Created To Worship Series

Sermon: Created To Worship

Main Idea: The reason we exist is to allow our lives be an offering of Worship to God.

The Question: Why were we created?

Series Intro: Today we are beginning a new series of messages from the Bible regarding a very controversial issue. The way in which people worship has been a hot topic since the beginning of time. Since creation there has been a continual effort of humankind to worship the creator.

The methods and acts of worship have been as diverse as the people who have thought them up. Worshipping the sun, the moon, the heavenly entities. Worship of the trees and rocks and animals. The worship of a multitude of god’s almost too hard to count.

But the challenge of proper worship is not just an issue of ancient history. It is also an issue for us today as we struggle to know what and how worship is to take place.

A.W. Tozer wrote, back in the 1940’s before we had worship teams and theater lights, and cushioned pews the following:

“It is certainly true that hardly anything is missing from our churches these days – except the most important thing. We are missing genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In the next 6 weeks we are going to move back and forth from the classroom to the lab. We are going to learn and put into practice, principles from the Scriptures that will teach us what God wants from us in the way of worship.

Intro: Have you ever seen the Antique Road show where they ask people to name the use of some antique tool? I thought we might see how good you folks are this morning.

What was this tool created for? Well, it could be used for …

But what did its designer have in mind when he or she created it?

It is always best to use a tool for the job it was created for. It is possible to use any tool for other applications, but the best use, the most gratifying, most efficient use is found in applying the tool to the task it was designed for.

The same is true for us!

Unfortunately what we see too often today is that people aren’t exactly clear on what they were created for.

Why were you and I created?

So why? What is God’s reason for creating you and me? Why did He create Neil Olcott? Put your name in that question. Why did He create ?

I. We Are Created To Be First And Foremost, Worshippers.

A. Humanity was created to worship. (Rev. 4:9-11)

1. We know from Scripture that we are not accidents.

a) God knew us in our mother’s womb.

b) He knew us before we were conceived.

c) We have been and continue to be part of God’s plan for all eternity.

d) God created you and me and all of us with great planning and forethought.

2. We know from the Bible that we are different from all the rest of creation in that we are created in God’s image.

a) Not physically because the Bible says God is Spirit.

b) We are created in God’s image in that we have the ability to reason and think complex thoughts and we have the ability to worship God! No other of God’s creation can worship as we can.

3. As a matter of fact, we see in the book of Revelation that life here and now is in preparation for an eternity of worship.

a) Worship is to bring Glory to God and our task for eternity is to worship God.

b) Another way to express that is to give glory to God.

Revelation 4:9-11 (NIV)

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

4. So if that is to be our eternal emphasis, then it makes sense that we would learn to do it well here.

a) But does that mean we practice for an hour on Sunday?

b) Is worship that brings glory to God something that we participate in at a practice session each Sunday?

5. Interestingly, the Bible tells us that God desires that every aspect of our lives be done so as to be an act of worship to Him in giving Him glory. (I Corinthians 10: 31)