The Purpose of the Church: Worship
Getting back to the basics, and I don’t want to do things the way the Baptist Church does it or any other Church; as far as that goes, I want to do it the way God says to do it through the word of God, the Bible.
In his best-selling book, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, the author David Maraniss explains what happened when Lombardi walked into training camp in the summer of 1961.
He took nothing for granted. He began a tradition of starting from scratch, assuming that the players were blank slates who carried over no knowledge from the year before… Example? He began with the most Elementary statement of all. “Gentlemen,” he said, holding a pigskin in his right hand, “this is a football.”
Lombardi was coaching a group of three dozen professional athletes who, just months prior, had come within minutes of winning the biggest prize their sport could offer. And yet, he started from the very beginning.
Lombardi’s coverage of the fundamentals continued throughout training camp.
Each player reviewed how to block and tackle. They opened up the playbook and started from page one.
At some point, Max McGee, the Packers’ Pro Bowl wide receiver, joked, “Uh, Coach, could you slow down a little? You’re going too fast for us.” Lombardi reportedly cracked a smile, but continued his obsession with the basics all the same.
His team would become the best in the league at the tasks everyone else took for granted.
Six months later, the Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 37-0 to win the NFL Championship.
This is a Bible… This is a Church building, and you are the Church, the Ecclesia, the Assembly
What I want to do is get back to the basics, get back to what God originally planned for the Church, as we discussed last week, that ecclesia. The assembled, the group, the people, what you are supposed to be doing as a Church
Worship Him before you work for Him. And next week we’ll be looking at prayer, and that is: Seek His face before you serve Him.
Worshiping God is the Churches 1st purpose.
Sometimes we get so busy working for God that we don’t have time to express our love for Him through worship.
Worship definition: wor·ship
wor·ship [wúrship] treat somebody or something as deity: to treat somebody or something as divine and show respect by engaging in acts of prayer and devotion; take part in religious service: love somebody deeply: to love, admire, or respect somebody or 1. religious adoration: the adoration, devotion, and respect given to a deity [ Old English weortscipe “condition of worth” < weorth “worth”]
Sending, shows your respect, adoration, devotion, of worth. by engaging in acts of worth·ship.
Ship = to send somebody or something to a place. So, sending worth
WORSHIP (wur’-ship) (Anglo-Saxon: weorthscipe, wyrthscype, “honor,” from weorth, wurth, “worthy,” “honorable,” and scipe, “ship”):
You send God His praise for His worth = worship
LITERATURE
“Bowed their heads and worshipped”; so, in 94 other places. “Bowed himself down” (the King James Version “worshipped,”
Other words are: caghadh, “prostrate,” occurring in Isa 44:15,17,19; 46:6, but rendered (English Versions of the Bible) “fall down.” In Dan 2:46; 3:5-7,10,15,18,28, it (Aramaic ceghidh) is “worship” (English Versions of the Bible), 7 times associated with “falling down” and 5 times with “serve.” `abhadh, “work,” “labor,” “serve,” is rendered “worship” by English Versions of the Bible in 2 Kings 10:19,21 ff: “the worshippers (servants) of Baal.” In Isa 19:21 the Revised Version (British and American) has “worship with sacrifice and oblation” (the King James Version “do sacrifice”). Isa 19:23 the King James Version has “served,” the Revised Version (British and American) “worship.” `atsabh, “carve,” “fabricate,” “fashion,” is once given “worship,” i.e. “make (an object of) worship” (Jer 44:19, the American Revised Version margin “portray”).
The Old Testament idea is therefore the reverential attitude of mind or body or both, combined with the more generic notions of religions adoration, obedience, service.
The principal New Testament word (59 times) is proskuneo, “kiss (the hand or the ground) toward,” hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing face down upon the ground; accordingly, Septuagint uses it for the Hithpael of shachah (hishtachawah), “prostrate oneself.” It is to render homage to men, angels, demons, the Devil, the “beast,” idols, or to God.
It is rendered 16 times to Jesus as a caring superior; at least 24 times to God or to Jesus as God. The root idea of bodily bowing face (prostration) is much less prominent than in the Old Testament. It is always translated as “worship.”
