What Do You Give a God Who Has Everything?
Going back to the heart of Worship
Topic: Honoring God with whole hearted worship
Thesis: God warns his people to repent from superficial worship by turning their hearts to honor Him
Aim: To turn the hearts of our church to honor God with worship that starts with the heart and runs through all of life.
Notice of Order Change: Doing something different: Dead Poet’s Society, standing on desks for different perspective, and maybe enhance the worship we are gathered here together to give to God
Introduction
Principal’s office—Big desk, quiet halls, just the tap tap of type writer, knowing glances from the secretaries, and occasionally, off in the distance, you could hear the distinct blood curdleing cry of a young school boy in dire straits. I hated going there.
I hated when people just said “Dan, I need to talk to you!” Always had a guilty conscience, I guess. I just knew the boom would be lowered on me
If you can imagine the fear in our hearts at those things, think about the terror we’d feel as this scene unfolded before us:
Psalm 50: 1-7 (talk of God’s name, the terrifying images—often like that when God enters the room—the guy you want on your team not against you (Shaq mad at MVP)—, the courtroom drama, being on display.)
1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
We find God is not too happy with his people:
• Consecrated—set apart
• Covenant—agreement between God and his people
o Full of rich blessings and reward—if they obeyed
o Curses and discipline—if they broke the covenant
• Alas, God always proved faithful, mankind, unfaithful
Similar to our fear of principals, we don’t often like to think of God judging us, but throughout history, that is just what God has done—even though he often does so to get his people back on track.
In Psalm 50, we find God asking his people to give him something that he is missing. What could that be?—he has everything . . .
vv. 11-12
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
What can you give a God that has everything?
In one word: HONOR.
This Psalm serves as a wake up call for God’s people who have gotten on the wrong path and have ceased giving him the honor they should give Him as their God.
Listen again to the strong words of God:
v. 7 Charges I have against you (whose going to dispute this prosecutor?)
v. 16 “To the Wicked” (not what you want to be called by a holy God)
vv. 21-22 God kept silent (making them think they could get away with what they were doing) but he is silent no longer:
• “rebuke you”
• “Accuse you”
• “I will tear you to pieces with none to rescue you.”
Not exactly the kinds of things you would expect from a cuddly grandpa, but the kind of thing you would expect from a Holy, Offended, and Angry God.
But this is not a final judgement, but a warning that they are headed for DESTRUCTION, but their fate can be changed if they listen to God and obey what he wants.
Key Point: God warns his people to repent from superficial worship by turning their hearts to honor Him
That’s all He wants: for us to honor him.
How were the people supposed to do this? That is what we will discover today. But it is not just a message for people from 3,000 years ago, but as God’s word is timeless, it is also a message for us.
While Reading this devotionally, it startled me and made me think about how I was in relation to God. Sometimes we need to be snapped out of complacency and wrong-headedness. It is my prayer today that this message will serve to help reorient us and our hearts and lives in line with God—and in so doing, give him something He deserves: Our highest honor and complete devotion.
Transition: In our text, the first corrective measure God gives his people is to:
1. Repent of Empty Worship by Turning a Thankful Heart Toward God
vv. 8-15
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
The Necessity of Offerings and Sacrifices:
They had to offer bulls, lambs, birds, grain etc.
The Problem of Israel: Not the method, the motive!
EMPTY WORSHIP God’s covenant people: going thru motions
Happens to us too.
i. Ritual: High church/Catholic.
ii. Some of our churches have a pattern
iii. MCC seems to have an open approach—but let’s not get giddy about how “cool” it is, but always focus on the ONE we are worshiping.
iv. Sometimes we approach it like we are putting in time, we can’t wait to get out
v. Sometimes we are over critical and focus on others rather than God
The Solution: Repent of Emptiness and Turn a THANKFUL heart to God. God told his people to Offer thanks (THANK OFFERINGS)
Thank offerings something unique for the Israelites: they were given in response to something wonderful done for them by God. It was a sign they were truly thankful:
Hannah would have done it after God gave her Samuel
The Campbells would have done it after getting Bowen and Brynne
Our church might have offered them after the report of Judy’s surprising rate of recovery
Be a regular and important component of our church prayer times. (not just a laundry list of wants/needs, but thanks and gratitude to God)
Giving Thanks is good and engages your heart and mind
What are YOU thankful for? Small or big?
