The Heart of Worship

There is a story about a church that had a man in the choir who couldn’t sing. Others tried to help him find other places of ministry in the church but he insisted on being in the choir. The choir director became so desperate that he went to the pastor. “Pastor, you have to do something with brother Jones. If you can’t persuade him to leave the choir then I quit and most of the choir will quit too. Help us!” The pastor went to the man and suggested that he leave the choir. “Why should I leave?” “Several people have told me you can’t sing.” “That’s nothing. Fifty have told me you can’t preach and you are still here.” (Source Unknown).

What is real worship? Is it getting into an emotional stated and crying before the Lord? Is it Getting the most modern songs and music and filling a building with modern music? Is it basic and not supposed to be some concert type show? There are so many questions on what the true heart of Worship is. Today we look to clear up so many of the questions in regards to Worship. We will take the time to look at three aspects of Worship. First, we will look at the setting of Worship. Secondly, the Act of Worship, and Finally we will look at the outcome of Worship. Through these 3 points we will understand the Heart of Worship and how it should drive and impact our lives. We will find the purpose of Worship. Turn with me in your Bible to Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

I want us to challenge this morning the status quo on what Worship is and we want to get this directly from the Bible. The word Worship in the Bible is used 285 times depending on your translation in the Hebrew there are 8 separate words for the word Worship and all of them lend to an offering. In the Greek there are 11 different words for Worship and each of them lend towards serving, devoting ones life too, bowing before. You see the Bible gives us very little evidence that Worship has anything at all to do with music. We culturally have adapted this idea of offering and bowing down before God through music. Biblically speaking worship is an offering of ones live a laying down of ones self to the God of the Universe. In Luke 7 we are presented a beautiful picture of Worship. Join me in prayer as we begin to dig into the Word this morning.

The Setting of Worship

Luke 7:36–38 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Have you ever met anyone that does not understand settings? I place my kids in every sermon because they give me so many sermon illustrations and I love it because years from now I will look at these sermons and also take a stroll down memory lane. My kids though each during their lives have not understood the setting where they were at. I remember just a few years ago here in this church during the Christmas eve service my daughter began to chuckle at something unknown and it was right after the pastor began to pray. I looked over in my stern dad face to try and get her under control but she was too far gone. She was in full blown laughing and nothing could stop her. I have a problem where if someone is laughing I almost cant help but to laugh with them so here in the pew a couple rows back I began to chuckle with every ounce of my being I tried to hold it in and was not doing a great job. My daughter did not think about the setting we were in and could not control her laughter.

Sometimes we don't think about the setting of Worship. I see hours spent on getting lighting right and making sure that the sound system sounds perfect. Ensuring that each person in the band is perfectly in key and in beat. We spend so many hours preparing for what we call Worship. Is this really what worship is though? Is this the extent of worship? Is it really what Jesus is looking for when he says to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth?

Luke 7:36–38 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

You see the real setting of Worship is an intimate setting. This woman heard that Jesus was at the Pharisee’s house and she went there immediately. But she didn’t go because she was wanting to be seen by everyone. As a matter of fact this woman was a woman of the city. She was shamed by those around her and the last place she wanted to be was in the middle of a big dinner with the Pharisees and their religious elite. She did not want her shame more known than already done. She went because she was ready for a real interaction with Jesus Christ. You see the setting of her worship was intimate and personal and it was not loud and in your face. There were no fog machines or strobe lights there was dinner and talking and everyone else worrying about their time with Jesus. In this moment she was in the true setting of Worship an intimate quite time with Jesus. I am sure in her head she did not hear any of the other conversations going on she was intently set on serving Christ. She had blocked out the negative comments and centered her heart and mind on serving Jesus. The first place that each of us must come to if we intend on having a true heart of worship is a place where the world and our sins and shames are not crowding our heads. A place where we are ready to serve the Lord regardless of our downfalls. A place where the devils badgering of us is not present. The setting of Worship is an intimate and close time with Jesus. A place where we find ourselves ready to serve the one who gave it all for us. This woman was in the true setting of Worship, where are you? Have you ever come to a place where you get in the true setting of Worship. Where your failures do not disqualify you from serving the Lord and loving others? If you have not experienced this today is the day to experience this. But see she did not stop at the setting of Worship she continued on in the Act of Worship.

The Act of Worship

Luke 7:38–39 ESV

38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

The Woman was not simply ok with getting into a setting of worship she came to Worship. She was not simply going to tell Jesus what he wanted to hear she had plans to follow through completely with her worship. Have you ever met that person who tells you what you want to hear? They dont care about telling you the truth or making an impact on the work needing to be done they simply want to exist as long as they can before being moved along?

I have a man that works for me that desires to do completely nothing. I mean it if he could literally come to work and get paid to do nothing he would. I am constantly having to check on him and make sure he is working. I have to give him tasks like you need to call me every hour to ensure that you are making progress on your job. He wants to do nothing. When we talk though he wants to sell me the moon. He wants to tell me how hard he has been working and how much he got done and if he has gotten very little done he wants to tell me how many issues he had. All he wants to really do is talk. He has no plans on actually following through with his job he simply wants to talk about it. It is almost like the old saying if your husband says he will do something he will do it. There is no need to remind him every 6 months.

How many of us say we want to worship? We use our words and our songs to say we want to worship Jesus but then we leave church and we never serve him. You see this woman was not content with simply finding where Jesus was she was going to serve him at all costs. She didnt care about others ridicule of her she was there for Jesus. We often times worry way too much about what people will think if we actually follow through with Worship. You see worship is not singing songs or telling God what He wants to hear. Worship is the actual follow through of loving God and loving others. What happens when we set out hearts on worship and we actually follow through with worshiping through giving our lives? That leads us to the outcome of worship.

The Outcome of Worship

The outcome of Worship is a drastically changed future. Luke 7:39-50

Luke 7:39–50 ESV

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

You see in this Scripture the woman's true heart of worship towards Jesus led to the forgiveness of her sins and a life forever altered by the direction Jesus gave her. You want to see the world rid of depression, anxiety, people feeling meaningliss? Show them what true worship is. True worship drives purpose. You wake up with a purpose and you go through your day with real purpose. The outcome of true worship is a life lived with purpose to drive others to the Kingdom of God. We will live every day on mission. True worship has nothing to do with music or the songs we sing. True worship and the heart of worship is us laying our lives before God. All of our lives the good the bad, the ugly and the pretty. Every bit of us is used to Worship Jesus. that is true worship. As we continue our studies over the next few months and we continue to get to a biblical stance on what we believe and why we believe it, I pray you will enter in a life of true worship to our Lord. It is time to stop singing good things to God, stop telling Him all the things we think he wants to hear and to follow through with actually worshiping Him through our love for others. When we do this we will see our lives drastically changed and given a purpose.