We Value Worship
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Do you ever get frustrated? Do you ever want to pull your hair out? Have you ever been ticked off by someone’s behavior? How about God? Does God ever get ticked off? Does God ever say, “enough!”
Open your bible and turn to Malachi 1:6-11
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised.
8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
In the late 1990’s, Matt Redman’s home church in Watford, England was going through a spiritually tough time. The worship band’s musical creativity was on a high, making new and influential songs for the local church with an impact on church worship nationwide – even worldwide. A Missing Dynamic "Yet", recalled Redman, "there was a dynamic missing. So the pastor did a pretty brave thing."
The pastor Mike Pilavachi, asked his congregation what they were bringing to God in worship, or if they were just there as consumers, soaking up the music. His point was that the band and church had lost their way in worship, and the only solution was to strip out every diversion and distraction; and that included the entire sound system and the worship band. Then the Music Faded… Initially, Matt remembers, ‘unplugging’ just led to an embarrassing silence. But eventually the congregation rediscovered their own voices, singing unaccompanied, offering up heartfelt prayers and encountering God in a fresh way. By the time they felt sufficiently ready to reintroduce the musicians and sound system, the church had found a new perspective on worship: that it’s all about Jesus, and that it demands a response from the heart.
Based on that experience Matt Redman wrote a song, and here’s the chorus:
- God’s word is not a mediocre book, it’s a powerful book God’s love is not a mediocre love, it’s a refining love God’s people do not serve a mediocre Lord, we serve a great Lord
- God’s word is not a mediocre book, it’s a powerful book God’s love is not a mediocre love, it’s a refining love God’s people do not serve a mediocre Lord, we serve a great Lord
God’s love is not a mediocre love, it’s a refining love
God’s people do not serve a mediocre Lord, we serve a great Lord
If God’s love is not mediocre our worship should not be mediocre
If God’s love is not mediocre our worship should not be mediocre
If God’s love is not mediocre our worship should not be mediocre
If God’s love is not mediocre our worship should not be mediocre
- God’s word is not a mediocre book, it’s a powerful book God’s love is not a mediocre love, it’s a refining love God’s people do not serve a mediocre Lord, we serve a great Lord
Unashamed Adoration - Lifting high the name of Jesus in worship ().
Unashamed Adoration - Lifting high the name of Jesus in worship ().
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We mean vertical worship. Every facet of the worship service lifts high the the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ.
God’s love is not a mediocre love, it’s a refining love
We mean vertical worship. Every facet of the worship service lifts high the the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ.
(1) Worship is all about honor, fear, and reverence (1:6)
(1) Worship is all about honor, fear, and reverence (1:6)
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
Honor God - honor the sabbath, honor and respect
Fear God -
Revere God - the fame of the name
Do we lift high the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ?
6 Scriptures we need to boost our worship of God from mediocre to biblical
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!
Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men.
And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
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.
God’s people do not serve a mediocre Lord, we serve a great Lord
(2) Worship always involves sacrifice (1:7-9)
(2) Worship always involves sacrifice (1:7-9)
How have we despised your name?
7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised.
8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:7-
Overcoming mediocre worship:
Strengthening your private worship - pray, read, sing
Strengthening your public worship - come prepared, come praying, come anticipating, come on time, come to get AND to give
Psalm 2:
(3) Worship involves separation and exaltation (1:10-11)
(3) Worship involves separation and exaltation (1:10-11)
10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
God’s name is made great when I:
Give him the glory for the accomplishments in my life
Openly express gratitude to those around me for what God has done
Publicly obey him, honor him, and worship him
24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
3 ways we can improve our worship:
Singing is worship
Listening is worship
Giving is worship
Worshiping in private is worship
The worship band’s musical creativity was on a high, making new and influential songs for the local church with an impact on church worship nationwide – even worldwide.
A Missing Dynamic
A Missing Dynamic
"Yet", recalled Redman, talking to Crosswalk’s David Schrader, "there was a dynamic missing. So the pastor did a pretty brave thing."
The pastor Mike Pilavachi, asked his congregation what they were bringing to God in worship, or if they were just there as consumers, soaking up the music. His point was that the band and church had lost their way in worship, and the only solution was to strip out every diversion and distraction; and that included the entire sound system and the worship band. Then the Music Faded… Initially, Matt remembers, ‘unplugging’ just led to an embarrassing silence. But eventually the congregation rediscovered their own voices, singing unaccompanied, offering up heartfelt prayers and encountering God in a fresh way. By the time they felt sufficiently ready to reintroduce the musicians and sound system, the church had found a new perspective on worship: that it’s all about Jesus, and that it demands a response from the heart.
Based on that experience Matt Redman wrote a song, and here’s the chorus:
Pilivachi asked his congregation what they were bringing to God in worship, or if they were just there as consumers, soaking up the music. His point was that the band and church had lost their way in worship, and the only solution was to strip out every diversion and distraction; and that included the entire sound system and the worship band.
📷
Then the Music Faded...
Then the Music Faded...
Initially, Matt remembers, ‘unplugging’ just led to an embarrassing silence. But eventually the congregation rediscovered their own voices, singing unaccompanied, offering up heartfelt prayers and encountering God in a fresh way.
By the time they felt sufficiently ready to reintroduce the musicians and sound system, the church had found a new perspective on worship: that it’s all about Jesus, and that it demands a response from the heart.