Worship Worthy Of God Series

Worship That Pleases God

CCCAG Sept 2nd, 2018

Scripture- John 12:1-8

Intro:

As I was preparing for today's message I looked at several different ways that this verse in scripture can be organized into a sermon.

You could separate into the different reactions that people had to Mary’s sacrifice.

You could focus on the alabaster jar.

You could focus on the duplicity in Judas’ reaction.

You could focus on the fact that Mary was doing this because she actually believed what Jesus said about his upcoming Passion Week and eventual death on the cross.

I don't think any of these subjects are as important as what Jesus himself focused on, and that was the extravagant worship shown to him by this young woman.

Worship is a spiritual principle that we need to be reminded of frequently.

Worship is the core of who we are as humans. It is the reason you and I exist as Humanity was created to love and worship God.

People spend their whole lives wondering what their purpose is in life. I have it for you this morning-

You were created to love and worship God, and to serve Him as a evidence of your worship.

I could say amen right here and step down from the pulpit because that statement alone is enough for you to chew on for months to come.

This morning I want to talk about our worship of God.

Because in the modern church, we have delegated the idea of worship to a few songs on Sunday Morning.

This concept of worship has gone through some interesting changes in the last Several decades. Our modern church culture has cheapened it to a style or a genre of music instead of what it really is supposed to be.

Right off the bat, let me list a few things that worship is not-

worship is not a style of music

Worship is not just something you do on Sunday morning

Worship is not dependent upon how you feel or how it makes you feel.

Worship is not just an action. It doesn't matter how high you raise your hands or how loud you sing.

What matters is the heart in which you worship with.

Why am I being so specific here?

Definitions matter. Within life or our faith the definitions of what we do matter and the definition of worship matters the most because worship is center to everything we are to do.

Let's look at what the actual definition of worship is-

Worship is ascribing worth to someone or something.

Worship is a statement first to yourself, second to the people around you and third the spiritual realm of what is the focus of your life.

Again it is not just a song it isn't just a style and it isn't just how much you do or how much you give.

Everything in your life is meant to be an act of worship and it is an act of worship. (repeat everything)

Let me say that again everything in our life is an act of worship.

That means the good and the bad. The only difference is what you're describing worth to.

So here is the question

Are your thoughts, your actions, your dreams, and your life passions worshipping God or yourself?

There are really only 2 options to choose from.

So this morning I want to take the example of Mary washing Jesus’ feet and look at what true worship Looks like.

Prayer-God probes our hearts

I've broken it down into several different categories today about what true and worthy worship means to God.

The first thing That worship should do is make you realize that it isn't about you. That is the first thing about what honest worship that is going to touch the heart of God means for us

I. Worship should humble you

As most of you know I grew up Lutheran and worship to me was singing songs from hymnal. Every Sunday we would go into church we would look at small displays scattered throughout the church that would have 4 to 5 numbers (pic in bulletin).

As we were sitting there waiting for church to began , if you are a good Lutheran you would already mark the song locations with your bulletin of what songs you'd be singing that day so you could turn there quickly when the songs changed.

In my late teens I walk away from the church and spent many years in rebellion and not giving God a lot of thought. When I started to return to relationship with God because of the witness of several of my coworkers I started attending and independent Pentecostal church were the worship was much different. People were very open, loud, an expressive during the worship time. For some people it was an aerobic workout. They would jump they wave their arms in the air some even ran around the entire church several times. It was the opposite of what I was used to.