Transformative Worship: Embracing God's Presence and Sabbath
Summary
In our journey of faith, worship is a profound act of devotion that transcends our personal preferences and desires. It is an offering to God, a pleasing aroma that rises to Him, much like the enticing scent of a neighbor's barbecue. Worship is not about us; it is for Him, because He is worthy. Yet, in this act of giving, we receive the incredible gift of experiencing His presence. Worship allows us to feel and sense God, reminding us that Jesus is alive and active in our lives and the world.
For the past few weeks, we've been exploring what it means to be formed into the likeness of Jesus. Jesus taught us to pray for God's kingdom to come, a kingdom where there is no more pain, fear, or division. In this kingdom, everything is upside down compared to the world we know. Leaders serve, enemies are loved, and giving is better than receiving. To thrive in this kingdom, we must be transformed, much like a person adapting to live under the sea. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a partnership with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We are called to participate in our own spiritual formation, to engage in practices that align us with Jesus' teachings and model. These practices are not about earning God's love but responding to it. They are tools that create time and space for God to work in us, transforming us into new creations in Christ. As we engage in practices like prayer, scripture reading, and Sabbath, we open ourselves to God's presence and power, allowing Him to change us from the inside out.
This week, we are challenged to embrace the practice of Sabbath, a time to stop, rest, and delight in God. In a world that values busyness and productivity, Sabbath is counter-cultural. It is a reminder that our worth is not in what we do but in who we are in Christ. By setting aside time for Sabbath, we create space for God to fill us with His peace and presence, transforming us into the likeness of Jesus.
Key Takeaways:
- Worship is an act of devotion to God, a pleasing aroma that rises to Him. It is not about us, but for Him, because He is worthy. In worship, we experience His presence, reminding us that Jesus is alive and active in our lives. [00:00]
- God's kingdom is an upside-down world where leaders serve, enemies are loved, and giving is better than receiving. To thrive in this kingdom, we must be transformed, partnering with God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. [04:41]
- Spiritual practices are not about earning God's love but responding to it. They create time and space for God to work in us, transforming us into new creations in Christ. These practices align us with Jesus' teachings and model. [13:37]
- Sabbath is a counter-cultural practice that reminds us our worth is not in what we do but in who we are in Christ. By setting aside time for Sabbath, we create space for God to fill us with His peace and presence. [27:08]
- Our spiritual formation is a partnership with God, where we hoist the sails of practices like prayer and Sabbath, allowing His Spirit to fill and direct us. This transformation is a miraculous work of God, making us more like Jesus. [42:01]
Youtube Chapters:
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [0:41] - The Purpose of Worship
- [2:15] - Experiencing God's Presence
- [4:41] - Formed into the Likeness of Jesus
- [6:30] - The Upside-Down Kingdom
- [8:45] - Transformation and Partnership
- [10:20] - Practicing the Way of Jesus
- [13:37] - Effort vs. Earning
- [15:50] - The Role of Spiritual Practices
- [18:10] - Impossible Instructions
- [21:39] - Overcoming Lust and Temptation
- [23:58] - Dealing with Anxiety
- [27:08] - Embracing the Sabbath
- [30:16] - The Importance of Rest
- [34:38] - Fighting the Enemy of Hurry
- [36:06] - Simplifying Life for Spiritual Growth
- [38:15] - Finding Rest in Jesus
- [42:01] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Luke 6:35 - "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
2. Matthew 5:28 - "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
3. Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
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Observation Questions:
1. What does the sermon suggest is the primary purpose of worship, and what is the "side benefit" for us? [00:00]
2. How does the sermon describe the nature of God's kingdom compared to the world we live in? [06:30]
3. What are some of the spiritual practices mentioned in the sermon that help us align with Jesus' teachings? [13:37]
4. How is the practice of Sabbath described as counter-cultural in the sermon? [27:08]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the concept of being transformed into new creations in Christ? What role does the Holy Spirit play in this transformation? [04:41]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual practices are not about earning God's love but responding to it? [13:37]
3. How does the sermon illustrate the challenges of following Jesus' teachings, such as loving enemies or not worrying, and what role do spiritual practices play in overcoming these challenges? [23:58]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between busyness and spiritual life, particularly in the context of practicing Sabbath? [34:38]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current approach to worship. How can you shift your focus from personal preferences to offering devotion to God? [00:00]
2. Consider the "upside-down" nature of God's kingdom. How can you incorporate the values of serving others and loving enemies into your daily life? [06:30]
3. Identify one spiritual practice you are not currently engaging in. How can you begin to incorporate it into your routine this week? [13:37]
4. The sermon challenges us to embrace Sabbath. What specific steps can you take to set aside time for rest and connection with God this week? [27:08]
5. Think about a situation where you struggle with worry or anxiety. How can you apply the practice of prayer or Sabbath to find peace in that area? [23:58]
6. Reflect on the sermon’s analogy of a sailboat. What practices can you "hoist" to allow God's Spirit to fill and direct you? [42:01]
7. How can you simplify your life to prioritize spiritual growth and transformation? What is one thing you can say "no" to this week to make room for Jesus? [36:06]
Devotional
Day 1: Worship as a Divine Encounter
Worship is a profound act of devotion that transcends personal preferences and desires. It is an offering to God, a pleasing aroma that rises to Him, much like the enticing scent of a neighbor's barbecue. Worship is not about us; it is for Him, because He is worthy. Yet, in this act of giving, we receive the incredible gift of experiencing His presence. Worship allows us to feel and sense God, reminding us that Jesus is alive and active in our lives and the world. [00:00]
"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" (Psalm 141:2, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally create a moment today to worship God, focusing solely on His worthiness and presence, rather than your own needs or desires?
