Let us pray
Welcome....
A few weeks ago, Bro. Charles Johnson spoke at our revival, and his theme was, It’s time
for a change. I believe a change is taking place, and last Sunday we all witnessed such a
change...............elaborate...
God has a way of moving whom he wants to move, when he wants to move, and with
whom he wants to move, because he is God. God is no respecter of persons. He sends the
rain upon the just, and upon the unjust.......elaborate..
This morning our topic will be, Who or What do you worship? Who do you worship?
or What do you worship? Please turn with me in your Bibles
to Acts 17 verses 22 through 30. Let’s all stand and read together.
Think about this for awhile, Can we really worship what we do not know or understand?
Some people come to the house of God, just to impress their friends; some people come
just to clap their hands; some people come just to jump and shout, but I came here today
to worship the Lord. Who or what do you worship?
Some people might have come to show off their car in the parking lot; some might have
come to show off the latest style; some might have come to check up on their friends; but
I came here today to worship the Lord. Who or what do you worship?
For many people the aim of worship is, What is in it for me? What do I receive after I
have finished my gymnastics? What happens after I am through jumping and shouting?
This kind of worship is not a God centered worship, but a Me centered worship. How can
I please myself.
The people of Athens had made many gods, and it seems after awhile they ran out of
names and so erected an altar with the inscription to the unknown god. It is said that these
gods that the people of Athens made were modeled after them. "Whenever man rejects the
true God and goes off into ignorance, he begins to make his god or gods in his own image.
When genuine worship occurs and God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, then man is
re-made into the image of God. This is part of the reason that real worship is somewhat
threatening. It brings about a change in us. Not just a surface change, but a change at the
core of who we are?" True worship does not depend upon circumstances. True worship
does not depend upon how good or bad we feel. True worship does not depend upon
whether we have a large or small group. True worship does not depend upon how well
our stocks and bonds are doing; but when God has done something for you and for me,
we can’t help ourselves, we just have to worship God. What has God done for you lately?
Who woke you up this morning?....................elaborate....
If God were to ask you, "Why do you love me and why do you worship me?" How
would you answer. True worship is not about what we get from it, "but about
celebrating who God is." People say quite often, "I don’t get anything from church. I
don’t feel God’s presence. I am not being fed." For many people it is all about them
and their feelings, but real genuine worship "is when we recognize who God is and
celebrate and rejoice in Him." Real genuine worship does not start with our feelings, but
with our understanding and appreciation of God. It is alright to feel good when we
worship God. It is alsright to be moved during times of worship, but we should not make
our feelngs our priority. Satan will try to use feelings, and will prevent us from truly
worshipping God...elaborate...
Let’s loosk at verse 22 of our text. (read) The word perceive means to become aware
of by understanding, to discern. The word superstition means a belief or beliefs justified
neither by reason nor evidence nor by any religious canon. I wonder how many Christians
here today are superstitious. Well, I can’t go to work until I read my horoscope....I can’t
talk to you until I get my cup of coffee......This rabbit foot in my purse or in my car is for
good luck. Child don’t you bother me because I came off the wrong side of the
bed.......elaborate...
Read veres 23 of our text. As I passed by I saw a sign which puzzled me; I saw a sign
which got my attention, it says, to the unknown god. Paul was saying, since you are
ignorant about God, I want to take the time and tell you about my God. This God I am
talking about He is the one who made the world. He is the one who said let there be light
and there was light. He is the one who flung the stars into place. He is the one who put the
sun and the moon in place. This God that I am talking about does not dwell in temples
made with hands............elaborate.......
This God I am talking about does not dwell in temples made with hands neither is he
worshipped with men’s hands. This God does not need any-thing. He is the one who
gives life and breath, and all things. He is the All Sufficient One.........elaborate...
Read verses 26 & 27. Paul was saying, this God I am talking about hath made of blood
all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth.. It does not matter if you are black
or white. It does not matter if you are rich or poor. It does not matter if you are smart or
not so smart, you were made by God, and you were made to worship........elaborate..
In verse 28 of our text Paul was saying, In him we live; In him we move; In him we have
our being. I want somebody to know today, we are in existence because of God. We
might think we have it all together, but we are here today because of God. We might think
we have it all figured out, but we are here in the house of God, to worship God, because
of God. We might think we have everything under control, but that is not true, because it
is in him we live and move and have our being............elaborate....
In verse 29 of our text Paul was saying even though we are the offspring of God, don’t
think for a moment that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, or stone graven by art or
man’s device. God is not the one who is made, he is the maker, and because he is maker
he cannot be worshipped by anything made by the hands of man. God is calling us, we
who have been made in the image of God to worship God. Who or What do you worship?
A man’s God is "that to which he gives all his time, thought, energy, life, many a man is
engaged in worshipping material, man made things." Besides working and sleeping, what
takes up most of your time? God has made man so that man longs for God. How much
do you long for God and the things of God? How much time do you spend in the things
of God? Reading your Bible; spending time in prayer; being with the
saints......elaborate...
Read verse 30 of our text. "The charge God gave to the Gentile world by the gospel.
which he now sent among them: He now commandeth all men every where to repent,
to change their mind and their way, to be ashamed of their folly and to act more wisely, to
break off the worship of idols and bind themselves to the worship of the true God." This is
God’s command to all men every-where to repent, and we are called upon today to tell
those who do not know Christ as their Lord, that they need to repent of their
sins.......elaborate...
This command of God for repentance is to be enforced, because he hath appointed a day
in which he will judge the world.........elaborate....
We cannot truly worship God when there is sin in our lives, and so God is calling men
every-where to repent. To repent means to feel extreme regret for what one has done or
forgotten or omitted to do. To repent is to change ones mind. To repent is to turn away
from a life of sin and turn to God, and God is commanding men every where to
repent....elaborate.....
What is hindering you today from truly worshipping God? What is preventing you right
now from being the best you can for God? True worship, genuine worship is an
expression of our love for God. How much do you love God? Who do you worship? or
What do you worship? Is your worship Me centered or is it God centered? Is your
worship giving glory to God or is it just giving you a good feeling? God wants each of us
to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. If that is your desire, as we all stand, I want to
invite you to come and tell God about it. If you are not saved, today you can change
your way of living by turning to God..........................If you are saved,
....................elaborate...
Last Sunday we visited Sis. Elaine Bigsby at Hoffman Estate, and she was just excited
about worshipping God. Because of sickness she is unable to come out and worship, and
so we had to go to her, and she was thrilled...................elaborate
Call to discipleship
Closing song/prayer
