Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
3. How To Develop of Lifestyle of Worship
January 22/23, 2005
Don Jaques
ANNOUNCE:
Feb 5/6 changes
2 new small groups –
• The Holy Spirit and the Believer with Ken Mann Thu 2/3
• DNA of Relationship with Kortuses Wed 2/16.
SUBJECT: WORSHIP
CENTRAL IDEA: Developing a lifestyle of worship
OBJECTIVE STATEMENT: Every person can develop a lifestyle of worship by practicing certain disciplines in their life.
RATIONALE:
1. Get spiritual exercise daily. (read the Bible and pray)
2. Keep in Step with the Spirit all day long. (recognize Jesus’ presence with you through every activity and seek His wisdom before acting.)
INTRO:
Over the past 2 weeks we’ve looked at 2 of our 3 priorities as a church.
2 weeks ago: Outreach – We are dedicated to reaching people who do not know Christ as their Savior.
Last week: Small Groups – We are determined to care for each other through small groups.
This week:
WORSHIP: We are devoted to worshipping God as a lifestyle.
But what is worship anyway?
I think Jesus’ response would be this:
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.’
Worship definition from a message last July – worship is declaring in word, thought, or action the greatness of God and your submission to Him.
So the question is, How can we develop a lifestyle where we’re declaring the greatness of God our our submission to Him on a moment by moment basis?
1. Get spiritual nourishment and exercise daily.
ILLUS: Eating healthy and exercising daily are important to long life and happiness. But sometimes it isn’t a great joy! Eating your vegetables is good sometimes. But sometimes we have to make a choice to eat healthy and say no to other foods. Sometimes we feel great about exercising. It’s fun! Other times it hurts – it’s costly – and we’d rather be in front of the TV or in bed.
But it’s ALWAYS good for us!
• Make the time.
I’ve resolved not to watch TV before I’ve read the Bible that day.
Could be morning, lunchtime, after dinner, right before bed – but find 20 minutes. Most of us could just turn off the TV and instantly have at least an hour a day.
• Read the Bible and pray for God to give you insight.
What do I learn about God?
What do I learn about people?
What do I learn about myself?
How does this apply to my life today?
What verse should I memorize?
• Pray over the events of the day coming up.
When we do this the benefits are enormous.
• Scripture comes to mind to share with people throughout the day.
• Scripture comes to mind when temptation comes along.
ILLUS: Researchers have discovered certain people are genetically destined to excel in athletics. According to their studies, the A.C.E. gene is longer in athletes than in those who are not agile, fast, or well-coordinated in their movements. Researchers also observed that people who are born with a longer A.C.E. must work out to take advantage of their hereditary advantage.
Similarly, those who receive Christ are capable of a life of spiritual victory. When we become a Christian and receive the Holy Spirit, we have the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. But as with those genetically predisposed to athletic success, we must "work out."
TRANS: But making sure we make time for spiritual nourishment and exercise each day is really only the starting point to developing a lifestyle of worship. It is still possible to keep God compartmentalized. (“God, here is your 20 minutes. I’ll keep the rest.”) If we really want to develop a lifestyle of worship, we need to take the next step, and that’s…
2. Keep in Step with the Spirit all day long.
Gal. 5:24-25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
ILLUS: In airport I really wanted my kids to keep in step with me. But one was racing ahead and one was lagging behind. God has given us a companion to walk through our every moment with us – the Holy Spirit. And we’re instructed not to race ahead of him or lag behind him – but to keep in step with him. How can you develop this kind of lifestyle?
Let’s look at some of the major portions of our days and ask ourselves how we can keep in step with the Spirit during those activities:
Pray for each person you interact with during the day.
• “God give me wisdom for how to speak up for you. Help me encourage this person to follow you more closely. Holy Spirit, use me to bless this person.”
• When the phone rings – before you answer it ask God to give you wisdom.
Check your media choices.
“Lord, would you enjoy doing this with me?”
Use the Philippians 4:8 filter.
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Other helpful verses to memorize and live out:
Psalm 101:3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
IDEA: From the book “Every Man’s Battle”, which speaks directly to the battle with sexual temptation that men face daily, authors Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker pose the question, What’s your aim in life, excellence or obedience?
Excellence in the area of media purity means we’re pretty good about what we watch or read. We’re better than average – whether we compare ourselves to non-Christians or maybe even other Christians.
But Obedience means we have no room for compromise. Either the things we spend our time letting our minds dwell on and be fed by are helping us develop a closer relationship with God or they are not.
As Stoeker writes, “I was asking myself, ‘How far can I go and still be called a Christian?’ The question I should have been asking myself was, ‘How holy can I be?’” (p. 50, chapter 5)
APPLICATION: Would you be willing to take a 7-day fast from TV and movies, and during that time when your habit is to turn on the tube, grab your Bible, or kneel in prayer and ask God to show you what else you can do for His kingdom. Ask him to bring people to mind to call or write a note to. Ask him to bring to mind those things you’ve said you’d do but you never seem to have the time to accomplish.
Check your spending habits.
“Lord, what should I we do with this money?”
“Lord, should I we buy this, or is there another purpose you have for this money?”
Again, what we need to do is to realize that the presence of the Holy Spirit is with us at all times to speak God’s wisdom to us about as many parts of our daily life as we want it.
ILLUS: Bill had taken a job in which a “perk” was the company bought a new truck for him and was giving him an allowance to cover the payments for this $30,000 beauty.
Problem – he didn’t like the job. God arranged for a better job to come along (less commuting time, permanent position) But if he took it he wouldn’t have the “truck allowance” anymore.
2 choices – sell the truck, and eat a bit of the depreciation, or refinance the house to come up with the money needed to keep the truck.
As he told us on Wednesday, he was on his way to the meeting with the loan officer and Darcie said, “We better pray before you go.” Didn’t want to pray! He already knew what he wanted. But he begrudgingly agreed.
While meeting with the loan officer, working out the plan to refinance and keep the truck he received a call from someone wanting to purchase the truck.
God provided the answer (even though it wasn’t exactly what he WANTED) – because they took the time to ask!
CONCLUSION:
ILLUS: Alka-Seltzer example. Take a packet of alka-seltzer and put it in one glass of water with the wrapper still on.
Take another packet and unwrap it.
Both glasses have the alka-seltzer, just as all believers receive the deposit of the Holy Spirit into their lives. But only one glass has the power of the Holy Spirit actively changing every area of their lives. Which type of life do you want?
If you will surrender completely to him in such a way that you walk in step with him every moment of every day – your life will be transformed. But you must allow him to have that control. You can do it right now if you want to.
PRAY
REMIND: Holy Spirit and the Believer – much more info available.
