A Mind TO Worship

A MIND TO WORSHIP

John 4:23-24

3 Week Series on Worship, to dig down a bit into John 4:23-24.

-As we go through the book of John it is similar to a month long hike in the Appalachian's.

-We see a beautiful valley. We take half a day to sit and take it in. Then you get up and walk the trail some more.

-Our beautiful valley for the next 2 weeks is unpacking John 4:23-24.

We will look at how we worship in our Mind, Heart, Actions/relationships

Today “A Mind To Worship”

Big Idea – For true worship to happen, my mind must be fully engaged.

Read John 4:23-24

Pray

Hook - We are in the middle of the winter Olympics - Becoming an olympic athlete doesn’t happen overnight. Many live for it. Some even as children were hand selected due to special ability and taken out of regular elementary school to train all of their life to be in the olympics. Not all, but many athletes worship their sport. Some were taught to worship their sport, to do whatever the sport demanded for winning, to be a slave to it.

Curling - (Picture) The sport of game of Curling has been in the Olympics since 1998. 24 years. 6 Olympics. I remember when I first saw it, I fell on the ground laughing because I thought it looked like shuffle board, but on ice.

Even though I thought it was ridiculous, I found myself attracted to watching it.

Even those who play Shuffle Board on ice give themselves to worship their sport.

Intro - We see worship all around us

-We worship our favorite ball teams.

-Children & Grandchildren

-Our careers and success.

-The entertainment we love.

When we think about worship we typically think about the outward expression; the passion and emotion.

-Worship effects the entire part of our person.

-It is critical our mind to be Spiritually engaged for true worship to happen.

Paul says this about worship in I Corinthians 14:15

I Corinthians 14:15 “15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.”

Transition - So what is worship?

I. What is worship?

Worship is exulting God as the most glorious being in the universe.

Worship is not just recognizing, but proclaiming with our mind, heart, and with our life that God is the most superior of all things both alive and not alive.

God is more superior than any created things because He is the creator. No one ever created God. He has no beginning and no end.

God is eternal in Himself. You have eternal life because you have received it from God. God is the source of all things eternal. He is eternal in His nature.

As the most magnificent and triumphant being in the universe.

God deserves all of your worship.

Worship only happens when you treasure God above all else.

The question for the Christ Follower is, “What or who do I exult as the most glorious thing or person in my life?”

How would you answer that?

What - or who is it my life that I adore?

Transition - You see we all worship something. We all adore something.

II. We all worship

When God created you, He created a worshiper.

Fun Illustration - I have a small terrier. One of the fascinating things that happened in her development was when she discovered as a young dog that smells identify important things in her life. Identify food (especially table food)… that individual people smell distinctly different to her, that a squirrel smells different than a cat, or a deer.

Once she discovered her sense of smell, she can’t stop using it. She sniffs all time. It is her #1 sense.

I had a friend who is an outdoorsman once told me, Jonathan a dog would rather use his nose and sense of smell than have sex.

-I found that a funny statement.

-He was right. Dogs were born to smell, root out, give chase, & discover.

And YOU - You were born to worship. God placed within you a desire, and a drive to worship.

-You will only be fully satisfied when you are worshiping Him.

-The question is not if you will worship, but what you will worship.

James 1:14-15 gives us a warning about worshiping the wrong thing. “14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

The point is, you were created to worship.

Listen to how God describes your purpose of worship.

Is 43:19-21

-God’s Chosen People - Those who follow Him are created to drink living water from the cup of God and declare His praise.

We drink in God’s truth, adore Him, and & tell others how great he is.

You were born to adore God, to worship, and tell others how great God is.

-Illustration, At the funeral of Libby Fair yesterday a story of was told of a 3 year old grandson that she was babysitting. He wanted a drink in his sippy cup. She goes too the fridge and gets a bottle of ginger ale and fills his cup. He drinks it up. The 3 year old boy asks for more. She fills it up again and he drinks his ginger ale. 20 minutes later the 3 year old is fast asleep. He slept as mom and dad took him home.

-Libby later found out that one of her adult children had opened a large bottle of beer. Not wanting to waste the leftover the adult found a few empty bottles of ginger ale, filled them up, and placed them in the fridge.