• Chuck and Diane offering encouraging words and their witness of love for God and His church, and their desire to maintain the bonds of love and ties of unity
• Sweet peaches and Tart Limes
• Answered Prayer
• The wonderful salvation we have in Jesus
Sadness: Webshot’s photo of picturesque German town nestled around a church. Geographically the church and God may have center stage, but in matters of the heart, they were miles and miles away from the lives and thoughts of the people.
Question: Does that ever happen to US? Sure it does.
Nothing but the Blood:
o Favorite song
o Could sing it for the tune and ignore the words
How is YOUR worship?
o FULL or Empty?
o Overcome by the wonder and grace of God, or overcome by the cares of this world?
o Can’t wait to go to God in prayer, or can’t wait to get back to the kitchen and see what goodies are available to munch on?
o Have the circumstances in our church, or in your life caused your heart to drift away from God and stop giving him thanks?
IF SO, we need to repent
Recommendation:
If your Heart is empty and cold,
• Notice it
• Confess it
• Fill it with things that will turn your heart to the Lord (my Keith Green Experience)
• Ask God to fill you with his Spirit as you humble yourself before him
• Focus on connecting your heart with his, as you naturally would the love of your life. Make his joys yours, His triumphs a moment to praise.
God really doesn’t care as much what our attendance record is, what all we do for him, especially if our hearts are cold.
As singer Keith Green said:
(speaking as God)
I want your hearts of FIRE,
NOT your prayers of ICE.
Transition: Empty worship wasn’t all that was plaguing God’s people. God also told them they needed honor him by:
2. Repent of Wicked Living by Turning a Godly Heart Toward Your Neighbor
vv. 16-22
16 But to the wicked, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
Not a pretty picture is it? And these are people who are engaged in worship and Bible Study!
GOOD THING WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM!
Stealing, Unfaithful with multiple sex partners, liars and cheaters, killing the reputation of their own family.
SO WICKED!!!!!!
All these sins against their fellow man . . . or woman
Wow, they have a LOT of repenting to do!
But they don’t seem interested in it: v. 21 betrays one of the reasons they continue: GOD IS “SILENT!”
Like the scene in “TROY,” Greeks toppling all the statues of the gods in the temple, effectively saying: “we’re in charge, these god’s won’t do anything to us!”
But our God is a God of action, though his timetable is often different than ours. He is actually giving them a bit of time to repent (v. 22)
We might not be guilty of these specific sins, but as Jesus points out in Matthew 5-7, our sins of the heart are counted as bad as the outward act.
Not just murder, but anger
Not just adultery, but lustful thinking
And on and on.
The point in vv. 16-22 is clear: when we wrong our fellow man, whether in ACT, SPEECH, or THOUGHT, we are effectively denying the Word of God with our lives, and we not only rob God of honor, but we actually bring dishonor on his name in the eyes of others.
It is amazing how the people of God often don’t treat each other better than people of the world do
That’s a shame. But it happens all the time on a variety of fronts:
www.peacemakerministries.com : conflict between sisters over a mom’s estate, between two Christian brothers over a business deal gone bad, between church members over direction of the church.
We all suffer from the effects of sin, in some form or another
Many of us could point to times where we have not had godly hearts toward our neighbor
• Sometimes we need look no further than our own spouses or close relatives
• My wife and I were sitting around with the Gregg’s and talking about the frustrations that can boil over from our marriages and parental responsibilities and how some of those seem to happen on the way to church!
•
If this is true of us, like the Israelites, we need to repent.
TWOT: “A life which does not back up one’s honorable words is hyprocrisy of a high form.”
iow, we are a GROSS MISREPRESENTATION of who we claim to be.
In the life of the church we just left in Miami, we had had MUCH transition, change, and people leaving. Tensions were bound to run high, fingers sometimes easily pointed, and words often escaped our lips that were not helpful for building up the body OR honoring God—and HONOR is what God wants from us.
