SERIES: PRIORITIES FOR PLEASING GOD #1
WORSHIP: EXPRESSING YOUR LOVE FOR GOD
KBF & 00-01-14 & Tim Olson
INTRO: WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING YOUR LOVE FOR GOD
There’s a new "reality" TV show on Fox Network called "Temptation Island" that is the subject of discussion these days. Many people are very upset about it and various groups are fighting against it.
Temptation Island is a short-order unscripted series in which four unmarried couples travel to the Caribbean to test and explore the strength of their relationship. Once on the island, the couples are introduced to eligible singles and then separated from their partners until the final day of their stay. The object for the couples is to see if they love each other enough to overcome temptation. The object for the singles is to see if they can tempt the couples to be unfaithful. The object for Fox TV is to make a lot of money off people who can’t resist the temptation to watch such garbage. (Are people watching it? Yes. More than 16 million people found the debut of Fox’s reality series "Temptation Island" irresistible -- the network’s biggest audience ever for a Wednesday series debut. )
The object of this illustration is to point out a similarity between this "reality" TV show and a spiritual reality.
We all live on "temptation planet." Our object as Christians is to remain faithful to God. We have to deal with a "tempter" whose object is to get us to be unfaithful to God. The Christian life is a love relationship with God. Satan wants to ruin that relationship and will do anything he can to get you to put your desires on something besides God.
The object of this message is to get you to evaluate your relationship with God and to point out ways to strengthen your love for God. One of our 5 priorities at KBF is worship. On our Fuji model it is represented by the snow on the mountain that is a covering over everything we do.
What is worship? Our introduction says that: WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING YOUR LOVE FOR GOD. The Bible says that loving God is the most important thing we do. When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment, he answered:
Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
When we express our love for God we are worshipping him. If we say we love God then we must express that love.
Can you imagine a guy telling his girlfriend, "I love you, but let’s not let anyone else know that. We’ll just keep our love a secret. When we’re around other people we’ll just pretend like we don’t have a love relationship. And if we get married then I’d like you to agree that we’ll continue keeping our love a secret." Do you think the girl would be happy with such an arrangement? Of course not. When you love someone you naturally want to express your love to them.
If you love God you will not be ashamed of him. You’ll want to express your love to God in as many ways as possible. And there are many ways.
There’s a book with the title: 10,000 Ways to Say "I Love You." I thought about having my first sermon with 10,000 points but I don’t want to miss the Super Bowl next week! So let’s just look at 5 ways the Bible tells us we can express our love for God. And I’d like for you to evaluate yourself on how you’re doing in each of these 5 areas. After each point on your outline is a circle and a line. In the circle I’d like to ask that you rate yourself on a 1-10 scale. How are you doing in that area. Write a number between 1 and 10 in the circle. On the line I’d like you to write at least one specific thing that will help you improve in that area in the next month. Make it specific and make it attainable within the next month.
The first way. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH OBEYING.
1. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH OBEYING
O_________________________
Jesus made the connection between love and obedience very clear when he told his disciples:
1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
People obey authority for various reasons. Usually it’s because of fear – fear of punishment, or fear of other negative consequences.
We obey our parents so we don’t get spanked. We obey our teachers so we don’t get bad grades. We obey our bosses so we don’t get fired. But Jesus wants us to obey him because we love him – because we are devoted to him – not because we are afraid of him or because we want to get something from him. We obey him as an expression of our worship. He is worthy of our obedience. We love to do what pleases him.
1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
What does it mean that his commands are "not burdensome?" It means that if we obey God, our load in this life will be lighter. The heaviest load a person can carry is his sin. When we disobey God we add unnecessary weight on our backs. When we obey we experience joy and freedom. As we just read, Jesus said,
John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
As we obey I think the reverse also becomes clear: "If we obey him we will love him." The more you obey God, the more you discover that obedience produces a joy and freedom that is not possible otherwise. This increases your love for God as you understand more fully that he only wants what’s best for you.
The more you obey the more you recognize the benefits of obedience. God is full of grace and goodness. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote:
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
Worship is our love for God expressed through obeying. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on this? Are you expressing your love to God by obeying him? Are you obeying him out of love or out of fear? Write a number in the circle on your outline. Then, what specific action could you write down that will help you improve in this area?
Our next point says: LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAYER.
2. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAYER
O_________________________
Open and honest communication in a relationship… can get you in a lot of trouble. I saw a cartoon of a couple getting married and the pastor said: "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you until death do you part…" That may be true in an unhealthy relationship, but it is never true with God. Because of his great love and abundant grace, we can communicate everything with God (he already knows everything anyway – you can’t hide anything from him).
Prayer is communication with God. Communication is important to the health of any relationship. It’s almost impossible to have a close relationship with someone you rarely communicate with. And for a good relationship it needs to be primarily positive communication.
I think that’s what this woman in the cartoon is trying to communicate when she says: "Every time you say something right, you’ll get 10 points. When you say something wrong, you’ll lose 50 points. If you score 10,000 points, you’ll win a second date." Maybe this guy should read that book, "10,000 Ways to Say "I Love You!"
