Obedience glorifies God……………..

“Because at [your] standing of the test of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted liberality to them and to all [the other needy ones].”             II Corinthians 9:13  AMP

Our obedience glorifies God!

God desires His children to choose obedience over rebellion.

We should desire to worship God to show our love, thankfulness, obedience, love and our respect for Him.

The Jews only pretended to worship God: They had forsaken the Lord and turned their backs on Him. They no longer demonstrated any respect for Him or His Laws. (vs 4)

Their worship didn’t change their behavior so it was empty, meaningless, and offensive to God. (Vs. 11, 12)

Does that sound like our day, as well?

Certainly, God had instructed them to sacrifice, but it wasn’t just to have His temple courtyard trampled by hooves of animals.

But because they have turned their backs on God, He turned His back on them. (vs. 15)

 He did not want to do it, but they had violated His covenant.

Let’s look again at Rom. 12:1. We are told that surrendering ourselves as living sacrifices is our spiritual act of worship.

There’s more to worship than gathering and doing certain things at certain times, like Sunday morning.

John 4:23- 24: A Samaritan woman asked Jesus about the proper place for worship. She seemed concerned about doing the correct thing in the correct place, but she was not sincere.  If she were, she wouldn’t be living in adultery.  If worship does not affect your life, it is insincere.

If you can gather on Sunday morning and sing praises, pray, participate in the Lord’s supper, and listen to the Word then steal from your employer, cheat your employees, lie, have unforgiveness, jealousy, deceit, control & manipulation, addictions, commit fornication, etc. the rest of the week, your worship is offensive to God.

 In fact, it is not worship but disrespect for God.  You are only going through the motions to impress others.   A sanctimonious ritual!  

You read the word and pretend to be a Believer while still secretly living in sin!

It’s rebellion and disobedience combined with a lack of faith in God’s word.

This is hypocritical to God and a stench in His nostrils.

It is deception at its finest!

God exposes disobedience……………

^“ Heaven and earth, you’re the jury.
Listen to God’s case: “I had children and raised them well, and they turned on me.
The ox knows who’s boss, the mule knows the hand that feeds him,
But not Israel.

My people don’t know up from down.
Shame! Misguided God-dropouts, staggering under their guilt-baggage, Gang of miscreants, band of vandals—
My people have walked out on me, their God, turned their backs on The Holy of Israel, walked off and never looked back.

 “Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways?

You keep beating your heads against brick walls.
Everything within you protests against you.

From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head,
nothing’s working right.”   Isa. 1:2-6   Message Bible

Of course we should choose obedience rather than rebellion but it is so hard to do when our flesh is in control.   Most of us desire is to be obedient but our flesh has a greater stronghold over us and consequently we surrender to our flesh.

Samuel told us that God said, “…Obedience is better than sacrifice….” 

Most people really want to be obedient as long as it does not require giving up something that is too important to them.  Idolatry is the number one stronghold the enemy uses to keep us walking in disobedience.

Have you ever felt like God does not hear your prayers?   Do you feel like you are living the same day or situation over and over?

 “Why aren’t you answering my prayers, God?”

Check your obedience level.   Have you been obedient in anything God has asked you to do?  

Ask Him to reveal any idolatry or disobedience in your life in respect to why you have unanswered prayers.

Isaiah accused Israel of the worst kind of rebellion, like children rebelling against parents, Isa. 1:2.

Don’t we usually pity parents whose children rebel against them and bring shame and disgrace upon the family?

Is there any greater disaster for parents than seeing their children go astray?

God’s children were more rebellious than animals. (vs. 3)

What they did was completely contrary to good sense and their own best interests.  In addition, it was the epitome of ungratefulness. (vs. 5)

God’s children had chosen rebellion over obedience.   They wanted their way and wanted God to bless them while living in their pigpens.

God calls upon us to choose.    We must make a choice between obedience and rebellion.   

Remember our scripture Monday from Rom. 12:1?
It stated that we were to offer our body as a living sacrifice.  In verse two it tells us not to conform to the world’s pattern.

There is no way to really know the blessings of following God’s will until you put your whole heart into trying.  You will see great results, if you would only try. 

You would see God’s hand in answered prayers, miracles, healing and deliverance through your obedience.  

God rewards obedience!

Worship with thankfulness………………….

“When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?

 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that.  I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.”    Isa. 1:12-15 Message Bible

Religiously, the real people of God were in a minority and were splintered into exclusive little groups.

Millions worshiped pagan deities which offered no moral guidance.  Some religious leaders were drunkards and adulterers who raised funds to be used for their own pleasure. There were large groups that practiced witchcraft, spiritualism, drug abuse, fornication, and human sacrifice.

