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WHAT WORSHIP MAKES ME DO

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Worship. 

1.       Worship is a time when the saints come together to give honor and praise to God.

2.       Worship is a time when the saints please God by obeying His command to assemble.

3.       Worship is a time when the saints get to fellowship, encourage, and provoke one another to love and good works.

 

B.      As I was thinking about worship on one occasion, it hit me that were many things that worship causes me to do.  These things are positive and extremely beneficial to my life.

 

I.                    GET FOCUSED

 

A.     All of us live in “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4).

1.       We are focused on living our lives here.

2.       We are focused on the problems that are found in this world.

3.       We hardly have time to be centered on what is called “the eternal.”

 

B.      Worship is what we might call “other worldly.” 

1.       It is centered upon things in the world to come.

2.       Oh yes, it takes place in this building, but our worship goes far beyond the confines of these four walls.

3.       We get to focus on that which is the most important thing in the world, God.

a)      We are drawn into the heavenly realm.

b)      We are drawn before God’s wonderful throne.

c)       We are brought into the very presence of our Creator, our Redeemer, and our spiritual Father. 

1)      Spiritually, we see what the prophet Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6:1-4.

 

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphims:  each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, and the whole earth is filled with his glory.  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

 

2)      Spiritually, we lie before Him and pay homage and adoration for who He is and what He has done for us.

 

II.                 FORGET

 

A.     The cares, problems, and struggles of this life are constantly before us. 

1.       We wake up to them.

2.       We deal with them.

3.       We go to bed with them.

 

B.      However, when we come to worship God, all of these things are forgotten for a period of time.

1.       We are in the presence of Him who cares about our struggles.

2.       We are in the presence of Him who is willing to bear all of our struggles.

3.       We are in the presence of Him who has delivered us from many struggles in the past.

 

C.     Our struggles fade as we look upon the majesty of Jehovah. 

1.       His light causes the darkness to fade.

2.       His might causes the weight to be lifted.

3.       His presence fills us with joy and hope.

4.       We do as the psalmist did and enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.  We give thanks unto him and bless his name (Ps. 100:4).

 

III.              TO BE ENLIGHTENED

 

A.     There are many Christians who fail to truly study God’s Word.  For some, worship is about the only time they hear the Word of God.  Thus, worship is a time of enlightenment.

 

B.      And, even if a person is a diligent student of the Word, worship is still a time when God is allowed to speak to an individual’s heart through the teaching of the Word.

 

C.     Enlightenment, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom should be the things that we desire as God’s Word is proclaimed unto us.

1.       In Ephesians 1:17, Paul said he prayed for the Ephesian Christians.  He wanted them to be given “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”  The purpose of this blessing is recorded in Ephesians 1:18.  “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened…”

2.       The psalmist put it in these words in Psalm 119:18.

 

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law.

 

3.       NOTE:  Without understanding, we cannot be doers of the Word.  Our minds are either dark or confused.  Our lives are lived haphazardly instead of walking precisely according to God’s Word (Eph. 5:14-17).

 

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

IV.              TO BE APPRECIATIVE

 

A.     In the course of a week, it is easy to drift into some very bad habits.

1.       We see only the bad things of life.

2.       We gripe and complain.

3.       We get negative about life.

 

B.      Then, on the Lord’s Day we are reminded of something very important.

1.       “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Cor. 11:26).

a.       I am reminded of Jesus’ body that hung on the cross as a sacrifice for me (1 Cor. 11:24).

b.      I am reminded of Jesus’ blood that flowed from His body taking His life for mine (1 Cor. 11:25).

2.       Billions and billions of people on the earth are lost in their sins.  I am a partaker of the life-giving benefits of Jesus’ death.

a.       My sins are washed away (Rev. 1:5).

b.      I am a partaker of all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3, Rom. 6:3-4).

c.       I know the hope of His calling (Eph. 4:4).

 

C.     Each week I am reminded of this wonderful blessing that I possess and gratitude fills my soul (Ps. 103:1-2)

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

 

V.                 BETTER

 

A.     Sometimes we have difficulty seeing ourselves as God sees us after we have been converted.

1.       We still call ourselves sinners.

2.       We call ourselves Christian, but don’t like to say we are Christ-like.

3.       We affirm that we are children of God, but do believe we reflect our Father’s image.

 

B.      Worship helps me to be better than I often believe I am.  Worship involves a transformation of the individual.

1.       I purge my mind of carnal thoughts.

2.       I engage in activities that are holy and heavenly.

3.       I am doing things that I know are well-pleasing to my heavenly Father.

 

C.     Let’s go back to Isaiah 6.

1.       When Isaiah saw the glory of God, he was convicted as a sinner (Isa. 6:5).

 

Then said I, Woe is me!  for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…

 

2.       However, there in the presence of God, he was purged (Isa. 6:7).

 

…Lo, this hhat touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged.

 

VI.              EXAMINE MYSELF

 

A.     The world is filled with competition. 

1.       We create a person who is strong.

2.       We create a person who is better than others.

3.       We create a person about whom we can boast and brag.

 

B.      In worship, I let down my defenses.  Here, I examine myself in an attempt to see myself as I really am.

1.       I was a sinner, but God forgave me.

2.       I was an enemy of God, but God reconciled me.

3.       I was diseased, but God healed me.

4.       I was darkness, God made me light in the Lord.

5.       I was lost, but Jesus found me.

6.       I was a slave to sin, but God made me His child.

7.       I was a person with no hope, but God brought me hope eternal.

 

C.     In worship, I realize that I am not worthy of these blessings.

In worship, I realize that I am not worthy, but I am loved by God.

 

D.     1 Timothy 1:15-17

 

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

VII.           GLAD

 

A.     In worship, there is never a dark spot.

In worship, there is never a disappointment.

In worship, there is never grief and anguish.

 

B.      Worshipping God is sheer joy (Ps. 122:1).

 

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     I have always been perplexed by the negative attitudes that some individuals have toward worship.

1.       It is dull and boring.

2.       It is not a spiritual experience.

3.       It is not something that excites.

4.       It is not something that is positive in my life.

5.       It is not something to which I look forward with joy.

6.       It is something that is optional.

7.       It is a “have to” rather than a “want to.”

 

B.      Apparently, they are not attending the same worship services I am attending.  The worship that I attend makes me:

1.       Focused on the spiritual

2.       Forgetful of the carnal and mundane

3.       Enlightened with God’s truth

4.       Appreciative of my redemption

5.       Better as a Christian

6.       Accountable through examination

7.       Glad that I get to experience the presence of God

 

C.     If worship does not provide you with these things, I seriously doubt it is the worship.  Most likely, it is a heart problem that needs to be corrected (Matt. 15:8).

 

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.