W, Double You #2

WORSHIP

The greatest fact in the existence of the world is the presence of God

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning, GOD 

Romans 11:36 - For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. 

The purpose of the presence of God is LOVE 

The nature of the presence of God is HOLY 

When you experience and encounter and enter in to this Holy Love environment, you SEE glory and it transforms you and you can’t help but worship.

How do I know that you can’t help but worship? 

Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Testimonies of Worship over my lifetime: 

  • Parents “living sacrifice” lifestyle

  • Loved presence of God and Holy Spirit

  • Saw healing, miracles, signs, wonders

  • Throw down your guns (holy spirit filling)

  • Albertine

  • Encountering the LOVE of God

  • The aids tent at parachute

  • Conversation with Maghan after Caleb chose another girl

  • 40 day fast

  • Grieving - yet I will praise you

  • Discovering purpose

All of this to say, when you experience, encounter, and enter into relationship with God everything becomes about him. You want to be WHERE He is. 

If I heard that Jesus had come back and was hanging out in Gaza, I would do everything in my getting to get to Gaza. Right now we know He is in Heaven seated at the right hand of the Father. So as believers, we need to begin to engage in a reality that is beyond our senses, but one of the MOST wonderful things about Jesus is that when he ascended he told us to WAIT, to WAIT for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. His presence with us at all times when we receive Him, enabling us to engage with Him in BOTH the seen and unseen reality. 

My Goal today is to help people to become aware of the reality they’re in 

The presence of God is our reality. 

I want to Help us become aware of the reality that God is with us, among us, in us

Then to ENGAGE with that reality because 

Worship is not primarily led by our senses, Worship is led by faith

We know by faith we are in the presence - Sometimes we can enjoy that in our senses 

But regardless, we get to tell our flesh who’s boss. We get to Press through and let our spirit engage

Up front, I want to make sure we are all right with God. We have received him and invited him to transform us. Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. If any man thirst, come to me and drink, he that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” 

What is worship? 

What do we mean by “Worship”?

A brief history of worship:

  • God created us to be in His presence and have relationship with Him

  • When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it separated us from His presence, because His presence cannot be around sin.

  • As people began to seek God, God called people out, he CHOSE people and a nation for his presence to dwell among men and set up a framework to help ALL of humanity to be redeemed so eventually we ALL could come to know Him.

  • That nation was to be SET APART for God. There was a framework for which they were to function in order that the presence of God would BE with them. When they obeyed, the benefits of God’s presence were manifest, when they disobeyed, the consequences of His silence were felt. He created a COVENANT showing us that He is a God who has boundaries and clear working guidelines.

  • God established a blueprint for worship and sacrifice as part of that covenant. Once per year one man (sorry ladies) could go into the holiest of holies and make a sacrifice on behalf of the nation. This blueprint wasn’t the final endgame, it was temporary in order that we might see the fullness of God’s intention for humanity.

  • Christ fulfilled EVERY requirement of the covenant on the Cross and made a way for us to be part of His family, accepted as sons. We, the Bible believing saints are the church, we are now the chosen nation where God choses to give his presence, we are now the temple and He dwells in US, we are set apart, holy, FOR God. And We enter the holy of holies as any time because he has made us as part of our identity to be kings and priests.

  • Our New creation being identity is primarily designed to MINISTER TO GOD and MINISTER TO OTHERS. This is crucial to understand if we want to be worshippers.

Word Study:

The Aramaic word used in scripture means “to fall down, prostrate oneself, bow, do homage, worship - comes from word for adore

Couple of Hebrew words

  • To serve

  • To bow

Greek 

Give glory, honor, praise, dignity, worship

English word Worship comes from the word “worth” -

Speaking of worth - who has given the most worth to anything ever? Jesus gave us infinite worth when he made US ONE with Him, WOW. 

When it comes to us, We worship what we value - the things we find worthy are the things we worship 

We were born to be worshippers, we were created to worship - to love, we were born again to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24) 

As I’ve mentioned, worship throughout all of history is directly connected to sacrifice

Want to find what you worship? Look at where you make sacrifices. 

    • Sacrifice for work? You may worship your job

    • Sacrifice for family? You may worship your family

    • Sacrifice for God? You may worship God

The issue in life then isn’t “if” we’ll worship, but “how” we’ll worship, whether our worship is ordered properly

When worship is disordered we commit idolatry

  • You can love your Job, but not more than God

  • You can love your Family, but not more than God

  • You can love your Spouse, but not more than God

Work, Family, Spouse becomes valid IF we are doing it for God’s glory not just our own 

To me Jesus said it best when he said the law and prophets are summed up by:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. 

THIS IS THE SIMPLE GIST OF A WORSHIP LIFESTYLE. A life that is properly ordered.

If worship and love is limited to your feelings then your worship and love is going to be significantly limited. 

Limitless worship and love abound from our heart by the Holy Spirit, God Himself LOVES By His word and His Holy Spirit. 

Worship is NOT just some airy-fairy ethereal moment that tugs at our feelings when we do congregational music. 

It involves (but is not limited to):

- Discipline (Hebrews 12:6)

  • Correction (2 Tim 3:16)

  • Sober evaluation (Romans 12:3)

  • Humility (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6-7)

  • Obedience (1 Samuel 15:22)

  • Excellence (1 Chronicles 25:1)

  • Training (Ephesians 6:4)

  • Service (Romans 12:1)

  • Honor (See previous briefing)

  • Priorities (Ephesians 5:16, Col 4:5)

  • Language

  • Sacrifice

ROMANS 12 - handy link


Biblical Examples of worship 

Exodus 33 - Moses met God face to face, and Joshua LINGERED in His presence

King David - I will get MORE undignified (2 Sam 6) I won’t give an offering that costs me nothing (2 Sam 24:24)

Luke 7:36-50 Forgiven much will love much 

BID

We’ve already made sure today we are right with God. If you did that for the first time, we are so excited and are celebrating with all of heaven this choice. We’re going to pray that again now for anyone who may have joined us since and want to make sure they’re in right standing with God. 

Please reach out to us if you are doing this for the first time or recommitting your life to Jesus today! 

Let’s commit to being worshippers. 

Megamorphic Church