So, the word “worship” comes from an Old English word, “worthship”, meaning that God is worthy; He deserves our praise.
Worship is our response to all God is, says, and does.
The starting point for every church should be the question, “Why do we exist?” As we said last week, until we know what our church exists for, we have no foundation, no motivation, and no direction for ministry.
The Church needs to define its purpose; this must start from God’s word. We can look at what Jesus said and the examples in the New Testament.
The Book of Acts: The First-Century Church
The writer is Luke. The only gentile writer in the Bible
In some ways, The Acts is a continuation of Luke’s gospel. It’s the sequel.
Luke was a physician Colossians 4:14 and he became a traveling companion of Paul. Halfway through the book of Acts, Luke stopped saying they did this and started saying we did this. He was with The Apostle Paul
It was written sometime between 60 and 69 A.D.
The Acts and the gospel of Luke both addressed to Theopolis, his name means lover of God (Luke may be a bondservant to Theopolis according to theologians)
Ideally, this book could be called the Acts of Jesus through the Apostles
I want to use Acts 2:42-47 for the main text for the next messages
In this passage, we can find the essential purposes of the church.
Acts 2:42-47 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. KJV
Gary Hamrick says, “Worship happens out of the overflow of a grateful heart for who God is and what He has done.”
Worship is something we do corporately, but you should also be doing it individually.
We are called to worship, and who and what we worship shows what we think has worth in our lives.
I heard recently they didn’t understand how one man could die on a cross and pay for all sin for everybody, and it’s simple: His (Jesus’) worth was far more than everybody’s sin combined and everybody’s worth.
Then why did he come in the form of a man and die that way?
Simple answer: Someone had to pay the price for sin, and you can’t kill God, so he sent Jesus in the form of man to die.
Our job is to tell others about our Savior, about Jesus. Give him glory and worship him.
A.W. Tozer says: God wants worshipers before workers; indeed, the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship. … The very stones would praise him if the need arose, and a thousand legions of angels would leap to do his will. (1897-1963)
If you sow worship, you will reap God’s presence, he says I inhabit the praise of my people
So, you want God’s presence. All you have to do is worship Him, and He will be there every single time
Jesus’ triumphant entry on Palm Sunday before His crucifixion
Luke 19:36-39 36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When they reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”
You always have somebody trying to put a stop to the good things:
39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
Luke 19:40 But He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
I don’t want a rock taking my place
And
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Look up the sky and see his handiwork. Look at the stars at night, the moon, and the sun. They’re declaring the glory of God. They’re worshiping God!
The flowers bloom for the glory of God
Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, (Give praise) Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God.
All of God’s creation praises Him; all of God’s creation worships God.
That’s what we are supposed to do. The question is, are you doing it?
Don’t always do things the way you’ve always done them.
Do them the way God wants them done. It might surprise you.
I read recently
The modern church made a mistake. We built audiences instead of examples.
We made crowds instead of disciples
And now:
People know Christian language
Without knowing Christian living
Now people know how to quote sermons
But they don’t know how to make a disciple
We’ve created a generation that can consume content
We cannot follow God’s patterns
The danger is not always false teaching
Sometimes it’s being shaped by people who sound Christian
But cannot be followed, or should not be followed
That’s why Paul said:
Imitate me as I imitate Christ
That is dangerous language unless your life is worth observing
That’s what I said about following last week. Jesus said follow me He didn’t mean just going the same direction; He meant do it the same way I do, live right
Jesus did not merely give sermons
He gave people access
Access to His Teachings, convictions, responses, and suffering
That’s why some people stay spiritually immature
They consume content all day without ever letting anybody close enough to confront or see their life designs
You are becoming somebody right now
Because everybody is being Discipled or taught by something or someone
The only question is
Who taught you how to live that way?
We do the things we do the way we do them simply because we were taught that way.
It’s not my fault; that’s what I taught
I have taught Sunday School and preached for over 35 years now, which includes at my home Church, small group, home studies, and hospice home care class. (Ceylon’s class I used to go out and teach in homes) I have preached in nursing homes. Thanks to the dawg Claudia Darby, Alzheimer’s wards, youth detention centers, and many Churches in West Georgia and East Alabama, and even was an interim pastor for a spell. In doing all this preaching and teaching, I would bring lessons at first the way I was taught.