-Libby got her own grandchild drunk.

-Pause,

The point is… - What we drink in effects us.

What your mind is exposed to, what it focuses on, what it puts in deeply effects us.

There are many in this room who are ruled by your heart. You are passionate people. Maybe you are NOT drawn to reading or in depth thinking about spiritual things, you just want to experience a passion for God.

-Let me share with you a secret. The more you learn about God, the more passionate you will be about Him.

Illustration - I met Susan in college. There was at first a great amount of emotion and infatuation. We had a 2pm class together 3 times a week. The class would get out at 3pm.

-We would stay after in the auditorium and talk after class until 5pm.

-Then get an early dinner at the cafeteria.

-Then go for a walk after dinner.

-I couldn’t help, but spend time with her.

-My grades suffered that semester. I was placed on academic probation.

-Do you now when I began to love my girlfriend?

-When I started to REALLY get to know her and who she was. When I learned what made her tick.

It is no different with our walk with the Lord.

-If you don’t adore God. It is probably because you don’t know Him very well.

-Once you see the complex and glorious heart and mind of God you will both adore Him and fear Him.

The point is that we all worship. The Christ Follower is called to worship a magnificent God.

Pause

Transition - Our focus today is on our mind. How our mind is involved in worship.

III. How do I worship God with my mind?

A. -Romans 12:1-2

Worshiping God with your mind begins with Mind Transformation

When does mind transformation take place?

All throughout your day.

-It should happen in Sunday Morning worship and Sunday school.

-It certainly happens during your daily devotion time.

-A very significant portion of mind transformation happens during your everyday.

-It happens when you “Catch Yourself”

-You catch your self thinking a thought or dwelling on something that seems off, or not right, or maybe just plane out sinful.

Illustration - When I was in Youth Ministry a young man graduated from high school, went to police academy, and applied to become a sheriff in Columbia County.

First, the Sherriff Office makes you spend time as a jail guard and pay your dues before you get your chance out on the road in a car.

This young man was going through jail training and being taught what to do when an inmate gets violent. They taught him that if you were being rushed by an inmate, you were to Check and redirect.

-You make initial contact “Check” and your redirect his energy to the side, away from you.

You know that’s the first step in renewing your mind.

-The anxious thought comes, the jealousy, the hurtful thought, the lust.

-You “check”, you “Catch yourself” thinking that thought.

-Your redirect that poison away.

-There is one more step that is vital.

-You get a big cold drink of pure water from God’s Word and you replace that thought.

-You replace that thought with truth.

-The old worn out sinful thought is pushed away, A new life giving truth replaces it.

-95% of your worship and spiritual growth is not meant to happen in the church house.

-95% of your worship happens in the normal moments of your everyday life.

-When you are intentional about your mind to be renewed.

When choose to take time to adore God when you are driving to work.

When you use the kitchen cleaning time to praise Him.

When you worship him when you sit in the hot sun at your child’s ball game.

That’s the kind of worship that God desires from you.

-God loves the average and everyday moments of worship you bring to Him.

It’s in the average and everyday we renew our mind.

When you catch yourself thinking something that doesn’t seem right… You Check and redirect.

For example - You think, “My child/grandchild is the greatest!” But wait...”The Check”

-Is it true that my child or grandchild is great? Yes, He is made in the image of God.

-Is it true that He is the greatest?

No. Only God is the greatest. My child/grandchild is a dirty little sinner.

-Do I still love him and want to spoil Him? Absolutely.

-Is he in desperate need of a Savior? 100% yes.

-Is he worthy of worship? NEVER

-Worthy of love, but not of my worship.

-We keep transforming our mind and remind ourself.

Only God is worthy of worship. - Then you pray.

-God thank you for my wonderful child. Thank you that only you are worthy of worship.

And we do this for our career, for our hobbies, for our relationships, for our personal interests.

-When we are tempted to worship anything other than God… We check, redirect, and drink in the truth of God’s Word.

Pause

Can I speak to you pastorally about a sensitive topic.

The Topic is Truth in Christian Music

-Something many Bible loving Christians leaders have noticed.

