Core Values -- Worship Series

Core Values: Worship – Ephesians 5:18-20

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

20 Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Our Spirit-filled worship is a core value for us. It makes us different because we believe in the awesome presence of God that permeates our worship. This presence is so powerful that it transforms and shakes people to their core. It is amazing what God’s presence accomplished in Scripture. His Presence shook temples, transformed liars, washed harlots, drowned armies, protected His people, overthrew enemies. Not the valiance of Israel, but the presence of God. I long for God’s presence to manifest in Lexington in ways that our generation has not seen. I long for the God of the Cain Ridge Revival to shake our generation! The presence of God that came down in our land!

I long for the presence because I know what it has done for me and how I need it so much now. I need the presence of God today!

I have had a personal revival in my life over the last year and it has been fueled by a revival of worship. By pulling my spirit into continual worship, I have seen God bring spiritual transformation, vision, passion, business success, you name it. It has all flowed out of worship.

I now realize I’m too busy not to worship. If I don’t take time to worship and get in His presence, I’ll never get anything done. Without worship I’m unproductive as a father, a pastor, a businessman. But with worship, I see how God brings life and multiplication into reality.

a. Worship fulfills the supreme command to love God

b. Worship is a lifestyle of glorifying God with actions, words and abilities

c. As believers, our response to God’s presence in our lives is reverence and worship

d. God commands our worship must be empowered by the Holy Spirit, genuine, and offered with all our heart

I. What is Worship: Worship is an action. To worship is

i. To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God,

ii. To feed the mind with the truth of God

iii. To purge the imagination by the beauty of God

iv. To open the heart to the love of God

v. To devote the will for the purpose of God

II. Worship was not invented by man, but commanded by God.

i. PRAISE IS NOT JUST SOME ASPECT OF CHURCH THAT MEN THOUGHT UP

ii. It is a divinely ordained unconditional expression on our part , that if practiced by us will draw us closer to God

III. Worship brings the presence of God

i. Ps 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel

IV. Worship is the natural response to the creator.

i. All of creation is engaged in continual worship

ii. You long to worship, so much that you will worship something – either the true living God, or one that is fashioned by your hands or imagination

iii. We become like what we worship. If we:

1. Worship possessions…become a materialistic person.

2. Worship money… become a greedy person.

3. Worship Sex… become a lustful person.

4. Worship Power… become a corrupt person. But…

5. Worship Jesus… become a Christ like person

iv. Not only should the redeemed of the Lord praise Him, but the Bible says "let everything that has breath, praise the Lord." If you inhale God’s air, you should exhale God’s praise.

V. EXPRESSING YOUR PRAISE INCLUDES

i. Clapping -- Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands all ye people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph".

ii. Lifting up your hands -- Psalm 134:2 "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord".

iii. Singing - Psalm 100:2 -- "come before him with Joyful song"

1. Ephesians 5:18-20 "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord"

iv. Shouting Praise - Psalm 100 "Shout for Joy all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness

v. Kneeling

vi. Dancing

vii. Playing Instruments skillfully & loudly

viii. Praise is both thanksgiving for what He’s done and faith for what He will do