The Importance of Worship
Genesis 22:1
Today I want us to look at The Importance of Worship.
In every worship experience there are only two people involved: God and you, the worshiper.
I want us to look today at the importance of worship for the worshiper. What does worship do for the worshiper? We know we are to worship God and when we worship God He is praised, honored and glorified. But what do we receive from worship?
Worshiping God, for the believer, is the highest of all priorities. We see this in that worship is a key theme in the Bible.
David in Psalm 29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
Psa 81:9 "There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any other god."
Psa 95:6 "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."
Jesus said,"… You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' Mat 4:10
He also said, John 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The Apostle John in Revelation 15:4 wrote, "Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You…."
And John again at the end of v9 of Revelation 22 wrote simply, “…Worship God."
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it, but one reason Jesus died was so we can worship God. We cannot worship God in our sins. He’s holy. Jesus died to take away our sins enabling us to worship God in spirit and truth. That is, it cost the Son of God his life so we can do what we are doing right now. That and that alone shows us the importance of we do here every Sunday.
So what does worship do for the worshiper? How can we benefit from worship? We only have time for one thought and that is worship washes away worry.
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it, but worship is a cure for worry. In fact, it is the cure for worry, discouragement, anxiety and nervousness.
David the great Psalmist, said this about worship. Psalm 16:11 He said, “…In thy presence is fullness of joy and… pleasures for ever-more.” In God’s presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more. Worship ushers us into the presence of God where there is fullness of joy washing away worry. Joy and worry cannot abide in the same heart.
Let me show you a story in the Bible that illustrates this.
It’s the story of Abraham and his son Isaac.
Gen 22:1-2
Understand what’s going on here. This is huge what God is asking Abraham to do. Get this or you will miss the whole story. This is serious, life and death.
God is asking Abraham to go to Mt. Moriah to worship him by taking his son, his only son, that he loves very much and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. God is not only asking him just to kill Isaac but cremate him.
Before we go any farther let me take you back a few decades and remind you of Abraham and Sarah’s story.
Abraham and Sarah have gone all their marriage without having any children together of their own. God promises them a son. When their son Isaac is born, Abraham is now 100 years old and Sarah is 90.
God blesses them with a son and now he is asking them to sacrifice him and offer him as a burnt offering.
Now put yourself in their shoes. Abraham must be asking him-self, “I’ve waited all my life for a child, God gives me one and this is how it ends?” Can’t you hear Abraham asking himself this?
And although there is no indication of worry or anxiety on Abraham’s part, he must have some. Don’t you imagine?
Let’s continue reading. See if you sense any worry.
Gen 22:3-10
I read this and I do not sense any worry or anxiety on Abraham’s part. Do you? And yet, I can’t help but to believe that there has to be some anxiety.
There must be some apprehension. There must be in the back of Abraham’s mind, a questioning what is God asking me to do?
And yet he seems so calm in this whole situation. He seems to be at peace about this. Look at v:3 again. Did you hear that? He rose up early … saddled his donkey… , took his son…, the wood for the burnt offering…, and went.
No resistance. No reluctance. No worry. No debate. No discussion. No delay. No anxiety.
There is no indication of any worry. No inkling of any anxiety in this whole story. Abraham doesn’t seem shaken. He’s not rattled.
How? Why? I think we find the answer here. This is awesome. This will bless your socks off. Hold on to your boots.
V5 "And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here… the lad and I will go yonder and worship, [stop right there]
Worship!…. the lad and I will go yonder and worship!
Where is Abraham’s anxiety? Where is Abraham’s worry? There is none. How? Why? It’s been washed away in worship.
How does this happen? How does worship wash away worry?
There’s a difference between worry and worship. A huge difference. Let me explain.
Worry is when you focus on yourself. Your problems, pain, loss, sickness, sorrow, situation.
On the other hand, worship is when you focus on God. His might, His majesty, His power, His plan, His greatness, His glory.
What was Abraham thinking? What got him through this? I know what he was thinking. Can I tell you?
Heb 11:19 “Abraham knew that even if he slayed Isaac God was able to raise him up, even from the dead…."
This is what Abraham was thinking. This is what Abraham was focused on. “Abraham knew that even if he slayed Isaac, God is able to raise him, even from the dead.”
Where was Abraham’s focus in all of this? It was on God, which is what? Worship. Worship is when your focus is on God.
Abraham’s focus was not on Isaac. In Abraham’s mind Isaac was as good as slain. That’s not where his focus was. He was doing what God told him to do. His focus was on God.
The reason you see no indication of worry, no inkling of anxiety on Abraham’s part is because he is not focused on himself, he is not focused on his son, his focus is on God; the power of God, the greatness of God, the glory of God.
That’s what worship is. Worship is laser focus on God. Abraham’s worship of God washed away his worry. He was focused on God’s will for his life and he was not worried about where that led him.
Some of you are, perhaps, worried right now. Anxious. About your health, your situation, your security, your well-being.
What do you do? Develop a laser focus on the greatness and glory of God. Worship him and allow him to wash away your worry.
Now, you mothers are asking, and rightfully so, where is Sarah?
You’re thinking, where is this boy’s mother right now? Why is she allowing her crazy husband to slay their son?
Isn’t Sarah worried? Isn’t she wringing her hands? Why isn’t she pounding on Abraham’s chest, screaming “give me my son? I will not allow you to do this to our boy. Go find you a goat to sacrifice.”
You don’t read any of this in the story, do you? There is no indication that Sarah is worried or concerned either. She must be. She knows. What mother wouldn’t be? Where is she? What is she thinking?
I know what she’s thinking. Can I tell you? Heb 11:11 "…By faith Sarah, who was past child-bearing age, was able to bear a child because she considered him faithful who made her the promise."
Why is she not worried that Abraham is taking her son, her only son, whom she loves out to sacrifice him? Because she knows God is faithful.
God promised her this boy. God kept his promise. She knows God is faithful. What do these 3 statements have in common? God.
Where is her focus? God. What is worship? When you focus on God.
Her focus is the same as Abraham. His focus and her focus are on the one who is faithful, the one who can raise the dead.
Think about it, if God can raise the dead, surely, he can take care of what you’re facing. Right?
Here’s what you do when worry comes. Worship the One who is able to raise the dead and watch your worry wash away. Ask Abraham and Sarah. They will tell you the same thing.
One day, many years later, God will take his son, his only son whom he loves to this same mountain and sacrifice him as an offering for our sins. Was Jesus worried? No. You know why? He knew God is faithful and that even though he slays me he will raise me from the dead.
Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s wife said, “Worship and worry cannot live in the same heart, they are mutually exclusive.” This is something Abraham knew, Sarah knew it, David knew it as well as Jesus. We now know it. Amen? Amen!
