The essence of true worship

Speaker: Matthew Hall

Notes

The account of the sinful woman in Luke 7:37-46 talks of forgiveness and compassion. It expands on the thoughts of the religious to those that were deemed unworthy. It also demonstrates an intense worship that will stop at nothing to be with someone you love.

3 fundamentals apparent in an inner expression of worship:

• SATISFACTION – we satisfy ourselves in him and what he has for us

• SACRIFICE – we sacrifice everything just to be with him and do his will

• SINGLE-MINDEDNESS - we focus on doing only those things that get us closer to the goal of knowing him and doing his will, with no ulterior motives.

The discipline of worship is that of satisfying yourself in God, not other things. Christ is honored by being prized above life, and Christ is most glorified in life when we are most satisfied in him above all other things the world could offer (family, career, retirement, fame, food, and friends).

Stop at nothing; sacrifice everything, to be with God and do His will. Do not conform or do the things just because the world does them, but do what is right in God's sight; be a living sacrifice.

Worship is an end in itself; be single-minded in your goal to worship Jesus. The degree that other elements (be that sick being healed, lost being saved) are our goals or reason for "worship", is the degree it ceases to be authentic true worship. We need to maintain complete focus on God, to fix our eyes on Jesus.

Application

Do you believe God can satisfy your life can he suffice all your needs? [Philippians 4:19] Are you trying to satisfy your life with other things (food, shopping, money, recreation, friends)?

Have there been times in your life where you have had to sacrifice what you want in order to do what God wants? Are there things God is asking you to sacrifice now?

If the essence of worship is satisfaction in God, then worship can't be done authentically as a means to anything else. You simply can't say to God, I want to be satisfied in you so that I can have something else. Are you worshipping God so that something else will happen? Do you need to lay some things down, focus solely on pouring your worship onto Him and trust Him to sort out what you need?

Posted: 18 May 2008