The Wonderful World Of Worship Series

Have you ever been on a sailboat, with the wind at our backs blowing through the sails, riding across the waves, sun glistening across the water?

It’s pretty exhilarating, isn’t it? But what happens to that sailboat when it’s tied down and not sailing?

Wind sails through its riggings, but the boat remains unmoved/lifeless.

The purpose of a sailboat is to catch the wind in its sails and ride the waves.

It’s useless and just taking up space if it’s tied down and not used. Unfortunately, that’s like a lot of believers today.

We go through our weeks and our lives simply existing without opening our sails and letting the Spirit of God fill us and direct us and move us. That’s what worship is all about.

It’s about letting God fill us and move us and direct us in the paths we should go. In fact, we were created to worship and glorify God. That’s our ultimate purpose!

When we’re not doing that, we are for all intents and purposes, useless and lifeless.

’God is Spirit,’ said Jesus, ’and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is.’ (John 4:24 GNB)

Worship is crucial to our relationship with Christ.

If we don’t understand what it is and how to do it, we’re just like a lifeless sailboat. How can we grow stronger through worship?

By understanding what worship is not.

By understanding what worship is.

By understanding what worship looks like (applying our understanding).

So first of all let us look at what worship is not.

1. What worship is not.

If you were to define worship, what would you say?

q That’s what we do in church on Sunday mornings

q It’s singing songs to prepare us for the sermon.

If that’s true, which is more important - worship or the Word? Worship Pastor - really wanting a Music Director.

Worship is NOT just what we do on Sunday morning.

Worship is not limited to singing songs before a message.

Worship is not singing songs on Sunday.

2. What worship is.

A. Common Definitions

Ø Recognizing Who God is in relation to who we are.

Ø Giving Him the proper place in everything we do or say.

Ø Most simple definition: recognizing God’s worth-ship in our lives.

B. Biblical Definition.

7 words in Scripture that are translated "worship". They imply to bow down or kneel before, to fear, to serve, to pay homage to, to revere, to show devotion.

Do you understand this? Worship is MUCH more than what we do on Sunday mornings!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual [reasonable] act of worship.

Romans 12:1

And whatever you do, whether in word and deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father in Him. Colossians 3:17

Now let’s look at our main text for this morning. If you have your Bible with you please turn to Mark 12:28-31. At that time, there were over 600 Laws the people were required to obey.

There were many disputes among leaders about the major and minor laws and if they were all equally binding. Ex. mortal and venial sins (felony vs. misdemeanor).

The Jewish leaders were trying to trap Jesus in order to accuse Him and this question was simply another attempt to discredit Him. With this in mind let’s look at our text.

One of the teachers of the Law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given then a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ’Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31

v. 29-30 is the beginning of the Shema, the Jewish Confession of Faith. 29. Cp. Dt. 6:4-5 (Shema - "hear")

The Shema was considered the umbrella statement to all the other commands.

It’s the Jewish creed (pledge of allegiance).

It’s recited 4x a day by the religious Jews (morning, mid-day, evening, night).

It still begins every synagogue service today.

Hear (a command!) - give heed to, obey, listen carefully, and pay attention.

The Lord - Yahweh, Jehovah, Almighty God, Adonai (Jews don’t say "God")

Our God - relationship, Israel’s God

The Lord is One - unique

Monotheism - direct contrast to polytheism at that time.

Illus. Many people say they believe in God - which "God" do they believe in?