A Peek at Real Worship

A Peek at Real Worship

Introduction

Introduction

I have learned from dating to being married to my wife that a woman likes a good purse.

So, in looking at purses/bags, that there are a million kinds. Brahmin’s, Coaches, Frye’s, Dooney & Bourke’s, Michael Kors, and Louis Vuittons.

I also found out that there are fake bags. For example, the Louis Vuitton bag.

An authentic Louis Vuitton bag has the following characteristics:

I honestly felt the Dr. Thunder was not the real thing! There

Quality Materials: Louis Vuitton bags are expensive. They are made out of costly materials such as top-quality leather, boa, crocodile, lambskin and camel skin.

Fakes are made from pleather and vinyl; they may feel rough and stiff. A real Louis Vuitton is smooth and feels soft.

Trim: Louis Vuitton trim is done is Vachetta leather and tans naturally as the bag ages. Most fakes are done in a light tan trim or a fake aged trim that will not change with age.

Monogram placement: Monogram placement is done carefully and is consistent on pieces. It will not be crooked or cut off. It will look the same on each style of bag. The leather is one solid piece that continues to the front from the back. You will never see a seam in the middle of a bag.

Tags: These are never attached to a Louis Vuitton bag. They may come with tags, but they are simply placed in the purse or dust bag. Tags are never attached with plastic or pins.

Hardware: The hardware used on the bag is also an indicator. Fake bags will often have painted gold plastic whereas an authentic will have gold or brass metal hardware imprinted with the trademark LV logo.

Dust Bags: All bags come with a soft dust bag. This bag is done in a soft tan color and features the Louis Vuitton logo in the center. The dust bag can be done in a drawstring or envelope style.

So it is with worship, you will know the difference between real worship, and fake worship.

A theophany is the manifestation of God that is tangible to the human senses. The following are a few of what may be considered classic theophanies.

· The Lord appears to Abraham on his arrival in the land, wherein God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants ( ); God reaffirmed his promises of land and progeny when Abraham was ninety-nine years old ( ), and on the Plains of Mamre on his way to destroy Sodom ( ).

· God appeared to Jacob in his dream at Bethel ( ). It is also clear that in the events at the Jabbok ford, Jacob somehow received a revelation through an encounter with God, although neither a strict reading of the text ( ) nor its later interpretation by Hosea ( 12:3-4 ) demand a theophany.

· God appeared to Moses alone on the mountain ( ; ). God also appeared to Moses, with Aaron and his sons and the seventy elders ( ) and in the transfer of leadership to Joshua ( ).

The purpose of this sermon is to challenge each of us to do a “deep soul-searching” to see if each of us really has had an experience with God. Let’s do an extensive and intensive soul-searching to check and see if we really have had a real experience with God. See, if a person has not really experienced God for themselves it will be impossible to effect change, in a spiritual sense, in someone else’s life!

I. (1-4) Isaiah’s Observation

In Real Worship, We See God

1The year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne (high & lifted up), and the Temple was filled with his glory. 2 Hovering about him were mighty, six-winged angels of fire. With two of their wings they covered their faces, with two others they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.” 4 Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.

a.The most significant use of the ideas of glory and majesty and splendor is their application to God. In this regard, it is sometimes stated that God's glory is the external manifestation of his being. God's glory is something that appears ( ), is revealed ( ), or can be seen ( ).

b.Holy, holy, holy – apart; separate from human infirmity, impurity, and sin. In other words, God is in a class all by Himself!

c.The angels were singing back and forth; singing in response!

II. (5) Isaiah’s Realization

In Real Worship, We See Ourselves

5 Then I said, “My doom is sealed (Woe is me, for I am undone…), for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race; and I have looked upon the King, the Lord of heaven’s armies.”

a.

III. (6-7) Isaiah’s Purification & Transformation (Purging/Cleansing)

In Real Worship, We See a Change

6 Then one of the mighty angels flew over to the altar and with a pair of tongs picked out a burning coal. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “Now you are pronounced ‘not guilty’ because this coal has touched your lips. Your sins are all forgiven (covered over; atoned).”

a.“live coal” – fire is symbol of purification; as it takes the dross out of metal;

b.dross-rubbish; scum on the surface of molten metal…

IV. (8) Isaiah’s Sanctification

In Real Worship, We See Ministry

8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?” And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

a.He could not go before his purification & his transformation…

b.Isaiah was not ‘volun-told’ but, his actions were “voluntary”.