-When you drive down the road listening to Christian music you are using your time wisely. Worshiping while you drive & being encouraged can be soul filling.

-More and more Christian music artists are rejecting the truth of God’s Word.

-More and more are excepting of homosexuality as something that God approves of. It is not.

That is one issue.

-A second broader issue is that we are seeing artists who have embraced a False Teaching called the Prosperity Gospel - that says, it is God’s will for all Christians to wealthy and never get sick. If a believer does get sick it is always God’s will to heal that person with a miracle.

-This is not biblical, it is a false doctrine.

-Two specific groups - Hillsong and Bethel Worship have led many young people astray with this lies about who God is and how He works. So much so that leaders like myself and John have said, we cannot in good conscience introduce our people at FBC to their music.

-Here is the good news. When you daily turn up the glass of God’s purifying Word and drink in His truth, in your daily devotion, your mind gets renewed.

-You are able to discern truth & your worship deepens.

Transition - In our passage today not only do we see that God desires for us to truthfully worship and delight in Him we see that He seeks true worshipers.

vs. 23

III. Who are the “true worshipers”

Read John 4:23

John Piper - “true worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things.”

-Living with the belief/knowledge that God is of infinite worth.

-True worship is - Worshiping God in such a way that your thoughts are perfectly aligned with the Truth of who God is revealed in His Word.

-The more your mind is engaged and you know God, the more your worship of Him will be a worship grounded in truth.

-Can I add, the more moving your worship experience will be.

And God is seeking a worshipers who worship Him in Spirit (next week) truth.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him...

Close

Transition - As we close ask yourself

Am a true worshiper?

Do I adore the Lord?

Is my mind engaged during church worship time?

Is my mind engaged in worship in the average and everyday?

Will you pray right now. God will you help me grow in your truth & worship you in truth.

_________________

Gospel - At the end of the service...

My friend, If you do not know Jesus as your savior, but what has been shared today rings true in your heart, or you have questions. I would love to talk with you more about who Jesus is.

_________________________________

We are all subject to believing lies

Here is the struggle. Your heart tells your mind what to think.

A. Mindful worship is not.

-

B. Worship with the mind includes living with a conscious awareness that God is constantly at work in me and at work all around me.

Mindful worship involves keeping a awareness of God.

I worship while I do mundane tasks. (Do the dishes.)

I worship when I see a deer or watch the sunset.

-What is the chief end of man?

To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

-God is worshiped when he is treasured and enjoyed.

-Satisfaction and joy in God is an essential part of worship.

-Loving God in your mind

-Having deep affection for God in your heart

-Living for God as the greatest treasure above all things.

How does one\worship mindfully?

IV. What is the truth?

Worship Him in Truth.

V. What does it mean that God is seeking such people?

2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him...

Making much of God

Q. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

vs. 24, God is spirit. He is The Great Spirit

Piper

-”You must be born again by the Spirit of God so you can have a LIVING Spirit to worship with.”

-The unbelievers spirit is dead. It finds the things of God boring & unattractive. There is no interest in true spiritual things.

The believer has an alive Spirit. He wants to engage, desires to embrace the beauty of God. God has awakened his Spirit.

Truth -Piper. Truth

Head, Heart, Hands/Relationships

Spirit & Truth

Corporate worship/Private worship

Now, make no mistake, worship that doesn’t engage and inflame your emotions and affections is worthless. TGC

Piper

Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full . . . of artificial admirers. . . . On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the disciple of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship.

I Corinthians

15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Define - What is worship?

We all worship something.

Are there different kinds of worship?

Personal experience? Sacrifice of Praise,

Who worship is about

A heart of worship

Acceptable worship

The experience of worship

Right worship

Authentic Worship

Weapon of Worship Romans 6:13

How do we worship with our mind in Spirit?

-Ask God to guide our thoughts in our minds to think on Him.

-God’s Spirit guides our emotions and affections.

-God’s Spirit also guides our thoughts.

-The thoughts God’s Spirit guides always lines up with His Word.

In corporate worship

-Our Spirit and our mind.

-During the Sermon. Active Spirit and Mind engaging.