Worship: The Essence of Life and Community

Devotional

Day 1: Worship is the Orientation of Our Lives

Description: Every person worships something, whether they acknowledge it or not. Worship is about assigning ultimate value to something with our entire being. Misplaced worship, such as the pursuit of beauty, power, or money, leads to emptiness and destruction. True worship is about orienting our lives around God, who alone can fulfill our deepest needs. [28:50]

Bible Passage: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21, ESV)

Reflection: What is one thing in your life that you have been giving ultimate value to, perhaps even above God? How can you begin to reorient your life to place God at the center of your worship today?

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Day 2: The Foundation of Worship in Scripture

Description: From the very beginning, humanity was created to live in a relationship with God, marked by trust and obedience. The breaking of this trust led to brokenness, but God's covenant with Israel and the giving of the Ten Commandments aimed to restore this relationship. Jesus further emphasized that loving God and our neighbor encapsulates the essence of worship. [36:55]

Bible Passage: "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 10:12, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your daily actions and attitudes. How can you better align them with the command to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself?

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Day 3: The Historical Roots of Corporate Worship

Description: The practice of gathering for worship has deep historical and biblical roots. From the tabernacle in the wilderness to the temple in Jerusalem, and finally to the New Testament church, God's presence has always been central to the worshiping community. Today, the church is the dwelling place of God's Spirit, and gathering together is essential for our spiritual growth. [59:34]

Bible Passage: "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." (Exodus 25:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you make gathering with your church community a priority in your life? What steps can you take to engage more deeply in corporate worship?

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Day 4: Praise as a Natural Expression of Worship

Description: Worship naturally gives rise to praise. Just as we praise things we enjoy, our enjoyment of God leads to expressions of praise, whether through singing, writing, or other forms. This praise not only honors God but also deepens our own experience of His presence and goodness. [40:52]

Bible Passage: "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a specific way you can express your praise to God today. Whether through a song, a prayer, or a written reflection, how can you offer a "sacrifice of praise" that acknowledges His name?

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Day 5: The Unique Gift of Corporate Worship

Description: Gathering together as a church is a unique and irreplaceable aspect of our spiritual lives. It is a time to draw near to God and each other, to be filled with His Spirit, and to experience a peace and joy that cannot be found elsewhere. This communal worship is a gift that enriches our relationship with God and with one another. [01:00:56]

Bible Passage: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you encourage someone in your church community to engage more deeply in corporate worship? What practical steps can you take to foster a spirit of unity and encouragement within your congregation?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the profound concept that all of life is worship. This idea was illustrated through a personal anecdote about a Coldplay concert, where the collective experience of synchronized lights and music evoked a sense of awe and wonder, hinting at a deeper spiritual resonance. This led to the central theme: every human being worships something, whether they realize it or not. Drawing from David Foster Wallace's insight, we discussed how everyone assigns ultimate value to something, be it beauty, power, or money, and how misdirected worship can lead to destruction and emptiness.

We delved into the biblical narrative, starting from Genesis, where humanity was given responsibilities and boundaries, and how the breaking of these boundaries led to brokenness and separation from God. This separation was addressed through God's covenant with Israel, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus summarized the law as loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, emphasizing that true worship is a life oriented around God.

We also examined the role of corporate worship, tracing its historical and biblical roots. From the tabernacle in Exodus to the temple in Jerusalem, and finally to the New Testament church, we saw how God's presence has always been central to the worshiping community. Today, the church is the dwelling place of God's Spirit, and gathering together is a unique and irreplaceable aspect of our spiritual lives.

Finally, we were encouraged to reflect on our own participation in corporate worship and consider ways to engage more deeply. Whether through singing, taking notes, or attending special worship events, the goal is to lean into the practice of worship together, experiencing the fellowship with God and each other that is unlike anything else in this world.

