Going Deeper
Spiritual Discipline of Daily Worship (10-15-16)
We must first see that everything we interact with or do in this life is an opportunity for worship.
Listen to these quotes from a few of my favorite pastors…
“Worship is the act of ascribing ultimate value to something in such a way that it engages the entire being; mind, will, and emotions.” -Timothy Keller
“Worship is never a step on our way up to any other experience. It is not a door through which we pass to get anywhere. It is the end point; the goal.” -John Piper
We are made to worship!
Romans 1 tells us that in our sin we don’t worship nothing…. we worship anything.
We stop worshipping the creator and start worshipping the creation. We all worship something!
The difference is: In Christ.. our lives are all about the glory and exultation of the Holy God. He is worthy of all of our lives.
Daily worship is about worshipping God everyday. Even better, throughout your day.
This is giving God the first fruits of your day. The principle of first fruits is to give the Lord the first of what he has entrusted to you. So we give God a portion of the first income of the month or paycheck and we give him the first hours of our week with Sunday worship and we give him the best time of our day to pray, read his word and worship with our family.
What are ways that you prioritize to have focused time of enjoying and worshipping God?
For many, there is a deep love for God but not a real discipline or daily practice that prioritizes time with God.
It doesn’t have to necessarily be the first thing you do, but it should not be something you do only “if” you have time.
It should be a prioritized thing you do. Meaning, you set aside or schedule real time to get alone with God and read his word, pray, and worship him. Jesus modeled this practice through out his 3 years of ministry. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. -Luke 5:16”
Again, What do you need to do to begin to prioritize time with the Lord every day?
1 Cor. 10:31 says…. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
“GOD IS MOST GLORFIED IN US WHEN WE ARE MOST SATISFIED IN HIM” -John Piper
Our hearts are only ever satisfied with God and his stuff is just a means to point to him.
This is critical to understand as we dig into Romans 12. Let’s turn there.
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
What mercies? The scriptures teach you and me that we are without Life & hope with out God sending his only son to take out Spiritual death upon him so we can be born again into eternal life and Hope in Christ.
The undeserved grace we when given that brings new life are the Mercies!
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
This is one of the most famous passages in Scripture that talks about a life that WORSHIP’S GOD.
We are to be living sacrifices. Holy and honorable to our Lord. Our Lives are His. He ha bought us with a high price and so it is our privilege to live our days for his glory and fame.
The ? is: How do we have a life that daily Worships God? … verse 2.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We must understand that the Core of who we are must change.. the inside out of you must change. Not just our actions.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
It says, “BE TRANSFORMED”
àThere is a transformation that can and does take place and it changes not just what you do.. but the way you think about everything.
What could be so transforming that it completely changes the way I think about life?
ANSWER: The Gospel! GRACE! JESUS who is LIFE. A deeper satisfaction.
Paul refers to it in verse 3…
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me …. Or “in light of “God’s Grace””
What is God’s Grace?
It is the life death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is THE GOOD NEWS that trumps all other good news because it is impossible to top the fact that:
Even though you and I were blatant enemies of God having fled from relationship with him to pursue our own glory and worship his creation more than him we abandoned him and ran the other way….
In his AMAZING GRACE he pursued us by putting on flesh and then dying an undeserved death to take on our sin that we should die & eternally suffer for
and then conquered death after 3 days in the grave to rise to new life…
As a result: the announcement that shakes our very existence at its core is that anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and SAVIOR is forgiven and made a new creation to live in a restored relationship with God Almighty who is Joy, Love, Life Peace and Power. <> THIS IS THE GOSPEL!
It is where Christ’s “Innocent” Blood was shed to take on our sin.. so that we would be forgiven!
Many have said it doesn’t seem fair that a wicked guilty person would receive such mercy! – That’s why it’s called grace!
Grace= an undeserved gift from an unobligated giver.
This is the very “NEWS” that has us so filled with satisfaction in GOD!
So Paul says, In light of this amazing Grace… or For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment,
This is how you & I begin to change: The Grace of God sobers us… is humbles us.. it awakens my soul to no longer crave counterfeits to worship and enjoy but the Real thing… the all satisfying GOD who will never leave me or break down or fail.
Instead of when we made life all about us and we wanted the glory and the credit.. we are sobered at the foot of the Cross.. because the Son of God died there in my place.. because he loves me and because it brings him all the Glory!
He gets the Glory and we get the JOY! The Gospel is how you and I, ENJOY & WORSHIP GOD!
In Christ victory you and I are free from having to fix our own problems because he is the power who has brought us to lasting victory. He is the one who transforms the MIND and HEART!
The cross liberates us from bondage to the power of material things and worldly status in our lives. In Christ we are finally free from the bondage of sin and satisfied in a lasting way in the Eternal God.
In the Gospel our minds and hearts are transformed to truly know what it is to ENJOY GOD!
And as a result you present your lives as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Jesus… transforms us..
Jesus…. is God’s Mercy upon us….
Jesus… brings RENEWAL to our minds and HEARTS
Jesus… is the source of lasting JOY, which then causes us to authentically worship him.
My prayer today.. is that you are gripped by the Good News of a God who showers us with costly Grace! And it begins to transform the way you think and do life… so much so that it satisfy’s your heart as you now ENOY GOD and worship him above all his created things each day he gives you under the sun.
By His grace and for His glory,
-Shepherd
Soldiers for Jesus MC