For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
How to Make Your Worship Genuine
It was Palm Sunday, and the mother’s 3-year old son had to stay home from church because of strep throat. When the rest of the family carrying palm branches, the little boy asked what they were for. His mother explained, “People waved them to give praise to Jesus as he walked by.”
“Wouldn’t you know it,” the boy fumed. “The one Sunday I don’t go, and Jesus shows up.” (Found at www.PreachingPlus.com)
Well, Jesus is here today. He’s here every time we gather into this place. . . today, he wants to speak to you!
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 21:1-11
1. When they had approached Jerusalem... then Jesus sent two disciples,
2. saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
3. "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ’The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them."
4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5. "...’BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY...
6. The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,
7. and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.
8. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.
9. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"
10. When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
11. And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."
Here’s the amazing thing about this story: A few days later, some of these same people were gathered into the courtyard at Jesus’ trial, and screamed “Crucify him!”
If these people had really been worshipping Jesus, really praising Him, do you think they would have been so quick to change?
Have you ever been amazed at someone who praised God in church on Sunday, and then during the week was totally different? I’ve seen people stand and praise God in church on Sunday, and get high on drugs on Monday. I’ve seen people say they were surrendering their life to God one week, and turn their back on God the next.
Maybe you’ve sensed that in yourself. Maybe you’ve looked inside your heart during a week, and said, “Where’s that attitude of thankfulness and praise and surrender to God that I had on Sunday?”
How can I make my worship REAL and not FAKE?
Let me give you THREE Characteristics of fake worship:
1. Saying “God is real” only when I see Him working.
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ’BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY...’” (Matthew 21:4-5)
These people were praising Jesus because there was a teaching in their religion that their KING, their Messiah, was going to come to Jerusalem, and that he was going to conquer all the world, and put an end to the oppression of the Romans.
In fact, the word “Hosanna” means “SAVE US!” They were meaning “save us from the Romans”, when Jesus was really there to save them from their SINS! In fact, it grieved Jesus so much that he cried: Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
(Luke 19:41)
Jesus was more interested in saving them from their SINS than in saving them from their PROBLEMS.
Jesus is still interested in the same thing today: You can have problems, and still go to heaven. You can’t have sin and make it there.
They thought they saw it happening. . . IT’S HERE! Let’s all get on the bandwagon!
Then, Jesus didn’t do what they expected. He didn’t marshal an army. . . he went to a nearby town with his disciples, and spent the night there at a friend’s house.
All of a sudden, the people realized. . . he’s not doing what we thought he was going to!
Now, here’s the question for you and me: How do you react when you don’t see God working in your life?
If you want your worship to be genuine, you’ve got to be willing to TRUST Him! Praising Him only when you can see His hand working is not really that hard – real worship and real faith is believing Him and praising Him when you can’t see Him working like you think He should be!
2. Saying “God is good” only when everything is going well.
“Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.” (Matthew 21:8)
These people were honoring Jesus by doing this! This was like rolling out the red carpet in our day. . . it was the special guests who got the special treatment!
Why were they doing this? The same reason I was talking about a moment ago – they thought everything was going well. The Roman government had been so oppressive and cruel – raping, killing, torturing. If a Roman soldier was shopping, he could pull you out of the crowd as a Jew and make you carry his purchases for him for up to one mile!! So for the Jews, this was heaven! They thought:
- It’s the end of my troubles.
- The people who deserve it are finally going to get it!
- We’re gonna finally get the respect we deserve.
- My family is going to be so much better off!
Kind of like us. . . we worship God when:
- The bills are paid.
- Our enemy at work just got fired.
- Our family is going great!
- Our health is good!
The question: What’s your attitude toward God when something goes wrong?
How do you react when:
- You fall off the roof and break your arm? (Brandon)
- You’ve got to go in for surgery Tuesday? (Elizabeth)
- Your kids aren’t fulfilling all your dreams for them? (Barb)
- Your family isn’t always getting along in harmony?
- Your marriage is not in the best shape it’s ever been?
Do you throw it all overboard? Accuse God? Rant and rave? Decide that there must be nothing to this thing of serving God?
God never promised to make your road easy – He did promise to walk with you and give you the strength you needed!
3. Saying “God is boss” only when it doesn’t change my plans.
9. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!"
10. When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
11. And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:9-11)
The word “Hosanna” means SAVE US.
These people were ready – they were hoping Jesus would call for an army. “Come on, Jesus, I’ve got a sword at home. What do you say we go take on some of those arrogant Romans?” These people were ready to follow Him to the death. . . as long as He did it their way.
The question: Do you love Him enough to take His plan for your life?
Let’s get positive: How can I be a person who gives God REAL worship?
1. Trust Him when I don’t see Him working.
2. Stay true when everything is falling apart.
Anyone can stick around when everything is going well. . . you know a real friend by whether they stick when everything is NOT going well! What kind of a friend are you to God?
3. Surrender my life and plans to Him.
The idea of surrender is not something that’s popular today – only losers surrender, you know. The ones who have been beaten. . .
But surrender to God is not something that needs to be feared!
There are some people here today who are afraid of what it will do to their life if they surrender to God.
- It might ruin my plans.
- What if He asks me to do something I don’t want to do?
- What if He wants me to stop something I love?
- I don’t want to give up my favorite sin.
I’m talking to some teens today that have to make a decision: Is it my plans, or is it God’s?
I’m talking to some people today who have asked God to forgive them, but now you’re facing a crossroads. God is calling you to live a new life now. . . a life that is without sin, a life of truly following Jesus, and not just on Sundays.
Will you keep on living the forgiven life, or will you take the road that’s marked “My Way?”
Let me encourage you, that there’s nothing in your life worth refusing to surrender to God!
Smile, if you will but thousands of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world’s worthless dimes that we cannot accept liberation. Drop the trifles in your life. Surrender! Let go, and let God have His way in your life.
We often refuse to surrender to God because of small things. Don’t let the small things keep you from being a person who is totally committed to God!
_________
HANDOUT
_________
How to Make Your Worship Genuine
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 21:1-11
When they had approached Jerusalem... then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ’The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them."
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "...’Behold, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey...”
The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt...
Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!"
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."
Here’s the amazing thing about this story: A few days later, some of these same people were gathered into the courtyard at Jesus’ trial, and screamed “Crucify him!” Their worship didn’t go very deep!
What is fake worship?
1. Saying “God is ______” only when I see Him ___________.
“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ’Behold, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey...’” (Matthew 21:4-5)
These people were praising Jesus because there was a prophecy that their KING, their Messiah, was going to come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and that he was going to conquer all the world..
The word “Hosanna” means “__________ us!” These people thought Jesus was going to save them from the oppression of the ______________. But Jesus was more interested in saving them from their ___________ than in saving them from their ________________.
The question: How do I react when I don’t see God working in my life? Do you want God to make you ___________ or _____________?
2. Saying “God is __________” only when everything is going _________.
“Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.” (Matthew 21:8)
The crowd spreading their coats in the road was like rolling out the ________ ___________ in our day.
The question: What’s my attitude toward God when something goes wrong?
God never promised to make your road ___________ – He did promise to walk with you and give you the strength you needed!
3. Saying “God is ___________” only when it doesn’t change my __________.
The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!"
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:9-11)
These people were ready to follow Jesus to the _____________. . . as long as He did it their way.
The question: Do I love Him enough to take _________ plan for my life?
How can I be a person who gives God REAL worship?
1. __________ Him when I don’t see Him working.
2. Stay _________ when everything is falling apart.
3. Surrender my _________ and plans to Him.
We often refuse to surrender to God because of _____________ things.