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Key Takeaways

1. All of Life is Worship: Every person worships something, whether they acknowledge it or not. Worship is about assigning ultimate value to something with our entire being. Misplaced worship, such as the pursuit of beauty, power, or money, leads to emptiness and destruction. True worship is about orienting our lives around God, who alone can fulfill our deepest needs. [28:50]
2. Biblical Foundation of Worship: From the very beginning, humanity was created to live in a relationship with God, marked by trust and obedience. The breaking of this trust led to brokenness, but God's covenant with Israel and the giving of the Ten Commandments aimed to restore this relationship. Jesus further emphasized that loving God and our neighbor encapsulates the essence of worship. [36:55]
3. Corporate Worship's Historical Roots: The practice of gathering for worship has deep historical and biblical roots. From the tabernacle in the wilderness to the temple in Jerusalem, and finally to the New Testament church, God's presence has always been central to the worshiping community. Today, the church is the dwelling place of God's Spirit, and gathering together is essential for our spiritual growth. [59:34]
4. The Role of Praise in Worship: Worship naturally gives rise to praise. Just as we praise things we enjoy, our enjoyment of God leads to expressions of praise, whether through singing, writing, or other forms. This praise not only honors God but also deepens our own experience of His presence and goodness. [40:52]
5. The Unique Gift of Corporate Worship: Gathering together as a church is a unique and irreplaceable aspect of our spiritual lives. It is a time to draw near to God and each other, to be filled with His Spirit, and to experience a peace and joy that cannot be found elsewhere. This communal worship is a gift that enriches our relationship with God and with one another. [01:00:56]
### [60:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:51] - Concert Experience and Spiritual Resonance
[28:50] - All of Life is Worship
[30:00] - The Dangers of Misplaced Worship
[31:39] - Introduction to the Worship Series
[32:56] - Genesis and the Foundation of Worship
[34:14] - The Fall and Brokenness
[35:30] - God's Covenant with Israel
[36:55] - The Ten Commandments and Worship
[37:50] - Jesus' Teaching on Worship
[39:49] - The Broader Meaning of Worship
[40:52] - The Role of Praise in Worship
[42:22] - Jesus and the Connection to Worship
[45:50] - The New Testament Church and Worship
[49:08] - The Importance of Corporate Worship
[55:50] - The Necessity of Gathering Together
[59:34] - The Church as the Dwelling Place of God's Spirit
[63:13] - Reflecting on Our Worship Practices
[65:09] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Genesis 2:15-17, what responsibilities and boundaries did God give to humanity in the Garden of Eden?
According to Exodus 20:1-3, what is the foundation of the relationship between God and Israel, and what is the first commandment given?
In Matthew 22:34-40, how does Jesus summarize the law, and what are the two greatest commandments?

Interpretation Questions

How does the breaking of the boundary in Genesis 2:17 lead to brokenness and separation from God? ([34:14])
Why is the first commandment in Exodus 20:3 significant for understanding the concept of worship? ([36:55])
How does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22:37-40 encapsulate the essence of worship as described in the sermon? ([39:49])

Application Questions

Reflect on the idea that "all of life is worship." What are some things in your life that you might be assigning ultimate value to, and how can you reorient your life to worship God more fully? ([28:50])
The sermon mentioned the dangers of misplaced worship, such as the pursuit of beauty, power, or money. Can you identify any areas in your life where you might be experiencing emptiness or destruction due to misplaced worship? ([30:00])
How can you actively participate in corporate worship to experience the unique fellowship with God and others? Consider specific actions like singing, taking notes, or attending special worship events. ([01:03:40])
Jesus emphasized loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. How can you practically live out these commandments in your daily life? ([39:49])
The sermon highlighted the historical roots of corporate worship and its importance. How can you make corporate worship a regular and meaningful part of your spiritual life? ([01:00:56])
The role of praise in worship was discussed as a natural response to enjoying God. What are some ways you can express your praise to God in your daily life? ([40:52])
Reflect on the unique gift of corporate worship. How can you encourage others in your community to engage more deeply in this practice? ([01:03:13])

Sermon Clips

1. "All of life is worship. The noted author and atheist, what is his name? David Foster Wallace. He once said this. In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There's no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what? To worship. What he's saying is that every single person, every single one of us who's gathered here together this morning, whether you consider yourself a God person or not, whether you believe certain things about Jesus or not, whether you even consider yourself a God person or not, yourself interested in the spiritual life or not. Every single one of our lives is marked by the worship of something or someone." [28:50] (42 seconds) ( | | )

2. "Worship is assigning ultimate value to something with your entire being, with your thoughts, with your words, with your language, with your actions, with your body. Worship is assigning ultimate value to something with your entire being. At this point, this subject, this conversation is worth leaning into for one very specific reason. Because as David Foster Wallace says, we all worship. We don't have a choice about whether or not we will worship something. We will. The reason why it's worth being aware of that reality is because worshiping the wrong thing will destroy everything." [30:00] (38 seconds) ( | | )

