A Living Sacrifice

SLIDE: JESUS CAME TO TEAR DOWN EVERY IDOL

DUST- RECAP AND SETUP:

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE DUST IN THE CORNERS OF OUR HEART IN THIS SERIES

TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT A STORY WHEN ISRAEL HAD COLLECTED SO MUCH DUST IN THEIR HEARTS THEY ACTUALLY BORDED UP THE TEMPLE!

THIS IS THE STORY OF A UNIQUE KING OF ISRAEL WHO DEMONSTRATES THE ONE RIGHT RESPONSE WHEN WE DISCOVER WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY ABOUT OUR DUST.

CONTEXT:

READ: 2 KINGS 21:19-24 ESV

2 GENERATIONS TURNED FROM THE LORD.

VS 21- REMINDER TO PARENTS THAT OUR KIDS NOTICE WHAT WE WORSHIP

WORSHIP:

THAT IS THE FOCUS OF OUR JOURNEY TODAY: WORSHIP

WORSHIP IS MORE IS MORE THAN FORMAL RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

SLIDE: WHAT PICTURE COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF WORSHIP?

IS IT SOMETHING LIKE THIS

PICTURE: HYMN BOOK

PICTURE: MODERN WORSHIP

THESE ARE MODERN CONSTRUCTS OF WORSHIP

MANY OF US HAVE ACCEPTED AND REDUCED WORSHIP DOWN TO JUST SINGING CERTAIN SONGS

YOU CAN WORSHIP THOUGH SINGING, BUT WORSHIP IS MORE THAN SINGING

IN THIS STORY WE’RE LOOKING AT TODAY, THEY WORSHIPPED IDOLS

WHAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE?

IDOLS

IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IDOLATRY IS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WORSHIP

SLIDE: WORSHIP IS DETERMINED BY GOD.

AMON DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE LORD’S SIGHT

IT WASN’T ABOUT SONGS OR SINCERITY, IT WAS ABOUT SURRENDER

SEE IN THE CULTURE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE, PEOPLE HAD A REVERENCE FOR THE SUPERNATURAL.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD, IT WAS BECAUSE OF A SUPERNATURAL PROVISION

WHEN LIFE IS GIVEN, IT WAS BECAUSE OF A SUPERNATURAL PROVISION

WHEN DISASTERS CAME, IT WAS BECAUSE OF A SUPERNATURAL GRIEVENCE

THERE WASN’T A QUESTION OF IF THERE WAS A GOD, IT WAS A QUESTION OF WHICH GOD IS ABLE TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT.

VS 21 SAYS AMON AND HIS FATHER WALKED AND SERVED IDOLS

THAT WORD WALK IS IMPORTANT TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WORSHIP

IT’S USED 1,527 TIMES IN THE OT

SAME WORD GOD SPOKE TO ABRAM “TO GO” INTO THE LAND I AM GIVING YOU

SAME WORD WHEN MOSES WAS TO GO TO PHAROAH

SAME WORD FOR WHY GOD WAS BRINGING THEM OUT OF EGYPT TO GO INTO THE WILDERNESS TO WORSHIP HIM.

SLIDE: WALKING WAS ABOUT MORE THAN STEPS, IT WAS ABOUT OBEDIENCE.

IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE THAT EVERY NAMED IDOL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT EITHER SHARES THE SAME ROOT AS “WALK” (-LEK) OR IS ATTACHED TO IT BY DEFINITION.

SLIDE: MELEK- KING, BA’AL- MASTER, MOLECH- KING OR SACRIFICE, ASHUR- , ASHERAH*- HAPPY/UPRIGHT

ASHERAH IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER LOCAL LANGUAGE GROUP TO MEAN “TO WALK”

WHEN ISRAEL TURNED TO IDOLS, THEY WEREN’T LOOKING FOR NEW RITUALS TO LEARN, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A KING TO SERVE.

JOSIAH

READ: 2 KINGS 22:1-2 ESV

JOSIAH BECAME KING AFTER HIS FATHER WAS MURDERED IN A COUP

JOSIAH WAS 8 YEARS OLD

NOTICE BECAUSE HE DID WHAT IS RIGHT ACCORDING TO GOD, HE DID NOT BEAR THE SHAME OF HIS FATHER OR GRANDFATHER, BUT IS IDENTIFIED AS A CHILD OF DAVID. **MY BIBLE STUDY PEEPS KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!

READ: 2 KINGS 22:3-6 ESV

TRANSLATION: THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN NEGLECTED AND IT’S TIME TO CLEAN UP

READ: 2 KINGS 22:8-11 ESV

JOSIAH GIVES US A PICTURE OF WHAT RIGHT WORSHIP LOOKS LIKE

HE WAS THE KING, BUT HE TORE HIS KINGLY ROBES AS HE RECOGNIZED HIS SIN AND THE SIN OF THE NATION BEFORE THE KING OF KINGS.

SLIDE: WORSHIP IS RECOGNIZING GOD’S SUPREMACY, RESPONDING IN REVERENCE, AND SUBMITTING OUR LIVES TO BE TRANSFORMED.

RECOGNIZING

THE ISSUE OF WORSHIP IS NOT “DOES GOD EXIST”

IT’S RECOGNIZING THAT GOD IS KING

WHEN YOU WAKE UP, IS IT “THY WILL BE DONE” OR “MY WILL BE DONE”?

