Seven Road Blocks On The Highway Of Worship –
(And How To Break Them Down)
One of the most interesting passages in the Bible about worship – is found in John chapter four. Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. She is a woman with a tainted past. Her lifestyle is one that is questionable – five husbands – and the man that she now lives with – she is not even married to. She is a Samaritan woman – which means that she has Hebrew blood flowing through her veins – but the blood is not pure Jewish blood. When questioned about her past she tries to change the subject – avoid the issues. And so she says to Jesus:
"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father."You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:20-24 (NASV)
Her question is about the proper location of worship – and Jesus tells her about the proper attitude of worship: “those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Let me state a very clear fact this morning – many times in our worship services across the country – worship is more about us than it is about God. Many times we focus on - what music we like – what order of service we like – what volume of energy we display – whether we show a spirit of excitement or whether we come with a reflective attitude – we usually cater to our own likes and dislikes. When we come to worship we all come with certain expectations – certain traditions – and heaven forbid that those expectations or traditions be altered in any way. But here is a truth:
“Pure Biblical Worship is – focusing on God and responding to Him”
Whether in church on Sunday or in our everyday lives – every time we acknowledge how great God is – who He is and how mighty He is – this is an act of worship. When we focus our attention on the God of the universe – glorify Him – honor Him – magnify Him – it is an act of worship. It may be in a shout of elation – or a moment of humble silence. It may be in a second of thrill – where goose-bumps cover my body from head to toe – or in a moment of overwhelming awe as I consider how great God’s creation is. Worship is to God and about God. He is concerned about my relationship and response to Him. The question I ask myself many times is this:
“Why don’t I focus more on God and respond to Him?”
I can go days at a time without having any thought of how good God has been to me. I can over-look the blessings and gracious supply that He’s given. “Who God is” and “what God has done” – can simply drop from my radar screen. Then Sunday comes around again and I come to church to once again acknowledge that God is alive and that He brings good things into my life. Are you like that too? Do you sometimes miss worshiping God throughout the week – because you just are not mindful of Him? Do you sometimes miss the blessings of worshiping Him – in your daily life? Why is that? What are the things that are getting in the way of our seeing God’s greatness and goodness in our everyday life? What are the "Road Blocks" that keep you from worshiping God?
Worship is not intended to be just a Sunday morning activity. It is intended to be the lifestyle of every Believer. Isaiah 6:3 says that: “the whole earth is full of His glory,” yet many of us rarely think about God outside the walls of the church. What are the “Road Blocks” that stop us from worshiping God? What are the barriers that block us from getting connected to Him?
Today I want us to look at Seven Road Blocks On The Highway of Worship – And How To Break Them Down. Let’s look at the first Road Block of Worship:
1. We get boxed in by other’s EXPECTATIONS.
There is an interesting passage of scripture found in Second Samuel chapter six – follow along with me as I read:
“Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.” 2 Samuel 6:16 (NASV)
The scene is this – the Ark of the Covenant is finally being brought into Jerusalem – the people are excited – David is excited – the trumpets are blasting and the people are dancing - as an act of worship - David gets excited and dances before the Lord. But one person there is not happy – Michal – David’s wife – when she gets home she scolds David for his behavior. She is angry with him - she is not pleased with him – she thinks his behavior was uncalled for – and besides she tells him, "Others were watching you." Does that still happen today?
Have you ever been in a church service that if a hand were raised in praise – eyebrows would be raised is discuss? I have! We all have certain expectations of how people should act when they worship – and when those expectations are shattered we become uncomfortable. We have certain expectations of the way people should act and how they should behave and if a person deviates from those expectations – eyebrows are raised and comments are made. Perhaps that is why private worship is so appealing to many of us – there is the freedom to worship outside the expectations of others.
But do you know what David’s response was to Michal? Let me tell you. He said – “It was before the LORD (that I worshiped)… therefore I will celebrate before the LORD.” David knew that:
Worship is about God – and to God.
A few years ago I was preaching a sermon on the Prodigal Son. The words were flowing and the Spirit was moving. One older gentleman in the congregation got excited and in the middle of the sermon he let out a holler. People gasped - eyebrows were raised – (some of them even woke up) - I smiled. It was a glorious moment of worship. Don’t let the expectations of others keep you from worshiping God. Be like David who said, “It was before the LORD (that I worshiped)… therefore I will celebrate before the LORD.”
Let’s now move on to the second Road Block:
2. We get distracted by our frantic PACE.
Read along with me as we look at Luke chapter ten:
“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 (NASV)
Sometimes we don’t worship because we get distracted by our own busy-ness. We don’t think about God’s greatness and goodness - because we are more concerned about grits and gravy being placed on the table. We don’t set our minds on the things of God because we have stuffed our lives full to the gills with activities and obligations. We run through our lives like it is a sprint and we never take in the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him because we think we don’t have the time – there is too much “stuff” to get done.
Some of us live this way because we think it confirms our own status. In our minds we think: busy-ness equals importance. We let our time schedule get in the way of our relationship with God. It’s tough to be thinking about God’s greatness – to worship Him – when you are rushing through life. The Psalmist said, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (KJV) But it’s hard to be still – when you have to be somewhere in ten minutes.
Jesus gave us the remedy when He said to Martha, “you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary. Really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” To spend time in worship – to build a relationship with Him who loves you completely – is not just something to tack on your “to – do” list. It is a necessity of life. It is necessary to have an abundant life. Slow your pace down to take in the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him who loves you and spend some time in worship of Him.
