A SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP
Romans 12:1 (p.803) June 13, 2010
INTRODUCTION:
The kids were horrible to each other. The morning started with the 7 year old screaming at the 9 year old "It's My Turn Stupid!"
There was no milk in the refrigerator for the Captain Crunch and the dryer was making that funny "Clunk, clunk" noise again.
Mom and dad had taken the stressful morning out on each other, so the ride to church was quiet except for the fight that continued in the backseat between the two boys.
As they come through the front door of the church building…on went the pretend smiles and after the boys were delivered to junior worship Mom and Dad sat down in their pew, as the call to worship started Mom and Dad stood to sing---and they smiled as the words came out.
"Change My heart oh God…Make it ever new…change my heart oh God may I be like you…"
When I mention the word "worship" do you automatically think I mean those 20 minutes of music and words on Sunday morning? After all we call it "worship time."
If that's the case Mom and Dad better sift through those previous 3 hours in a hurry or they're in trouble. They'd better be able to hit that worship switch in a hurry if they want to meaningfully connect with God, even though the morning's been horrible, and their hearts & minds are a mess.
Over the next few weeks I truly hope we can examine what it truly means to live a life of worship. Why it's so important and why it's become one of the most divisive subjects in the body of Christ, including the body of Christ at Fern Creek.
This morning we're going to look at Romans 12:1
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God --this is your spiritual act of worship."
1.
I wanted to start with this scripture because I believe if we really want to worship God and understand what it means it starts way before 9:15 and 10:45 on Sunday mornings.
I. WORHSIP BEGINS WITH GOD'S MERCY
I know you’ve heard it a million times…but a great rule of scripture study is when you see a "therefore" in the Bible, look back and see what it’s there for.
"Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
How unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out.
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things
To Him be the glory forever.
AMEN Romans 11:33-36
We should be face down on the ground as we hear these words…as we are reminded of God's wisdom, God's plan, God's gifts, and God's glory.
It's as if the apostle Paul is about to snap his quill in two because He's pressing down so hard. I URGE YOU! I BEG YOU! I PLEAD WITH ALL MY HEART.. REMEMBER WHO WE WORSHIP.
If this truth does not permeate every part of our being…in every breath we take…in every second we live, worship becomes an activity instead of an attitude.
Tony Evans says, "If you limit worship to where you are, the minute
you leave that place of worship you will leave your attitude of worship
behind like a crumpled-up church bulletin."
It is essential for God's people to understand worship is an attitude, not an activity.
We'll talk about this in depth in a couple of weeks, but in John chapter 4 a Samaritan woman tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place and style for worship, "Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place we must worship is in Jerusalem"
And Jesus replies that these extremes are irrelevant. Where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship…"These are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks"
2.
Robert Webber in his book "Worship is a Verb" expresses this truth:
We need to let go of our intellectual idea of worship and realize
there is more to worship than a sermon; we have to let go of our
evangelistic notion of worship and reckon with the fact that
worship is not primarily directed toward the sinners who need to
be converted; we must let go of our entertainment expectations
and remind ourselves that we are not in church to watch a
Christian variety show. We have gathered together in worship to be
met by God the Almighty, God the Creator of the Universe, the One
who sustains our lives, our Redeemer and King, is present through
proclamation and remembrance. He wants to communicate to us, to
penetrate our inner self, to take up residence with us. And , as we go through
the experience of meeting with him in this mystical moment of public worship,
we are to respond. But response is not just singing a hymn, not just
saying a creed, not just saying a prayer. Response, from the very
beginning of worship to the end, must be a powerful inner experience of
actually being in the presence of God. When we sing a hymn or say a
confession or prayer, we are not singing or saying words, but expressing a
feeling, bringing our souls, truly responding and communicating to the living and active presence of a loving and merciful God.
Worship begins with God's mercy, ends with God's mercy…and God's mercy is stuffed into every crevice in the middle of worship.
Because of that mercy…
II WE OFFER OURSELVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES.
Under the old covenant sacrifices secured God's mercy, under the new covenant God's mercy secures our sacrifice.
Paul's starting place for becoming a living sacrifice is gratitude… The catalyst for a life of worship is thanksgiving.
I remember making this volcano in 6th grade out of plaster of Paris and chicken wire. I painted it, put little plastic trees and animals around it… there was a baby food jar in the volcano's mouth. I filled it with baking soda and old food coloring and then when I did my presentation I poured in vinegar. It was amazingly cool as the red foamy liquid flowed out and consumed the landscape. It was a bubbly explosion.
3.
Paul says when you fill your heart with thoughts of God's mercy--it becomes a catalyst where gratitude pours out in an explosion of worship.
It's not just something you think about on Sunday morning…It becomes your way of thinking…your attitude is shaped by gratitude…your life becomes a witness of this gratitude, even in the midst of trials… because you worship a God of mercy who will never let you go… and will use all things for the good in the life of his children.
No wonder Paul wrote to the Thessalonians
"Be joyful always...pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1Thess. 5:16-18)
It is this view…and only this attitude that will allow you to be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Remember sacrifices in the Old Testament were dead. They had no choice in the matter…they were sacrificed for the temporary forgiveness of others. We have a Savior who died as our sacrifice for sin. He rose to conquer its power..and when we come to him we die, our sins are buried, and we rise..to live out this truth of victory…"This is our Spiritual Act of Worship."
Six chapters earlier Paul writes to the Romans
Romans 6: 1-5
Please remember, we know what selfishness and sin look like, it's still fighting to have control…"it refuses to give thanks and glorify God" (Rom 11:21)
My living sacrifice is to kill that attitude each day...to crucify that selfish heart each day… that is how I become a living sacrifice…and that is how I am prepared to live a life of worship. For this to happen it will require a transformation of the way I think.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"… then you will be able to test and approve God's will- his good, pleasing and perfect will". (Rom 12:2)
Your preparation and my preparation for worshipping together…"In spirit and in truth", "With one heart and one mind” starts way before Sunday morning at 9:15 and 10:45.
4.
If your pattern of thinking has been conformed by selfishness all week long…don’t expect to come to church and flick a switch that automatically makes your mind and attitude God focused.
(Xzavier and Payton love play dough. I bought them this play dough factory you put the colored dough into the machine and it's shaped according to the mold it goes through. Stars, circles, squares, whatever mold you use…that's the shape you get.)
If you continually think like the world …put yourself first, lust for what you want, demand you get your way...those thoughts go through the world mold and out comes selfishness. But send you thoughts through the mold of gratitude, let them be transformed by God's spirit...the unselfish spirit of Christ… and out of that mold comes "worship"
Here's the bottom line...you become what you worship…you become what you worship. If you don't like the person you’re becoming…maybe you’re being conformed instead of transformed… and possibly you haven't gotten off the throne and put your life on the altar. There's only room on the throne for one King.
In his book “The Air We Breathe,” Louie Giglio says, "So how do you know what you worship? It's easy; you simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your money, and your allegiance. At the end of the trail you'll find a throne; and whatever or whoever is on the throne is what's of highest value to you…On that throne is what you worship."
Trying to put God on the throne for 20 minutes on Sunday morning will never be worship.
His mercy and grace demand a total abduction…His Spirit fights for transformation…when you have people who understand that truth all week long…something powerful happens when they get together.
