Hebrews 12:28 “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
Continuing, Pastor Herk stated that the more we worship something or someone, the more our commitment increase and we become like the thing we worship. Who or what do you worship? Do you want to become more Christ-like? Then, worship Christ, spend time in spiritual prayer, spend time in His holy Word, and think about the fact that you are worshipping your Savior, your Redeemer, the Messiah that you follow and the Lord of your life in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 115:4-8 “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”
Pastor Louie Giglio asked, “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 will find a throne and whatever or whoever is on that throne is what’s of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship. Whatever you value the most will ultimately determine who you are. If you money, then you become greedy at the core of your heart. If you worship some sinful habit, then that same sin will grip your soul and poison your character to death. And if you worship stuff, then you life will be become material, void of eternal significance. But, when you worship God, you begin to take on His characteristics (love, mercy, grace, etc.) and we worship in view of God’s mercy.” Think about what did Jesus did and is doing to be worthy of our worship?
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God iseternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Secondly, according to Romans 12, we are to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. What does that mean? Before we came to the Lord and trusted Christ for salvation, we used our bodies for sensual pleasures and sinful purposes. Ephesians 2:1-3 explains well, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
But after our consecrated and born-again conversion in repentant acceptance of God’s gift of salvation in Christ by His mercy and grace alone through our faith and since, now that we belong to Christ the Lord, have the indwelling Holy Spirit within us, we want to use our mind, body and soul for His glory. It’s not about us. It is all about Him! Know why. God proclaimed way back in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’”
Hebrews 9:22 clarifies, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Jesus sacrificially died for the atonement of your many sins, in your place, for your salvation. The Savior’s death was holy and pleasing to God, God’s plan of Salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:21 conforms, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ died for you.
John 3:36 gets to the bottom line of what the Believer has been ‘saved from’ and what they have been ‘saved to’, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Isn’t Jesus, the Savior of the world, worthy of our grateful worship?
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on "Worship" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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