Book “Something to Ponder” Chapter “It’s Not My Fault!”
If I said, “You needed to dress in dresses and suits, and dress a certain way.” It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “You have to be in Church every time the door is opened”. It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “You have to use a certain kind of Bible”. It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “Your hair had to be a certain way.” It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “You have to sing certain songs a certain way out of a certain book”. It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “You have to pray a certain way”. It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
If I said, “You have to give a certain amount if you have it or not”. It’s not my fault; that’s what I was taught.
(I love the tithe, 10% works great. If you make $100,000 a year and you give 10,000 of that, and if I make only $30.000 a year and I give $3000 of it, we’ve given the same amount; we’ve given 10%. Jesus said when the woman gave a penny, the “mite”, it was worth far more because she gave her all!!!
Now, what is important is the reason I was taught all this way is:
It’s not their fault; that’s what they were taught.
It doesn’t mean it was right, doesn’t mean some of it was wrong, but what it means is we’ve got to get back to doing God’s business God’s way.
Not just because we were always taught to do it a certain way.
That reminds me of The Parable of the Ham
A child stood and watched her mother prepare the annual holiday ham.
The mother carefully cut each end of the ham off before placing it in the pan. The child asked, “Mother, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?” The mother replied, “Well, that’s the way my mother always did it.”
So, the child called her grandmother and asked, “Grandma, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?” The grandmother replied, “Because that’s the way my mother always did it.”
Finally, the child called her great-grandmother and asked, “Great-Grandma, why did you always cut the ends off the ham?”
The great-grandmother replied, “Because the ham was way too big to fit in my small baking pan!!”
I tried preaching like Ben and Snyder tried screaming and hollering. Ben told me to come back to the study when I got through preaching that day, and he asked me why I was doing it. I said I was trying to be like y’all.
Ben Turner was loud when he preached, and you know why?
He said they didn’t have a sound system when he was coming up; he had to be loud for people to hear, and then when Snyder started preaching, he preached like his dad.
Ben told me the same words that David Henderson told me last week when I came in. And encouraged me and helped me so much, and I could hear Ben Turner’s words being echoed in my head as David was speaking because they were almost the same words. David said God called you to be you! Ben said God already has a Ben Turner and a Snyder. He needs you to be you. Listen, Calvary, He needs You to be You with Him in every individual here. Let God speak through you and use you.
Gods called you to be you, and you, as a Christian, as a part of the assembly, need to worship God and not get caught up in the way things have always been. But start doing things the way God wanted them to be done.
The first-century Christians were excited every time somebody accepted the Lord, which meant that Jesus had another mouth to speak through, two more feet to walk with, two more hands to give charity, and help out.
What know you not that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit? Your body is God’s temple in the form of the Holy Spirit Indwelling in you!
God didn’t call you just to be a pew setter. He called you with the gifts that God gave you to do a service or work.
And in that your life will worship God!!!
I got up and walked out of this Church. The first time somebody brought a drum kit in.
Because I heard that that instrument like that didn’t belong in the house of God.
Not my fault; it’s what I was taught.
If it can be played and give God glory, more power to it, let me let you in on something that drum kid upstairs. The pearl drum set that’s up there. It’s mine; I own it. I left it here for the Church to use. That Snare drum right there is mine…
Love an example that CJ gave one time: we had a drum kit that the Church owned; it was in the back, and it’s fallen all apart. It’s never been out of the church, but it’s not being used and is not serving God at all.
And then you have that pearl set there; it’s been in bars. It’s been a nightclub. It’s been in places it shouldn’t have been, but a different owner has it now. It was bought with a price, and it’s been given to God for God’s glory. And it is worshiping Him every time it is serving Him!
God, can you use it no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done?
God can forgive you and has forgiven you, lets you move on, and be used for God. To truly worship Him.
That’s worship!
This passage in the book of Acts gives us some of the elements of worship, some of the things that they did.
