Worship - It's What We Do! Series

Worship – It’s What We Do

Ted Malone was a radio personality in the western part of the United States. He started his career by reading poetry over the airways. Later he hosted variety shows and quiz shows. During World War II he became a war correspondent – providing human interest soldier stories for the listeners back home. Ted was born in 1908 and died in 1989.

During his broadcast years – Ted once got a letter from a shepherd in Idaho with an unusual request. The shepherd wrote, "Will you, on your broadcast, strike the note ’A’ for me on a piano for me? I’m a sheepherder way out here on a ranch, far away from a piano. The only comfort I have is my old violin. It’s all out of tune. Would you strike the note ’A’ so that I might get in tune?" Ted honored the shepherd’s request. Later Ted received a thank you note from the shepherd who said, "Now I’m in tune."

The purpose of worship is to enable us to keep tuned to the Good Shepherd.

Someone has said – that a church grows:

Clearer by Worship

Closer by Fellowship

Purer by Discipleship

Stronger by Ministry

Larger by Outreach

This is true of a church as well as an individual Christian. As we worship God – as we get in tune with God – our purpose in life should become clearer.

I believe that every church as well as every Christian should have a purpose statement. You should know why you are here – and be able to express it clearly. A great purpose statement is:

Love GOD, Love PEOPLE

This Purpose Statement comes from the Great Commandment which says:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your

neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV)

A purpose statement answers the question: Why am I here? I am here to love God and to love People. My vision statement explains how I am to show both my love to God and my love to people. It explains the question: What I am to do? My vision statement is:

Bring them in, Build them up, Train them up, Send them out.

That is exactly what Jesus did with His disciples. He brought them in. He built them up. He trained them up and He sent them out. This concept is based on the life of Christ but it is also found in the Great Commission – which says:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)

As we bring people into the fellowship, as we build people up through discipleship, as we train people to use their gifts, talents and personality in service to God through ministry and as we send people to witness to non-Christians we express our love for God and for people by our words and actions. Through our actions we become worshipers of God – because we are carrying out God’s commandments. Jesus said:

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15 (NASV)

You see worshiping God – is to involve every aspect of our lives. Our words and our works. Our attitudes and our actions. Our positions and our possessions. We are worshipers – it is our character – it is our nature – it is our purpose. We are to express our love to God in everything we do. We are to share His love with others and in so doing – we are worshiping God. Today I want to look at four affects worship should have on the worshiper. The first affect is:

I. Worship adjusts my ATTITUDE toward God

Look with me at Psalm ninety five:

“O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods,

In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also.

The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1-7 (NASV)