Forward Together In Worship

Good morning church family. How are you doing this morning?

I had an interesting thing happen this weekend...

Illus.: Tell the story of taking the boys to get CFA on Friday night since Julie is out of town helping wiht her mother who had surgery this week. Tell about the car the that was stuck at the drive thru window becuase something was wrong with the gear shift. The man who was in the car wanted to go and knew where he was wanted to go but was able to get there.

We’ve all been there at one time or another. We knew where we wanted to go, but we unable to get there. This happens in...

School (we get a bad grade and struggle to improve it)

Career (we get in a slump and try to get out of it)

Marriage (we get on a rut and try to ge the spark back)

Finances (we get in debt and try to get out)

This same phenomenon happens to the church. We know what God has called us to do, but for some reason we get stuck.

For example, our mission here are Piney Grove is as follows...

We exist to make disciples who meet God, meet friends and meet needs.

The problem is that it is easy to get stuck. We can blame that on a lot of things...

Pandemic

Complacency

Indifference

Our culture/society

Though these thigns maybe true, we are still called to figure out the way forward. So, for the next few weeks we are going to begin a conversation on how we move FORWARD TOGETHER. In this series on message we are going to look at our mission and discover how God is leading us to move FORWARD TOGETHER even right now in our current world climate.

As we begin we are going kick off that conversation but looking at how we move FORWARD TOGETHER in worship.

First, le’s pray together.

If you have a Bible join me in Romans 12:1-2.

Here Paul gets to the essence of what it means for followers of Jesus to meet with God, and it’s just about singing songs and sermon. There’s much more to worship than that. As a matter of fact Paul identifies three characteristics of true worship. My prayer is that as we move FORWARD TOGETHER, these three attributes would mark our worship as a church collectively and as followers of Jesus individually.

So., let’s dive on in...

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

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. 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.

#1 - True Worship Involves Responding.

Romans 12:1 ESV

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.

What is worship a response to?

There are a couple of things in this verse that help us understand what worship is a response to...

(1) “the mercies of God”

Paul said that we are to worship the Lord because of the mercies of God. What doe that mean? The word “mercies” used here is translated in other places as “compassion.”

So, worship is truly a response to God’s compassion. The fact that God through Jesus Christ doesn’t give us what we deserve. Instead, he gives us grace that we didn’t earn.

Worship is a response to what God has done for us.

Illus.: Talk about our family moving here nearly three yeas ago. When we arrived at our temporary lodging, we received a bunch of gift cards. It was so many that we were a little overwhelmed. So, we did what we knew to do. We wrote thank you cards. It was a little cost to us for a huge blessing to our family.

Worship is not an even exchange for what God has done for us, but it is the very least that we can do. There is no repayment. There is just honor and worship.

What mercies is Paul speaking of?

(2) “therefore”

Remember, when we read the word “therefore” we need to see why it is there for. That means we need to look back at what is said before. Usually we only need to look at the words that are written right before to get some context.

However, in this instance Paul is beginning a new section in the letter. So, the “therefore” refers back to the previous 11 chapter of the book. In the previous 11 chapters Paul has laid out a detail understanding of the Gospel. The peak of which is Romans 8, which we looked at a few weeks ago.

So, to get a glimpse of these mercies, let’s just read Romans 8:31-39...

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Worship is a response to that.

When we gather for worship we should walk in with hearts full and ready to praise God for that. When we enter into worship, we should enter with hearts brimming to the top with love and admiration for our great God.

However, this is quite often no the case. WHY IS THIS SO?

Illus.: Talk about the first time I held Julie’s hand and how it was so electric the first time I held her hand. However, I can hold her hand it is nice but it is not the same the firs time I held her hand. What’s changed? We’ve grown used to one another.

The reason that many of us walk into worship each week and walk out unmoved is because we’ve got used to it.

Today, I want to challenge you to remember that moment that Jesus saved you and worship Him each week in light of that. Remember the time you met the Lord for the first time. It may have been a while, but that’s what worship should always be like.

Who responds in worship?

Just as before there are a couple of words here in this passage that help us to understand who is supposed to respond to God’s mercies...

(1) “brothers”

Paul uses the word “brothers” to refer to those who are in Christ. Those who have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. Those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Unless you are a follower of Jesus Christ, worship is just a bunch of songs and a lecture.

For those who follow Jesus, worship is so much more. It is everything that we just mentioned and more.

