Worship Series
Sermon # 1
“What Is Worship?”
John 4:19-24
Today we begin a series of three messages on worship. Today we are going to examine, “What is Worship?” In the next message we are going to belooking at, “Is Giving A Part of Worship?” The following Sunday we will complete our study with, “Your Participation in Worship.”
This morning I want us to face four questions concerning worship?
FIRST, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WORSHIP?
I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Now what comes to your mind when I say the word, “WORSHIP.” For some of you it is the majestic sound of the organ sounding out one of the great hymns of the faith. For others it is the memory of standing in an open field at “One Day” with your hands raised, singing a modern praise and worship song. For some of you it produced a memory of the sound of thousands of men singing together at a “Promise Keepers” rally.
Some pictured pianos and organs, for others that picture expands to include guitars and drums. From some it is the sound of the old hymns that stir your heart, for others is the songs of groups like Third Day and “ .”
Did you notice that almost all of this discussion has focused on styles of music? But if I can be so bold, “The style of music does not determine whether or not you worshipped. In fact you can worship without any music.”
“Some of the purest forms of worship are found outside the walls of the church and have no reference to the God of all creation. All you have to do is drop in on a concert at that local arena or take in a sporting event at a nearby stadium to see amazing worship. People are going for it; lifting their hands, shouting with joy, … standing in awe, declaring their allegiance. Interestingly, those venues are filled with the same forms of worship mentioned in the pages of God’s word – the same expression of worship that God desires.” [Louie Giglio. The Air I Breathe. (Sisters: Oregon, Multnomah Pub., 2003) p. 12]
Did you know that according to George Barna the church statistician, “half of all church going adults say that they did not experience God’s presence in the last year. (THAT IS THEY DID NOT WORSHIP!) Two-thirds of the all church going adults cannot describe what worship is. Most Christians consider worship a secondary priority. A large majority think of worship as a Sunday morning event.” [George Barna. Seminar: Inward, Outward and Upward; Ministry that Transforms Lives. April 1999. p. 31}
SECONDLY, WHY IS WORSHIP S0 IMPORTANT?
Why Did You Come Here today? Many people come to church on Sunday for a time of spiritual refreshment. A time when the worries and concerns of the world, the struggle of the other six days of the week can be put aside and sense of peace can be regained. You have come to re-energize yourself, to gain strength from being in the presence of God with other believers and ready to go out into the world for another week.
Some of you came out of sense of duty. Coming to church is a part of your life and you just don’t feel right if you don’t do it. For some it is the one place in your life where there everything does seem to be in a turmoil.
Some of you came because you like the feeling of community, of being a part of something bigger and better than yourself. You appreciate being a part of something where you know you will be accepted, warts and all.
Some of you have come for less noble reasons. Some of you are here because your life is in a mess and you think maybe being here will score points with God. Some of you are here solely due to the insistence of your parents, your spouse or your children.
Although some of those reasons have merit, none of them should be our reason to be a worship service. There is a huge difference between attending church and coming to worship. We should have come here today quite simply to worship. Because you are a worshipper.“Everyday, all day long, in every place you worship. It is what you do. It’s who you are…. Should you for some reason choose not to give God what he desires, you’ll worship anyway – simply exchanging the Creator for something he created…. Worship is our response to what we value the most…. Whatever is worth the most to you is …. - what you worship…. So how do you know where and what you worship? It’s easy. You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money and your allegiance. At the end of that trail you’ll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever is on that throne is what’s of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship.” [Giglio. pp. 9-11]
“Some go to church to take a walk.
Some go to church to laugh and talk.
Some go to church to meet a friend.
Some go to church their time to spend.
Some go to church to meet another.
Some go to church a fault to cover.
Some go to church for speculation.
Some go to church to doze and nod.
The wise go there to worship God.”