Isaiah describes some of these problems but doesn’t dwell on them.  Isaiah is a book of solutions, not problems. As he presents the solutions to Judah’s problems, he sets forth principles that would solve all our national and personal problems if we read and heeded them.

Isaiah calls upon his fellow people to repent and turn back to God for deliverance from their sins.

 He warns of judgment but he also declares a note of grace and looks far down into the centuries to the time when God would provide the ultimate sacrifice for sin in His Son, Jesus.

In our study of Isaiah, the prophet calls upon the Israelites to make hard choices.

We face the same choices which they faced.

We must choose between thanksgiving or ungratefulness.

Israel, as a nation, was founded on religious freedom. They left Egypt in order to worship God as He outlined.   He gave them a national constitution based on gratitude for His care, guidance and relationship.  (Exod. 20:2)

Their national historical documents were filled with references to God and they prayed every day in the synagogue and at home.

God guarded them as a mother guards her children.

Yet, the Israelites were not grateful to God for all this. They took it for granted and ignored His claims on their lives. They were judged and punished repeatedly.

Today, our relationship with God must be based on a conscious awareness of all God has done for us through Jesus Christ.    Rom. 12:1, says: "……. 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." (NIV 1984)

The decisions we make daily will reflect whether or not we have chosen to be grateful or ungrateful for blessings.

Do you not think God expects us to be grateful for all His goodness?

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”      I Thess. 5:18  NLT

 

 

 

 

 

Stale Worship………………….

“When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?

 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that.  I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.”    Isa. 1:12-15 Message Bible

Sounds like Israel was offering stale worship to God.  Going through the motions and acting out of a routine. 

We are confronted here with God’s serious displeasure at what the Israelites had turned worship into. It had become empty and hollow.

No heart worship. 

From Isaiah we learn there are a few things that does not matter in worship and that there is one thing that does matter.

 External form of worship does not matter!  The Israelites had the form of worship down to a science. They knew it inside and out. They could worship in their sleep.   They were going through the motions, emotionless.

Order of service does not matter when we surrender the service to the Holy Spirit for His leadership.   When He is given the freedom to choose the music and order of worship, be prepared for revival worship!

When man controls the order in which we do worship it is merely an external form of praise.  It is designed to bring emotionalism for egos and deception.

 

The amount of offering does not matter.   The Israelites had become quite proficient at offering sacrifices, and God says, “Hey don’t you think I’ve had a enough?”

God doesn’t need our offerings.    He wants us to give out of a heart of thanks and worship, not because we have to or legalism.

God asks in verse 12, “When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?”

God just wants to spend time with us.   He isn’t interested in what we can do but in a heart of surrender and love.

Prayer does not matter when worship is just an emotional routine.

 
The Israelites had also become quite proficient at praying. They would pray with hands outstretched in piety.

Prayers that are lip service or routine have no power.

God says that He is not going to listen to their prayers.  

Why?  Verse 15 says, “Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.”

Sacrifice and blood go together, but that is not what God is talking about. He is talking about what it took away from the worship service.
James 3:9-12 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

Our HEART must be right with God.

The heart of worship is our heart. We can do all the right things, but that does not matter if our heart is not right with God.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Our life and heart must be in order for us to worship in spirit and in truth. Otherwise we are spouting salt and fresh water out of our mouth.

Worship that is not offered in the right motivation and with the right heart is an offense to God.

God is offended by insincere, false or half-hearted worship.  

Is your heart right with God, today?

Is your worship real?

 

 

Worship…….it’s a heart thing!

 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”    John 4:24 NASB

 

In order to see a worship renewal in your life worship must be a constant in all areas of your life. 

We need to make worship a constant in all areas of our life.

Worship is not just about our heart, soul and strength, but our mind as well.  It’s every area of our life. 

Worship must penetrate all aspects of your life.

A.W. Tozer speaks of it in this way: "The total life, the whole man and woman, must worship God. Faith, love, obedience, loyalty, conduct and life- all of these must worship God. If there is anything in you that does not worship God, then there is not anything in you that does worship God".

Those are hard words.  But, if there is anything in you that does not worship God, then there is not anything in you that does worship God.

Worship must be something that is done with every fiber of my being.  As it says in 1 Peter 4:11; “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

So the question that needs to be asked: Are you worshipping God in every area of your life?

Are the words we speak, spoken as to bring glory to God?

Are the actions we do, done to the glory of God?

Worship needs to be a constant in our life.

It can’t just be something we come to church and do and then go home.

Worship is not something you just do.

If that is how you approach worship, you will always leave feeling empty.

