Experience And Worship God

Sep 06, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When God Redefines Worship Through Open Hands

The early Vineyard movement discovered worship wasn’t about emotional highs or religious routines—it became a gift to God that unexpectedly transformed them. Their rigid religiosity melted as they wrote love songs to Jesus, creating space for His presence to dwell. True worship begins when we release control, offering our imperfect praise to the One who inhabits it. This requires vulnerability, not performance—a willingness to let God rewrite our expectations of what encountering Him looks like. [01:03:10]

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
(Hebrews 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: What religious routine have you treated as an obligation rather than an invitation? How might offering it as a gift to God shift your experience of His presence?

Day 2: The Pursuing God Who Makes His Home in You

Jesus didn’t wait for humanity to clean itself up—He entered our mess, seeking the lost with relentless love. The cross proves God’s desire for intimacy, not distant admiration. When we receive His pursuit, we become living temples where Father, Son, and Spirit dwell. This indwelling isn’t symbolic but actual—a holy reality requiring us to shed the lie that we must “fix ourselves” before approaching Him. [54:42]

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
(John 14:23, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you avoided God’s presence because of shame? How does Jesus’ initiative to “make His home” in you confront that hesitation?

Day 3: The Unlocked Door of Bold Approach

The torn temple curtain didn’t just symbolize access—it inaugurated a new way of living where ordinary people commune with God. Through Christ’s blood, we walk past religious gatekeepers into the Holy of Holies. This access isn’t theoretical; it’s the daily reality of praying in traffic, whispering thanks over dishes, or weeping before the altar. Our confidence grows not from perfection but from His finished work. [01:05:25]

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step—a physical posture, scheduled time, or honest prayer—could deepen your awareness of this open access today?

Day 4: Soul Rest in the Age of Scrolling

Jesus’ promise of rest clashes with our addiction to speed—the frantic swiping between trauma and triviality that numbs our souls. True Sabbath isn’t laziness but resistance: putting down phones, refusing productivity metrics for prayer, and trusting God with the world’s weight. This rest isn’t escape but recentering—a defiant act of letting Christ’s peace govern what algorithms cannot soothe. [01:11:13]

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
(Matthew 11:28-29, ESV)

Reflection: What one boundary could you set this week to create space for soul rest? How might saying “no” to hurry become your “yes” to Jesus?

Day 5: The Counter-Rhythm of Secret Places

While corporate worship fuels community, private encounters forge intimacy. Jesus’ instruction to “close the door” confronts our performative spirituality—the need to document or validate our faith. These hidden moments—raw, uncurated, and phone-free—become incubators for trust. Here, we shed the pressure to impress and discover God’s pleasure in our unpolished seeking. [01:08:07]

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
(Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Reflection: What distraction most often invades your private time with God? What tangible action will you take this week to protect those sacred moments?

Sermon Summary

God’s presence gives the church a reason to gather that is bigger than habit, religious obligation, or putting activities on autopilot. The purpose is to find God, build relationships, and make a difference, but none of that works if Jesus is not free to be Jesus among his people. A church can become like the Titanic hitting an iceberg when tradition matters more than the freedom of the Holy Spirit. God loves to dwell with his people, and Jesus remains the head of the church.

The Vineyard value, “experience and worship God,” rests on God’s initiative. God is eager to be known and experienced, searching for lost humanity and drawing people into intimate relationship with himself. Jesus came seeking lost people, including those who were trying to make sense of life in painful and broken places. The Father and the Son invite believers into their own love, promising to make their home in those who love Christ and keep his word.

Christ makes his people the dwelling place of God by the Spirit. The church gathered in Christ becomes a place where God lives, not merely a room where people fulfill an obligation. Worship therefore is not a warm-up for anything else. Worship is a gift given to God because he is worthy, whether people feel like it or not. God inhabits the praises of his people and ministers through that gift of love offered directly to him.

Hebrews grounds this intimacy in the finished work of Jesus. Christ’s body opened a new and living way into the most holy place, and his blood gives cleansing, forgiveness, and confidence to draw near. The Lord’s Supper remembers that one sacrifice for sins for all time has made access to the Father possible. Jesus does not require people to get their act together before they come. His invitation is, “Come as you are,” in brokenness, pain, and sin, to receive forgiveness, healing, mercy, and grace.

