The Purpose of Worship

Introduction

On December 14, 1996, the 763-foot grain ship, The Bright Field, was heading down the Mississippi near New Orleans, Louisiana, when it lost control, veered toward the shore and crashed into a riverside shopping mall. At the time, the Riverwalk Mall was crowded with some 1,000 shoppers causing injuries to 116 of them. The impact of the freighter demolished parts of the wharf, which is the site of 200 shops and restaurants as well as the adjoining Hilton Hotel.

The ship lost control in the stretch in the Mississippi that is considered the most difficult to navigate. After a year-long investigation, the Coast Guard concluded the freighter lost control because the engine failed. The engine failed because of low oil pressure. The oil pressure was low because of a clogged oil filter. And the oil filter was clogged because the ship’s crew did not maintain the engine properly.

Our time of worship is the filter to the engine that drives the Church and ultimately our lives. Worship has an important purpose. When we fail to maintain the significance of that purpose, we begin a breakdown of our purpose as a church, our mission as believers, and our role as worshippers. Many times, major disasters can be traced back to details that were overlooked or viewed as unimportant. Such as a small oil filter on a ship more than twice the length of a football field. (Credit: Kerry Bauman)

This morning, you arrived with very little by the means of comforts and preferences. Maybe some of these comforts were what drew you to be a part of our church. That’s ok, but that’s not why we are here. I chose to strip down our worship today and, in some weeks, to come so that we as a church may press-in to why we are really here. We must keep the main thing the main thing! So this morning, I am briefly going to share with you “The Purpose of Worship” and then we will close with some songs.

True Worship Amplifies Our Adoration of Jesus as Lord

When we worship, we are proclaiming vocally and physically our love and adoration to God as Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the first and primary purpose of worship. Last week, I shared with you William Temple’s definition of worship, and it is worth repeating again today.

William Temple defined worship as “…the submission of all our nature to God; the quickening of conscience by His holiness; nourishment of mind by His truth; purifying of imagination by His beauty; opening of the heart by His love; and submission of the will to His purpose. All these gathered up in adoration is the greatest expression of which we are capable.”

Worship is never about our preferences, our feelings, our current situations, our happiness. In fact, worship becomes more meaningful during times of weakness, sickness, and tribulation. We adore Jesus because of his amazing, incredible, marvelous, astounding character. Even in our sinful state he poured out his grace upon us. He did so, because of his love for us, not because we deserved or earned it.

· The quickening of conscience by HIS holiness (not mine)

· The nourishment of mind by His truth (not mine)

· The purifying of imagination by His beauty (not mine)

· Opening of the heart by His love (not mine)

· The submission of the to His purpose (not mine)

The Bible is full of examples of people who worship and adore God simply because of who he is and his character. Our first and most important purpose in worship has nothing to do with us. The very nature of God, His power, His might, and his majesty is cause for us to worship Him. I love how David expressed this in

English Standard Version Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2  Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

3  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4  what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

5  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

7  all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

8  the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9  O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Worship is not about you. So much modern songs used in worship settings are centered around the words "Me & I." What is good for the radio is usually not suited for the worship service. If we emulating popular culture, then the worship is not centered around God, is more about our preference. In fact, worship is not just an elected activity, but it is a Divine Command by God to His people and all the earth.

Worship Adjusts Our Attitude Toward God

English Standard Version Psalm 16

11  You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

When life comes crashing down, the first thing we tend to do is question God for our terrible circumstances. David believed he was in danger of death at the hands of his enemies. Still he resisted the temptation to lash out at God and chose to worship Him. What did he discover? He came to understand that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy! There was an adjustment to his attitude! Instead of clinging to bitterness and anger at his life circumstance, David was infused with joy.

This is what true worship accomplishes. It replaces resentment, fear or anger with joy as we take the challenges and trials we encounter in life and lay them at the Lord’s feet. David was a man who sought the Lord moment by moment, day by day. Worship for him was a way of life. Because he was constantly in the presence of God, his was filled with joy.

A little boy wanted to see the circus that was coming to town. His dad gave him the money to go. There in town he got his first glimpse of the parade. There were elephants, lions and tigers, acrobats and marching bands. At the end of the parade were the clowns.

The little boy was so excited that when the clown passed, he reached in his pocket and handed him the precious dollar bill. Thinking he had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade.

For most people we come to with the intent to worship God, but all we see is the parade. We hear the music, the singing, and preaching, but that’s not why we are here. We are to come to be with Jesus. Eugene Peterson says, "(Sunday morning) worship does not satisfy our hunger for God—it whets our appetite..”

True Worship Abandons Our Offenses to God

Like Isaiah in the throne room of heaven, when we come into the presence of God, we see ourselves with the lens and light of God. This is not to demoralize us. To the contrary. It is to transform us to be more like Christ. “Worship liberates the personality by giving a new perspective to life, by bringing into the life the virtues of humility, loyalty, devotion, and rightness of attitude, thus refreshing and reviving the spirit. (Roswell Long)

Worship is transformations. It beckons us to leave the matters of the heart, the sin, and the things that separate us to come closer to God. True worship causes us to abandon our offenses to God, because our hearts are drawn to his goodness and mercy.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

2 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.

God loves you the way you are and He also loves you enough not to leave you there. When we worship God in Spirit and Truth; when our worship is infused with Scripture and the truths of heaven. Our hearts are continually transformed. We long for the goodness of God.

True Worship Attracts Others to Do the Same

Lastly, worship is highly relational. Worship is not a solo act. You may say, wait a minute I worship all the time by myself. True, but who are you worshipping. True Christian worship begins with relationship with the Living Christ. Unlike someone worshipping a tree or idol, when we worship Christ we are in communion with Christ.

English Standard Version Chapter 15

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Not only must our worship involve the vertical with Jesus, it should involve the horizontal relationship with other. Yes you can worship without other people, but the true intent of worship is to joined together with others. There are over 250 one-another verses in the Bible.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

When we read about worship in the Bible is usually involves throngs of people coming together to worship. When you worship, you are encouraging others. Your worship encourages others and supports other spiritually to come into Christ’s presence.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

English Standard Version Psalm 95

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

2  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

3  For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

Our purpose is to worship God. When we as a church enter into true worship, ordinary church services will be transformed into spiritual feasts. Our time with God should be so uniquely powerful that anyone who sees us will instantly know they are in the presence of God. Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us. This will be our eternal job in Heaven.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Take it to the Cross

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Agnus Dei

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