Worship must be from your heart!

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array.”  1 Chronicles 16:29 NASB

 

Worship is a lifestyle…………………

 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!

You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.”     Isa. 1: 13-17  Message Bible

 

When we go to church on a Sunday morning, it should not for our entertainment.

Worship maybe entertaining, but that’s not its purpose.  When we stand up to worship and lack a sincere, heart-felt desire to worship, then it is pointless.  The anointing is not going to fall and the presence of God is not going to come!

Worship must be more than words from our lips it must start in our hearts.  It must be a way of life.  It must be something that consumes us in every way.

I believe we have an opportunity to start fresh and have a renewal in worship.  In order to do so we, all, must understand who God is.  He longs to enhance our relationship with Him.  Worship is the key that unlocks the door to His presence.

Granted God is far greater than anything we can comprehend.  But we can understand His nature and the nature of His relationship with us.

Worship is the "thank you" that refuses to be silent!

Worship is the voluntary act of gratitude offered by the saved to the Savior, by the healed to the Healer, by the delivered to the Deliverer.

We should always root our worship in prayer.

Prayer needs to be the backbone of your spiritual life. Without pray all other facets of your spiritual life will wilt.

Sadly, many believers too often are too busy to pray or forget to pray.  If we do not root our spiritual lives in prayer and without this underlying foundation, we will never fully accomplish the plans and purposes of God. We can never see the changes God desires without prayer. We can never see a worship renewal without prayer.

Without prayer, our worship will lack the anointing, strength and foundation that it gives.

Jesus Himself modeled the necessity of prayer.

Luke, said that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” If such prayer was necessary for Jesus, how much more important is it for us?

But prayer is hard work and people are lazy.

Before we can see a renewal in our worship, we must first root our lives in prayer, knowing that God’s word is true when it says in John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Prayer needs to be the bedrock of our worship. To see a worship renewal in our lives and in our Church, we need to root it in prayer.

 

Worship…………..

 “Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!

You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.

And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer.

Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.”         Isaiah 1:13-17  Message Bible

 

Let’s look at Isaiah 29:13;

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

Our lives need to be lived in worship, worship needs to be a way of life, and worship needs to be more than words from our mouths, but something truly from the heart.

A.W. Tozer wrote "It is possible to worship God with our lips and not worship God with our lives. But I want to tell you that if your life doesn’t worship God, your lips don’t worship God either".

In Isaiah 1 we are seeing God speaking to the people of Israel, but referring to them as Sodom and Gomorrah.  He’s also referencing the different traditions of Jewish worship. 

Now the problem God is having is not with the rituals themselves.  He was, in fact, the One who instituted most of these rituals Himself, but the problem was with those who were performing these acts of worship.

We see that made clear in Isaiah 29, they were worshipping God in word, but their hearts were not in it. They sang and they sacrificed, but they did not worship. They fasted and they feasted, but they did not worship.

Why? Because their hearts were far from God and their lives did not reflect a true heart of worship.

We were created to worship, not just in word, but with our lives. We see this in 1 Peter 2:9, " You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 

Worship needs to be our lives. Our lives need to be worship.  In the church today, I believe that we need to see a worship renewal; a worship revival; a worship renaissance, if you will.

 What do I mean by that?

For a lot of people, the word worship is synonymous with music.  Music has become an emotional ritual with many believers.  Music can be divisive.  But worship unites!

Musical tastes come and go, but music is not the only form of worship. Worship is not only about music.  Music can be one form of worship, a facet, an outlet, but it is not the only type of worship.  What’s important is worship is eternal and it is constant.

So what is worship?   The other side of worship I am referring to is and can be interwoven with music, but true worship is our response to experiencing the presence of God.

It involves all the ways in which we can respond to Him, all the ways that we can praise Him by what we do and say.  It is all the ways we can demonstrate that God is worthy of all praise and glory and honor and power and might.

Unfortunately, like in Isaiah’s day, we have lost some of the essence of worship. Our worship has become empty. As the prophet said, we worship God with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him.

We have all seen people who never enter into worship in church, they barely move their lips if at all.    Our lives outside of church reveals our heart of worship by the way we live, speak and reach out to others.   Our lives should be a constant worship of Jesus Christ!  

When live in disobedience, lies, deception, repeated sins and bitterness we are unable to live a life of worship.  Our desire is not to worship but rather to live by our flesh and that is the lifestyle we see the prophet referring to in Isaiah 1.

Stephen Charnock, a 17th century Puritan said this about worship: "Without the heart, it is not worship; it is a stage play; an acting part… We may be truly said to worship God, though we [lack] perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we [lack] sincerity".