The third Road Block of worship is:
3. We get consumed by our own COMFORTS.
Jesus said:
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? Matthew 6:24-27 (NASV)
Some of you sitting here today have already been wondering: “What’s for lunch.” or "When will the preacher get done - I’m hungry." Your concentration of focusing on God – has been distracted by your desire for food. Some of you have come into church today – wondering what other people will be wearing – or if you look good. Our minds – rather than be focused on worshiping God have become distracted by food and fashion. I don’t mean to pick on anyone today – because we all have those thoughts. But is it not a sad commentary of our lives when we more concerned with what we will eat, or what we will wear – than we are in worshiping the Lord of lords and the King of kings. It is hard to worship – when our minds wonder to such thoughts.
When we’re worried about anything, it’s incredibly hard to see God working. A friend is sick – the bills outweigh the budget – the relationship is in ruins – how can I worship in times like these? But it is in times like these that we need God most. In moments of desperation we need to lean on God’s strong arm – and to realize how strong it really is. Remember Jesus said, "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”
The God of creation – created you – and He knows what you’re going through – worship Him.
Let’s move on to the fourth road block:
4. We become possessed by our own POSSESSIONS.
Follow along with me as I read from Matthew chapter nineteen – Jesus is speaking to a rich young man and he says:
"If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:21-24 (NASV)
Kids love toys, and as grown-ups we sure love our stuff. Someone has said, "The difference between men and boys - is the price of their toys." Has your stuff ever got in the way of your worship to God? It did for the rich young man Jesus was talking to. Stuff became more important than salvation. A ware house became more important than worship.
God is the source of all the material blessings in our lives. It is He who gives us all the blessings that we have. But the dearth of tithing gives clear indication that the majority of Christians don’t believe that to be true. Ask a Christian if they believe that God takes care of them and the answer will usually be, “Yes”. Then ask them if they tithe and see what the response is.
We get wrapped up in our own possessions – a new computer, a new boat, a new car, new clothes, or whatever else is out there to be bought. We pay more attention to possessions then we do to God. It can happen to all of us. Things can take the prominent place in our lives. Mark records the story of the rich young man a little different than Matthew did – for he tells us that Jesus says to the rich young man:
"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Mark 10:21 (NASV)
“One thing you lack.” One thing you are short of. One thing is keeping you from the kingdom of God. One thing is keeping you from salvation. One thing is keeping you from worship. You are possessed by your possessions.
Is there any “thing” that is keeping you from the kingdom of God - from the worship of God?
Let’s look at the fifth road block of worship:
5. We get deceived by our own PRIDE.
Jesus tells a story and it goes like this:
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.”The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, ’God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. ’I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ "But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted." Luke 18:10-14 (NASV)
Pride can keep us from the worship of God. In our lives, it may be religious pride or just a life that is self-centered. But in either case, we have put ourselves on the throne of our lives. We are interested in what will increase our reputation. We love to hear people talk about us and our accomplishments. How can we worship God when we are consumed by self? James tells us:
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 (HCSB)
I don’t know about you – but I need as much grace as I can get. Don’t let pride get in your way of worship.
Another danger we need to be aware of is:
6. We get hardened by a hard HEART.
Proverbs tells us:
“Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 28:14 (ESV)
Back a few years ago I did a funeral for an elderly woman. I did not know her personally – but I did know some of the family members. Something happened at that funeral that shocked me. One of the sons did not attend because he was mad at his brothers and sisters. I cannot even imagine the anger and bitterness that a person would feel – to not even attend your own mother’s funeral. But it happens.
We can become angry with others – we can become angry with God and it affects our relationship with Him. It is hard to worship God when you have a hard heart. The root of bitterness can grow in a person’s life until it consumes them. God has a cure for a hard heart though. He wants His people to worship Him. Ezekiel tells us:
"And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NASV)
God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth – and you cannot do that with a hardened heart. Let God place a heart of flesh within you.
Another road block that keeps us from worship is:
7. We get embarrassed by our SIN.
Follow along with me as I read from Isaiah chapter six:
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven." Isaiah 6:1-7 (NASV)
God knows better than any of us – the extent of sin in our lives. Yet He still loves us and wants us to draw close to Him. We all sin and fall short of His glory. Sometimes, when we sin, we do “damage control” by trying to hide from God and think as little about Him as possible. That inevitably leads to other problems in our lives, but we’re trying to make the best of a bad situation. Yes, you may have sinned – we all have – but Jesus stands ready to forgive and to welcome you back into full fellowship with Him.
Let me tell you a great secret – God does not ignore your sin – in fact He does just the opposite. Your sin bothered Him so much that He did something about it. He sent Jesus – to die for your sin. That is what the death of Jesus was all about. You see the wages of sin is death – BUT God stepped into history to take care of that. You are a sinner – you deserved death BUT He died in your place. He took your sin on Himself – and died for you. He knows that you are a sinner – He knows that I am a sinner – yet He has died for you and he has died for me – and now because of this fact - I worship Him. He is worthy of my praise - He is worthy of my attention. He is worthy of my worship.
Don’t let the road blocks of pride – or possessions – or a hardness of heart – keep you from worshiping the One who loves you. Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth – for He is worthy of our worship.
(I would like to thank Jim Butcher for his sermon “Six Detours On The Path To Worshipping God” – which inspired this sermon.)
