What is Worship?

What a week, province did a 180 and now were back to stage 1.

As believers we need to pray for God’s peace & wisdom.

I see a major shift into lawlessness coming our way.

Separation-leads to division and if goes unchecked opens to doors to lawlessness.

you don’t have to be a prophet to see where things are leading to without God’s intervention.

Today we are continuing our series on Back to the basics

God’s Great reset

I believe God is using this season to prepare His bride for the greatest awakening this world has ever encountered

For this preparation to occur we don’t require some new revelation, we simply need to get back to the way God intended us to operate.

That’s what this series is all about.

a reminder. basic does not mean simple in this context. rather it means foundational.

everything else we do in life needs to be built on these principles.

Today I would like to take a look at Worship

let’s get a better understanding of what it is and How do we do it?

Old man goes to church

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible.r> The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories.

As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."

"I did," replied the old cowboy.

"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.

"Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in this church "

1 Samuel 16:7 NASB95

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Intro

Worship in our arena is often looked at from the outside.

It’s important to remember that God focuses on our heart rather than the outward appearance.

Worship is not the slow song that the choir sings.

Worship is not the amount you place in the offering plate.

Worship is not volunteering in children's church.

Yes, obviously these may be acts or expressions of worship,

but they do not define what true worship really is.

def: Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission (Webster's Dictionary,1828).

True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities.

He needs to be our priority in everything we do!

True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness.

We worship God because he is God. Period.

Our extravagant love and extreme submission to the Holy One flows out of the reality that God loved us first.

It is highly appropriate to thank God for all the things he has done for us.

However, true worship is shallow if it is solely an acknowledgement of God's wealth.

Psalm 96:5–6 NASB95

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

So let’s think of worship not necessarily in the acts you do, but rather the attitude behind those acts.

You can come to church every week

stand and sing the songs.

that can all be outside the realm of worship if you don’t express it out of extravagant love and extreme submission

As a worship leader I see this all the time. Its pretty hard to fake worship by simply going through the motions.

So before we get into the acts of worship. let’s remember

People look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart!

You can do all these things in a way people think your worshiping. but does that really matter if the one you are worshiping is not impressed?

1) Worship with our offerings

1 Chronicles 16:29 NASB95

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array.

2) Worship with our musical instruments

2 Chronicles 29:28 NASB95

While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

3) Worship with our physical posture

Psalm 95:6 NASB95

Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

video Tim Hawkins worship styles (5:28)

4)Worship in our songs

Psalm 100:2 NASB95

Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.

5) Worship in Spirit and in truth

John 4:23–24 NASB95

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

To say that we must worship God “in spirit” means, among other things, that it must originate from within, from the heart; it must be sincere, motivated by our love for God and gratitude for all he is and has done. 

Worship cannot be mechanical or formalistic

it demand that all physical postures or symbolic actions must be infused with heartfelt commitment and faith and love and zeal.

it’s the Holy Spirit who awakens in us an understanding of God’s beauty and splendor and power.

It’s the Holy Spirit who stirs us to celebrate and rejoice and give thanks.

It’s the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see and savor all that God is for us in Jesus.

It’s the Holy Spirit who, I hope and pray, orchestrates our services and leads us in corporate praise of God.

This worship, however, must also be “in truth.” This is easier for us to understand, for it obviously means that our worship must conform to the revelation of God in Scripture. It must be informed by who God is and what he is like.

Our worship must be rooted in and tethered to the realities of biblical revelation.

Worship is not meant to be formed by what feels good, but by the light of what’s true.

Genuine, Christ-exalting worship must never be mindless or based in ignorance.

Meditation

World says empty your mind

Bible says fill you mind with the things of God

6) Worship with our life

Romans 12:1 NASB95

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

7) Worship with reverence and awe

Hebrews 12:28 ESV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

8) Worship only God

Luke 4:8 NASB95

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”

you worship what you focus on

Worship the One and Only God