Attitude Toward Worship
Introduction:
A. What do you enjoy doing the most?
1. Gardening.
2. Fishing.
3. Cooking.
4. Eating.
5. Would worshipping be on your list?
B. The Psalmist wrote:
1. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the
house of the LORD" (Psalm 122:1).
2. "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of
the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the
living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house,
and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may
lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell
in thy house: they will be still praising thee."
(Psalm 84:2-4)
3. "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will
shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and
rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou
most High" (Psalm 9:1-2).
4. "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name;
worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
(Psalm 29:2)
We should have the same attitude toward worshipping God.
I. We should enjoy singing praises to God.
A. God is worthy of our praise.
1. "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will shew forth all thy marvelous works."
2. He deserves our praises for He is...
a. Holy.
b. Just.
c. Eternal.
d. Almighty.
e. All knowing.
3. God deserves our praises for He is our...
a. Creator.
b. Sustainer.
c. Father.
4. He deserves our praise for He...
a. Sent His Son to die for us.
b. Gives us our daily bread.
c. Hears and answers our prayers.
B. When we worship Him in singing.
1. We should think about the words we are singing.
a. "O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
consider all the worlds thy hands have made..
..thing sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
how great Thou art." [How Great Thou Art]
b. "O Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart
to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never
ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise; teach
me ever to adore thee; may I still thy goodness
prove, while the hope of endless glory fills my
heart with joy and love."
[O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing]
2. And, we should realize that...
a. Every sunset we see, every breath we take,
everything we: have, eat, wear, or enjoy, is a
gift from Him - James 1:17.
b. If it was not for His love, we would not have the
hope that we have.
II. We should enjoy giving of our means to Him.
A. For He has given so much to us.
1. As we just spoke of, everything we have, do, and
enjoy is a gift from Him, for every good and perfect
gift comes from God.
2. Think about how much you have.
a. Car/s.
b. Home.
c. Clothing.
d. Food.
3. The Psalmist said "I have been young, and now
am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).
a. Have any of us missed a meal?
b. Do any of us really do without?
B. So we can do what God has commanded us to do.
1. Worship Him.
a. We have been commanded to meet together
on the first day of the week to worship God
(Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2).
b. To meet together requires a place to meet.
c. A building is an expedient.
d. Our giving enables us to have a place to meet.
2. Evangelism.
a. Some evangelism does not require any money
(each of us teaching our friends & neighbors).
b. Much of it, however, does require money
(newspaper articles, flyers, tracts, etc.).
c. By our giving we are able to carryout the Lord's
command to go and teach - Matthew 28:18-20.
III. We should enjoy hearing His word preached.
A. It can give us faith - Romans 10:17.
1. It helps us believe there is a God & what He is like.
2. It proves that Jesus is the Christ.
3. It reveals God's plan of salvation, and tells us
what God has promised to those who obey Him.
B. It can encourage us when we are discouraged.
1. When Paul was in prison, and he thought his life
was coming to an end, what did he ask Timothy
to bring him? - II Timothy 4:13.
2. "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me
according unto thy word" (Psalm 119:28).
3. Many people, when they are dying, ask for God's
word to be read to them, and understandably so.
4. In the worship assembly, when we are going through
difficult times, it is encouraging to hear someone
preach from verses such as Hebrews 13:5, where
God says.."I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
C. It can affect our hearts, so we will obey the Lord.
1. It pricked the hearts of the multitude in Jerusalem
on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37).
2. It opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16:14-15).
3. It caused the Ethiopian eunuch to believe with all
his heart (Acts 8:37).
D. It keeps us on the right road.
1. It reproves, rebukes, and exhorts (II Timothy 4:2).
2. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction,
and for instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16).
IV. We should enjoy partaking of the Lord's Supper.
A. The Lord's Supper reminds us of what Jesus did for us.
1. He left the glories of heaven, and was made in the
likeness of sinful man (Philippians 2:5-7).
2. He endured the scorn, lies, and redicule of men.
3. He allowed Himself to be: tried, scourged, and
crucified (Philippians 2:8).
4. And, Jesus said...do this in remembrance of me.
B. The Lord's Supper should remind us of God's love.
1. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren" (I John 3:16).
2. Some religious groups only partake of the Lord's
Supper every quarter, saying that to partake of it
too often makes it too common place.
3. How could partaking of the emblems that represent
the basis of our hope become common place?
4. We have been told to partake of it every first day of
the week (Acts 20:7). If it becomes common place,
the frequency is not the problem, but our attitudes.
V. We should enjoy going to God in prayer.
A. Prayer is the means, whereby we communicate w/God.
1. I Timothy 2:1-2.
a. Supplications = making known our needs.
b. Intercessions = praying for the needs of others.
c. Thanks giving.
d. For all men..that we may lead a quiet & peacable life.
2. Philippians 4:6.
a. Be careful for nothing = don't be troubled with cares.
b. Let your requests be known unto God.
3. Through prayer we can..
a. Pray concerning our own needs.
b. Pray for the needs of others.
c. Pray about the work of the church.
d. Pray concerning our country.
B. By praying to God we are...
1. Praying to the one who is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
2. Praying to the one who sends the rain upon the just and
the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
3. Praying to the one who knows what we need even before
we ask (Matthew 6:8).
4. He has told us to pray to Him w/o ceasing (I Thess.5:17).
Conclusion:
A. We should enjoying worshipping God now, and look forward
to them time when we shall go home to be with the Lord, so
that we can do so, with all the faithful of all time, and with the
heavenly host, for all eternity.
B. To have the hope of being able to do so for all eternity,
however, you need to have your sins forgiven, and the only
way that can happen is by your obeying the gospel. If you
have not done so, why not do so now, while we stand & sing.