re driving with the GPS on, and you keep ignoring the directions because you think you know a shortcut. Anyone been there? How’d that work out for you? Exactly. When we follow the wrong authority, we end up lost.”
• Application:
“What’s one area in your life—your finances, your relationships, your time—where you’ve been following the wrong voice? Surrender it to God this week.”
“Now we’ve seen how misplaced authority can lead us away from God. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He goes straight to the core issue—the heart. Because true worship isn’t just about what we do; it’s about who we are before God. Listen to His powerful words in verses 7 through 9.”
Worship Starts with the Heart
Worship Starts with the Heart
• Scripture: Matthew 15:7-9
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
• Teaching:
“Jesus didn’t pull any punches with the Pharisees: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ Ouch. He’s saying that all the rituals in the world don’t matter if your heart isn’t in it.
Real worship isn’t about what you do—it’s about who you are. It’s about living every moment in relationship with God. Worship isn’t just singing songs on Sunday—it’s how you love people on Monday, how you lead your family on Tuesday, and how you forgive that coworker who made your Wednesday miserable.”
• Illustration:
“When I started working out consistently (don’t laugh, I know it doesn’t look like it), I realized something: it wasn’t the equipment or the routine that made the difference. It was the mindset. Worship works the same way—it’s not about the externals; it’s about your internal posture toward God.”
• Application:
“This week, start every day with this simple prayer: ‘God, help me to worship You with my heart, not just my habits.’”
“Jesus couldn’t have been clearer: worship begins in the heart. So, as we enter 2025, the question isn’t ‘What will you do?’ but ‘Who will you be?’ Will you let your heart be fully alive in worship, not just on Sundays, but every day? Let’s wrap this up with a challenge for the year ahead.”
Closing Challenge:
“Here’s the question: What’s your resolution for 2025? Lose weight? Get organized? Those are great, but let me challenge you to add one more:
‘God, this year, I will wake up every day with the intent to live in close relationship with You. I’ll worship You not out of habit, but from my heart.’
Hey, maybe your here worshiping with us today and you are doing it out of habit, thank you for joining us, but let me introduce you to a more joyful way to worship. It is through an intimate relationship with the Creator God Who loves you deeply. He sent His Son to die for you, to pay for your sin that keeps you from partaking in this deeply intimate relationship with Him. His Son rose again to give you a new beginning, a new life, a new person! And the only way to receive this new, intimate, life changing life is to place your faith in His Son, Jesus.
So do it right now! Don’t let another second of 2025 go by without asking Jesus to be your Savior! If you don’t know how let me help you with a prayer.
“God, I want to worship you with more than just my mouth, I want to have this deeply intimate relationship with you. I know that my sin separates me from the kind of relationship you and I both desire from one another, But I believe that Jesus is God, He died for me, and that He rose from the grave in victory! I put my faith in Jesus right now, Lord! Thank you for saving me, thank you for making me your child, thank you for this new beginning.”
Let’s pray together: ‘God, thank You for new beginnings. Help us to worship You from a place of love and gratitude. Transform us into who You’ve called us to be, not by our strength but by Your Spirit.’
Let’s go into 2025 with hearts fully alive for Jesus!”
