Moving Closer To The Lord In 2006
Part 2: God Wants Worship To Move Us Closer
INTRO
: Last week I started a series. Moving Closer To The Lord In 2006. If we ever need to move closer to the Lord it is today. We need to have a closer walk with the Lord. Can anyone say this is not so? This is what God wants for us and what He expects us to seek a better closer walk with Him. Will He make us, force us, twist our arms, or even worse to "make" us serve Him better? No, I think not. But He will speak to us through His Spirit. He will speak to us through His Word. He will speak to us through other's lives and godly example. The choice is yours this day.Last week in the first message of this series I dealt with the fact God wants us closer through His Word. It is God's Word that can become alive in our lives. It is His Word that can lead us down the paths we need to follow. It is God's Word that can enhance us and prepare us for the life to come. But God wants more for us. He wants us to be closer to Him and one way that happens is through our worshipping Him.
Once again I have much scripture for you. I have a handout that will save you some time and also help you keep them handy for more study latter on.
Let's get started…
I want to look at 12 reasons to worship God…
1. It is His plan.
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
He is worthy
We should give Him ourselves
We should do this often
We should come in the beauty of holiness (in His Son)
2. It is expected of us by Him.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
God knows of our need to worship Him
God knows of the attempts of the enemy to derail us
3. God has instilled within us an intense desire to worship Him.
Psalms 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
Not that we cannot override it.
We need to recognize His greatness
We need to tell Him of His greatness
We need to tell others of His greatness
We need to recognize our smallness in His sight
4. It brings with it a gladness and built in blessings
Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Psalms 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah
Worshipping the Lord IS blessed
Worshipping the Lord IS happiness
Worshipping the Lord IS gladness
5. It brings refuge and help in a time of trouble.
Isaiah 37:1 1And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
Even if it is viewed as wrong to only seek God in troublesome times
There is no other that we can turn to for a greater help
He will not let us down when we faithfully look to Him
6. It becomes a means of needed instruction in our lives.
Micah 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Instruction comes through God's Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:14 - 16 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Instruction comes through practice
Instruction is passed on by example
7. Jesus worshipped
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Can we do less?
Should we do less?
8. The disciples worshipped
Luke 24:52 - 53 52And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
As great as their responsibility was to worship, is our less?
Does it say they worshipped occasionally?
Does it say they worshipped seldom?
Does it say they worshipped when they felt like it?
Does it say they were meek about worship?
Does it infer we need to follow their example?
9. God's Son is meant to be worshipped as well.
Philippians 2:9 - 11 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul recognized the importance of worshipping God's only Son.
We will bow and worship Him at sometime.
Have you recognized Jesus as Lord?
Have you called upon Him as Savior?
10. God's Spirit helps us worship Him.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
God gives those who call upon His Son, Jesus, His Spirit.
His Spirit lives within us.
His Spirit helps us continually.
His Spirit helps us to worship.
11. Worship is meant to be for everyone or all.
Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
God is worthy to be worshipped
God made us to worship
God expects us to worship
God blesses us to worship
God's Son helps us to be able to worship
We all should worship
We all should worship a lot
Hebrews 10:19 - 25 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
12. We are in good company when we worship the Lord.
Rev. 5:11-14 11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
In His presence
100 million and millions
Not ashamed (loud voice)
Right words and actions
Never ending
Do you see you need for worshipping God?
Do you want the blessings that come from worshipping Him?
What is important to you?
Are you willing to worship Him more?
Will you praise Him?
Will you lift up His name?
Will you surrender your life to Him?
Will you devote your life to Him?
Will you give a greater priority to worshipping and knowing the greatness of God in your life?
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 011506am