TGP: We Will Worship the Lord

Introduction:

Q. What’s better: to have half of something or all of it? Explain.

Q. What are some things that couldn’t function if you split them in half (like a car)?

Q. If you had a choice to only receive half a million dollars or a full million dollars, what would you choose? Why?

God wants our full heart, worship, and obedience

Main Point: True worship can’t happen without our obedience.

God is worthy of our full worship.

Read Joshua 24:14-18

Context: Joshua’s farewell speech

V. 14:

What’s the therefore there for?

God providing

Fear

Worship in....

Sincerity

Truth

No more false idols

“Get rid” = they had some

“the gods of the Amorites

Goat idols (Lev 17:7)

Demons (Duet. 32:16-17)

V.15

“… If it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord...”

Does it please you to worship God?

“Choose for yourselves...”

Free will

Normally God, but now Israel

The choice of Rahab

“As for me and my family...”

V.16-17

Israel’s response

“Certainly not!”

BC of what God has done

… because he is our God.”

Q. What does it mean to do something halfway? How do we fall into this type of worship?

Halfhearted = not worship

Q. What keeps us from taking a stand like Joshua did to live for God even if others don’t (V. 15)?

What people think

Q. Israel’s legacy was marked by idolatry. What needs to change so that modern believers leave a legacy of wholehearted worship?

2. Our worship includes obedience

Read Joshua 24:19-25

V. 19

“You will not be able to worship....”

A jealous God

“… He will not forgive your sins”

What??

Judgement for disloyalty

V.20

“If you abandon.… he will...”

Turn against you

Harm you

Completely destroy you

V.21

The people’s response: “No!”

V. 22

“You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.”

V. 23

Get rid and turn

V.24

“We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.”

V.25

Covenant

Israel in Judges

Q. Look at verse 19. What about Joshua’s response is confusing to you? What was he really saying?

God is holy and jealous

Q. Joshua called for Israel’s obedience. How can any of us obey God?

The HS

Q. Can we worship God without obeying Him? How does our understanding of worship and obedience need to change?

Worship - obedience = lip service

Obedience - worship = legalism

Worshiping in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

Christ Connection:

Jesus said one day people would worship Him in “Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, we can worship Him all the time and anywhere. True worship is a posture of the heart paired with appropriate obedience.

Wrap-Up

What evidence shows that you’re worshipping God through obedience? How could this encourage others to do the same?

This week, surrender all areas of your life in obedience to Christ.