Reconstructed Through Worship

- 1980s the Bakkers had built PTL & Heritage USA (in Fort Mill,

- Bakkers received each $200, 000 salries

- Awarded himself over $4 million in bonuses

- Million dollars a week coming toPTL

- 1987 - Secretary Jessica Hahn

- 1989 Convicted on fraud and tax evasion, &

racketeering

- PTL Network went Bankrupt

- Over 15 years Heritage USA has been abandoned

------ (Show slides of before and after of PTL)

- Reconstruction is beginning but there are

slowdowns, detours and stops

- The same thing goes for our thoughts if we don’t

guard them

- Each day we have more than 10,000 thoughts that pass between our ears.

A.W. TOZAR , ’Our thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become. We will soon be the sum total of our thoughts’. The Holy Spirit uses the nourishment of the Word of God to rewrite our computer and renew our minds

- How do we guard and reconstruct our thoughts?

- Need to be reconstructed through praise & Worship

- Have you noted that our worship service is

composed mainly of two parts

- Praise and the Word (read or preached)

- Should not our quite time consist of both of these

A. Our examination of the Word

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S.P.E.C.S.

S - Sin to confess.

P - Promise to claim.

E - Example to follow.

C - Command to obey.

S - Stumbling block to avoid

B. Praise & Worship

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Praise - Heb.- Halal / haw-lal

- boast, celebrate

Worship - it’s roots come from royal ceremonies & courts – How subjects relate to their King

– bow down, to kiss the hand – reverence, adore

- Worship involves every part of our being

- Our posture, our will & our emotions

- Worship Old English - “worth-ship” - Worthiness

- Psalm 48:1 (NIV) Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,

1. Reasons for Worship?

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Hag. 1:2, 4b & 8

2 Corinthians 6:16 (KJV)And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

- Hag. 1:2, 4-6, 9

- 15x reference to the Lord

- 5x the word “consider”

- Our single most important task is to worship Him

- Mt.6:33 - Seek ye first the kingdom of God

2. Worship Is Intentional

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- Ezra 1-4

- Cyrus - Ahasurerus - Artaxerxes

- Ezra 5 Darius - 16 yrs have passed

- Foundation was laid with joy

- Ezra 3:11-13

- Daily living with it’s hassles sets in Ezra 4:23-24

- Sidetracked on our desires - Hag.1:4,6, 9

3. Consequences of not Worshiping God

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- Hag 1:10-11

- Without personal worship lost of blessing v.10

- Without worship drought sets in - v. 11

- Don’t become a lover of yourself of pleasure

4. Decision Results in Blessings

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- Hag. 1:12

a. Heard

b. Obeyed

c. Worshiped

- Immediately following 12x “I’s of God’s word

- Which I will do you need for yourself?

5 Practical Personal Worship

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Ps 33

- Ps. 33:1 - Rejoice

- Ps 33:2-3

- Old man praying in Prayer meeting

O Lord, we will praise You; we will praise You with an instrument of ten strings.

– We will praise You with our two eyes

by looking only to You.

– We will exalt You with our two ears

by listening only to Your voice.

– We will extol You with our two hands

by working in Your service.

– We will honor You with our two feet

by walking in the way of Your statutes.

– We will magnify You with our tongues

by bearing testimony to Your lovingkindness.

– We will worship You with our hearts

by loving only You.

We thank You for this instrument, Lord. Keep it in tune. Play upon it as You will and ring out the melodies of Your grace. May its harmonies always express Your glory.

1. SPEND TIME SINGING TO GOD.

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Use music books - Ps 33:3 - Try creating a song of your own!

2. GO ON A PRAISE WALK.

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Ps 33:7-9

- Thank God for everything you see.

- Look closely at God’s creation, praising Him for it

3. PERSONALIZE SCRIPTURE

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By inserting your name into promises relevant to your life or current struggles. ----- Ps 33:12-22

4. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE

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- With the idea of giving it to your son/daughter oar another child

- Mark it up, make notes in the margin

- Try to picture God through their eyes

- Give the Bible at an important transition, such as entering high school, leaving home, entering college, or getting married.