Let us look at the nuts and bolts of Worship.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
When you hear the word “Worship”, what images does it bring to mind? Singing, prayer, giving, works?
There are a lot of false views about what worship is. We think that it is coming to church, or singing songs.
These all may be a part of worship, but those actions miss the essence of what worship is.
The true meaning of worship is a lifestyle of wholehearted devotion, reverence, and submission to the divine.
It goes beyond singing or attending religious services; it serves instead as a continuous, daily response to the greatness, truth, and love of God.
We see in John 12 that Mary poured out the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. It filled the whole house. And then she dried Jesus’s feet with her hair. It was a major sacrifice, but well worth it
John 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
It was a big sacrifice. It was a year’s salary’s worth of this anointing oil.
And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Your Worship should have a good smell to it.
You should smell like you’ve been with Jesus.
A sweet savor to the Lord
Philippians 4:18 Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
The expensive perfume that was poured out- she sacrificed; that’s worship.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses Spreads the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Fragrance of the knowledge
See, even while we were lowlife, no good for nothings, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We are not worthy, but Christ is worthy of our Worship.
To explore this concept more deeply, here are the foundational aspects of true worship:
- A Matter of the Heart: True worship stems from genuine affection and a correct understanding of God’s nature, rather than mere outward actions or rituals.
- Obedience and Surrender: It involves aligning your will with God’s will, prioritizing His standards, and treasuring Him above all else.
- Desiring God: Psalm 84:2 (NKJV) My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV) 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
- Desiring to be in the House of God: Psalm 27:4 (NKJV) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
- Living for a Higher Purpose: Authentic worship transforms how you live your daily life, making every action, choice, and interaction an expression of gratitude and service.
READ MARK 12:28-30
Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
The Ten Commandments are still relevant today. The world desperately needs to see the name and character of God displayed in the lives of Christians who still take His Word seriously. These Commandments, particularly coupled with the teachings of Christ, are still the best guidelines for practical daily living known to man.
We got two stones on Pentecost,
The first stone love the LORD your God with all your heart,
“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex 20:3). Since God’s character forms the basis of the covenant with His people. He demands absolute loyalty. And when the intent of the heart is to put God first, a person’s outward actions will reveal it. Then others will see what God’s character is like through the actions of His people.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Ex 20:4). The second commandment is necessary because people do not always keep the first. The Israelites made a golden calf to worship even as the Lord gave the laws to Moses. And since Israel had so many contacts with people who did worship images, including replicas of their earthly rulers, God gave them this law. God has never been a tangible, visible Being (Deut 4:12), but always a Spirit (John 4:24).
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Ex 20:7). God’s name and His character are inseparable. Using His holy name lightly in a vain, empty manner is insulting and degrading. This could be done by perjuring oneself in a court of law or by cursing. However, this commandment also applies to hypocritical worship, using God’s name in meaningless prayer and praise (Isa 29:13).
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex 20:8). Sabbath means “rest,” but God intended for this day to stand for more than an absence of work. It was to be a day of worship as well-a day for setting aside all thoughts of materialistic gain and thinking about Him. God Himself set the pattern by ceasing from His labors after creating the world. Why, then, must modern-day Christians feel that being busy is equated with being spiritual?
Second stone: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land” (Ex 20:12). God established parents as the authority figures in the family unit. Children often get their first impressions about God from their parents. Parents who walk in the Spirit, honestly desiring to follow the guidelines of the Scriptures, will set better examples for their children. And children who want to please God will respect their parents, regardless of pressure from the world and their peers.
“You shall not murder” (Ex 20:13). Commandments six through nine pertain to our relationships with one another. The breakdown of these guidelines has plunged many civilizations into decay. A person who cares about others, beginning with those in the home, does not want to harm them. This law reveals God’s attitude toward people created in His image. No one has the right to take that life from another
“You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). Technically, this commandment refers to being sexually involved with a married person; but it is traditionally used to prohibit all sexual relationships outside of marriage. Again, this commandment involves a right relationship with God and with others. Adultery is possible only if people are prepared to hurt others, to enjoy themselves at the expense of other people. A right attitude toward keeping God first and not harming others is tied together in these commandments. A person who does not steal will not take another’s mate. And he does not allow covetous thoughts to grow in his mind. He wants God to have his total allegiance.