Day 2: Embracing the Upside-Down Kingdom
God's kingdom is an upside-down world where leaders serve, enemies are loved, and giving is better than receiving. To thrive in this kingdom, we must be transformed, partnering with God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a partnership with God. We are called to participate in our own spiritual formation, to engage in practices that align us with Jesus' teachings and model. [04:41]
"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all." (Mark 10:43-44, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one way you can serve someone today in a manner that reflects the values of God's upside-down kingdom.
Day 3: Responding to God's Love through Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices are not about earning God's love but responding to it. They create time and space for God to work in us, transforming us into new creations in Christ. These practices align us with Jesus' teachings and model. As we engage in practices like prayer, scripture reading, and Sabbath, we open ourselves to God's presence and power, allowing Him to change us from the inside out. [13:37]
"Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7-8, ESV)
Reflection: What spiritual practice can you commit to today that will help you respond to God's love and invite His transformative work in your life?
Day 4: The Counter-Cultural Practice of Sabbath
Sabbath is a counter-cultural practice that reminds us our worth is not in what we do but in who we are in Christ. By setting aside time for Sabbath, we create space for God to fill us with His peace and presence, transforming us into the likeness of Jesus. In a world that values busyness and productivity, Sabbath is a radical act of trust and rest. [27:08]
"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord." (Exodus 31:15, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally set aside time this week to practice Sabbath, allowing yourself to rest and delight in God's presence?
Day 5: Transformation through the Holy Spirit
Our spiritual formation is a partnership with God, where we hoist the sails of practices like prayer and Sabbath, allowing His Spirit to fill and direct us. This transformation is a miraculous work of God, making us more like Jesus. It is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a partnership with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit. [42:01]
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to invite the Holy Spirit to bring transformation today, and how can you actively participate in this process?
Quotes
1. "And Jesus told us that we should pray for God's kingdom to fully come. And man, when that happens, it's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be just like what we just experienced right now all the time. There's gonna be no more crying and no more fear and no more death and no more betrayal or cancer or hate or war or division. And God is gonna be fully with us. That little taste we just had of his presence is gonna be completely surrounding us all the time. And I don't even know if we can imagine what it's gonna be like to be in full, everybody, not just me, not just you, everybody to be in full, constant communion with God and just be like soaked." [01:41] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Because in his kingdom compared to the world that we live in everything is like upside down right in his kingdom everything feels flipped everything feels weird everything feels upside I mean in his kingdom people who want to be first choose to be last it's upside down it's weird it's it's it's leaders don't dominate the people below them leaders serve the people below them it's a weird weird space when somebody gets hurt they don't they don't get angry and look for revenge they forgive you and look for reconciliation so the ways of God's kingdom are really different than the ways I think of this world because in God's kingdom we pray for our enemies how weird is that in God's kingdom we never worry how weird is that in God's kingdom it's actually better to give than it is to receive in this world we all assume that would be better off if we had more money but when Jesus was talking about his kingdom coming he's constantly warning rich people about the dangers of money how weird is that so God's kingdom is a way better world than we're used to and it is a completely different counter intuitive counter cultural upside down world everything there feels upside down and so I think if we want to flourish and if we want to thrive and if we want to matter in the kingdom that seems so upside down we need to flip we need to be upside down because without even knowing it we have been so formed by this world we have been so formed to fit in here" [02:22] (125 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Because just like I can't grow gills and I can't grow flippers and I can't grow fins on my own, I also can't just suddenly become a person of peace and joy and love like Jesus on my own. We do it in the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Somebody say amen to that. Okay. But the cool thing is that he calls us to partner with him in this project of metamorphosis. He calls us to participate in our own miracle of transformation. So we're looking at how we do our part, like how do we do our part? How do we do our part? How do we do our part? How do we participate in our