Sermon Central
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Trade In "Powerless Living" For "Connection With God" Series
Contributed by Darrell Stetler Ii on Feb 8, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Tired of living on your own strength? This is a sermon on worship -- our connection to God that allows His power to fill us. *HANDOUT INCLUDED*
Trade in “Powerless Living” for “Connection With God.”
Worship is our connection to God.
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Here are four things you need to believe about worship:
1. It’s possible for you and I to worship God at any time, any place.
John 4:21, 23 "Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.”
This is one of the great things about Jesus. Jesus is different than ANY other major religious figure.
Mohammed says, “Go to Mecca and worship.”
The Pope says, “Go to Rome and worship.”
Buddah says, “Go to solitude and meditate.”
Jesus says, “You can worship ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!”
In other words, you can connect with God wherever you happen to be. Whatever the situation, whatever the need, you can connect with God and find the strength you need.
- At work? Take a moment at your desk to connect with God.
- At home?
- By yourself in your car? You can be in God’s presence!
- In a crowded room? God can be with you there too!
Then why is it important that we get TOGETHER to worship? What am I doing HERE this morning?
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some. Instead, we should encourage one another, and even more as you see the Day approaching.”
It’s very simple: God knew we needed it to be the kind of people He wants us to be.
2. God is looking for someone who will worship Him.
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
God doesn’t need anything. He doesn’t NEED us to worship Him. . . but he LOVES it!
3. If we want to connect with God, it’s got to be on a deep level.
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...”
One of the great teachings of the Bible is that each of us has a spirit or a “soul”. There’s something more to YOU and ME than just this physical body. This is what the Bible means when it says we must worship in SPIRIT.
The angel said, "You are hearing the only part God hears, that which comes from the heart."[W.B. Knight, Treasury of 2000 Illustrations, p 447]
If you want to connect with God, it’s more than just coming and going through a few motions, moving your lips to sing a few songs, sitting in a seat and hearing a few words by the preacher. You’ve got to connect with God in SPIRIT, if you want to get the strength that you need.
4. There’s a right way and a wrong way to worship God.
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
So, what is true worship?
1. True worship is not acting holy in church.
Matthew 15:8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.”
2. True worship is not leaping around and speaking gibberish and falling down.
1 Corinthians 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
3. True worship can be expressed in many ways.
Singing and Shouting - Psalm 47:1 “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!”
Music - Psalm 150:5 “Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!”
