Worship: How do we prepare?

Genesis 4:1-6

One thing I know about most humans is that we prepare.. Very few do not prepare anything. I find it intersting that weekend worship in a corporate setting is one of the last things we prepare for other than maybe geting to service on time.

I have also found that worship leaders have mentioned that it is a struggle they find to see people worshipping on the weekend.

2 problems there… a worship leader is not one who get the people to do what they are doin or want it is leading us in what we are doing together.

There are those who do not come prepared from their week in worship to worship publically.. this is not emotion (we are prone to emotional worship when we haven’t been in worship during the week)

To begin tonight I believe we all have to ask the question is there a need for us to prepare our hearts before worship?

Is the preperation for worship perfection?

Romans 12:1–2 “1 Therefore 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. 2 And 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.”

Is all worship acceptable to God?

Hebrews 11:6 “6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Worship and Sacrifice

Warren Wiersbe asks, “Am I willing to pay the price in my own home and church so that I might have a worship experience

that will please God, and accomplish His purpose in my life?”

1 Chronicles 21:18–25 “18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the Lord. 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people.” 23 Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all.” 24 But King David…”

Public praise will be a sacrafice

your pride your comfort, your own thoughts

Psalm 22:22 “22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”

Psalm 35:18 “18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng.”

3. Preparation

The Benefit

Not that we worship to receive a benefit on the other hand it is by obedience that comes the fruitfullness

Connects us with Jesus

No vanity in worship

Amos 5:21–24 “21 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. 23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. 24 “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Will show you and i our need for surrender

Worship is to glorify God

Puts your mind and heart on eternal things

Why do I want to share this with us?

Worship is a refelction of our faith that we believe

It doesnt make sense to worship

to the world- but to the believer it is crucial

others do not know how to do it- let oour lives demonstrate a great life of worship

In His goodness God is giving us ways to worship Him in faith, we should embrace them. the weekend will be a joy.

Do we need to think this is a charge that if you havent prepared do not come on the weekend… no

Rather God is gracious to us all and as we worship on the weekend may we see God;s grace. This teaching wasnt to create a prerequixite to attending on the weekend but rather a call back to continual worship of God daily as we gather it will be seen that we all have been with Jesus during the week.

May it not be said of us the our countenance has fallen.