JOSIAH LOOKED AT THE TEMPLE AND THE DUST AND DECIDED THIS WAS NO PLACE FOR A KING.

WHEN WE TAKE TIME IN A SEASON LIKE LENT, WE RECOGNIZE THAT GOD IS KING AND WE ARE NOT

LIKE THE VERSE WE READ THE FIRST WEEK: WE ARE DUST

WORSHIP HAPPENS IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE RECOGNIZE HIS KINGSHIP IN EVERY PART OF LIFE.

GOD IS NOT JUST KING WHEN WE’RE SINGING, HE’S THE KING WHO MADE SINGING, HE’S ALWAYS BEEN KING AND WILL ALWAYS BE KING.

RESPONDING

WOULD YOU TALK AND BEHAVE IN CHURCH THE WAY YOU DO AT WORK?

YOUR LIFE IS YOUR RESPONSE

READ: LUKE 6:45 ESV

Luke 6:45 ESV

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO CLEAR THE DUST OF OUR HEARTS!

WHATEVER IS STORED UP IN YOUR HEART IS WHAT WILL COME OUT OF YOU.

YOUR HEART IS YOUR DECISION MAKING CENTER

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE KING HAS EXPECTATIONS FOR LIFE AND THAT HE IS WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU RESPOND TO LIFE.

GOD IS NOT A COSMIC SANTA MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE, HE IS AN ETERNAL FATHER WHO IS LOVE THAT MADE US TO IMAGE HIS LOVE, MERCY, AND JUSTICE EVERYWHERE WE GO.

OUR LIVES ARE MEANT TO RESPOND IN REVERENCE THAT OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN AND EVERY DAY IS A GIFT AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK AND PARTNER WITH GOD.

SUBMIT

READ: ROMANS 12:1-2 ESV

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

WORSHIP IS ABOUT LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES BEFORE GOD IN ORDER THAT HE MAY GIVE US A TRANSFORMED LIFE.

THE IDOLS WE SEE AROUND THE WORLD AND IN BIBLE TIMES ARE CARVED IMAGES.

THEY WOULD FASHION THEM WITH AN OPEN MOUTH AND PLACE THEM IN GARDENS OR ON MOUNTAIN TOPS

THEY WOULD SLEEP OUTSIDE THE GARDEN AND WAKE UP AND PERFORM THIS CEREMONY ACTING LIKE A SPIRIT HAS NOW MADE THE IDOL A LIVING THING INDWELLED BY A SPIRIT.

THEY WOULD OFFER SACRIFICES TO APPEASE IT

THEY MADE A GOD IN THEIR IMAGE TO MEET THIER DEMANDS AND NEEDS.

THE MIRROR

WE DON’T SEE PEOPLE FASHIONING IDOLS TOO OFTEN IN AMERICA BECAUSE MANY OF US ARE CONTENT TO WORSHIP OURSELVES.

WE “WALK” TO MAKE OTHERS SEE US A CERTAIN WAY, WE DESIRE LIFE TO GO AS WE PLANNED IT, WE LIVE AS THOUGH OUR WORK AND EFFORTS ARE WHAT CAN PROVIDE FOR US AND MAKE US INTO SOMETHING WORTHY.

WHEN WE TRY TO CORRECT OUR IMAGE AND NOT OUR HEARTS WE SHATTER

THE GOOD NEWS

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT GOD MADE US IN HIS IMAGE AND THAT HE PLACED US INSIDE HIS CREATION WHICH HAS AN ABUNDANCE TO MEET OUR NEEDS.

THE REASON GOD COMMANDS US NOT TO MAKE ANY IMAGE OF HIM IS THAT GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED HIS IMAGE ON THE EARTH.

THE ISSUE IS, ARE WE SUBMITTED TO BE MADE INTO THAT IMAGE OR NOT.

INVITATION

JOSIAH SHOWED US THAT RIGHT WORSHIP BEGINS IN REPENTANCE AND ENDS IN AWE.

I LOVE A GOOD SONG THAT GIVES ME LANGUAGE FOR GIVING GOD HONOR AND PRAISE, BUT IF MY LIFE OFF OF THIS STAGE AND OUTSIDE OF THIS BUILDING DOESN’T LIVE LIKE THOSE SONGS ARE TRUE THEN IT ISN’T REALLY WORSHIP IT’S ENTERTAINMENT.

SLIDE: WORSHIP IS YOUR POSTURE BEHIND YOUR ACTIONS.

YOU WANT TO FOLLOW JESUS? HE’S LEADING US TO THE CROSS. WHEN WE DIE TO OURSELVES, WE HAVE EYES TO SEE GOD AS HE TRULY IS AND WE CAN SEE WHO HE MADE US TO BE AND FROM THAT WE RESPOND IN WORSHIP.

SLIDE: HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TODAY?

SOME OF US NEED TO TEAR OUR KINGLY GARMENTS

SOME OF US NEED TO REPENT FOR WHAT’S IN OUR HEART AND ASK GOD TO GIVE US A NEW HEART

SOME OF US NEED TO SUBMIT TO GOD AND STOP TRYING TO DRAG ALONG OUR FORMER SELVES WITH THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

SOME OF US NEED TO KEEP GOING AND KEEP WALKING WITH THE LORD

PRAY