“You shall not steal” (Ex 20:15). Stealing involves taking something that does not belong to you. This could be another’s life, marriage partner, or reputation. This law also emphasizes the importance of getting all you own through lawful channels.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex 20:16). A good relationship demands honesty in speaking of another. The old saying, “A man’s word is as good as his name” is sometimes a joke today. But God’s people ought to cherish their own reputations and that of others. If a person is unwilling to speak ill of another, he is less likely to steal from him or to commit murder.
“You shall not covet” (Ex 20:17). Jesus elaborated on this commandment by stating, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39). The negative and the positive work together. You do not harm people you care about.
This tenth commandment is an outgrowth of the first. If a person’s heart is fixed on the Lord, he will have the right attitude toward others.
So, the desires that rise from his heart will not cause pain or loss to others. The right motive (pleasing God, who is first in your life) will result in obeying the other commandments (not hurting others).
Jesus enlarged on the idea widespread in the Ten Commandments by emphasizing the heart attitude:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8).
The Christian has blessed joy on earth when his priorities are straight.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
We can do all the right things, but if we do not do it loving God and loving others first, then what we are doing is not worship.
Sunday morning is when people who love the Lord Jesus come together to express that love as a group.
Ex 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
True worship happens when we put God first in our lives. not: Money, fishing, hunting, football, baseball, Anything other than God…
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
When we really believe God deserves our worship, nothing will keep us away from the Church or the other believers, and that’s where you get the verse: Forsake not the assembly of yourself together.
Church worship is a matter of priorities.
Worship has been described as “the most urgent, the most glorious action that can take place in human life.
We ought to worship God in our own houses, but that is not enough; we must go into the house of the Lord. Dolores Palmer says this every Sunday to me
In worship, we learn to respond to the ups and downs of life.
We discover that faith means trusting in God even when life doesn’t make much sense.
We understand that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Worship gives the “Word picture:” of a dog licking a master’s hand.
That kind of submission, that kind of love, that kind of devotion.
Worship is not something that we can make people do; it is something that is a natural outflow of a life lived for Jesus.
Whatever is outward in worship must come as a direct result of what is inward-otherwise, it will be form without power.
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Out of the book of Deuteronomy?
The problem is that we’re worshiping and serving other things more than we are worshiping and serving God.
Notice in this passage that worship comes before serve!
Worship Him before you work for Him
But we put idols up in front of us, and we end up worshiping them rather than worshiping the true living God.
The idols most Christians don’t realize they are worshiping.
1 The Approval of People
You think you are just being friendly and want people to like you, but God shows you that you are changing who you were to gain approval instead of obeying him.
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
2 Comfort
You think you are protecting your peace, but God can show you. You are avoiding anything uncomfortable, even when He is calling you to grow.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
3 Success
You can think you are just being ambitious, but God can show you that you are finding your worth and what you could accomplish instead of who you are in Him.
Matthew 6:33-34 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
4 Control
You can think you are being responsible and prepared, but God can show you that you are trusting your plans more than His.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
5 Money
You can think that you’re trying to be secure, but God can show you that you are looking to money for peace instead of trusting him as your provider.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).
6 Relationship
You can think that you’re just loving someone deeply, but God can show you that you’re depending on them for what He alone can give you.
Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
And I’m sorry, but that includes people too!
7 Entertainment
You can think you’re just relaxing, but God can show you that you’re just running to a distraction instead of running to Him.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
It kills me that people are paying good money for these streaming services to watch these perverted, sinful lifestyles being played out in your living room the very sins that Christ died for we’re paying good money for.
8 Social Media Validation
You could think you’re just sharing your life, but God can show you that you are checking on people’s reactions more than you are seeking his presence.
Colossians 3:23-25 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
9 Self-Reliance
You could think that you’re just being independent, but God can show you that you are on your own strength instead of His.
2 Corinthians 12:9 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
John 15:4-6 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
10 Ministry of Intimacy
You think you were serving God, but God shows us. We are becoming more focused on doing things for Him than being with Him.
