John 4:19-24 – You Mean it? Really?
A man went to church with an angel as guide. The church was filled, but oddly, there was no sound. The organist played, but no music could be heard; the choir’s lips moved, but no song came forth. The pastor went through the motions of preaching, but the man heard nothing. He asked the angel, "Why?" The angel’s reply: "This is the service as God sees it. When there is no heart in it, there is no sound." Then in the back pew he heard a child pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven ..." The angel said, "You are hearing the only part God hears, that which comes from the heart."
God wants us to worship…
in spirit – involved, engaged, connected, not just going through motions, real
and in truth – being real, honest, open, confession-like
Tony Evans says, “If you limit worship to where you are, the minute you leave that place of worship you will leave your attitude of worship behind like a crumpled-up church bulletin.”
Why We Praise:
1 – because He is God – Psalm 95:7
2 – because He commands it – Psalm 148:1-3
3 – because He is worthy – Psalm 18:3
4 – for His faithfulness – Psalm 100:5
5 – for His love – 2 Chronicles 20:21
6 – for His greatness – Psalm 95:3
7 – for His salvation – Psalm 27:1
8 – for His mighty deeds – Psalm 145:4,6
9 – for His holiness – Psalm 99:3,5
10 – for His creation – Revelation 4:11
11 – for His power – Revelation 11:17
12 – for His miracles – Matthew 9:8
How to Praise:
1 – bowing down – Psalm 95:6
2 – clapping – Psalm 47:1
3 – dancing – Psalm 149:3
4 – kneeling – Psalm 95:6
5 – leaping – Luke 6:23
6 – lifting hands – Psalm 134:2
7 – playing musical instruments – Psalm 150:3-5
8 – shouting – Psalm 66:1
9 – silence – Habakkuk 2:20
10 – singing – Psalm 147:1
11 – standing – Nehemiah 9:5
12 – with an offering – Psalm 96:8
A parable is told of a community of ducks waddling off to duck church one Sunday to hear their duck preacher. After they waddled into the duck sanctuary, the service began and the duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly. He pounded the pulpit with his beak and said, “With these wings, there is nowhere we ducks can not go! There is no God-given task we ducks cannot accomplish! With these wings we no longer need walk through life. We can soar high in the sky!”
Shouts of Amen! were quacked throughout the duck congregation. The duck preacher concluded his message by exclaiming, “With our wings we can fly through life! WE......CAN.....FLY!!!!”
More ducks quacked out loud AMENS! in response. Every duck loved the service. In fact all the ducks that were present commented on what a wonderfully convicting message they had heard from their duck preacher.... and then they left the church and waddled all the way home.
APPLICATION: Too often We waddle away from worship the same way we waddled in.... Unchanged.
