Lifestyle Worship

A Lifestyle of Worship – Psalms 100:1-5

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.

I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

· If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the six million who will not survive this week.

· If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

· If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

· If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

· If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

· What if you had to put a price tag on your other blessings?

· For example, if you bought a new Ford Escort, it would cost you between $13,000-$18,000. If you took that same car to the junkyard and sold it off, one piece at a time, at junkyard prices, it would be worth over $100,000.

· I’ve read that the human body, with market prices on all our minerals and compounds, is worth about $0.47. If you took this same body and sold it off for parts, how much would you be worth?

· Look with me at what you are willing to pay, in the time of a tragedy to restore something you are currently blessed with:

o Coronary artery bypass surgery $15,000 - $20,000

o Heart transplant $210,000

o Gastrointestinal Surgery $15,000

o Fertility Treatment $40,000

o Kidney Transplant $42,000

o Liver Transplant $115,000

o Bone Marrow Transplant $106,000

o Lung Transplant $105,000

Several decades ago there was a shipwreck off the coast of Evanston, Ill. many years ago. The students of Northwestern University came to the rescue. One student, Edward Spenser, personally saved the lives of 17 persons that day. Years later a reporter was writing a follow up story on the event, and went to interview the now elderly Spenser. Then asked what was the one thing that stood out about the incident in his mind; Spenser replied: “I remember that of the seventeen people I saved that day, not one of them ever thanked me.”

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had surveys that have been distributed through the church, to help us know what you want to do for God, where you can plug into the vision. I’ve received surveys from other organizations that ask what do I want from them. I wonder if we surveyed God, what is He looking for from us. The Bible tells us, He seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and truth.

There is a progression within the presence of God. David describes it in the tabernacle as the gates and courts, then the priests could move into the holiest place. For us, there is a progression of thanksgiving, praise, and worship:

· What God has done for you - Thanksgiving

· What God has done - Praise

· Who God is - Worship

You become like what you worship.

· If you worship superficial things, your life becomes superficial.

· If you worship perverted things your life becomes perverted.

· If you worship evil things your life becomes evil.

· If your worship the true God you become godly.

Dr. Dale Robbins writes, “I used to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord, and can invoke an invitation for the devil to cause havoc with our lives.”

· Complaining makes us miserable.

· Psalm 77:3 says, “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

· Philippians 2:13 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”

WE HAVE IT SO GOOD