Illus.: Talk about how when Julie found out her mom was having surgery she asked if I was okay with her going. Of course I was. I didn’t feel that same tug, but she is not my mom. Julie felt that tug and need to go becuase of the mother-daughter connection and years of faithful love. I would go if I was asked to, but it wouldn't be the same for me.

A true response of worship can only come from those who know the Lord Jesus personally and intimately.

(2) “you”

The word “you” as well as the word “brothers” are both plural. Paul was addressing the church, so he used “y’all” a lot. However, the reality is that worship is not just a response of one of us. It is the response of all of us.

Bottom line - worship is not just a personal thing it’s a church thing.

Illus.: Talk about how over the years folks have told me that singing was not there thing. They jsut came for the preaching. I have two things to say to that - (1) I’m sorry & (2) What do you plan to do for eternity?

Folks, we are made to worship. If you can shout at a football game, you can sing praise to the King.

That’s not all...

#2 - True Worship Requires Sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 ESV

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.

What kind of sacrifice?

Paul tells us that the sacrifice that we are to make in worship is our bodies.

What does that mean?

It means all of you. It means that worship is all of you for all of Him.

Anything less is not worship.

How do we do that?

There are three words that Paul uses here to help us capture the ways in which we offer all of who we are to God.

(1) “living”

We are a different kind of sacrifice. In the OT they were dead when laid down on the altar. We are very much alive.

This means that we have to surrender not just once but daily.

This is why Jesus said - If anyone wants to come after me, he is going to have deny himself take up his cross and follow me daily.

Bottom line - worship isn’t just a Sunday thing.

(2) “holy”

Paul calls for our sacrifice to be “holy.” The word “holy” means “set apart or different.” We sacrifice our lives to the Lord by being different than the world. That means different in action and attitude.

Bottom line - we can’t act just like the world all week long and walk up in here and expect God to accept our worship.

Illus.: If I treated my wife like trash when no one is looking and good when everyone was looking. You wouldn’t think much of me, would you? Why do we feel like it’s okay to treat God liek trash all week and then expect him to be pleased with our three songs and prayer at the altar.

Oru God deserves our holiness.

(3) “acceptable to God”

Here Paul is hitting us where we need it. He reminds us here that worship is not about us. Instead, the goal of worship is to please God.

I want to ask, “Is your worship pleasing God or pleasing you?”

Illus.: Talk about going to mom’s and how we went to visit last weekend. We walk in and mom had dinner ready. She had ribs for Julie and coffee for me. In her fridge was all the stuff our fmaily likes.

I am afraid that this is what has happened in the church. We have done all of it to please and cater to the wants and whims of Christians. Therefore, we think it’s all about us.

I believe that the day has come for the church to get back to a focus of worship that is centered on the Lord and not our comforts. This means change is coming.

That’s not all...

#3. True Worship Results In Transformation.

Romans 12:2 ESV

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.

What does transformation look like?

There are two words that helps us understand...

(1) “conformed”

Here Paul told these believers to no be conformed to this world.

The Phillips translation puts this phrase this way, “squeeze you into its own mold.”

This means that as followers of Jesus, we are to not allow the world (that is culture - even church culture) to squeeze us into its mold.

Illus.: Anybody here ever have set of popsicle makers? You can pour whatever you want in and make a popsicle. They are all indentical.

The problem that Paul addresses here is that God isn’t looking for us to conform to culture or even church culture. He doesn't want cookie cutter Christians who all look the same. He wants us to be uniquely his. Uniquely surrendered to Him.

Sadly, this the process that we use to make Christians.

Instead, we should let each generation sing their own song to the Lord.

Instead, we are to be...

(2) “transformed”

The Greek word used by Paul here is where we ge the word “metamorphosis.” The process that a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly.

Illus.: Talk about how Julie loves butterflies. She loves them becuase of this transformation.

Worship does this. Worship should be transforming. If we leave the way we came in, then we didn’t worship. We just went through the motions.

We must create an environment in worship for change and transformation - individiually and collectively.

How do I do that?

Pause gives us two a simple phrase “the renewing of your mind.”

Transformation takes place in us, when we get our thinking in line with mind of

What does that mean?

Elsewhere Paul wrote...

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Check it out. Jesus didn’t make it about him. He made it about God and others.

If we would approach worship this way, we would see transformation taking place like never before.

So, what now?

For those who are followers of Jesus...

(1) Come ready!

(2) Come expecting God to move. (Not to get a blessing.)

For those who are not followers of Jesus...

I want to encourage you to make that step today. Refer to “transformation.”