Have you ever experienced a time when something that was supposed to be working, just didn’t? Like when you fire up your Xbox or Playstation and you insert the disk and for some reason it won’t read the disk. Or when you twist the key in your car and all you hear is “Click”. Things that were made to do something, but for some reason they’re not doing it. Perhaps its most frustrating when it is something that you’ve engineered. You might be a musical person who enjoys songwriting or playing an instrument. Maybe you’ve tried to sit-down with a guitar or a keyboard and write music that in your head sounds one way, but when you write out the music it doesn’t click quite the way you had in mind. Maybe you’re like me and you struggle with math. I know that I’ve spent long hours trying to figure out how problems work and often times those solutions didn’t add up, which ultimately added up to frustration on my end, until a teacher takes the time to show me how to correct the problem. Worship can sometimes be the same way. We can feel super awkward when you’re in youth group when the worship band is playing, you don’t exactly know what to do. You’ve got some people around you lifting their hands, some people crying, and some people just stand there. So, what’s right, what’s wrong and what should I do?
There’s hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of churches all over the world that worship Jesus differently. I’m not talking about different religions, I’m talking about different Christ-centered, Bible believing churches that all worship differently. Is that okay? My answer might surprise you, but yes of course that is okay! In Christ you have freedom!Here’s the thing, God created you, Maybe you’re someone who loves to sing. Use that gift to glorify God! Maybe you’re more of a technical person and you like to edit video, do that for God. Do you like to paint? Paint for God’s glory! The whole point of this series is to show you that there is more to worship than the 20 minutes worth of “praise and worship” that traditionally happens before a sermon at a church service. Worship Beyond Wednesday Night Your relationship with God isn’t just a Wednesday night thing, its a 24/7 thing. From the moment you wake up every morning, you have a new opportunity to worship God, your creator. So how? How do I do that? Well I’m glad you asked.1)True worship starts with repentance, Nehemiah 9:1-3 shows us an example of God’s people On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. 2Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord
their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.“They confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God”. Breaking yourself before God is the beginning of true worship. God is gracious and has forgiven our sins, all we need to do is repent and receive that forgiveness. 2) Worship involves sacrifice, Romans 12:1 gives us a clear picture of what this looks like.And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him"Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you” When you think about the implications of this statement, it should completely transform your life. You go from living for yourself to living for God. This should make us ask ourselves some pretty challenging questions. “What are my goals in this life?” Is it to make as much money as possible and buy expensive cars and homes? Or is it to spend my life doing what God called me to do? “Do I really give my life to God, or am I still living for myself?” Do I use my abilities to make myself look good? Or do I use them to make God look good?
3) Worship is rooted in respect I don’t know about you, but I know when I have a great amount of respect for someone, I always work harder to make sure I don’t disappoint them. One example of this is Pastor Herschell, I have a ton of respect for him so when he asks me to take care of something, it becomes a priority to get it done. I don’t mess around, forget or just neglect the things he asks me to do. Now I’m not saying I worship Pastor Baker, I’m saying I deeply respect Pastor Baker, so if I have this level of respect for Pastor, who is a man, shouldn’t I have more respect for God, my heavenly Father? Absolutely. Many times the Bible tells us to “Fear God”, its not that the Bible is telling us that we need to be afraid of God, its teaching us to have respect for God. Deuteronomy 6:1, “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Revelation 14:7, “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” Respect God, do what He asks you to do and you will live in His blessings
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