I was told I was trying to work my way to heaven. I was here every time the door was open. I was here building this very church, and I was lost as much as I could be.
Luke 10:41-42 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
11 Myself
You can think that you’re being true to yourself, but God can show you that you have made your feelings, opinions, and desires the highest authority instead of His word.
Romans 1:24-25) 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
12 Fear of Men
You could think that you’re just trying not to offend anyone, but God can show you that you fear people’s opinion more than you fear God.
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
Worship happens when we surrender ourselves to God.
When Jesus is worth enough for us to put Him first in our lives, then we will be able to come together and praise Him together.
Our lives will be a fragrant aroma to God.
READ ISAIAH 6:1-8. Recognize who God is and who we are, then serve.
Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet
Isa 6:1-8 (cf. Ezek 1:4-28)
6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
When you see Him for who He is, you will see your worth.
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
Have you seen the King? Once you’ve seen the King, you can’t help but worship Him!
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”
8 Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” He said ME ME ME, Send me
WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF WORSHIP?
The objective of our worship is to magnify God.
This is why worship cannot happen in a life that is not surrendered to God.
We magnify either God or ourselves by the way we live our lives.
Psalm 34:3 (NKJV) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
The things that we do in a “worship” service are intended to magnify God.
The music, communion, Jesus told us that when we partake, we are to remember Him. Then we have prayer, preaching, giving, and serving.
The actions that come from one who has not surrendered their lives to Jesus are not worship. Prayer, giving, singing, etc., a form of worship.
Pharisees wanted people to see them. But Jesus said right before you gave the example of the Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:1-4 1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
We want to bring glory, honor, and praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORSHIP?
What are some of the benefits of worship? This is the question that we always ask: “What is in it for me?”
One benefit is that the Church grows stronger through worship.
The focus is on God instead of us.
We are looking to further God’s agenda and not our own personal one.
Worship gives us the power to live on
When we are weak, He is strong
We will experience personal growth.
Calvin Coolidge said, “It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow.”
We will experience fulfillment.
Worship is the highest and noblest act that any person can do. When men worship, God is satisfied!
And when you worship, you are fulfilled!
Think about this: why did Jesus Christ come? He came to make worshipers out of rebels.
Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. has a book titled When God Comes to Church. He is an Author, preacher, Pastor, and evangelist
“We who were once self-centered have to be completely changed so that we can shift our attention outside of ourselves and become able to worship Him.”
We will be stimulated or motivated.
• Have you really thought about why we are here? Have you really given any thought to the purpose of this Church?
- One of the purposes is to worship.
- Worship will not happen unless we have placed Jesus first in our lives
- Worship is the outflow of a life that is lived for Jesus!
- Are you here to worship?
- Does your worship seem empty to you?
Are you looking for more?
- Many times, it is not that we need to find something new to excite us, but we need to surrender ourselves to Jesus.
- If you find that you cannot worship, maybe you need to surrender more of yourself to Jesus.
- Today, we give you that opportunity.
We’ve taught people to worship for 20 minutes or so.
Jesus taught people to worship with their lives
If we’re not careful, we’ll reduce worship to:
A genre
A gathering
Set list
A Sunday movement
When scripture describes something much bigger
Biblically, worship was never primarily about singing
Singing was simply one of the expressions of a worshiping life
You can sing every word in the book and still not worship
Israel did.
Jesus said. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Worship is not measured by how loudly you sing
It’s measured by what you surrender
The greatest act of worship in your week may not happen in a church service
It might happen when
You forgive
You repent
You obey
You tell the truth
You choose faithfulness when nobody sees
Romans 12 doesn’t call us to offer songs
Caused us to offer ourselves
Present your body as a living sacrifice
That’s worship, Which means worship isn’t something you attend?
It’s something you are
The real question isn’t
Did I worship today?
The real question is
What received my worship today?
Because everyone worships something
Approval
Success
Comfort
Control
Money
Influence
The issue is rarely whether we worship
The issue is what sits on the throne that we Worship
Worship begins when self-rule ends.
The goal of worship was never to create a moment
It was always to form a people
People who look more like Jesus
PRAY
Calvary 6/7/2026 pm