3. "If you orient your life around the worship of power, you will do the same thing. You'll give all of your wealth and time and energy and attention. Your focus will be entirely surrounded. In the process, in the pursuit of gaining more and more power in the end result, only to find that, A, you never have enough, and B, you find it to be utterly empty. Or, for example, if you give yourself to money, if you let that be the God that you devote yourself to, that be the thing which you worship and orient your whole life around, thinking, if I can just get enough of this, if I can continue to amass this, then I will have the life that I want, need, and desire, and everything will be good. But what you find, is that no matter how much you attain, when money becomes the thing that you worship, you never have enough." [30:00] (49 seconds) ( | | )

4. "If we choose to orient our life around something that is anything less than God, that thing ultimately will become the very force in our life that destroys our peace, destroys our relationships, destroys our joy. So worship is a subject that matters for each and every one of us. So that's why today we're actually opening up a brand new series that's all about worship. That's called Breaking the Silence. And so what we're going to do is over the next three weeks we're going to talk about worship in a couple of different ways." [31:39] (35 seconds) ( | | )

5. "The rule actually created the potential for them to exercise trust in their relationship with God, for them to put God first. In their life, for them to orient their lives around God in a way that was worshipful and trusting and submitting to God as the ultimate authority within all reality. The rule created the possibility for them to do that or to do the other wise. And unfortunately, they chose not to trust God, to rebel against his authority, to reject his kindness and his provision, to eat from the fruit of the tree and brokenness enters humanity from that point forward. An absolute and utter tragedy." [34:14] (38 seconds) ( | | )

6. "The culmination of enjoyment. Is. Praise, meaning that when you enjoy something, what that naturally gives rise to is the praise of that thing. So, for example, this past weekend, my family and I, we were down in Brian Head, kind of outside of Cedar City, and it's absolutely beautiful. I'd never been there before. There's Cedar Breaks, this kind of state park. And one of the nights we drove up to this sunset overlook within Cedar Breaks State Park, where you see the canyon that you drive up within. So you've got kind of at the overlook, you've got mountains to one side of you. Mountains to the other side, you've got kind of a red dirt canyon in front of you. And then out in the distance, you see just this gorgeous sunset and this beautiful sky." [40:52] (41 seconds) ( | | )

7. "What we're seeing is that a life of worship is a life that is oriented around God so that it's a life that's in position to enjoy and delight in God more than any other. And what naturally arises from that is praise, whether it's through singing or writing or whatever other form it might take. It's praise that naturally arises out of the enjoyment of God. And that is worship. And there's actually one passage where we see Jesus comment on the connection between a broader life of worship. And this using our voices and our whole kind of beings to praise God and it's a rather interesting connection that we see here." [42:22] (38 seconds) ( | | )

8. "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out because in praising me and worshiping me, they are leaning into the very way of life for which they were created, where I am the first thing in their lives. The greatest love that dictates how the rest of their life will be. And I'm telling you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out because in praising me and worshiping me, they are leaning into the very way of life for which they were created, where I am the first thing in their lives. And he says, if they don't. And if they choose, as you do, if humanity chooses not to, then even the rocks themselves will cry out and break the silence because all of creation is intended to speak to and to enjoy and to delight in the glory of God." [45:50] (45 seconds) ( | | )

9. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, in light of what Jesus has done in offering his life, his death for you. Because of this, I urge you, I appeal to you to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship. This is what it looks like to live a life of worship in response to what Jesus has done for you and for me. Now, the truth is there's so much more. There's so many things in that couple of verses that are worth spending so much time on. One of them is the whole idea of a living sacrifice." [47:08] (36 seconds) ( | | )

10. "A life of worship should include our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That a life of worship includes all of us. It's not what we do with five to ten minutes in the morning throughout the week. It's not what we do for 90 minutes or so on a Sunday. It's all of us. A life of worship should include our entire life. Our entire beings. Okay. So that's worship in the broadest sense. But now I want to kind of transition into speaking to something else. It has to do with the corporate gathering like this." [48:06] (34 seconds) ( | | )

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Transcript

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