Intimacy with God also requires both gathered worship and hidden prayer. Corporate worship cannot be duplicated alone at home, especially when God’s Spirit moves among his people. Secret prayer cannot be replaced by church attendance either. The world’s frantic pace, addictive distractions, and the lie that rest is impossible all resist these sacred places. Jesus calls weary and burdened people to himself, offering the rest for their souls that only he can give.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus must remain the church’s head. Jesus is not one voice among many institutional preferences. His freedom to lead, speak, and move by the Spirit is necessary for a church to remain alive. Tradition becomes dangerous when it silences the One whom the church claims to worship. [59:32]
2. God invites people into real intimacy. The Father does not keep his children at a cold distance. Christ calls believers friends and promises that the Father and Son will make their home in them. Intimacy with God begins when hearts receive that they are truly known and loved. [56:54]
3. Worship is a gift offered to God. Worship does not exist merely to improve a person’s mood or prepare for another activity. God remains worthy when feelings are strong and when feelings are absent. His presence often ministers to his people as they give him praise for his own sake. [64:12]
4. Secret prayer fights the world’s noise. The pace of constant scrolling, constant stimulation, and constant demands was never meant to shape a human soul. Hidden times with God require intentional space, including putting the phone aside. Jesus meets his people in those quiet places and forms a real life of intimacy. [68:28]
5. Jesus says, “Come as you are.” The lie that broken people must first become acceptable keeps them away from the only One who can heal them. Christ invites sinners, weary people, and hurting people to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. His blood cleanses, restores, and establishes new life in the Spirit.

## [75:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:19] - Why Does the Church Gather?
[48:22] - Freedom for Jesus to Be Jesus
[49:38] - Find God, Build Relationships, Make a Difference
[52:20] - Experience and Worship God
[54:42] - God Pursues Intimate Relationship
[56:25] - The Father and Son Make Their Home in Us
[60:48] - Worship as a Gift to God
[64:59] - Christ Opens the Way to God
[67:45] - Secret Prayer and Sacred Space
[70:18] - Resisting a Distracted World
[73:54] - Jesus Gives Rest for the Soul
[74:12] - Approaching the Throne of Grace
[76:37] - Preparing for the Lord’s Supper
[81:28] - Remembering Christ’s Body and Blood

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Hebrews 10:19-22
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” [01:05:16]

John 14:23
“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” [00:56:42]

Matthew 6:6
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” [01:07:55]

Hebrews 4:14-16
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” [01:14:33]

Observation questions

According to Hebrews 10:19-22, what has given believers confidence to enter God’s presence, and what does the passage invite them to do?
In John 14:23, what does Jesus promise will happen for the person who loves him and keeps his word? [00:56:42]
What two different settings for meeting with God are described: gathering with God’s people and praying in secret? What is said to be unique about each one? [01:07:45]
In Hebrews 4:14-16, what does Jesus understand about human weakness, and what do people receive when they come to the throne of grace? [01:15:00]

Interpretation questions

Hebrews 10 says that access to God comes through Jesus’ blood and his body, not through human effort. How does this change the way a believer approaches God when carrying guilt, shame, or failure? [01:06:10]
Jesus promises that the Father and Son will make their home with those who love him. What might it mean in ordinary daily life for a believer to understand that God is not distant but has made his home in them? [00:57:12]
If Jesus is the head of the church, what could happen when a church protects its routines or preferences more carefully than it listens for the leading of the Holy Spirit? [00:59:32]
Jesus tells his followers to pray to the Father in secret, while Hebrews also calls believers to hold firmly to their faith. Why might both private prayer and regular gathering with God’s people be needed for a healthy life with God? [01:14:42]

Application questions

When you gather with the church, what do you usually expect: to fulfill an obligation, see familiar people, learn something, meet with God, or something else? What would it look like to come with greater expectation that God wants to speak and act? [00:48:56]
Worship is a gift offered to God because he is worthy, not simply a way to improve our feelings. How does this challenge you when you come tired, distracted, disappointed, or not in the mood to worship? [01:04:20]
Is there an area where you have been trying to get your life together before coming honestly to God? What would it look like to bring that exact area to Jesus this week and receive his mercy instead of hiding? [01:15:57]
Do you currently have a regular time and place to meet with God alone? If not, what is one realistic time, place, or small practice you could try this week? [01:08:28]
What most often interrupts or competes with secret prayer for you—your phone, hurry, work, family demands, entertainment, worry, or something else? What boundary could help make a little sacred space? [01:08:43]
Jesus invites weary and burdened people to come to him for rest for their souls. Where do you most feel weary right now, and how might coming to Jesus be different from simply trying to escape or push through? [01:13:54]
Hebrews says believers can come confidently to the throne of grace for mercy and help in time of need. What specific need could you bring before God with confidence this week? [01:15:12]

