40 Days of Prayer: Worship

40 Days of Prayer: Worship
Isaiah 6: 1 – 8.


Introduction

Today is the first Sunday in our 40 Days of Prayer. We are distributing a prayer guide for you to use as we pray for God’s will to be done in our church. The prayer guide is organized into six weeks, with each week beginning on Wednesday. The prayer guides will be available in three formats: it will be published in the church newsletter; it will be distributed as a bookmark in the Sunday morning worship bulletin; and it will be available on the church website (click on the resources link at the top of the website). http://firstlufkin.com/resources

Also, please make a point to wear one of these gray bracelets for the 40 Days of Prayer. The bracelet serves three purposes. First, it is a good reminder to pray for our church. Every time you notice that you are wearing the bracelet, take a moment to pray. Second, it could provide you with a good conversation starter with your friends. “Why are you wearing that gray bracelet?” “It is a reminder for me to pray for my church.” Third, the bracelet has the church website imprinted on it. If you need help remembering what to pray for, go to the church website and download the prayer guide in PDF format. (Or, if you have a hard time reading the website on your bracelet, you could ask your friends to read it to you, so they can go look at the website and learn more about our church.) http://fbclufkin.org

The reason we are beginning the weeks on Wednesday is to connect our prayers with the Sunday morning preaching. For example, this Wednesday we began praying about “Worship.” And, today I will be preaching about worship. On Wednesday, we will begin praying about “Evangelism and Reaching Out.” Then, next Sunday I will preach about evangelism and reaching out. Ideally, the church will pray about a particular topic on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday…Then hear a sermon about that topic…Then we will continue to pray about the same topic on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

What do you think of when you hear the word “Worship?” I can remember when I was a child, the word “worship” was often associated with the Sunday morning church service. Each week, we would attend Sunday School as a family, and then we would attend worship. It was not only the way we thought about the Sunday morning church service, it was also the way we talked about it. For example, sometimes families would come to Sunday School and leave after Sunday School to go visit grandparents. These families would say something like, “Since we are going to grandmother’s house today, we are not staying for worship.” I suppose you could say that we thought of worship as an event…something we could attend on a regular Sunday, but something we could skip if we had other plans.

I don’t think that is the best way to think of worship. Worship is not an event. Worship is an action. It is something we do. I would even argue that worship is an action that is so important that it ought to become a part of our lives…a lifestyle of worship.

Our English word “worship” originated in Old English. This is one of the few times that I will explain the origins of a word that did not originally come from one of the biblical languages. It derived from the Old English word “woerthscipe,” which was built on the word “woerth” and the suffix “-scipe.” Over time, the Old English word “woerth” became our modern day word “worth,” and the Old English suffix “-scipe” became “-ship.” All of this is to say that the original meaning of our English word “worship” is something like “to state or to create worth.”

Every time you place a great value on something in your life, you are declaring its worth. Every time you tell another person how important they are to you, you are declaring their worth. If God is the most valuable person in your life, then you ought to show that by spending more time declaring God’s worth than any other person or thing in your life.

When it comes to describing worship as a Christian action, I think we would do well to observe what worship looks like in the Bible. One picture of worship comes in Isaiah 6.


Read Isaiah 6: 1 – 8.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"(NIV)


Isaiah started the day like any other Sabbath…He went to church…no idea this would be day to change his life…

He walked into sanctuary like any other day…He got a bulletin…saw people he knew…found his familiar pew—you have to be early to get a good back row seat…

Suddenly, Isaiah realized someone far greater than he was present…And that presence changed everything…

I think Isaiah’s experience of worship ought to be the normal experience of worship…We should not be surprised by Isaiah’s story…Because this should be our story as well.

I want you to notice two things about Isaiah’s experience in the Temple. First, Isaiah Encountered God in the Temple. Second, Isaiah’s worship was ACTIVE…He responded to the presence of God. Worship is always our response to the presence of God. Worship is what we do when God shows up.

There is an interesting thing about God's presence. The Jews in Isaiah's day believed that God's presence could be contained. Kind of like we are worried about the radiation being contained in Japan right now. They believed God's presence could be contained in the Temple. God's presence lived on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. It was contained by the Holy of Holies. It was contained in the Temple.

Any time a person wanted to experience the presence of God, they could go to the Temple. But, the rest of the time, they didn't have to worry about it leaking out. It was contained.

We don't believe like this today. We believe that God poured out his Spirit on all flesh. Therefore, the presence of God lives with anyone who has received Christ as Lord. The presence of God can not be contained. Therefore, worship is an action that we ought to engage in every time we experience God's presence. When we experience God, we respond. When God shows up, we should be active in worship.

This is one of the reasons that I like for you to laugh at my jokes. On one hand, it helps my self-esteem to think that I am a funny guy. On the other hand, it shows me that you are participating and responding in worship. I want you to take an ACTIVE role in worship. But so many of us are used to being INACTIVE. Like when we watch TV…When we are being entertained.

But worship is NOT entertainment. Worship is not a performance that Perry and I put on every week for you to sit back and enjoy with a bag of potato chips and a remote control. Worship is something we do…Worship is a verb…Worship is not a noun that describes this service as an event we attend, “We are staying for worship.” Worship is an activity that we engage in when we encounter God.

Did you know that it is impossible for a person to sit INACTIVE in the presence of God? In every biblical story of a person entering into the presence of God, that person did something. Moses entered into the presence of God at the burning bush and took off his shoes. Isaiah entered into the presence of God in the Temple and responded 3 ways… He Saw the LORD…He Saw Himself…He Saw the World…

Let’s look at Isaiah as our model…


Worship Is to See God, for Who He Really Is (vv. 1 – 3).