Maybe similar trying times have been here at the church
I have heard several of you say good and uplifting things about one another, but let me point out just a few things I have noticed since being here to point out the good I see in how you relate to people with godly hearts:
Teresa—taking a whole day to take Mike and Desiree to see their mom in Cleveland
Mary—her desire and giftedness at teaching our children to love and praise God
Dave—does a lot of behind the scenes stuff to help people who are struggling in various ways
Craig—a man who speaks from the heart and has a deep desire to help people grow closer to our Lord
Elaine—you have a real servant’s heart and really think a lot about the needs of others and how to help them
And on and on I could go
We have some great people in this church and we need to take note of them, encourage them, and look for what they do that is GOOD.
God’s word calls us to love one another,
be on the forefront in making peace,
be ambassador’s for the gospel of reconciliation.
If we are harboring any anger, spreading discouragement, dishonoring God by our ungodly hearts of resentment and wickedness toward any Christian brother or sister, family member, or human being, we need to REPENT and turn GODLY hearts toward our fellow man.
Transition: there is one final thing God asked his people to do, and that was to:
3. Repent of Human Self-Reliance by Turning Our Desperate Hearts To God
vv. 14-15, 23
14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
And further down in 23:
23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
Life is rarely easy, but God can and wants to help us with it.
IS THAT NOT COOL? (as the youth might say?)
No problem is too BIG or too SMALL for him.
“Cast your worries on him, he cares for you.”
When our hearts are distant or hostile to God, as it was in the days this Psalm was written, we tend to neglect His powerful help in our lives. God calls his people to honor him by calling on him in their day of trouble—and over time, people have.
HANNAH: Lord, give me a child and I will dedicate him to serving you!
Judy Cantonese
Natasha: “Please help my mosquito bite.” (the prayer of faith of a little one)
The Church: (TALK ABOUT our prayer meetings)
AND WHEN GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYER, what will result???
Our heart felt THANKS
A more godly attitude toward our neighbor
Our honoring God
Let’s not forget the most ultimate help of all, What is our biggest “day of trouble?” (BEING OUTSIDE OF God’s love and will)
Who remedies that? JESUS, of course. That is immediate to those who call on the Lord, and repent and confess His name, being baptized into his death, and raised to new life. What a wonder that is, let us not forget this!
Conclusion
Keith Green, (who I am deeply indebted to and grateful for) had an interesting little sermonette on “what is a Christian” during one of his concerts. It went something like this:
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian
Anymore than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger
Nor does a life of prayer
All religions pray
Nor does having all kinds of gifts (or looking like it)—even miraculous ones
“on the day of judgement, people will say “Lord we cast out demons in your name, etc.—Jesus will respond: “DEPART from me” (for they weren’t really living for Jesus)
No, Keith says, a good definition of a Christian is “SOMEONE WHO IS BANANA’s for Jesus”.—(your heart has to definitely be in it for that!) Someone who loves the Lord with all this heart and soul and strength—and loves his neighbor as himself.
Come to think of it, that is basically what our sermon is about! Honoring GOD first, turning a thankful heart to him, then turning a godly heart toward our fellow man, and lastly, honoring God as our true source of help.
Allow me to challenge you this week in these three areas (we don’t want to be guilty of dishonoring God by neglecting these—or worse yet, being in danger of “being torn to pieces”
1. If you have been distant in your heart from God, NOW is the time to start getting closer. Use the rest of our worship time, prayers, songs, communion, etc.) to reconnect with him with gratitude and trust.
2. If you have been destructive or negative—distant, toward people—commit to repairing your relationships, and in the very least RESOLVE not to say ANYTHING negative about your brothers and sister this week—rather, be positive and uplifting. NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH. Instead resolve to build them up—
a. Haitian youth,saying 3 things for every negative thing
b. Need 7 to offset something
3. If you have been looking everywhere but God to help you with your problems, STOP, KNEEL, and PRAY, tell God of your troubles. Repent of your sin. If you are outside of Christ, now is your chance for God to respond to you in this day of trouble by being baptized in Jesus’ name upon your repentance of self-reliance or hostility toward God
INVITATION TIME IS THE NEXT FEW SONGS.
