Worship- Instruments of Exaltation

Worship is in us

Bible Passage: Psalms 73:25-26, Psalms 16

Summary: The human experience has many universal truths. The most self-evident being praise/worship are the natural responses to the things that bring us joy. Directing our praise to God completes our design because ultimate joy is found in Him.

Application: Pay attention to our constant need to exalt one thing over another. This confirms God’s imprint on mankind to direct praise to Him.

Big Idea: “we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” -CS Lewis

Song: Who Else - Gateway Worship

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Opening: This is a 5 part series designed to help us build our understanding of a life of worship. Romans 12 says to present our entire bodies as a sacrifice so we are going to look at how we can bring all of our life into God’s service. Today’s goal is to show that praise and worship sweat out of us when we experience real joy. We are designed to bring praise to whatever moves us in awe.

Psalm 16:8–9 “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.”

If we want our heart to be glad we don’t start with it, we start with setting the Lord before us. So we begin with Him!

Head- you have to hear the right thing to do. The boy was a 17 HS linebacker who was playing video games when his mom said she had to go to the store to get dinner. He didn’t hear her.

Heart- a story will move you. A boy missed his mom & needed to find her to eat.

Feet- call his mom, break the game system.

Right understanding can permit our hearts to act in full devotion. So today is about setting up the truth well. We want a radical change but like working out there are no shortcuts so every step can have such big implications.

Worship is the consummation of joy. We aren’t able to experience anything that bring us joy without discussing, sharing or giving ourselves to it. That is praise and worship. We share what changes us and we are designed to. 

Point 1:

Complete joy:  

Reflections on the Psalms

-Praise is the natural response to anything that brings us joy. If God is ultimate joy and he comes to us then what will naturally flow from us is praise. Saying “Wasn’t that crazy!?” Is saying, come join in offering praise to that thing”. 

Paint it: magic trick. When you see a trick the response that comes out is 

UNTIL someone or something invokes doubt or fear. When I heard it was a magic “trick” or “illusion”, it caused my joy to feel shame, disappointment, fear etc. Someone says, “it’s not real. You’re being fooled or you’re allowing yourself to believe a lie and you should be smarter than that etc. 

Praise is blocked by fear. 

An understandable response would be to double down to PROVE why the joyful thing is worthy of praise BUT the fullest expression of joy isn’t in proving it’s in enjoying. 

 “I like magic shows because it’s the best way to…[________] “

You’re not defending “magic” you’re defending you reason for liking it. 

But when was the best moment in all of that? Enjoying the magic. 

It is terribly vital to place ourselves in atmospheres where fear won’t discourage praise. This is why freedom liberty matter. When we express full joy we express our full self. 

If we think about the actual intensity of the expression too long it can get us misguided because we have different inclinations and God looks at our heart. But the outward expression tells on us when something really bring us joy and THAT is what we should protect at all costs. 

If people laughed whenever you came out of a gym because you were sweaty we would say, “but that’s what I’m here for!” So, gyms cover the windows, and protect the people from shame. 

 What are some expressions that the bible certifies? Lets talk about some.

We are going to discuss why we should crush on Jesus but today the goal is to get us to admit when anything of value is enjoyed that praise the natural completion of the process. Awe, curiosity, reverence, wonder, defense (for why I love Him - not why I can prove him to you), conviction are all emotions that come out of us.    

Personal buy in: I am tired of the feeling being overwhelmed by relational triage. Who do you help first, best and to completion. God is working in me to join in the process of reconciliation but my own nature sometimes wars against Him. So when I meditate on HIS nature that can do it all perfectly I rest in awe and say, THANK YOU! What is hell? an eternity of the weight of that with no hope that I’m on the right track.

The refusal of a kiss after a perfect date night is what God would be doing for not directing our heart to worship Him. So it’s up to us to get an idea of how much joy is in