I Was Planned for WORSHIP

‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly…I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’  Isaiah 14:13-14

…the devil took (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Matthew 4:8-9

WHY IS WORSHIP SO IMPORTANT?

1)      YOU ARE A WORSHIPPER. 

‘You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself idols…You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.’ Exodus 20:3-5

• What do you worship?

2)      YOU WILL BECOME LIKE WHAT YOU WORSHIP.

But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men…Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115:4, 8

THREE IMPORTANT PLAYERS

• THE AUDIENCE.                
• THE PERFORMER.
• THE DIRECTOR.                

WHO IS GOD AND WHAT HAS HE DONE?

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MY ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE IS WORSHIP

…since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.  Hebrews 12:28-29

• IN VIEW OF WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE, I BRING AN OFFERING.  AND I AM THE OFFERING. 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

GET SOMETHING RARE

Angels: "You'll find the baby... lying in a manger."

Shepherds: "Let's go and see!" Luke 2:12,15

"Wise men came from the east asking, `Where is the baby...? We have come to worship him.'"

Matthew 2:1-2

"Seek and YOU will find" Matthew 7:7

1. YOU CAN FIND FORGIVENESS

"Today your Savior was born... He is Christ, the Lord!" Luke 2:11

"... All who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins through his name." Acts 10:43

2. YOU CAN FIND PEACE OF MIND

"Those who love your teachings will find true peace..." Psalm 119:165

(Jesus) "Learn from me... you will find rest for your lives." Matthew 11:28

3. YOU CAN FIND ETERNAL LIFE

"God makes us ready for heaven... when we put our faith in Christ to save us... The one who finds life sill find it through trusting God." Romans 1:17 (LB)

"Christ, God's Son, has come to help us understand and find the true God." 1 John 5:20

"You will find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

How much is enough?

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Defn: COVETOUS 1: marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions 2: having a craving for possession.

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”   Luke 12:15

How do I know if I want things too much?

• Does my wanting mean I don’t trust God to meet my needs?
• Does the thing I want pretend to satisfy my ego or pride?  
• Does the thing I want force a choice with being fully devoted to you Jesus?

Cure of covetousness is contentment.

Lower the bar.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 

Depend on the Lord.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”   Hebrews 13:5

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.  Psalm 23:1

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

Do you have a kind word?

Defn: Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.  Romans 1:29-31

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16

stop passing judgment on one another. Romans 14:13

Accept one another Romans 15:7

agree with one another  1 Corinthians 1:10

encourage one another, 2 Corinthians 13:11

 serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13

be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21

Bear with each other and forgive one another Colossians 3:13

Therefore encourage one another 1 Thessalonians 4:18

 spur one another on toward love Hebrews 10:24

Offer hospitality to one another 1 Peter 4:9

be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another 1 Peter 3:8

 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies  and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.  Proverbs 6:12-19 

Why do people engage in gossip?

1.       I know something you don’t: P ride

2.       express anger or bitterness w/o confronting them personally: Cowardess

3.       Pull people down to their low level: Poor self image 

4.       Plan to harm or destroy them because of greed, envy, jealously: This is the spirit of the anti-christ.

What is the cure?

·         Ask forgiveness

·         Make restitution

·         Live in repentance

·         Resolve to walk in obedience to God and in love with your brother.

By this all men will know that you are my disciple that you love one another. John 13:35

WHAT IS GOOD SEX?

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

I Thess. 4:3

What is Good Sex?

Defn. Moral: Characterized by excellence in what pertains to practice, or conduct, right and proper" Webster’s collegiate Dictionary

Defn: Moral: I Thessalonians Chapter 4

• Sexual purity Pleases God.

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. v.1

• Sexual morality is not arbitrary.

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. v.2

• Being moral sets you apart.   

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; v.3

• We must learn moral behavior.

that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, v.4

• We are not to be like unbelievers.

not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; v.5

• Moral sin has consequences.

and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. v.6

• Purity is God’s calling.

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. v.7

• Morality is not man’s instruction.

Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. v.8

Relationship is everything.

The sexual relationship God designed and blesses is marriage.

WE HAD TO CELEBRATE

Our return to God is a life and death matter.

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' “Luke 15:32

Salvation is pictured as a lavish banquet.

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago. On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.  On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.  In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD; we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

Isaiah 25:1,6-9

Salvation is a wedding not a funeral.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."     Revelation 21:1-5

Everybody is invited

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:1,2

Watch your excuses.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses…I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "  Luke 14:15-18,24

Only you can make the decision.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

He refused to come in.

Do I have any Attitudes of the Elder Brother? 

But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. Luke 15:29

1.  Anger toward the Father 

            v.29 “Look!”

2. Great at keeping score      

            v.29 “all these years….”

3. Joyless and mechanical obedience.

            v.29 “I have been slaving for you.

4. Lack assurance of the Father’s love: 

            v.29 you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends” 

“Breathe on me breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love and do what thou wouldst do.” Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, Jeremiah 17:9,10

The only cure for elderbrotheritis:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8,9

Read between the lines.

Prodigal: Def:

      1. Exceedingly, recklessly wasteful

      2. Exceedingly generous, lavish, loving

5 Reasons to dig into this parable.

1. It tells the Bible’s epic theme

         God lost something and he wants it back.

The Lord God called out to the man, “Where are you?" Genesis 3:9

2. It portrays the heart of Jesus himself.

         He is the ultimate search party.

"I came to seek and save that which was lost." Luke 19:10.

3. It amplifies a unique emphasis of Luke.

         Jesus loved lost people.

"Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. Luke 15:1

4. It tells about a classic religious conflict:

         Jesus loved lost people and The Pharisees hated him for it.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Luke 15:2

5. Context in the chapter:

         It begs the question: What’s wrong with this picture?