Worship

Hitting The Target

Play a game where you are trying to hit a target.

After the game, emphasize that our lives and our worship are just like that game. Either we are hitting the intended target or we aren’t. Some things, like worship, are too important for us to miss the target. God created us to be His worshipers and we will only know the abundant life He intends for us in Christ when we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. It’s the target we can’t afford to miss.

1. True worship is all about God.

Illustration: The Worship War

Did you know that there’s a war going on in churches today? Maybe people aren’t bringing grenades or calling in air strikes (though some would like to), but there’s definitely a battle on many different fronts. Unlike some church wars, this war isn’t about unimportant things like the color of the carpet or too many casseroles at covered dish suppers. This war is about worship, the very thing the church is supposed to be all about. People fight over styles, music, drums and guitars in the sanctuary, how many times to repeat a chorus, and on and on. Some people think that we should do away with all the old hymns. Others think that contemporary praise choruses are a sure sign that the world has invaded the church. (Feel free to add you own examples / stories / testimonies of the worship war.) Today people choose the church they will attend based on whether or not the like the music. It’s a really, really hot topic. Opinions about worship are like noses – everybody’s got one! So who’s right? Who’s wrong? The truth is if we’re focused on what we want in worship, then we’re all wrong. No matter the songs, the instruments, the methods, whatever – worship is for God. And that’s where we begin.

A. This isn’t our universe – it’s God’s.

It’s all about God because it all begins with God and it all belongs to God. Keep in mind that the only concept of God that many students have is just that He loves them. He does love them, but there is so much more than that.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God...”

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”

B. Everything that is exists for God, not us.

Everything God made, He made for Himself. We get to enjoy it. We get to use it, but ultimately, it’s for Him. As Colossians says, everything is “by Him and for Him.” This includes us - we exist for God, not the other way around.

Colossians 1:16-19 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Acts 17:24-28 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'”

2. Too often we think worship is all about us.

Illustration: Dog & Cat Theology

There was a man who learned a lot about God and how we relate to Him from his dog and cat. The dog and the cat related to the man in very different ways. The man would come home from work every day and his dog would run to greet him at the door. The dog was so excited to see him. When it came time to feed the dog, the dog would act thankful as best a dog can do and devour his food. When it was time to let the dog outside, the man would open the back door and the dog would run out like a shot.

But the cat was different. When the man would come home from work, the cat who was sleeping and always sleeping would only open one eye and then close it right back as if to say, “Oh, it’s you again.” When it came time to feed the cat, the cat would look at the food in the dish, look up at the man, look back at the food in the dish and then look back up at the man as if to say “Is this the best you can do?” When it was time to let the cat go outside, the cat would walk up to the door and look outside and look back at the man. Then the cat would move into the doorway, look outside, look back up at the man and then sit down right in the doorway and begin to clean itself.

The man began to think about the difference between the dog’s attitude and the cat’s attitude. The dog’s attitude toward the man was this: “You love me, you feed me, you take care of me – you must be God.” But to the cat, it’s different. The cat’s attitude is this: “You love me, you feed me, you take care of me – I must be God.” See the difference? (www.gospelcom.net/unveilinglory)

Are you a dog or a cat when it comes to how you relate to God? Do you exist for God or do you think that God exists for you? Sad to say, we are for the most part a generation of cats. As you make this point, think of your own examples of the “me” mentality and ask students to think of their own. It’s essential that students are confronted with the idea that it’s not all about me, especially when it comes to worship. For some, it will be the only time in their lives that they have been told anything different!

· We have a tendency to think that we are the center of the universe.

· We have been rightly called the “Me Generation” – it’s all about me!

· We have tried to bring this “me” mentality into our spiritual lives, but God isn’t playing along at all.

· We say that we come to worship God but still see ourselves as the center of it all.

· The single most important thing to God in the whole universe is God!

John 12:27-29 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.”

· There is nothing better or higher for God to be all about than God. He created everything that is “so that in all things He might have the supremacy.” (Col. 1:19)

The Foundation of a True Worshiper

Who Worship Is For And Not For

The purpose of this message today is to help you understand that worship is all about God. This is our starting place because, apart from that understanding, we just don’t get worship and can’t go any further.

Introduction: Ice Breaker Hitting The Target:

1. True worship is all about God.

Illustration: The Worship War

Did you know that there’s a war going on in churches today?

This war is about worship, the very thing the church is supposed to be

all about. People fight over styles, music, drums and guitars in the sanctuary, how many times to repeat a chorus, and on and on.

Some people think that we should do away with all the old hymns. Others think that contemporary praise choruses are a sure sign that the world has invaded the church.