The first thing we see Isaiah doing in worship is he looked UPWARD…I saw the Lord…When Isaiah entered into the presence of the Lord, he focused his eyes on the Lord…Nothing distracted him…Nothing was more important…Nothing caused him to turn his head away from God…

As he looked UPWARD…Toward God, he saw…

Majesty…v. 1 described God as “high & exalted”…in other words, nothing is above God…

Sovereignty…Royalty & Supreme Power of God…God’s royal robes were so long that they filled the entire Temple…

Holiness…The angels around the throne sang of the holiness of God…Holy, Holy, Holy…Numbers are important in the Bible…3 is usually a reference to divinity, perfection…Holiness is the only quality of God described as superlative…Never, Love, Love, Love…Justice, Justice, Justice… Holiness = God’s moral Purity / Perfection. God is set apart from us as the only One without sin or guilt.


Worship Is to See Myself, as I Really Am (v. 5).

Once Isaiah entered the presence of God something happened…He immediately recognized the goodness, holiness, perfection of God…But Isaiah also noticed something about himself…When he saw God, Isaiah saw himself as he really was, a sinner…It’s like trying on a swimsuit for the first time and looking in the mirror…We see ourselves as we really are…We can no longer deny.

v 5…Woe is me! If Isaiah were living today, he would have said, “I’m doomed.”…Or, “I am a dead man.”… This is based on the OT belief that no one could see God and live…Therefore, if Isaiah has truly seen God, then he will surely die…

This belief is based on the doctrine of the holiness of God…God is sinless and perfect…His righteousness cannot withstand sinfulness and imperfection…As a result, a Righteous God cannot exist in the presence of human sinfulness...

When we truly enter into the presence of God we recognize…God is holy…I am not…I am sinful…I am unworthy to stand in the presence of God…I am doomed…

When God shows up, it can be a frightening experience! Many people think that worship should always be a time of celebration and joy. That is only part of the story. Worship should INCLUDE celebration and joy. However, worship is only possible when we recognize that there is a big difference between God and me. God is perfect. God is sinless. God is without guilt. I am none of those things.

This should NOT cause us to celebrate and experience joy. This is frightening. This is awe inspiring. This brings about reverence. The perfect God who created the universe has entered into space and time…He has entered into my life. Instead of inspiring us to celebrate, this ought to inspire us to confess our sins.

Let’s look again at Isaiah as our example…Once we recognize our own inadequacies and sinfulness, there is only one thing to do…CONFESS…

V 5…Isaiah said, “I am of unclean lips.”…Then notice what happened…Confession led to cleansing…

1 John 1: 9…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


Worship Is to See the Needs of the World (v. 8).

When God showed up in the sanctuary, Isaiah saw God for who he really is. Then, Isaiah confessed his own sins. Then, Isaiah noticed that the rest of the world needed the same kind of cleansing and forgiveness he had experienced.

Notice that Isaiah was changed in worship. In the beginning he feared God. Once he confessed his sins, he had a reason to celebrate. The perfect God of creation is the same God who provided a way for our sins to be cleansed. And once Isaiah was changed, he went out into the world to tell others about what had happened in his life.

It is natural for us to want to share with others what we have received from God. We want others to Experience Grace…We want others to Encounter God…

But if we never encounter God in this place, it is natural for us to leave just like we came…Unchallenged…Unchanged…Unaffected by the Grace and Presence of God…


Conclusion

Worship is NOT a religious event that happens on church property. Worship is an action. It is declaring God to be the most worthy Person in our lives. If God is worth more to us than money, we should spend more time with God than we do making money. If God is more important to us than other people, then we need to spend more time declaring the worthiness of God. If God is more important to us than we are, then we need to realize that worship is more about God than it is about me.

This is where we get into questions about music and style of worship. If you believe that worship is an event, then I think you ought to find a church that can put on the best show. For some of you, the best show in town will be the church with the biggest pipe organ and the most harmonious choir. For some of you, the best show in town will be the church with the most guitars on stage.

But, worship is not a show. Worship is declaring the worthiness of God. He created the entire universe. He provided the only way for your sins to be forgiven. He offers you the hope of the resurrection—an eternal life that goes beyond life on earth.

If we realize that worship is more about God than it is about me, then the questions about music become different questions. When worship is about me, then I need to find the church that offers the kind of music I think is appropriate. When worship is about God, then I need to find the church that offers music GOD thinks is appropriate. And, what kind of music does God find appropriate?

Somewhere in Africa right now, there is a church worshipping God. They don’t have a pipe organ. They probably don’t even have a guitar. But what they do have, they are using to sing their praises to God. They are playing a drum. They are clapping their hands. They are probably even dancing. As they sing their songs, play their drums and clap their hands, God is glorified…God is pleased with their worship.

Look at the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5: 15 – 21… “Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

If I understand Paul correctly, he is telling us that God likes all kinds of music. God likes “Psalms,” “Hymns,” and “Spiritual Songs.” The only thing that truly matters about worship music is that God wants you to be involved. God is glorified when God’s people sing and participate in worship. God is not glorified when God’s people grumble and complain that the music is too contemporary or too traditional.

I believe worship is the primary thing we do as Christians. It is primary for us as individuals. It is primary for our church. If we are not worshipping God, there is very little chance that we will get anything else right!

Isaiah teaches us that to worship God is to enter into his presence…To see God for who he really is…To see ourselves as we really are…To see that the rest of the world needs to know the God of creation and the God of salvation.

Worship is not about me. But, when I worship…God changes me and uses me. When our church worships…God changes us and uses us.