WORSHIP IS WHAT WE WANT-Pastor Tim Jones
John 4:21-24
REAL :In Jamaica last year, the Queen of England came to MoBay. I heard that she was riding in a SUV-very high off the ground-IT was difficult to get out of the vehicle-Most of the people in the entourage didn’t know what to do-should they approach her majesty? Help her out?
***Today, many people are frustrated with their experience with the majestic presence of God!
Illust: February 19, 2001, George Barna noted that 92% of church goers in his survey say worship is very important to them. But it is seems many are experiencing frustration about it… "Without giving themselves time to clear their minds and hearts of their daily distractions and other problems, many people attend a worship event but never enter a worshipful frame of mind. A large share of churchgoers do not pray, meditate, confess or focus on God prior to the start of a church worship event. One consequence is that they find it difficult to connect with Him spiritually. Having never been taught much about worship, they find the inability to interact with God on a deeper level frustrating, but don’t know what to do about it."
1. Today, we will study the first part of our 2003 Vision-“Count on me in 2003 to WORSHIP….
!n 1961, AW TOZER: “Worship is the missing jewel of the Evangelistic Church”
*If George Barna is right, AW Tozer is still ringing true today…
a. Many are frustrated and confused about connecting spiritually with God
b. A great need of our day: Revisit and Revitalize our whole idea of WORSHIPPING GOD
JOKE: A guy named Pete gets a job as a switchman with the railroad, and he had weeks of training. Finally the day came, and the supervisor takes him into the switch booth to test his readiness. The following conversation takes place:
Supervisor: "Imagine you were sitting here alone and you learned there was a train coming from the North on that track, and another coming from the South on the same track. What would you do?"
Pete: "I’d throw this switch right here and put one train on the other track."
Supervisor: And what if that switch didn’t work?"
Pete: "I’d go down to the track and throw that big switch lever there, putting one train on the other track."
Supervisor: "And what if that switch lever didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d come back here and call the dispatcher to stop both trains."
Supervisor: "And what if the phone didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d go to that gas station across the street and use their phone."
Supervisor: "And what if their phone didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d go get Uncle Joe."
Supervisor: "Uncle Joe??? What would he do?"
Pete: "Nothing, but he ain’t never seen a train wreck."
c. Corporate Worship is the serious business of the church and Personal Worship is the responsibility of every believer
I. IS GOD INTERESTED IN OUR WORSHIP?
1. YES: God is more interested in WORSHIP than we are!
Genesis 1:27-We were designed to be connected to God
Revelation: All About Worship: Holy, Holy, Holy
Psalms-Filled with Worship of God
2. So, if our lives are out of whack, could it be because we are not properly connected with God in Worship
a. Everyone is searching for answers, but will not find them in Bubble Baths, Spa Getaways, etc.
b. It will be found in Worship!
St. Augustine: “You have made us for yourself and Our hearts are found restless till they find their rest in you”
c. Do you have an appetite for God?
3. Worship is the Real Reason we were Created
Text
a. This woman’s life was LOADED with small stuff
b. Life out of whack, STRESS:
· Her Race-She was deemed by society as 2nd class
· Her Gender- Samaritan Woman
· Class- she even had to come out at the hottest time of day to get water
· Feelings- She was burdened, tired of everyday life-She didn’t even want to come to the well anymore! (v.15)
c. How about you? Do you feel as stressed as this woman?
· Beaten up? No feelings of esteem?
d. Jesus comes to her to get her CONNECTED to Him in worship
· Worship is what was MISSING in her life! WORSHIP is all about GOD!
· What is worship NOT ABOUT?
II. WHAT WORSHIP IS NOT ABOUT
· A PLACE- V.21 (we get attached to places)
1. What you want is not found anywhere is this world!
a. The only PLACE God wants is within you!
b. Remember: We were created in His own image!
c. Your connection with God cannot be found in a mountain, a building, etc
d. V.24: in spirit and in truth
Illust: How many times have you heard of people leaving a church family because they relocate? TOO MANY TIMES!
· PAST TRADITIONS- v. 22 (we get attached to traditions)*not all bad
1. What you want is not found in traditions
a. To this woman: Worship is not blindly accepting what has been passed down
Two young newlyweds were preparing to enjoy their first baked ham dinner in their new apartment. After unwrapping the meat and setting it on the cutting board, the wife chopped off both ends of the ham with a knife and tossed the two small ends in the garbage can.
"Wait a minute," said the mystified husband. "Why did you do that? Why did you just cut off the ends of the ham and throw them away?"
"I don’t know. My mother always did," answered the wife. "Maybe it helps bring out the flavor."
Unsatisfied with this answer, the husband called his mother-in-law. "Can you tell me why you cut the two ends off a ham before you cook it?"
"Well," said the mother, "I’m not really sure why. That’s just the way my mother did her ham, and it was always delicious."
As soon as he hung up he called his wife’s grandmother. "Grandma, we have an important question for you. Can you tell us why you cut the ends off a ham before you cook it?"
"Oh, my yes, dear," answered Grandma in her quiet, thin voice. "I cut the ends of the ham off so it would fit in my pan."
b. The ONLY ritual God wants is that you know what you worship-not empty traditions!
c. God is not TRADITIONS-v24;” God is Spirit”—what we need is our spirit connecting with THE SPIRIT!
Mark 7:6-9
III. WHAT CAN HINDER ME FROM WORSHIPPING GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH?
1. In a Public Worship SERVICE? (talking, insincerity)
2. In your PERSONAL LIFE and IN Public Worship?
· Ignorance-Wrong Attitude-Unbelief-Unforgiveness-Unconfessed Sin-Worry
· A Guilty Person/Condemned cannot worship God in spirit and in truth
IV. HOW DOES THE BIBLE SAY WE MAY WORSHIP?
· Why do we lift up our hands (1 Tim. 2:8/Psalm 134:2/Psalm 63:3-5)
· Why do we clap (Psalm 47:1)
· Why do we sing new songs and shout (Luke 19:37-40/ (Psalm 95:1-2)
Joke: choruses/hymns
· Why do we bow down (Psalm 95:6-9)
· Why do we be still and be quiet (Psalm 46:10)
· David Danced before God (Psalm 149:3-5)
· Why do we sing new songs (Psalm 33:2-4)
V. BENEFITS OF WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
*God makes us WINNERS when we worship Him!
1. Obedience always brings a reward!
Is. 1:19 “If we are willing and obedient we shall eat the good of the land”
2. God inhabits His people’s praise!
a. God lives in us as we worship Him!
3. When we focus on worship-it brings EXPECTANCY!
4. God often uses our Praise and Worship to defeat the enemy!
II Chronicles 20:21-22
Closing illustration
