2007-04-22 - Worship - Rev 4 9-11
PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE – Rev 4:9-11
The Purpose Driven Life – Part 2 - Worship
Ill – Bob – traveled to India to find purpose in life… didn’t find it
At a gas station saw a sign, as you travel, ask us. So he did…
Answers: sorry, I’m new here, I don’t remember anything in the manual about that, I’m not much for church myself sir, finally wrote a letter asking the company… got back a credit card application.
Purpose not found in self-help books, Oprah, or gas station, not in seminars either.
Talk to creator or look in owner’s manual (Bible)
First of God’s five purposes for your life.
"You (God) created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11b (NLT) – (read with me)
Circle for your pleasure
Great question last week – how many like to watch your kids… most of the time J I know what he means, but understand this, you were made for God’s pleasure.
Flipside? God wants you to love him back – great question asked of Jesus one day, what’s the most important commandment?
“Love the Lord your God... This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
MY 1ST PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO WORSHIP GOD.
Worship is knowing and loving God back!
“Because of God’s great mercy to us... Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” Romans 12:1 (TEV)
1. WORSHIP is MY RESPONSE to God’s love.
2. WORSHIP is GIVING BACK to God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12: 30 (NCV)
GOD WANTS ME TO LOVE HIM...
THOUGHTFULLY “with my mind”
PASSIONATELY “with my heart and soul”
PRACTICALLY “with my strength”
1. WORSHIP IS FOCUSING MY ATTENTION ON GOD.
“You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working...You notice everything I do and everywhere I go.” Psalm 139:1-3 (CEV)
2 things that distract us – self-centred by nature, self-centred culture.
“Focusing on yourself is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, and ends up thinking more about self than God.” Romans 8:7 (MSG)
“Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.” Romans 12:2a (MSG)
How do we do this? 1st find a time for God each day – anytime!
“Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” Matthew 6:6 (MSG)
Circle place, circle simply, circle honestly – don’t try to be spiritual J
“Worship him continually.” Psalm 105:4 (TEV)
Just think about him through the day – sing, pray, talk or just think J
Set your watch to beep every 30 minutes ;)
Huge benefits that result – look at next verse!
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!” Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
2. WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING MY AFFECTION TO GOD.
Challenge – some grew up in homes that weren’t very expressive of emotion
Some of us are the silent type – makes us feel weird to say “I love you” – My Dad and I…
Remember the first time you told someone I love you? Sweaty palms, nervous, upset stomach
Maybe sent out spies – do you like him/her?
God took away the risk… he said it first! In a 1000 ways – created you, takes care of you, even when you don’t know it, even sent his son Jesus to show his love!
“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (KJV)
God is NOT an angry tyrant like in so many religions.
“I don't want your sacrifices – I want your love! I don't want your offerings – I want you to know Me!” Hosea 6:6 (LB)
He wants us to love and know him. I love that suggestion Rick Warren made for a daily measure of success – pray – God just let me know you a little better and love you a little more.
“He is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.” Exodus 34:14b (NLT)
Passion makes some people nervous, but consider the alternative…
Honey, here’s some flowers for 3 strategic reasons.
I’m your husband, 2. It’s our anniversary, 3, husbands are supposed to give their wives flowers on their anniversary… so here.
She’d be so thrilled with me… I can’t think of any better way to get my wife to be passionate… she’d probably… throw them right at me!
In the same way, God doesn’t want… okay… fine… I’ll go worship… he wants your desire, he wants you get passionate about your relationship with him!
Easy way to start… say thank-you.
10 ways to worship without music – read brief list…
“Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.” Romans 6:13 (NLT)
Liz Curtiss Higgs – radio host in P.M. – Howard Stern in the AM.
Stern tells Higgs to clean her act up – lived a wild life, militant feminist. She’d been really hurt by men, but Christian girlfriend invited to church over and over so she said fine, I’ll go once. Preacher preached on wives submit to your husbands… to a feminist!!!
But then he preached the second part – husbands give your lives up for her like Christ did the church.
Fine, I’d happily submit to a man who’d do that… friend said, Jesus did, and soon after she became a Christian.
Problem is not that you don’t love God enough… problem is that you don’t realize how much God loves you!!!
Worship is a response, showing our affection to a God who’s shown us his affection to us… FIRST!
3. WORSHIP IS USING MY ABILITIES FOR GOD.
Swing – Debbie’s wanted one for years – put it together yesterday
Practical expressions of love – doing chores, fixing things, errands, responsibilities to share – all part of worship too!
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.” Colossians 3:23 (TEV)
This should revolutionize how you do life if you truly understand it!
Stop compartmentalizing your life… i.e. Sunday this, Monday that…
Get this, God doesn’t care what you do for a living, he cares that whatever you do, you do it for him!
That turns work into worship! 24 hours a day you can worship!
“Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.” Romans 12:1a (MSG)
Practical, real change to your life. OFFER your work to God, be it at home, school or in the world.
Let God be your boss.
Everybody worships something, TV, family, Work, hobbies, pleasure, travel, cars, individuals.
Greatest temptation and worst sin is the temptation to worship something other than God.
Satan used it on Jesus in the desert – no more powerful tool
What will you worship? God loves you and asks you to trust him.
Psalm 37 tells us that He knows and cares about the smallest details of our lives – he will ensure our needs are met.
Story of money given to us at Temple
Most of the Christians here can share stories like that, stories of how God showed his love in a thousand different ways.
How do you show your love to God?
Checkbook and schedule and todo list are theological documents.
I could tell you right now based on those things exactly what you love, because the way you spend your time and money shows what you love the most.
The Bible says you were planned for God’s pleasure, you were made to know and love God, so I challenge you to make that the number one goal in your life.
It was Paul’s goal in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “So we make it our goal to please him...”
There is no better goal in life to have that one right there.
Prayer