In Truth
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 26:40
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Today we take a pause from Matthew. We spent the last week at church camp with our youth. First let me brag a little we have a really good group of young people. This was my first trip to camp although we weren’t around for everything they did we had a great time. It is an amazing opportunity to spend an entire week fellowshipping and worshiping God. But one thing stood out to me, the worship before the message, to see and hear over 300 young people praising God is amazing. A couple of years ago I preached a message called “Why Church” and some of this morning is along the same lines. The young lady in the band said something, I think it was the first or second night and it really stuck with me, so here we are. this message is going to focus a lot on our young people, but it is for all of us as well, I want to make sure they understand something.
Worship
Worship
According to some sources the word worship appears over 182 times in Scripture. The concept of worship, as an act of reverence and adoration towards God is mentioned some 8,000 times in Scripture.
Worship as defined by the Nelson student Bible dictionary is reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship” a word that denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.
Today we are going to look at several different verses, starting with John 4:23-24. We see Jesus having a conversation with a Samaritan women. He clarifies something about true worship.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Worship takes place in spirit and truth. To be a true worshiper it takes a change of the heart, it takes a relationship with Jesus, did I mention it takes a change of the heart. Ezekiel 11:9 says God will give us a new heart and a new spirit, because God will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Authentic worship involves an inward change of the heart. True followers of God worship in complete sincerity. Lets look at a few verses from Psalms.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
God is to be worshiped all day everyday, not just when we are at church, not just when we are at church camp. All day everyday. He wants us to be all in all the time. He must be at the center of our lives and our worship.
1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Our whole heart is to give thanks to God. He and He alone is worthy of our thanksgiving and praise. Now I mentioned earlier that the young lady in the band said something that stuck with me, but I never said what it was, this is it—how many of you watch sports on TV or in person? How many of you get fired up when you watch, a lot of you right, but how many of you get fired up for worship— and remember worship is not just about the music—how we live our lives is a part of our worship. Usually when we are new believers we are on fire, but it fades over time, which is sad but true for most of us. But it doesn’t matter if your 9 or 90 the heart that God gives to us does not change, but our focus does. We need to refocus or realign our lives to focus on Christ worshiping Him in Spirit and truth. As I said earlier listening to over 300 people praising God is pretty amazing, but I want to ask our young people a question—do you think everyone was doing it for the right reasons? Sadly the answer is no—some were showing off for friends and some were just following the crowd. I want to be clear, I know there were many who were genuinely worshiping with a sincere heart, and that is what it is about sincerity of the heart—not because you like the band, not because your friends talked you into it, not to impress a cute boy or girl, but because you love the Lord with all your heart. He is the center of our worship—whether in song, in prayer, or in deed Christ must be the center of our lives. It takes a changed heart to worship in Spirit and truth. It takes Jesus being all of our everything to present ourselves holy and acceptable as living sacrifices. The theme at camp this week was Live Sent and this should be the theme for all of our lives. We are to live with a sense of urgency and that urgency is to share the Gospel with those around us, because one day it will be to late. We are to live like Jesus lived, He was on a mission and so are we. Our mission has not changed—go therefore and make disciples— love God and love others. We have the cure for this lost worlds disease, so why do we not share it with them. Everything we do as God’s children is a part of our worship. 1 Cor. 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Everything Jesus did He did to glorify God. Everything we do we should do to glorify God.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
I want to be very clear when it comes to worship we are free to worship—as long as it is sincere, and honoring to God. Now everyone is different and not everyone worships in the exact same way, you worship how God leads you to worship, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or not doing—as long as it comes from the heart. Paul says it must be holy and acceptable—set apart and pleasing to God. So, if you want to clap—clap, if you want to raise your hands—raise them, if you want to say Amen, or praise the Lord—say it. We are to honor and glorify Him in all our ways, as long as it comes from the heart—out of our relationship with Him.
Today as we close ask yourself this question, am I presenting myself as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. Is my relationship with Christ my focus, do I live each day focused on Him, following His lead. Or am I living for something else. Do I live each day on a mission, am I living sent. Does everything I do glorify God.
