Avoid Self-serving Worship! - Introduction

Outline:

0:00 How to Avoid Self-Serving Worship.

3:07 As believers, we are the thermometer that regulates the conditions of the room.

5:11 When people are self-absorbed, it can cause a division in the church.

7:24 Some people want to rule everything. They want to make up all the ideas that come on.

8:50 We are in a world that tells us that our self is our only authority and we forget that God is in control.

11:23 We must avoid self-serving worship so that we grow in our faith.

13:56 What is it that attracts people to come to church?

16:32 When we come together on our holy days be prepared to enter God's presence with thanksgiving and praise.

19:26 Good pastors lead you to focus on God, not on people.

21:20 The same God that enabled David to defeat Goliath, protected Daniel in the lion’s den, and restored all that was lost to Job.

Highlights:

Time mark: 0:57

We are going to study about how to avoid self-serving worship.

What does that mean?

We're in a culture nowadays where it's all about me. Sometimes we get into a place where we are not compassionate, we're not empathetic about others' feelings, we've set ourselves to focus on what we want, on our own specific goals and ambitions.

Sometimes we get self absorbed, and if we're not careful we forget that we're called to live as people of God who are walking the walk of salvation.

It's important for those of us who are believers to understand that we are in the world but we are not of it, meaning that while there are certain types of stipulations that the carnal world lives by, certain procedures and actions that those who are in the world execute, that's how they behave, but we as believers have come out from amongst them. Therefore the way we attend and act to things has to be in a godly spiritual fashion.

One of the things that believers are called to, is to no longer be self-absorbed, not being a person who is self-serving, meaning self-centered worship, focused and aimed toward one's self.

As we live the believer's lifestyle working out our salvation, we understand that we are called to act in accordance with pleasing God, helping one another as an asset to humanity, not living as a drain to others.

Time mark: 7:39

Jesus Himself, when He started His ministry, he selected twelve to walk with Him, twelve men to "Come and follow me." Why, because we need teams! When you look at any person that we see shining on the screen, any ministry that's up and popular, they have a team working behind them to make sure that machine keeps working and keeps moving.

Time mark: 12:46

Number one: Focus on the Truth of Who God is and not on Your Feelings!

Time mark: 19:54

Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

But now, this is what the Lord says, He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name. You are mine."

Time mark: 21:31

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Trust, even when things don't go our way, that's not a time to whimper, not a time to pout. We must get our emotions under control and allow for the Holy Spirit to calm us down. We can trust that God's going to work exactly according to His purpose. He's going to work all those things for good, working according to His purpose and will.

God desires for us to have the best in life. God desires for us to live life and live it abundantly. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son here to the earth to experience our life, subjected to pain, humiliation, temptation, betrayal, so that we may have the opportunity to experience His life. He is our example of patient endurance and overcoming!

When you believe, from that moment that you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit, and you are empowered to break the chains of sin and claim victory over the enemy's lies, his selfish motives and evil societal norms. You do not have to conform to this world. The Holy Spirit empowers us to break evil chains and fetters of past sinful bondages so that we can live life in freedom.

There are so many perks to being a believer, there's so many things that are such great blessings and enhancements upon our life. As a believer of the Most High God, we have power in the name of Jesus. Jesus is omnipresent and omnipotent. He's worthy of all the honor and praise that is due to Him.

In order for us to not be self-absorbed individuals, we must always remember that we have to fix and keep our mind on who God is. We must center ourselves right there. We must know who we serve, know who God, and stay there so that we worship properly, glorifying Him and not ourselves!