A Life of Worship
Speaker: Pastor Darin Browne
Mark 12:28-34
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
We think worship is something we do in church, praise and worship, or maybe at home with a Christian Spotify playlist, but we need to understand that worship is so much more than twenty minutes in a service. Worship is something to be done with your entire life, your entire being, body soul and spirit.
SPIRIT OR TRUTH?
John 4:23-24
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus challenged us to worship in spirit and truth, not just sing or raise your hands. This is the required way of worshipping, and it involves your entire being.
1: WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
The Greek word used here is PNEUMA, which means air, and it is this word that refers to the Holy Spirit. So, this is not just an outward appearance, it is the inner you, your soul, that needs to be reaching out to God. It comes from the heart.
Luke 7:37-39
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
Jesus then rebukes the Pharisee and uses a parable.
Luke 7:41-42
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Here we have a classic legalist, but Jesus challenges him on his heart, not his doctrine.
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
Luke 7:45-47
You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Worship in spirit is exactly like this lady. When we recognise that we are not so great, not so high and mighty, we must stop and with all our heart, pour ourselves out before Jesus, weeping and washing His feet with our tears. This is not the worship that stands with its arms crossed, it’s not the one who goes through the motions, this is total commitment, with total abandonment. This is the heart felt thank you!
I heard about two animals in a farmyard, and chicken and a pig. They wanted to bless the farmer, so the chicken said, let pool our resources and give him a bacon and egg breakfast. The pig said, well for you that’s a donation, but for me it’s total commitment!
True worship in spirit is not a donation, it’s total commitment!
2: WORSHIP IN TRUTH
Worship from the heart alone is not enough, it must be worship in truth. So many today get this wrong. People say, “My Jesus accepts me, my Jesus won’t condemn me for being gay or sleeping around or taking drugs.” What’s happening here is we are constructing our own version of God, calling him Jesus, and worshipping the way we are prepared to worship. Your Jesus may not be the Jesus of the Bible!
Just because you feel it with your heart, doesn’t mean it is ok and acceptable to God. This is the balance, Spirit yes, but also truth. You cannot construct your own version of Jesus, that suits your sinful lifestyle and think you’re saved. Emotion without substance is misplaced. You need to worship in Spirit, and in truth.
John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (BOTH)
3: WORSHIP WITH EVERYTHING
Romans 12:1-2
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. 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.
Old Testament Jews understood the concept of a sacrifice. A sacrifice needed to be pure, a lamp or bull without blemish, and this purity speaks of holiness. Of course, Jesus is the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice. But Paul calls upon us to offer a perfect sacrifice as well.
A human being is made up of body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit, the part that lives forever in either heaven or hell. Why would it say that your spiritual worship is to present your body to Him as a sacrifice? Because your body is the part that interact with the world, and it’s where so many sins are based. Sexual sin is described as is sin against your own body. We tend to feed and nurture our bodies but giving our bodies to God in purity will avoid a whole host of other sins.
RENEWING OUR MINDS
This verse also talks about our minds, about renewing our minds, making them new, making them also a pure offering to the Lord. This is why sexual sin is so damaging. It messes with both mind and body and causes untold and greatly extenuated harm. Beware of pornography, beware of settling for a guy demanding more physically. If we keep our bodies and minds pure, it is true worship right there!
With this in mind be careful what you say, and what you think. Worship is surrendering totally to God, including our speech, our thoughts, our money and our time. People tell me they have trouble sensing the will of God for their life, but when you surrender your body and minds to Christ, this verse promises that you will know and understand the will of God. This is purity, this is true worship, this is our destiny if we embrace it.
TRUE WORSHIP DOESN’T CONFORM, IT STANDS APART
Part of Romans 12 is also not being conformed to the pattern of this world. Christians miss this all the time, they take what they know is God’s revealed will in Scripture, and water it down. The world wants you to water God’s standards down. But true worship keeps God standards, it doesn’t lower then to suit public opinion. We think we are so cool, we can dunk a basketball, but we fail to reveal that we had the janitor lower the ring from ten feet to six.
Stop lowering God’s standard, just to suit what the world tells you, then say how progressive and inclusive you are. God says life begins at conception, so abortion is murder. Just stand for truth, don’t start saying, what about in rape, what about if the baby has a disease. We water down everything. God says we are created male and female. God missed the memo about having 72 different genders. Don’t conform.
True worship has this balance between mercy and justice, the heart and the head, the Spirit but also the truth!
BARRIERS TO TRUE WORSHIP
There are barriers to a life of true worship, and some may surprise you.
1: COMPROMISE
As we have just said, compromise is not an act of worship. Don’t fall for the lie that changing our standards, God’s standards, to be inclusive of all the social rubbish that’s going on brings any glory to God. It doesn’t, it profanes His name.
John 8:32
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
2: LEGALISM
This is kind of the opposite to compromise, this is all law, no grace, and this too is not genuine worship. We should worship in spirit and in truth, not just truth. Sometimes we Christians can get so focussed on what is right that we forget that real people are hurting. Jesus implores us not to be like the Pharisees.
Matthew 23:2-3
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Listen, a truly worshipful and devoted and surrendered life realises that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So love everyone, even the sinner, ever the gay, the lesbian, the transgender or the abortionist. Hate their sin, but love and respect them as human beings, and don’t be legalistic. Don’t persecute someone just because they sin differently to you! Love them unconditionally, because this is true worship.
3: PERFORMANCE MENTALITY
The performance mentality of many modern Christians can stop us from true worship. If you only worship when others can see and compliment you, you’ve got your reward already. Worship shouldn’t just be onstage or in church, it must be every day, every way.
Matthew 6:1
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
4: BUSYNESS
Frankly, even in church, we can be just too busy to offer a sacrifice of worship. Our whole life should be worshipping the Lord, so make sure you don’t crowd out honouring Jesus with time absorbing stuff that doesn’t matter in eternity.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
The wise use of your time is essential if you are to live a life of true worship. It takes time.
5: UNFORGIVENESS
Matthew 5:23-24
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.
You cannot harbour bad feelings towards others, such as anger or resentment, and think that you can connect properly with God. We hang onto unforgiveness and think that it is justified, but whether you are right or wrong, unforgiveness is like drinking poison hoping the other guy dies. You only harm yourself, and you destroy a life of worship.
HOW TO CULTIVATE A LIFE OF TRUE WORSHIP
1: WORSHIP AT THE START OF THE DAY
A life of worship starts in the morning. When you wake up, do you say, “Good morning, Lord,” or “Good Lord it’s morning?”
You can start your day on the right foot giving honour and praise to the Lord, as soon as you open our eyes! Then set time aside to spend with Him and do your quiet time. Please use our Bible Reading Plan, because it works!
Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
2: WORSHIP IN COMMUNITY
Joining with others worshipping strengthens your faith and helps you to live a life of surrender. That’s why we have church. Sing worship and pray as often as you can with others. We are better together!
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
3: WORSHIP BY TOTALLY SURRENDERING
When you surrender totally to the Lord, that is presenting your body, mind and spirit as a living sacrifice. Jesus put it this way…
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
So often we think, Lord, what’s the minimum I can pay to get what I want. I want blessing, I want an incredible destiny. I want joy and fellowship, but a don’t want to be fully devoted, I have my own agenda. Jesus is looking for those who are totally abandoned to Him, totally surrendered to His will, live a life of worship.
Jesus said, don’t worry about life, what you eat, drink, wear or where you stay. Stop chasing that stuff. Fully surrender, and I will give you all you need.