The Year Of Worship Series

THE YEAR OF WORSHIP

Lakeview Baptist Church

Sermon Series: "Worship"

January 7, 2024

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:33-36 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Believers and non-believers alike will review 2023 and we will give it a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” We would describe 2023 like we would describe a person we know, giving the year attributes like “great”, “bad”, or “exciting.” Each of us made a big investment in 2023; 8,760 hours to be exact. Some events in 2023 were out of our control. However, for the most part, we made the decisions most of the time.

Thinking back on 2023, where does the year stand in relation to other years?

Personally, 2023 was a particularly good year for me. While there were negative issues, I will look fondly on 2023.

For example, we had been praying for Jacob’s cancer of the brain to be gone, and before Christmas, we received the news that the cancer was indeed gone.

Lakeview Baptist Church saw growth in 2023. We had fifteen baptisms, twenty-nine joined the church. I haven’t seen the 2023 financial report, but initial reporting indicates that we will have a strong financial year heading into 2024.

However, I know that for some of you, including members of my family, it was a year that they are more than happy to bid “adieu.”

Whether it was a good or bad year, we can lift the plastic sheet of our etch-a-sketch of 2023 and look at 2024 with a blank page. What does 2024 hold in store for us?

I am struck by the idea that in 365 days, we will be at this same crossroads: reviewing 2024 and looking forward to 2025.

At the end of next year will we look back upon it as one that we dedicated to the Lord or will we have made “us” the center of influence. Personally, I have messed up enough in my life, that I am ready to concentrate on making sure Christ on the throne of my heart.

How do I do that, you might ask? Well for the next few weeks we are going to look at “Worship” as the central theme of 2024.

January 7, 2024 – The Year of Worship – Romans 11:33-36

January 14, 2024 – The Beauty of His Holiness – 1 Chronicles 16:29 -bringing God glory.

January 21, 2024 – Taking Life Seriously – Jeremiah 1:5

January 28, 2024 – The Graveyard Shift – Psalm 134 – how and when are we to bring praise to God.

February 4, 2024 – Sing Praise – Psalm 108:1-4 – singing with the melody of the heart.

Loathing the Fake

I loathe things that are fake when they are being passed off as being real. For example, when I was in high school, I lent a classmate my lunch money one day and he promised he would pay it back the next day. Well, he did not. When I approached him, he gave me his 14-karat gold ring to hold until he could get my money. I said OK. He encouraged me to wear it, to keep it safe. I did and the next morning my finger was green where the ring was. You guessed it, it was fake. I never got my lunch money back, but I kept the fake ring to remind me of this important lesson.

Throughout my life I have seen lies and deceit used in a “devil may care” attitude. Pun intended. Lies and deceit are served like some buffet line. As you walk through life, the buffet of lies and deceit are served. It is up to us whether we accept the lie and deceit as truth and we take it.

Lies and deceit are a by-product of “fake” in the world and as a result, I have become quite cynical about some things. I would say that if you live long enough you will be tricked. If you let it, cynicism will plague you like corrosion on a ship.

Throughout the Bible, we see many examples of “fake worship.” Worship gone bad.

The worship offered to idols is easily recognizable looking from the outside. In place of worshiping the One, True God, the Children of God worshipped other gods:

• Baal

• Ashtaroth

• Groves

• images, both male and female.

If your flock or crops needed help, Baal was ready to receive your allegiance and worship. Sexual perversions are found in Ashtaroth and Aphrodite.