Today people choose the church they will attend based on whether or not they like the music.

So who’s right? Who’s wrong? The truth is if we’re focused on what we

want in worship, then we’re ALL wrong. No matter the songs, the instruments, the methods, whatever – worship is for God. And that’s where we begin.

A. This isn’t our universe – it’s God’s.

It’s all about God because it all begins with God and it all belongs to God.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD'S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”

B. Everything that exists is for God, not us.

Everything God made, He made for Himself. We get to enjoy it. We get to use it, but ultimately, it’s for Him. As Colossians says, everything is “by Him and for Him.” This includes us - we exist for God, not the other way around.

Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Acts 17:24-28 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in H

im we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'”

So we just establish that God is the creator of ALL things.

2. Too often we think worship is all about us.

• We have a tendency to think that we are the center of the universe.

• We have been rightly called the “Me Generation” – it’s all about me!

• We have tried to bring this “me” mentality into our spiritual lives, but God isn’t playing along at all.

• We say that we come to worship God but still see ourselves as the center of it all.

• Our focus is way off in our worship if we’re thinking about external things like:

“I love this song”, “I hope we sing” my song next”, “I like that girl’s voice.”

“I like the way that guy plays guitar.” “I don’t like her hair” “I don’t like what he or she is wearing” “I’m hungry” “I like him or her

• That’s just to name a few. What’s the subject in each of these thoughts? I (Me)

• Attitudes like that show who the center of our worship really is. What do you think about in a time of worship? If your focus isn’t on God, then it’s clear you’re not really worshiping God.

Illustration: The Story Behind The Song “The Heart of Worship”

Remember the song “The Heart of Worship?” (You knew that song would be in here somewhere!) The history of how that song came about is exactly what we’re discussing. There was a meeting held in England called “Soul Survivor,” which had developed into an amazing worship time. Matt Redman was the worship leader, and it was all really “hip,” quality music and the best and newest worship songs. After a while though, the leadership of Soul Survivor began to notice that something wasn’t quite right. Nothing on the outside had changed. They still prayed and prepared, but there was something out of place. It was a different atmosphere than what it had been.

Soon they realized what had happened. The focus had become the music. “That was a bad note...I can’t hear his guitar...She has a great voice...We sang that last week.” In a subtle way, they had become consumers of worship, rather than worshipers. People were coming to get their “worship buzz” instead of worshiping. The leadership realized that something drastic had to be done. In the words of one of the leaders, “...we banned the band. We fired Redman!”

For the next several weeks, there was no music from a band and no “draw” for people to come. They simply came together and prayed and read Scripture and sang songs a cappella. God met with them during those times of simplicity and quiet, and the right focus began to return. When it seemed the time was right, Matt Redman and the band returned. The first song that they sang together was The Heart of Worship, which described the whole experience. God has used this song that Redman wrote all over the world as a call to true worship. (www.worshipleaderworkshop.com/mag-when.htm)

• The true measure of our worship is not how much we “got out of it.” The question is not how we want to worship – it is what kind of worship does God want. So I have a question to ask, What kind of worship does God really want?

3. We were created to worship.

We were created to worship. That is such an amazing thought, but it’s really hard to explain that in a way that even begins to do it justice. As leaders, we are so dependent on the Holy Spirit to communicate to students spiritual truths and all that they entail as only He can do. We do our best as teachers and communicators, but are dependent on the Spirit for the students (and us!) to be able to really get it. Emphasize the incredible privilege and incredible responsibility this really is. Again, we exist to worship because it’s all about God.

Romans 1:21-25 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged

the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.”

• The Bible says that people were given over into sin because (1) they did not glorify God as God or give thanks to Him and (2) because they worshiped and served things God created instead of God who created them.

Notice in Romans 1 that God gave people over to sin. It’s as if He were saying, “Fine, then have it your way, see where your way gets you.” Why? Because they didn’t acknowledge God for Who He is and give Him thanks. They worshiped “stuff” (created things) rather than the One who created it all. It’s simply a refusal to do the very thing that God had created them to do.

• God refuses to yield His glory to someone or something else.

Isaiah 48:11 “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.”

As we see in Isaiah 48:11, God is not willing at all to share the glory that belongs to Him alone. We cannot expect God to be pleased if we are taking what is rightfully His and offering it to something infinitely inferior.

• We exist for God’s glory. That’s the whole reason we were created – by God and for God.

• The foundation of a true worshiper is understanding that worship (and all of life) is all about God.

Closing Challenge: For the rest of the week/weekend, whenever you have the opportunity, say to yourself and others, “It’s not about me.” For example, you can take the best seat next session or you can get in line ahead of me because it’s not about me.