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WHEN GOD BUILDS A
CHURCH--WORSHIP-THE HEART OF TRINITY
Given January 7, 2007,
Sunday after Epiphany
Revelation 4:1, 8-11 (NIV)
1
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in
heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,
"Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
8
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes
all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to
come."
9
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who
sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
10
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and
worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne
and say:
11 "You are worthy, our Lord
and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
I interviewed four people
and asked them their view of “worship.”
Here are some of the replies I received…
“A waste of time”
“A shot in the dark”
“It means whatever you
want it to mean--it’s up to the individual”
“I can worship on a golf
course”
Why did you come to worship
today?
--To see how everyone was
dressed?
--Maybe you were pressured
to come
--For the fellowship and
friendship
--Maybe you had a rough week
and needed comfort
--To be entertained, to hear
a good joke?
One phrase I hear from some
people about worship in churches is:
“I didn’t get anything
out of the church service today”
#1.)
To know, love and glorify God
John Calvin, from the
Reformation history of the church, has written,
“The chief end of man is
to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
Shorter Catechism
Have you ever thought about
enjoying God?
#2.)
Worship moves our self-centered attention from ourselves to the
awesomeness of God
Did you see TIME
magazine’s “Person of the Year”? It’s
YOU! It all about you.
Whatever you want is most important.
Life is centered around what I am all about.
Matt Redman, song writer and
worship leader of a church in England wrote these words in his song,
“The Hear of Worship” for his church family.
The song is now song around the world….
When the music fades
and all is stripped away
and I simply come.
Longing just to be
something that’s of worth
that will bless Your heart.
I'll bring You more than a song,
for a song in itself
is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within,
through the way things appear,
Your looking into my heart.
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
and its all about You, its all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
when its all about You, its all about You, Jesus.
#3.)
Worship is to inspire the worshipper
God has deep feelings for
you.
Seek the face of God before
you
Seek the hand of God.
#4.)
Worship is using my abilities for God
Whatever you do, work at it
with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that
you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ
you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
7 practical ways to worship
God
1.
Make our public worship #1 priority in your life
Hebrews 10:25
2.
Be a giver
Proverbs 3:9
3.
Say “please,” “thank you” and “I’m sorry.”
I Peter 2:12
4.
Show your muscle--help the weak
I Thessalonians 5:14
5.
Pick up litter
I Peter 4:10
6.
Drive the speed limit
Romans 13:1-5
7.
Forgive
Colossians 3:13
Worship involves everything
in your daily life.
In closing,
There us a delightful
instance of worshipping God in your life. After
the 1989 World Series, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show had a 27th anniversary
special. Johnny's final guest on the live program was L.A. Dodger pitching ace,
Orel Hershiser. Johnny asked the pitcher what he did to keep himself calm before
games and between innings. Hershiser, said he sang hymns. Johnny pressed him to
sing for the audience. Hershiser caught Johnny off guard when he sang,
"Praise God, from Whom
All Blessings Flow."
Now, you must realize that
Hershiser doesn't have the best singing voice. Yet when he finished, the
audience surprised Carson by breaking out into a tremendous round of applause.
It was wonderful to hear God's name praised on late night television.
When we worship the Lord, He
gets us back.
Worship is God getting what
He wants from you and me.
That’s the heart of
worship for us at Trinity!