I Corinthians 11:17-34
Purpose #1: Worship - Our Expression of Love For God
Introduction
A. You know what is really sad?
B. When you think of the word Worship and instantly associate it with “Argument”
C. What a shame.
D. I have thought a lot about worship lately
E. I have come to this conclusion.
F. 99% of all arguments about worship occur over due to a poor understanding of worship
G. When we realize what worship is all about, arguments disappears
H. Last week we defined the word worship, a quick review
I. Worship is our Expression of Love For God
J. But what does that mean
K. Today we are going to dissect that definition in order to obtain a better understanding of what worship is
II. Our Expression
A. Explanation
1. God made us all different
2. Just look around at everyone here
3. There is no one who is the same as the other person
4. We are all different
5. Because we are different we have different ways of expressing ourselves
B. Illustration
1. For me to stand up hear and deliver this sermon is not that scary of a thought. For some of you to do this would scare you a great deal. Does that make me better? Does that make me more righteous? Does that make me a better Christian
2. NO
3. God had gifted me in this way; I can express things really easy this way.
4. However, I have not artistic ability
5. I can not express anything, through painting
6. There are many people out there who can express their thoughts through painting
7. I rarely even understand paintings. I don’t understand when people are looking these painting and say thing like I sense the author of this piece frustration and wanting to escape his situation.
8. Where do they get that? I am not wired that way to understand
C. Application
1. How does knowing we have different ways of expressing ourselves apply to our Church?
2. We have to get to the point were we are willing to accept other’s forms of expression
3. It makes me sick when we have Church’s split over the style of music
4. All music comes from God, There is not a more spiritual music, there is not more godly music, it is all from God
5. In the Bible it never gives us the way to worship
6. We all express in different ways, our worship then should be expressed in different ways
7. The one caution that I will give you though, is to make sure you know what you are saying, doing, or singing
8. In Christian circles, we almost have our own language. I want to encourage you to do a couple of things
9. When you are praying, avoid cliché’s. If you are about to use one, think about the meaning and say it in your own words.
10. If you are singing, don’t just sing, think about the words. Think about what you are singing
11. If you do not understand something we are singing, write it down, ask me to explain it to you.
12. I will do my best to explain it, If I find that it is really hard to understand, we might want to think about why we are singing it
13. In your life time there will be different styles of expression. Some you will like some you won’t. That does not make one right and one wrong
14. If God did not like variety, we would all be the same
III. Of Love
A. Illustration
1. How do you show your wife that you love her?
2. There is the simple way of saying “ I love You Heather”
3. However, is that the only way you show her?
4. I hope not, because if it is you are missing something
5. A simple act of caring in the groceries can show her your love
6. Doing the dishes
7. Checking the oil on her car
8. Giving her flowers for no apparent reason
9. Listen to her when she talks
B. Explanation
1. Now what if you only expressed loved with words?
2. What do you think would happen?
3. I Love You Honey, but I haven’t done anything you ask me to do.
4. Imagine if I would tell Heather I love Her, but refused to do anything else?
5. What if Heather would get home from shopping and I would say I love you, but would not help her carry the bags in?
6. What if I were to come home tell Heather I love Her and then as soon as she started talking, turn on the TV and started watching it and not listening to what she was saying?
7. Would Heather feel like I was sincere when I told her I loved her
8. No, my words would become meaning less
9. That is what we do in worship. If worship is the expression of our love for God. And verbally say that we love Him, and do not back it up with our actions what does that say about our worship?
10. Should God accept it?
C. Application
1. What can we do to make sure that he does accept it?
2. Simple, do what the Bible commands us to do
3. If we have a problem with another person, we have no choice but to make it right.
a) The bible tells us we are to forgive our brother 7 times 77, if we don’t, how can God accept our worship?
b) If there is something you have against another person you must take care of it now
4. In order to have true worship, our expression of love for God needs to be complete
5. If we are not doing what God commands us to do, we can not have true worship
6. I was confronted with this earlier in the week; I realized I had to apologize to someone I lied to. I hated to do it. I was scared. That person accept my apology and I feel so much better, more importantly, I am able to freely worship God
7. There might be something in your life that you know God would not approve.
a) True worship cannot happen until you stop doing it.
8. What is there in your life that is preventing you from having true worship?
9. It will never be any easier to deal with it then today, the longer you let it go, the harder it is to get rid of
10. This device right hear is known as a forgiveness tool, it aids you in certain situations to ask for forgiveness. If you need to use it, take it, take it now!
IV. For God
A. Explanation
1. Think about our definition of Worship
2. Our expression of love FOR GOD
3. We often get confused, we loose focus.
4. WE begin to think worship is for us
5. We get these ideas in our head, that we worship God when we feel Him
6. WE start to think if I feel God’s Presence then I worshiped Him
7. WE come up with the thought that the more I feel God presence the more I worshiped Him
8. We think that if we don’t feel God’s presence then we never worshipped Him
9. If the songs do not lead to feeling God’s presence then they are not good songs
10. If we pray and do not feel God’s presence, we better step it up and add some good Holy These and Though and other worshipping sounding words
B. Application
1. Can you see the problem with that line of thought?
2. Let’s think about the very definition of Worship – Our expression of love for God
3. We are expressing our love for God, there is nothing in that definition about what we get from worship
4. Why? Because worship is all about God.
5. That is the Heart of Worship
6. That is were everything needs to center on
7. When you do the dishes to express your love for your spouse, do you get any “Feeling” out of it?
8. Probably not, is that a problem? NO! Because that is not why you are doing it
9. That is the same with Worship; Worship must be focus solely on God.
10. When we get away from that, we sin
C. Illustration
1. I am not sure you know who Matt Redman is. Matt Redman is a worship leader. Several years ago, the Sr. Pastor were Matt works became so fed up with all the controversy about music that suspended all music for three months in the church. During this time, the church studied worship to see the true meaning of worship. What do you think came out of this study? (READ HEART OF WORSHIP)
2. Matt Redman wrote that song.
Conclusion
A. Our Expression of Love for God
B. That is what worship is
C. Is there anything in your life preventing that from happening?
D. Maybe you realize today that you have made one style of worship better then the other and have resented one side so much it cause you to sin against someone
E. Maybe you realize that your love for God is tainted because you are only loving God with your mouth but the rest of your body is not loving God
F. Maybe you realize that you are trying to worship God well being involved in sin, you cant worship God that way
G. Maybe a light bulb went off in your head and you realize that Worship is all about god not about you and you need to ask God to forgive for the mistake
H. Before we move to Lord’s Table, we are going to take a couple of minutes and be silent before God. Psalm 46:10 tells us be still and know that I am God
I. Takes this time to examine your life.
J. If you need to talk to someone here, do it. If you have a public confession, now is a good as any. If you need to call someone, take the phone.
K. I Cor. 15:27-29 (Read it)
L. Take this time and examine your life before you approach The Lord’s Table