In prayer we are not trying to "make points" with God. We are trying to deepen our relationship. Jesus said to his followers:
Rev. 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
That is an invitation to fellowship. An invitation for communication. God desires to have a meaningful, intimate relationship with us. We can express our love for him through prayer – prayer in which we communicate our heart to him and seek to know him better. Prayer is a central part of worship. In fact it is the main purpose of coming to God’s house.
Isaiah 56:7
"…these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
Worship is our love for God expressed through prayer. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on this? Are you expressing your love to God by communicating with him? Write a number in the circle on your outline. Then, what specific action could you write down that will help you improve in this area?
Our next point says: LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAISE.
3. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAISE
O_________________________
Psalm 100:2
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
God loves it when we praise him. He loves it when we come to church with joyful and expectant hearts. Of course, we should praise God everyday, but Sundays are a special time of worship as we gather together for worship. That’s why we put so much time and preparation into our services. I’ve asked our worship pastor, Tim Johnson to come and share a little bit with you about how he tries to prepare the services each week. Ultimately, though, your worship experience will depend on you. It’s said that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. We also know that we can prepare a worship service, but it’s up to each person who comes to decide if he/she is going to worship.
Some thoughts from our worship pastor, Tim Johnson:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
First off, let me say that I look forward to Sunday morning ALL week. The anticipation of watching God at work among His worshipers here at KBF brings me great joy.
As I prepare for each week’s worship celebration, I usually follow a few simple steps in my planning. Of course, the way I plan varies from week to week, but I’d like to share some of the factors that enter into the actual preparation. I understand the worship leader’s role to be primarily that of one who INVITES –invites others to worship God by acting as “ushers”.
The worship leader and the praise & worship team act as ushers as we invite members of the congregation to both PERSONAL and CORPORATE worship – to offer praise, thanksgiving, and worship to our Lord. It has been said that the worship leader is really more of a “lead worshipper” – I agree with this. I need to be in close communion with the Lord all throughout the work.
Naturally, I face the same kinds of challenges and struggles in my life as all of you do. Fortunately, being a worship leader doesn’t require that I be a super Christian – it’s a good thing. But it does require that I walk with God, recognizing that life must be lived at the foot of the cross of Jesus, humbly and continually appropriating the mercy and grace that He offers. It means that I need to stay current in my relationship with Him – keeping short accounts of sinful attitudes and behaviors that can so easily creep up in my life.
It also demands an acknowledgement of the energizing of His Spirit – slick piano arrangements, carefully planned transitions between songs, clever words don’t lead believers into worshipping God – a heart that is tune with the heart of the Father is the primary prerequisite to inviting others to seek His Face.
This seems like a “no-brainer”, but I have seen in my life as well as in others, the temptation to slack off and “wing it” in worship preparation.
My preparation for each Sunday’s worship celebration is basically two-fold. Plans are made for the MINISTRY OF THE WORD and the MUSIC. The ministry of the Word involves the transitions between songs, as well as the reading of Scripture before the morning message. Sometimes the Scripture is read in both English and Japanese; other times, it is arranged in a dramatic, choral reading – whatever will enhance the congregation’s understanding of and receptivity to the Word spoken.
The music here at KBF is what could be called “blended”. Often, people think of the term “blended” as referring to a variety of musical styles. It does include that, but “blended” also applies to the sense of balance that is necessary for well-rounded worship of God through music.
The music is also blended in three other areas. It needs to be blended in that it is HORIZONTAL and VERTICAL. HORIZONTAL worship involves songs reflecting to each other the character or the works of God. VERTICAL worship applies to the singing that we do directly to the Lord – for example, “I love you, Lord”; in other words, communicating my awe of and love for Him. The music also needs to blended in that it worships God both as a TRANSCENDENT God and IMMANENT God. He is transcendent in that he is far above any of our imaginings of Him – He is majestic, grand, exalted infinitely above His creation – way beyond our comprehension.
Psalm 57:5
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
Psalm 113:4-6
The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
He is also immanent – in other words, He is “Immanuel” – God with us; He is near and ever-present with us.
Finally, the music needs to blended in that it worships God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.
John 4:23-24
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Psalm 33:3
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
God is honored by our NEW songs, songs that reflect what He is doing in each of us TODAY, and what He is doing in our midst NOW.
Lament. 3:22-23
for his compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
…a great reason to keep singing and composing new songs to Him!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Not long ago, the world watched as three gray whales, icebound off Point Barrow, Alaska, floated battered and bloody, gasping for breath at a hole in the ice. Their only hope: somehow to be transported five miles past the ice pack to open sea. Rescuers began cutting a string of breathing holes about twenty yards apart in the six-inch-thick ice.
For eight days they coaxed the whales from one hole to the next, mile after mile. Along the way, one of the trio vanished and was presumed dead. But finally, with the help of Russian icebreakers, 2 of the whales swam to freedom.
