Session 1 | Worship that is a Lifestyle Big Ideas: · We were created to worship God. · Idolatry is when we worship something other than God. · You either worship the creation or the creator. · Worship that is a Lifestyle. · Who/what do you worship and pay devotion to? We were created to worship God The entirety of scripture teaches us that the God who does not need anything, nevertheless, desires adoration and worship of His created children. Psalm 150:1-6 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 3Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! 1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Isaiah 43:21 This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise. Psalm 100:1-5 1Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Luke 4:8 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Idolatry is when we worship something other than God “When we cease to worship God, we don't cease to worship something we worship anything.” -CS Lewis “When a man falls on his knees and stretches out his hands and says, our father which art in heaven, he is doing what seems natural to him.” -A.W. Tozer Idolatry does not always involve sinful things but sometimes good things in the wrong position. (ex. Spouse = good but a bad God Kids = good but a bad god Work = good but a bad god Money = good but a bad god) 1 John 5:21 Little children keep yourselves from idols. Amen. From anything and everything that occupies the place in your heart due to God. 1 Corinthians 10:20-22 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? You either worship the creation or the creator. Romans 1:20-25 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. John 4:22 You worship what you do not know… Worship that is a Lifestyle. Matthew 26:6-13 (Worship as a Memorial) And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” Philippians 4:18-20 (Worship in Giving) I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Romans 12:-1-2 (Spiritual act of worship) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Worshipers build altars of worship to God in every area and season of your life. When you are waiting in God you worship. Hebrews 13: 15-16 (worship as a sacrifice) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Acts 16:20-25 (worship in suffering) And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. The Test of True Worship (Job 1:13-22) “You do not find out if you’re a worshiper on Sunday morning. Anybody can worship in church on Sunday morning. The saints are gathered in holy convocation, the musicians hold the instruments of the Lord, the worship leader is anointed and ready with a killer song list, and the singers are prayed up and fired up. If you can’t worship in church on Sunday morning, you’re a stone! Let me tell you when you find out if you’re a worshiper: when the bottom of your world caves in, and everything you’ve ever known begins to crumble around you, and you don’t understand why everything hurts so much. What will you do now? Will you fall down before your Creator and worship? Or will you listen to the voices in your ear that accuse God, and then get angry at Him? Will you worship, or will you curse? Job is the ultimate model of extravagant worship. When everything was taken from him, including his ten children, he fell before the Lord and worshiped.” -Bob Sorge Who/what do you worship and pay devotion to? Think about your week: how often do you use your words, thought life, money, time, energy, passions, entertainment, to worship God. Now compare that to other things that you do the same.