Avoid Self-serving Worship! - Conclusion
Outline:
0:00 Focus more on praising God than on presenting your request for help.
2:24 How often do you pray to God to meet your needs before praising him?
4:10 "Rejoice and be glad in every situation".
6:07 Make sure you always give God praise.
7:36 Focus on drawing closer to the Lord, rather than receiving gifts.
11:20 "These people come near to me with their mouth, but their hearts are far from me."
13:13 Focus on listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit, rather than criticizing your spiritual leader.
15:22 Show up to serve, and not to be served.
17:40 We are on an assignment by God to give glory to God.
19:22 The paradigm shifts in the world are constantly happening.
Highlights:
Time mark: 0:00
Number two, focus more on praising God than presenting your request to Him!
Time mark: 2:44
Start giving God glory knowing He knows what you need before you even ask and is already arranging to provide your needs, and then voice your request. Too often we pray to God to meet our needs before praising Him.
First of all, we need to give God glory. "Thank you Lord for allowing me to have another day. Thank you for time when I can come into Your presence and come boldly to the throne of grace. Thank You for food and clothing." We should always start our prayers with meditation on thankfulness and repentance because all of our goodness is as filthy rags. "If there's anything within me Lord that's not like you take it away."
Then come on and praise God some more, give Him glory, because in your praise, God understands what you're going through. God understands what you need, and because you are honoring Him for being the Most High God, through your praise, realize that He's already working things out. Through your praise, know that He's already turned that situation around! Through your praise, know that He's going to take you to the next level when you need to go. It's all working together for the good of those who trust and believe in Him.
In scripture we repeatedly see how we are called to praise the Lord, before presenting our requests to Him.
Time mark: 4:01
Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Time mark: 6:20
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Time marker: 7:36
Number three, Focus on drawing closer to the Lord, rather than on receiving gifts!
Time mark: 9:29
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs, according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
Time mark: 11:20
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."
Time mark: 13:11
Number four, focus on listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit, rather than criticizing your spiritual leader, your pastor, or those who are a part of presbytery.
Time mark: 15:21
Number five, show up to serve, and not to be served.
1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Time mark: 18:18
Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Time mark: 21:31
Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.
That's the focus, our attention and our focus, it should be on worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth, serving others, being an asset and not an upset.
Holding up a blood stained banner of Jesus Christ. Letting this dying world know that God did place people in this earth to let His glory shine forth through them, so that there is an example just like His Son, Jesus, that has been going on down from generation to generation proclaiming the gospel so that others who are lost can be saved, redeemed, and set free.
That's our purpose. Don't become self-absorbed. It's not about your collar, it's not about your suit. It's not about you're right, and who you are. We don't need labels. Just know that you're a child of the Most High God and your purpose on earth is to worship Him. To give Him glory and honor, so that you draw other's attention to Him.