Created To Worship
Notes
Transcript
INTRO - Welcome/ Quick intro of me and my relationship with Matt and Destiney through IBC.
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INTRO -
I am originally from Oklahoma, the other side of the Red River and I must admit I am a huge fan of college football and the University of Oklahoma. I realize that puts me into a dangerous position right now as I stand in Texas.
I bring it up because I had noticed in years past that I worshipped the football program of the Sooners. I would be nervous before the game, even clean house in a nervous fit.
My identity was placed in the football program - Like I was part of a gang
If they won - I had a great weekend
If they lost - I felt ruined, depressed, and irritable.
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John Piper describing the cause and affect of worship said,
John Piper describing the cause and affect of worship said,
“I am most satisfied when God is most glorified in me
And God is most glorified when I am most satisfied in Him.”
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That sounds great but what happens when our worship turns to empty idols, false and empty gods? What happens when we replace God with our favorite sports team, political party, job, sex, family, success, science, favorite author or theologian, or ourselves?
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Last week pastor Matt spoke about SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
Last week pastor Matt spoke about SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
Today, I want to speak to you about the pitfalls of idolatry and the GLORY of WORSHIP to the ONE TRUE GOD!
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Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
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There are two incredible facts we are taught in this passage.
There are two incredible facts we are taught in this passage.
God desires worship.
God desires worship.
Humanity longs to worship and look for opportunities to worship.
Humanity longs to worship and look for opportunities to worship.
We know God desires worship if for no other reason than He created man with a longing and desire to worship.
God even gives us the method of worship -
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Worship starts with knowing the Lord - Who he is and that he is ONE.
Worship is to encompass all that it is to be a human; emotions, intellect, and body.
True Worship desires to Magnify God to others and to teach them who He is so, others too can worship.
As humans we naturally want to share beauty with others.
Showing off my wife when we were dating
Driving past a beautiful field - we naturally want others to look.
We cannot experience the fullness of Beauty without sharing it for others to appreciate.
True Worship is viral - We have to share the BEAUTY of GOD - Glory of GOD!
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WORSHIP IS POWERFUL
WORSHIP IS POWERFUL
THROUGH WORSHIP THE WORSHIPPER TAKES ON THE IDENTITY, CHARACTER, AND NATURE OF THE OBJECT THEY WORSHIP!
True Worship of God Will Always Lead to Transformation/ Sanctification
True Worship of God Will Always Lead to Transformation/ Sanctification
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Through the Worship of the One True God in the Person of Jesus we are Transformed into the character and nature of Jesus.
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Yet the Inverse is True Also.
Yet the Inverse is True Also.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Notice, god did not make them sinful but rather, turned them over to the very objects they are worshipping.
The world is what it is because of the gods we have chosen to worship.
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Application -
Today the gods do not go by the names of Hermes or Zeus. We are too modern for that, we would scoff.
Instead they go by the names of - victory, success at any cost, sex, love of money, love of power, the name of your favorite political party, even our own families and our selves.
When we worship that which is fallen, we will always take on the nature and characteristics of that fallen nature.
However, when we worship the Lord Jesus, with all our heart, soul, and might. When we worship God with all we are and forsake our idols, we are transformed into His very image and nature.
From Glory to Glory.
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Like Paul and Barnabas we must be humble - We must refuse to allow people to think of ourselves as something special, something to be worshiped.
We must refuse the trap of self worship - The lust of being elevated by others.
Like Paul and Barnabas we must be people of the Gospel -
When elevated we must preach Jesus as King
When persecuted we must preach Jesus as King
When mocked and laughed at, we must preach Jesus as King
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Humanity Longs to Worship, your children long to worship, your neighbor longs to worship, your atheist friend longs to worship.
Therefore, God longs for you to share His glory, His beauty, through His Gospel.
If you want to change the world it will not be done through the powers of this world but through a life of worship and the insatiable desire to invite all you know and encounter into the presence of Jesus.
Like the Moon, our purpose is not to shine our own light but to reflect the Light of the SON!