Planned for God's Pleasure
Planned for God’s Pleasure
Purpose Driven Life #2
Worship
September 2nd, 2004 and September 3rd, 2004
Introduction
This is week 2 of the 40 days of purpose. We started the small groups on the church campus Wednesday night as well as in many locations in the area. We encourage you to get involved if you aren’t already. I trust you are staying up with the reading or listening in the book or cassettes or CDs. Last week was kind of an overview and today we are talking about the first purpose. We have been doing and teaching this for years. Rick Warren has simply organized it in a very understandable way. Today we are talking about “PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE.”
-What a great thought! God made us just to enjoy us. He finds pleasure in us just because we are His creation and His children.
-That is the same way we feel about our children and grandchildren.
-What God desires is for us to LOVE HIM BACK.
-Notice this is the first and greatest commandment.
-Jesus summarized and prioritized the entire Bible. Love God.
-Worship is knowing the truth about God and loving Him back.
-He loves us and we worship Him by responding back to Him in worship.
John 4 Message
Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”
“Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”[1]
-What was Jesus saying here?
· It isn’t about the place, where you worship
· You have to know God to worship Him properly
· True worship is who you are and the way you live
· It must engage your spirit and come from a heart of passion
· It comes from being yourself before God
-The key word in worship is the word “offer”.
-Worship is what you offer back to God in light of who He is and what He has done for you.
-If you want to worship God more deeply; discover who He is.
-You worship increases according to your revelation of God and what He has done for you.
-It is like breathing. God is good to you. You behold a truth about God and it leaves you speechless.
-Your response is worship.
-The more you see about Him, the easier it is to worship and express gratitude to Him.
-What are you offering back to God?
-Grumbling, complaining, or thankfulness?
-God wants you to love Him with your mind.
-He wants you to know Him and to know what He is like.
-You aren’t supposed to turn your brain off. Worship Him thoughtfully.
-God wants you to worship Him from your heart.
-Your wife or husband wants you to feel passion and emotions about them. Duty is good but you want someone to feel deeply and passionately about you.
-This is with all of your heart. From the deepest part of your emotions.
-Worship isn’t entirely emotions but our emotions should be involved.
-It is ok to cry or laugh or express yourself.
-This means to love God with your abilities.
Example
We know the story from the movie, “Chariots of Fire”. Eric Liddell was an Olympic athlete who was a Christian and missionary. His sister thought he was wasting his time running and he ought to be doing more spiritual things. Eric told his sister; ‘God made me fast and when I run I sense His pleasure’. God was pleased when Eric ran and gave Him the credit for making him fast.
-I was thinking this week that we sometimes think the only time we worship God is during the first half hour of a service.
-The truth is; those who were digging in the dirt on Saturday were worshipping God.
-Worshipping God is offering yourself back to God, not just your music.
-We have confused singing and worship.
-I couldn’t help but think about the song “Heart of Worship” as I thought about this message. I then discovered it was part of the original message. It fits so well.
-Matt Redmon was a worship leader in England and the pastor preached about worship going much deeper than singing.
-We sometimes worship worship. It is sometimes a spiritual buzz that has nothing to do with God.
-Sometimes we do it because it has a good beat and it’s easy to dance to.
-They stopped the worship service for a season and this song came out of it.
Read Words from Song
-If God just wanted music most of us would be in trouble.
-Music and singing is an aid to worship but not worship.
-It is an aid to help us express our hearts to God.
-God isn’t just looking for singers but worshippers.
-Rick Warren mentioned that we have even made it a style. Worship is slow and praise is fast.
-Another statement he made is: There is no such thing as Christian Music.
-There are only Christian lyrics.
-I was flipping through the channels on the radio station and I noticed real quickly that I didn’t like all of the music styles. God does if people are worshipping Him with them.
POLL
Country? Rock? Classical? Blue Grass? Hymns? Hip Hop?
-We sometimes criticize styles of music but the style is secondary.
-Our style tells about our culture and background, not our theology.
-I have said in the past that in times of revival well known hymn writers took pub songs and changed the lyrics.
-I heard a pastor that I respect say most contemporary Christian artists sing good but they are spiritual midgets. Just because someone can write a good song and grab your emotions doesn’t make it profitable.
-To some from the Charismatic revival; it isn’t worship unless we sing “We bring a sacrifice of praise” or “I will enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart”.
-To some it isn’t worship unless an electric guitar is involved.
-It should involve our emotions, our intellect, our abilities.
-True worship is a lifestyle of obedience, sacrifice, and gratitude.
-Focus is a good word. It simply means to fix your attention on something intently.
-It just means to pay attention. To be there.
Hebrews 12 NIV
2 /Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [2] /
-God has given you His attention.
-Isn’t it frustrating when someone isn’t really listening to you?
-Attention is one of the greatest expressions of love.
-People know you love them when you focus on them and really listen. You are giving them you attention.
-The opposite of attention is distraction.
-There is so much vying for your attention and affection. Where you place that focus reveals your heart and what you love.
-You wives say often when your husband isn’t paying attention that you don’t feel like he loves you. Why? Because he doesn’t listen to you or pay attention.
-Worship is focusing your attention on God.
-This is telling God by your words and actions that you care about Him.
-God demonstrated His love for us when he sent Jesus.
-We should love not just in word but in deed and in truth.
-If you are reaching out to people who are hurting in Jesus’ name…you are worshipping.
-Music and singing are great ways to express your heart to God.
-Helping His people is another way.
-True worship is giving yourself completely to God.
-This Scripture is talking about a “LIFE OF WORSHIP”.
-Don’t compartmentalize your worship into a slice of your life when you are singing.
-What would happen if we didn’t have electricity or worship leaders?
-Could we still worship God?
-Of course. We probably wouldn’t be able to express ourselves to God as well but worship is a lifestyle.
-It is in spirit and truth.
-Invite God into all of your life; every part of it.
-You have a way of checking your spiritual report card.
-Look at your calendar for the last twelve months and your check stubs.
-Now you know what you worship. We all worship something.
Salvation/Commitment to live a life of Worship
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[1]Peterson, E. H. (1995). The message : New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (Jn 4:1). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.
[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Heb 12:2). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.