Worship:Passionate and Powerful

Matthew 26:1-13 (Main text)

This past weeks we spent discussing worship.. what is it how to we prepare for it

Now I want us to leave here with an understanding of the passion and power of worship

God has made us to worship and we are seeking to be satisfied

Worship according to the word of God is the answer to our desire to be satisfied.. as we are doing what we were created to do

The Passion and Power of our worship will always come from how we respond to a Holy God

You have a choice when it comes to God we all do… I am always amazed at peoples response to God

In our decision there is a God who loves us

The first decision is…

Hostility

Wrath- Hostility towards Jesus - This will kill our worship

Matthew 26:1–5 “1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.””

Pride and complaining are the precursors to hostility towards God

Don’t want to spend to much time here, but want to encourage anyone who has reasons to complain to God be very careful and seek out another brother and sister in Christ to talk with and get an appropriate viewpoint that truly there is nothing to complain about when it comes to God. Our complaining is just an excuse from our flesh… it kills our worship, the focus is off

The second decision is…

To Worship

Matthew 26:6–13 “6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9 For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11 For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12 For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.””

In this text we can find six truths concerning worship

Worship minsters to Jesus (v 10)

Acts 13:2 “2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.””

Worship will cost us something- voluntary

I come across the thought should we have to be compelled to worship- no should be voluntary- I am not concerned if you aren’t raising your hands or you don’t feel like it (your right) you haven’t spent time with Jesus- why would you feel like it- i know some of us have hard weeks and we don’t feel like it.. where else can we go.

(2 Samuel 24 )

Worship has a unique requirement…

Being broken- humble (Holy Spirit pours out on the humble)

This is why we say to come as you are -I hope it is a place of brokenness, if not God will continue His work in you- wouldn’t it be better to just surrender

This is something we must not forget… this isn’t a place of defeat but of a recieving and giving heart- its not about you

Able to recieve what the Holy Spirit is giving you and able to give to the Lord daily

Break before the Lord He alone can provide rest!

Worship invites you to say who cares

Mary- Poured out expensive oil- who cares

Head to toe anointed Him

Worshippers should be unashamed- this isn’t fake it is obedient led- order in the house of God- by yourself be led by the Lord- if you learn there you can practice here

2 Samuel 6:14 “14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.”

Worship demands our very best

What your best is will not always be the same each day, but give it

Why do we give our best well God calls for it.

If He doesnt get it we keep it to ourselves

Worship is good for us

John 12:3 “3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

The fragrance covered the smells in the room

When we worship we are where we are supposed to be- we smell like Jesus

The Third choice is…

to consider it to be wasteful

Judas and the disciples looked to Mary’s worship as wasteful

True worship is never wasted

A relationship with Jesus is never wasteful

Worship attitude is contagious

But what we find is this attitude infects us all

I am sure somewhere on the fence about her worship but then the chimed in with agreement with Judas

How to know our worship is sincere

You have been with Jesus

In His word

Luke 24:13–35 NASB 95

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Zealous -passionate about the things of God

Worship moves us

Power

We cannot fake it till we make it

2 Timothy 3:1–5 “1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”

Be aware of Godliness with out power- It isn’t about going through the motions

Faith

and asking for the Spirit to lead us It has been made available to us

How do we know…

Galatians 5:22–23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

It is all about Jesus- it will be distinguishable those who have been with Jesus and those who are faking it

May I say the reason we have been going through what we learn about worship from the Bible is that is not an optional part of Christainity- it is about the participation- I dont want that part of it- Worshippers- You will be worshipping in heaven- you wont have a choice, now is the time to get all the practice in

Also it unifies us as a church!

John 17:20–21 “20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Should stir us up to come back