[Author unknown]
The Bible says it this way, (Colossians 1:16) “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by him and for him.” “Simply put, you and I were made by Him and made for Him. You exist for one purpose alone – to reflect back to God His matchless glory.” [Giglio p. 16] If then the entire universe lives to worship God and you were made to worship God, then you need to know something, if you are not worshipping God you cannot be really living.
THIRD, WHAT YOU WORSHIP IS OF ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE!
In John chapter four Jesus is addressing a Samaritan woman about her spiritual need, when she voices to Jesus a concern for “where and how to worship” (John 4:19-24). He quickly pointed out that her problem was “who or what” she should worship.
"Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. (20) "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." (21) Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22) "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. (23) "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (24) "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
There are two primary words for worship in the New Testament, each having a different but important meaning. Jesus used one of them in His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:23), when he said, “… for the father is seeking such to worship Him.” The word here (proskuneo) literally means “to bow before.” The other word (latreuo) which we will come back to later in our series has the much less glamorous meaning “to serve”.
“Whatever you worship, you imitate; what ever you imitate you become. ..In other words, whatever you value the most will ultimately determine who you are.” [Giglio pp. 33-34]
FOURTH, SO WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE MY WORSHIP?
I am delighted that you asked. I want to close with some Suggestions of How to Offer God your best!
1. Make worship God centered
It really is not about you. Have you ever s left a service with a smile on your face and said, “I was really blessed by today’s service. I got so much out of it!” or left the service, all grumpy saying, “Boy that was a waste of time. I didn’t like the music and I don’t know what the pastor was talking about.” It is because we have lost sight of something very important, Worship is not primarily for us. We may benefit from participating in public worship but it is not FOR us. Worship is for God and God alone. The question should not be, “What do I get out of worship?” but rather “What can I give to God.” When we try to worship God with an attitude that is all about us, we find ourselves coming to the service focused on the music, or the instruments, or on who is doing the preaching. We come like Olympic judges ready to rate the event.
Sometimes it can be difficult to not focus on ourselves because we come so broken and worn down by life that we can see only our own need. We feel so empty and so shallow that we look only to how we can be helped by God. But in worship the aim is to so lose ourselves that we will be filled. For it is in worship where we forget ourselves we will be restored. It is true that we find ourselves re-energized by worship – but it is not the reason that we are there.
2.Prepare your heart, beforehand.
All of us, see the necessity of making physical
preparations – we bathe, dress, put on deodorant, comb our hair and brush our teeth, and I am glad. Those are all good things. But the truth is that none of that will help you worship. But what have you done to prepare your spirit to worship. Louie Giglio says, “Most of my life, I thought that you went to church to worship. But now I see that the better approach is to go worshipping to church.” [Giglio. p. 99]
3. Arrive with a reachable heart. Determine that you are not going to arrive so frustrated and bent out of shape that it is virtually impossible for you to worship.
4. Bring your Bible.
5. Listen carefully to the sermon.
I make no claim to be the best preacher or
even one of the better preacher you will ever hear. But I will tell you this I work very hard every week, for every message, to have something to give you. Plan your week some other time. Come prepared to listen to what God has to say to you today.
6. Determine to be a participant and not just a spectator.
We watch football games, we watch baseball games, we watch concerts, we can even watch church services on TV. So we come to church we come with the mindset that we can watch it happen here too.
Worship is a verb. Worship isn’t something you watch, contrary to the thinking of many of us who attend church. D. James Kennedy’s defines what happens in most churches. “Most people thing of the church as a drama with the preacher as the chief actor, God as the prompter and the congregation as the critic. What is actually the case is that the congregation is the chief actor, the preacher is the prompter and God is the CRITIC!”
Louie Giglio in his book on worship entitled “The Air I Breathe” gives this excellent definition of worship.
Worship is
Our response
Both personal and corporate
To God –
For who He is!
And what He has done!
Expressed in and by things we say
And the way we live.
[Louie Giglio. The Air I Breathe. (Sisters:Oregon, Multnomah, 2003) p. 12]
“The true test of worship is not so much what we say, but how we live.” [Giglio p. 70]
