Gripped by Worship of God

Intro

Recap series so far - being gripped by the awesomeness and holiness of God. Worship is the natural outworking.

Worship grips us in a way that keeps us from taking the redeeming love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for granted.

Worship grips us in a way that fills our lives with the courage of hope that only comes by considering the greatness of God.

Worship grips us by produceing a joyful surrender to One greater than us and reminds us of the grace that enables us to do it.

Problems in worship:

Sometimes we don’t feel it

We worship out of a sense of obligation rather than desire

We worship in order to “get” what we think we want or need

Fly on the wall ()

Isaiah is talking to religious folks who’s worship had become disconnected (and they felt it). Starts negative and moves to positive.

Could there be something in my life that matches this?

Acknowledge unbelievers

Exposition

“feeling God’s closeness in worship”

worship out of a sense of obligation

Worship in order to get - frustration builds

He is talking to religious people.

This topic has given people an opportunity to blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus.

Fasting - Sabbath = worship

2 Parts the problem and the solution

Could there be something in my life that matches this?

Exposition

Isaiah 58:1 NIV

1 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

God loves people enough to confront their sin.

Isaiah 58:1–3 NIV

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.

blah, blah, blah…sin, transgressions, iniquities…I’ve heard it all before; I’m not good enough!

Every person struggles with sin and all sin destroys.

Isaiah 58:2–3 NIV

2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.

Worship can be selfish

It’s easy to get comfortable in religion and selfish in motives.

These people loved to come together for worship and Bible studies.

They say, “We worshipped! Why don’t we see the fruit? Why do it if nothing happens?”

Have you ever been there? There is a motivation issue here. If you worship so God will respond in a certain way, you’ve missed...

They were in relationship with God and went through the motions yet their life resembles the rest of the world. (Scott’s story)

Don’t sing about it - be about it!

Could that be said of me?

Isaiah 58:4 NIV

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Worship should unite, not cause strife

lit. you fast for quarreling. You fight so much it must be why you worship!

Notice he doesn’t explain. What could have cause fist fights?

Different needs and desires

Different preferences

Different sin struggles

Each person must do their part

Romans 12:18 NIV

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Never expect God to respond to worship when we are causing division in his family.

Could that be said of me?

Isaiah 5:5–8 NIV

Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.

Isaiah 58:5–8 NIV

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:

Isaiah 58:5 NIV

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Isaiah 58:6–8 NIV

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

-8

God desires worship rooted in serving those he loves

We cannot talk about loving God and worshiping him while we ignore the needs and struggles of his people he loves.

No faking it! Eugene Peterson nailed this.

“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want. .

God will not listen to worship while folks ignore the plight of others.

In sets of people went to John the baptist and asked what they needed to do: 1) crowds - share with the poor; 2) tax collectors - don’t take more than you should; 3) soldiers - don’t take advantage of people

I wonder if that could be said of me?

Isaiah 58:9 NIV

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

Isaiah 58:

Get rid of sin and let worship grip your life with the greatness of God

God will respond to our cries for help like a father to a scared child.

Conditions:

Stop taking advantage of people (describe a yoke)

Stop judging everyone

Stop the trash talking

Notice God doesn’t say, “I’ll take away the problem…I’m right here.”

I want this to be said of me!

Isaiah 58:10–11 NIV

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:

When people are your concern - Heaven will be your supply

You will have clear guidance from God for your life.

You will have what you need. The emphasis is not on when but where - in the sun-scorched land. Again, notice he doesn’t promise to remove you from the “sun-scorched land” but to satisfy there.

You will receive help from the outside (water into the garden) and from the inside (like a spring).

I want this to be said of me!

Isaiah 58:12 NIV

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58

Proper worship that involves heart and hands, rebuilds ruins

Work of new creation

I want this to be said of me!

Isaiah 58:13–14 NIV

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 58:13-14

When your heart is gripped by the worship of God, he will provide a joy that the world doesn’t know.

God is most pleased with us when we are most satisfied in him. Piper

I most definitely want that to be said of me.

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