Welcome to Worship

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)Main Idea: How we worship can take many forms, as long as it is "upward" and pure and pleasing to God. Worship becomes a lifestyle, and happens anywhere and at anytime.Sermon Notes: - THE WHATDerived from two Old English words, weorth (worth, value), and scipe (the quality of). The quality of having worth, or being worthy.God gives worship great importance. The first two of the Ten Commandments deal specifically with worship. There are many references to worship in the old and new testaments.Worship is humbly bowing before a superior one, physically and spiritually. John Piper says "the chief end of man is to worship" Jesus is the cornerstone of our worship.Jesus also warns of false worship; worshiping things and people that aren't God, called idolatry, which can lead to many sins.We also need to be in the right spirit, the right mindset for worship. We can have so many other things on our mind, that while we may be outwardly worshiping God, but our hearts and minds are very far from Him. God is the focus of our Worship.- THE WHYWe worship because of who God is and what He has done.Worship is the natural response to encountering a supernatural God.- THE HOWRomans 12:1-2; offer yourselves as a living sacrifice. do not conform but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.There are so many different ways to express worship, but the place to start is by offering ourselves in the same way that the high priest would offer a sacrifice to God in the Temple.True and proper worship encounters with God; it's an all in engagement.2 Corinthians 4:11, 5:14-15How we worship can take many forms, as long as it is "upward" and pure and pleasing to God. Worship becomes a lifestyle, and happens anywhere and at anytime.Ecclesiastes 5:1-2We welcome to worship because we are expectant that the Lord is going to show up and we may experience him in fresh and sometimes unexpected ways (1 Corinthians 5:4)Matthew 18:1-6Application Questions: 1. In what ways have you experienced God through worship?2. What are some examples of ways you worship?3. What do you do to prepare yourself for your time of worship? How do you get yourself in the "right spirit" to worship?4. In your life, how has God shown himself to be worthy of your worship?