miracle? How do we partner in our own spiritual formation?" [07:19] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Because legalism is all about following certain practices so that God will love you. And so that God will accept you. If you do these things, then God will accept you. But the practices are things that we do because God loves us, and because he accepts us, and because we know that he knows what's best for us, and he wants what's best for us, so we trust his ways. I mean, a works -based religion is all about earning your salvation, or earning credits, or earning points with God. And this isn't about earning anything. This is just about accepting. This offer of a loving partnership, of an apprentice to being transformed into the life of Jesus. And 100 % of our leading, and 100 % of our power comes through the Holy Spirit. And the practices are just the tools he uses to change us, and to form us, and to transform us. So spiritual formation is a partnership where God allows us to participate in our own miracle, and we have a part to play in this." [14:15] (70 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And we could never on our own follow the instructions of Jesus. We could never on our own match the model of Jesus. But these practices, again, they create time. They create space for God to miraculously empower us, for God to actually change us so that we can follow these impossible instructions that make us more like Jesus. So here's a couple of examples. I want you to think of the instructions Jesus gave us that are impossible. I'll start with one of my favorites. Luke 6, 35, Jesus said, love your enemies. Love your enemies. I really disagree with Jesus on this one. But it doesn't really matter if I agree or not. Point is, I hear Jesus saying, love your enemies." [18:44] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "But I can do the practices. I can read scripture. I can pray. I can spend time in community. I can practice generosity. And listen, as I do the things that I can do, as I read scripture, and I see the model of Jesus, and as I pray for his love in me, and as I spend time in community, and I learn to love, and as I practice generosity and learn to see the needs and the brokenness of my enemies through these practices that I can do, God does something in me that I can't do. He transforms me into a person of love. You see how that works? I can't do the thing he says." [20:15] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "So how can we follow that impossible instruction, do not worry? How can we possibly not be anxious? And the answer is, we can't do that fully on our own. But we can read his word. We can see how powerful and loving God is and how much he cares for us. We can practice Sabbath and rest in his goodness. We can pray and literally give our worries to him. And as we do these practices that we can do, God does in us what we can't do. He takes us from being people of stress and frustration and anxiety and worry, and he forms us into people of life and joy and faith and peace. So each one of these practices creates time and creates space for God to actually miraculously, it's metamorphosis, man. Think what that word means, right? It's miraculously change us to slowly, surely transform us into the likeness of Jesus." [24:50] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Sabbath is a transforming habit. Sabbath is slowing down. It's not slowing down. Sabbath is a hard stop. Right? Because it's not a time that we put our faith in God and our work. We put our faith in God and our productivity. It's a time where we put our faith in God instead of our work. Instead of our productivity. It's a time to rest in knowing that He is my source, not my job. job, not myself, not that 300th email of the day. It's a time for me to remind myself that what makes me matter is not how much I work or what I like earn or what I own or what I achieve or what I acquire." [30:00] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "Most of us, if we're honest, are just, we're saying we want to want to be transformed, right? We're saying we want to be like Jesus. We're saying that's important to us, but most of us are just too busy, are flustered, are digitally distracted to have any spiritual life at all. Dallas Willard said, hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual life. that's true. Yeah? Hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual life, and we have to fight that enemy." [34:58] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "So apprenticeship to Jesus doesn't work like, like, you know, a hobby that you just like, here's my busy life already, and I'm just going to tack one more thing on. You know, it's not just adding something to your already stressed, busy, overcrowded life. In the way of Jesus, less is more. This isn't about addition. This isn't about adding stuff to your schedule. This is about subtraction, simplifying. It's not about complicating your life. It's about simplifying your life. As we integrate the practices of Jesus, we have to add. Not what can I add to my life? What can I cut out? What can I say no to so I can say yes to Jesus? And look, I'm not pretending it's easy. None of these practices are. They take energy. They take intentionality. They take time." [35:27] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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