"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways."— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.Author

What is Worship?

What is Worship?• Definition

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God ---William Temple

What is Worship?• Definition–The Right Responses to the Revelation

of who God is: Activities of the Mind, Heart, will, and body that bring honor to God and satisfaction to us.

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?–People–Praise–Singing

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?Psalm 7:17 I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power.

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?–People–Praise–Singing–Teaching–Physical Engagement–Emotional Engagement

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?Revelation 7:11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?–Giving•Financial•Physical

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?2 Samuel 24:24 However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

What is Worship?• Definition• What’s does it look like?Romans 12:11 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Why do I need to Worship?• God Commanded it

Why do I need to Worship?• God Commanded it• New Testament Calls us to it• We were Created for it

Why do I need to Worship?An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” There are manyto describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.----Keller, Timothy (2009-10-20). Counterfeit Gods

What are we Worshiping?

What are we Worshiping? • Identify our Longings–Physical Thirst–Emotional Thirst–Spiritual Thirst

What are we Worshiping? • Identify our Longings• Identify our Idols–Safety–Beauty–Money–Success–Romance

What are we Worshiping? Contemporary society is not fundamentally different from these ancient ones. Each culture is dominated by its own set of idols. Each has its “priesthoods,” its totems and rituals. Each one has its shrines—whether office towers, spas and gyms, studios, or stadiums—where sacrifices must be made in order to procure the blessings of the good life and ward off disaster. ----Keller, Timothy

What are we Worshiping? • Identify our Longings• Identify our Idols–Safety–Beauty–Money–Romance–Success

What are we Worshiping? Ernest Becker, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book The Denial of Death:

“In one word, the love object is God. . . . what is it that we want when we elevate the love partner to the position of God? We want redemption—nothing less.”

What are we Worshiping? Pop legend Madonna I have an iron will, and all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling of inadequacy. . . . I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being and then I get to another stage and think I’m mediocre and uninteresting. . . . Again and again

What are we Worshiping? Pop legend Madonna :My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing me, pushing me. Because even though I’ve become Somebody, I still have to prove that I’m Somebody . My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.

What are we Worshiping? • Identify our Longings• Identify our Idols• Turn to the True God

What will Result? True Worship • Experience God• Enjoy God• Praise God