True Worship: A Genuine Expression of Devotion

Playing games, I got kind of frustrated during my studies this week because sometimes we played so many games. We tried too hard for them. We got people really hurt; we got people really going through stuff, needing deliverance.

We're a bit worried about what keyboard player we don't get, and we got people who need to be a little bit—don't even know they need to be. Real worship is more than music.

So what does Abraham mean when he says worship? I hope you have listened to me Wednesday, brought your papers and your pens, 'cause I'm gonna give it to you. Amen? We gonna shout, but we got to learn at the same time. Amen?

If we're not writing down, we're not growing. Let's grow with it. Real worship is submissive.

Oh, real worship is submissive. Look at it with me. Go to Genesis 22, verse 2. Real worship is submissive.

Genesis 22 says, "Take your son, your only son, yes, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will show you."

The next morning, Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.

Somebody said he was prepared. He was prepared for worship. That's why I told you almost I already knew where I was going. You got to come in here with your Bible, your pen, and your people so you can be prepared. You have to be prepared.

If you're not prepared to win, then you're prepared to lose. You have to be prepared. So everyone got prepared, but the context—God's command was hard and unbelievable, yet it was clear. God said, "Go worship and sacrifice your son."

Did you see what Abraham did? He didn't hesitate. He did as he was commanded. He didn't seek excuses. You know we are always looking for an excuse. God said, "Go worship."

Okay, I got my scholars. Second son, okay, but we don't start to reason and say, "What? God, did I really hear you right?" I'm going to pray one more time to make sure it was the time.

I said, "God, I want to make sure I heard you right." Just wait till you get to that point. What are you doing here when God has told you what to do, and you go back?

What? God, I want to make sure that I heard you right. And He tells you again clearly. But God, I'm just gonna—I want to just make sure that I don't want to—we're quick to put it on. I don't want to move without God. I don't want to move before God says move.

If I were to tell you what to do, He told you twice what to do, but yet you had to go, "So God, I just want to make sure I've heard you."

Well, I'm done talking. Abraham did not seek excuses. He got up early, and he went. A true heart for God is marked by obedience.

John 14:15 says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:21 says, "He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me."

Nothing says that we are here that we love Him like doing what He tells you to do. You want to show that you love God? Do what He told you to do. Do what He's called you to do.

Some of us are walking around here, "Oh, that's so sweet," but we won't accept that God has called us to do a thing. Worship is not only something a person does; worship is what we are.

Every obedient moment of our lives is an act of worship. You don't believe me? Attendance—you still went up today. It's an act of worship. God calls for us to come into His house. It's a worship day. It's an act of obedience.

That's worship. Giving—it's worship. Giving us a ministry—all that stuff. But because people have taken advantage of people, we try to downplay giving.

No one likes to talk about giving. No one wants to talk about tithing because they don't want to offend people because of how some people have handled it. It's a gray area for some people, and we have to approach it biblically with love because some people have been hurt.

Some people have been taken advantage of. It's trivial to be real; it happened. But tithing and giving is a form of worship. It's a form of showing God how much you love and appreciate Him. It's giving back to Him what He has given to you. Amen?

Witnessing—that's a form of worship. We went out yesterday, and we had us an awesome time. We met a couple of people, and we talked all about the Word.

We talked to the wheels just going on. Thinking—it was a form of worship. If you didn't go yesterday, we definitely want to get you out there. Amen?

Because this is a wonderful thing. If you've never done it, you really need to get out there. Evangelism is such a beautiful thing. That's how you save friends.

We want to get people to like us. Welcome, BIRT. Somebody meets somebody—that's for you to do something. Wait, would you approach them, and they’re eating chicken, smoking weed?

That's real life. Three studying the Bible—these are all acts of worship.

There is a difference between worshipping sometimes and being a true worshipper. There's a difference between worshipping sometimes and being a true worshipper.

You know, there was a time in the church that it was very popular to go around saying, "I'm a true worshipper. I'm a worshipper."

At the time, everybody would say, "I'm a worshipper." Are you really? Are you really a worshipper, or do you just worship sometimes?

Because from what I see, you just worship sometimes. But my goal is to get everybody to become true worshippers. Amen?