Sermon Clips

58s

#ComeAsYouAre

“God is extremely approachable. Too many people don't know this and have not experienced that, and maybe you are here today and you haven't experienced that yet. You have something to look forward to, that God is extremely approachable. We can we have access to him on the basis of what Jesus did at the cross and our need to respond to him as savior and lord. Listen to this closely. He is inviting all humanity to come to him. It doesn't matter what we've done or how messed up things are in our lives. A big lie of the devil is you you can you can approach God. You can show up at his church when you get your act together. That is alive from the pit of hell. The invitation of Jesus is come as you are. Come in your brokenness. Come in your pain. Come in your sin. And receive the forgiveness and the healing that we all need.”

45s

#GodPursuesUs

“And let me just say, isn't it good to know that Jesus came to seek that those that are lost? That he sought after us, that that I was this lost guy that was trying to make sense out of life and Jesus found me? Isn't that so good that he found many of us here today? At our worst in many cases, Right? Rescued us from many many painful things. And isn't it good to know that God is pursuing us? He's pursuing our family members. He's pursuing our friends, our coworkers, our loved ones. He's actively pursuing humanity. He wants he wants to he wants us to know him.”

44s

#ExpectHisPresence

“But you could have many church gatherings, church gatherings that are taking place this minute right on this strip perhaps that have no evidence of God's presence at all. No evidence of God's presence. People gather to fulfill their religious obligations without any expectation of meeting God and experience his presence. That is too normal in buildings that declare their allegiance to Jesus, and people get comfortable with that. We don't expect to meet with God. We don't expect that God has anything for us to do. God's not doing anything. I don't have to do anything, and we're all comfortable with that. That's not good.”

42s

#JesusIsTheHead

“And I'll tell you this about the church I just mentioned before when the bishop made a decision, be more traditional, didn't like what the Holy Spirit was doing. You know what the Lord ministered to my heart years ago? I loved that church. I loved dwelling with that church. And and when that church closed, that broke his heart. That's what the Lord spoke to me. He loves this church. He loves to dwell with us. He wants to show up and have freedom to show up with us. Right? And and and and be God. Jesus wants to be the head of it. Is he the head of this church? We're not the head. Are you the head? I'm not the head. Jesus is the head of this church.”

73s

#StopChurchAutopilot

“And every church community has to do the work of finding the language to answer those basic questions because, if we don't do that, if we don't have good answers for that, we find ourselves maybe just going through the motions and putting our activities as a church on, like, autopilot. You know what the autopilot is? The plane flies itself or something. That's pretty common in a lot of churches today. Just kind of the autopilot thing. You know, it's we were in a very traditional traditional church. My wife and I, when we first met, and it went from being a very spirit filled, life giving church without mentioning denominational names, to the denomination wanting it to become more traditional, like, we've always done it this way. We're always gonna do it this way. And actually quenched quenched the move of God's spirit. And that decision by a bishop, actually, was like the iceberg hitting the Titanic for that church. That church would close in five years because it was no longer a church where Jesus had freedom to be Jesus. I mean, that's that's necessary.”

42s

#SacredAloneTime

“So those places where it's just you and the Lord alone, I think is where intimacy with God becomes a reality, in my opinion. I I think it's indispensable. And so I have this question for you for all of us here today. Do you have those times and places where you meet with God alone? And it's gonna work out differently for each of us. But is that something that you've built into your lives yet. And let me ask you this really good question. The cell phone has to be put aside during those sacred times.”

30s

#GodMakesHisHome

“When we stop thinking of Jesus, stop thinking about our heavenly father or someone who we can't approach, who's someone who's overly critical of us, like maybe our earthly fathers were or maybe whatever. And we get to know this invitation of Jesus, of the father. Our our lives are will be changed. And now the father and the son will make their home in us through God the Holy Spirit.”

21s

#DontWaitComeNow

“Right? I used to have people in New Jersey saying, pastor, I I wanna visit your church. But first, I wanna get my act together. You know what I would say to them? We're not gonna see you for a while. We're not gonna ever see you. It doesn't work that way. That's not what Jesus is requiring. Come.”

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