Worship And Identity Part 2 Series

Worship and Identity (part 2)

JCC pm 07.02.10

Last we looked at the beginning where Adam and Eve had the perfect situation which was living in the presence of God

They worshipped Him fully and knew intimacy with Him until the time Satan, disguised as a serpent, robbed them of that relationship

We saw how we need purpose in life and that purpose is to worship the Lord

Part 2 looks at the search for that which was lost

When a baby is born into the world, what is the first thing people look for?

PP 1

To see who it looks like

The Father looks at the child to see if there is any resemblance to his own face

We search intently for that identity

God looks at us and searches for the resemblance of Himself

We are to be the reflection of His glory

The intent of our existence is to worship Him in spirit and in truth

PP 2

Jn 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

It is through us that God wants to reflect His glorious presence to this world

Then the world shall see and bow the knee in worship

They will see us who were once marred and dark in the depths of our hearts, now radiant and changed

A people worshipping and having purpose for living

A people who reflect the very image of the Creator Himself

Some say we are here to work, to be educated, to find pleasures and treasures, to have the thrills of life

But what use is all of this if we don’t have Him?

If someone doesn’t have God, then they have to have something else to fill the God-shaped hole

They are lost and without hope

They are constantly searching but never finding

Without Him, instead of us reflecting His glory, we reflect only our sinfulness

Instead of a new song of praise and adoration to Him, we sing the songs of the world which can be destructive and corruptive

We may worship, but not the God of all creation

Jesus himself said there would be many christs’

Mark 13:22 & Matt 24:24 For false christs’ and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Many worship other things

Anything that takes His rightful place in your life is an idol

We all worship in one way or another

The bible reminds us constantly how the people worshipped idols and images

And this is still true today

Humans, who were made like Him, are less and less like Him

Yet He can still be found in every flower, every plant, tree and created thing

The mirrored refection now is distorted and broken

PP 3 click x2

Cracked by sinfulness

We tread Him into the earth as though He owes us something, when all the time we owe Him

People call on Him in need then drop him the instant He answers

We turn away, when in fact it should be Him who veils His face

Yet He still reaches out to us

It’s the parable of the lost son Luke 15

Although we turn from Him, our Father, we need to realise there is always a home for us if we turn back to Him

He still waits with open arms to run to us even when we don’t deserve it

He waits to cover our shamefulness and to put His robe of righteousness on us

There isn’t one of us in the room who deserves to know Him and be in His presence

It’s all because of what Jesus did

Nothing of us

It was God’s plan to save us

It was His purpose and plan to redeem us

You and I had nothing to do with it

What credit can you or I take?

But He never gave up on us and He still doesn’t give up on us now

He doesn’t say, ‘forget it, I’ve no use for you’, but He says, ‘come on, I want my glory to be mirrored in you’ I want my image to be there so people will worship me and see the beauty of my presence in your life’

PP 4a

The church is here on earth to worship the Lord and show Christ so that the relationship is restored

The very existence of the church is to worship and show the world what the real purpose of life is

If we don’t worship, the world will not know what they’re missing

It should be the first priority in our services, not tagged on at the end