We can always find a reason to

praise God!

When you come through the doors of church on Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?

Mike Pilavachi

Here’s the unAmerican part:[worship is] not meant to be

about us or our career or our fame. It’s all about God and His glory.

Chris Tomlin

Sometimes the things that pull us away from the feet of Jesus are in themselves good things.

Matt Redman

When we can’t tell what When we can’t tell what God is up to, and we can’t God is up to, and we can’t see Him working around in see Him working around in our circumstances we can our circumstances we can still praise Him simply for still praise Him simply for who we know Him to be.who we know Him to be.

Louie GiglioLouie Giglio

So often when my worship has dried up, it’s because I haven’t been fueling the fire.

Worship is…Worship is…

Our response, Our response,

Both personal and corporate, Both personal and corporate,

To God—To God—

For who He is!For who He is!

And what He has done!And what He has done!

Expressed in and by the things we Expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.say and the way we live.

It’s not the words I It’s not the words I sing, but me I sing, but me I

bring; bring;

I’m the offering laid I’m the offering laid at Your feet, at Your feet,

My steps the My steps the melody, oh so melody, oh so

sweet, sweet,

All of me in praise All of me in praise of Theeof Thee

All worship is a response to a revelation—

it’s only as we breathe in more of the wonders of God that we can breathe out a fuller response to Him.

Why Worship?

Magnificent God

What is Worship?

• First…True worship is extremely important to God (Romans 1.25)

• There are many hebrew and greek words used to render the words ‘worship’ and ‘worshipper’

• Three primary elements of worship– Humility/submission– Reverence– Service

Humility

• shaha and proskuneo– the act of bowing or prostrating oneself in

submissiveness and reverence – An outward act of an inward attitude– Realizing man’s imperfection and lack of

greatness in light of God’s perfection and greatness

– Genesis 22.5 and Matthew 10.9

Reverence

• yare and sebomai– Fear (not just dread and terror), but wonder

and awe at majesty and greatness of the infinite God

– Focus is outward upon God• Who God is• What God is capable of • What God has done

– Deuteronomy 6.13 and Acts 16.14

Service

• Abad and latreuo – to work, to labor, or to serve – In the O.T. service was more performed by

priests, in the N.T., we are a priestly nation so this is aimed at the congregation of Christ

– Satan tempted Jesus to surrender to Him, and Jesus replied, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” Matt 4.10

– Our service rendered to Him

Working definition…

Worship is…Worship is…Our response, Our response,

Both personal and corporate, Both personal and corporate, To God—To God—

For who He is!For who He is!And what He has done!And what He has done!

Expressed in and by the things we Expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.say and the way we live.

The ApplicationWhy do you worship God?– You do your good deed– Sunday is a day of worship– It makes me feel better about myself and

my place with God, because I know it makes Him happy

– That is what I have always done during a Sunday service

– That is what you do during a Sunday service

– Because God said to – Because you are enamored with who God

is and what He does

Crab Nebula

Spiral Galaxy m100

Supernova 1994D in Galaxy NGC4526

Star Cluster NGC 290

Star Cluster NGC 265

Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae, Home to 35,000 stars

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1.1

He counts the stars and calls them all by name.

Psalm 147.4

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1.1

• Come here and listen, O nations of the earth. Let the world and everything in it hear my words. For the Lord is enraged against the nations. His fury is against all their armies. He will completely destroy them, bringing about their slaughter. Their dead will be left unburied, and the stench of rotting bodies will fill the land. The mountains will flow with their blood. The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky, just as withered leaves and fruit fall from a tree.

Isaiah 34.1-4

Why is worship important?

• God deserves our worship– Creator, Savior, gives grace, gives truth, Holy

Why is worship important?

• God deserves our worship– Creator, Savior, gives grace, gives truth, Holy

• God requires our worship– Romans 12.1, 1 Peter 2.9

Why is worship important?

• God deserves our worship– Creator, Savior, gives grace, gives truth, Holy

• God requires our worship– Romans 12.1, 1 Peter 2.9

• God enables our worship– 2 Corinthians 5.17-21– He opened up a way for us to be able to have

a relationship with God so that we can worship by the Spirit of God

God is…

CompassionateFaithfulForgivingGentleGloriousHolyImmenseImmutableInfinitejealous

Just KindLovingMajesticMercifulOmnipotentOmnipresentOmniscientPatientPerfect

PowerfulSovereignStrongTranscendent TrueWise

• Sovereign– Infinite, perfect, and eternal; He reigns above all

else– Deut 4.39; 10.17– Ephesians 1.20-22– Jude 1.25

• All powerful– Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you

ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty Psalm 24.7-8

– God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3.20

• Holy– “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at

all.” John 1.5– “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His

holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.” Psalm 99.9

– Revelation 4.8

• Gracious– Romans 3.24—we are saved through grace– God accepts us into his family because of His

“glorious grace, which He has freely given us Ephesians

1.6– Isaiah 30.18—wants to give us grace

• Loving – 1 John 3.1—He bestowed love upon us– Romans 8.38-39—nothing can separate us– John 3.16

• Compassionate– The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to

anger, abounding in love” Psalm 103.8– Isaiah 63.9—when we hurt, God hurts– The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a

stronghold in times of trouble” Psalm 9.9

• Mercy– The Lord is full of compassion and mercy

James 5.11– He saved us, not because of righteous things we

had done, but because of His mercy Titus 3.5– 1 Peter 1.3—He gave us new birth

• Wise– Psalm 147.5—His understanding has no limit– Isaiah 55.8-9—His ways are greater

• Faithful– God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son

of man, that he should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23.19

– The Lord is faithful to all His promises Psalm 145.13

– He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness

1 John 1.9

The Application• Even if God never does another thing for us, should we stop worshipping? Is there still reason to keep worshipping?

• We often praise God for the things He does for us. But, do we praise Him because of who He is, not just what He does?