In a way, worship is a string of breathing holes the Lord provides his people. Battered and bruised in a world frozen over with greed, selfishness, and hatred, we rise for air in church, a place to breathe again, to be loved and encouraged, until that day when the Lord forever shatters the ice cap.
-- Craig Brian Larson, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Leadership, Vol. 11, no. 2.
Pray for Pastor TJ each week as he prepares some of those breathing holes for us. So that when we gather on Sundays we’ll have the best opportunity possible to worship and praise our wonderful God.
Worship is our love for God expressed through praise. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on this? Do you come to church ready to praise God? Do you praise him as a daily habit? Do you praise him before others? Write a number in the circle on your outline. Then, what specific action could you write down that will help you improve in this area?
Our next point says: LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH GIVING.
4. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH GIVING
O_________________________
The Bible talks about the "grace of giving."
2 Cor. 8:7-9
But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Jesus had the grace of giving. He emptied himself so that we could be full. He laid down his life so that we could have life more abundantly.
Again, giving is not something we do only on Sundays. But it’s part of our worship service because it is part of worship. Every week as you give make it an act of worship. Make it a reminder of the fact that everything we have belongs to God. You can best do that if you come prepared to give.
Too many times we end up fumbling through our wallet or our purse at the last moment and our main focus is just putting something in so that we won’t be embarrassed in front of others.
It’s a good practice to prepare your offering ahead of time. Decide on an amount that you can cheerfully give. The word "tithe" means 10% of your income, but don’t let that be a hindrance. Feel free to give more than that :-)
2 Cor. 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God loves cheerful giving – not fearful. Fearful giving is we’re afraid we won’t have enough if we give this gift to God.
Also, giving is not just a financial matter. It’s giving God our time, our energy, and anything else we can.
Worship is giving to God the best he has given us. - Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
Worship is our love for God expressed through giving. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on this? Are you expressing your love to God by giving him your best? Do you give cheerfully. Write a number in the circle on your outline. Then, what specific action could you write down that will help you improve in this area?
Our next point says: LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH LISTENING.
5. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH LISTENING
O_________________________
Listening is part of communication with God. Prayer should be a combination of speaking and listening. God primarily speaks to us through his word. We primarily speak to God through prayer. But it should not be 2 monologues.
Two monologues don’t make a dialogue.
I’ve shared with some of you how a Christian group called the Navigators teaches this principle by use of 2 drawings.
This first one pictures poor communication. On the left, God speaks to the Christian through the Bible. Then on the right the Christian prays, but the topics are unrelated to what God has just said to him.
This next drawing shows a better way to do it. God speaks to the Christian through the Bible and the Christian responds to what he has just learned. It may be a prayer for more understanding, or for courage to apply this truth, or an expression of praise and thanks. After dialoguing with God in this way the Christian may then proceed to bring up other topics or requests to talk to God about.
Andrew Murray said: Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part.
Andrew Murray (1828-1917)
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Worship is our love for God expressed through listening. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on this? How much time do you take to listen to God? How well do you concentrate on the sermons? How much are you becoming like God through listening to his voice? Do you rush through your Bible study time or do you take time to hear what God wants to say to you? Write a number in the circle on your outline. Then, what specific action could you write down that will help you improve in this area?
Well, how have you done on rating your love expressions to God? You probably haven’t had time to finish yet, but are you seeing some areas for improvement? I encourage you take your outline home and finish it this afternoon or evening. Our conclusion asks us to make A COMMITMENT TO BETTER EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR GOD.
CONC: A COMMITMENT TO BETTER EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR GOD O
Are you willing to commit yourself to work on these areas? In the circle provided after the conclusion, don’t put a number, put a "Y" for yes, or a "N" for no.
2 Chron. 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
The Lord is looking for people who are fully committed to him. We can do better at expressing our love to him if our eyes range throughout our everyday lives looking for God. How often are you aware of God throughout the day?
There’s a group of people who are intent on seeing something else. Have you ever heard of "Hidden Mickeys?"
When the Disney designers build the parks or make the movies, they designed "Hidden Mickeys" in various places. A "hidden Mickey" is usually the shape of Mickey Mouse’s 2 ears with a third circle for the face. There are people who spend time trying to find hidden Mickeys at Disneyland, Disney theme parks and Disney movies. There’s a large web site dedicated to this pursuit. You can post your sightings and read about other’s sightings.
I think it would be a great habit of Christians to look for God at work in our lives and in our world. How many places can you see God’s design – his handiwork. And when you make a sighting, use that as an opportunity to worship him – to express your love to him.
Worship is a priority that pleases God.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
INTRO: WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING YOUR LOVE FOR GOD
1. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH OBEYING
2. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAYER
3. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH PRAISE
4. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH GIVING
5. LOVE FOR GOD IS EXPRESSED THROUGH LISTENING
CONC: A COMMITMENT TO BETTER EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR GOD
The rest of this series, including PowerPoint files can be found at: http://kbftokyo.org
