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“We are made for God’s Pleasure: Worship" |
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“We are made for God’s Pleasure: Worship" |
Sermon
two in the 40 Days of Purpose programme Rev.
Dr Robert Iles
at Golden Grove Uniting Church, S Australia.
24.10.04
Let’s talk about worship.
Firstly worship together and secondly worship in the world.
To give you a sign of hope, the first portion will be longer than the
Second and the second will give you signs of hope when the word
Finally begins to be used. You do have to remember my old story however,
That in earlier times, an optimist was a man who reached for his hat
When the preacher said, “And finally”.
But firstly let me tell you about a church that decided to have a no excuses Sunday.
They advertised that fold-up beds would be available in the foyer for those who say: Sunday is my only day to sleep in.
Steel helmets would be available for those who say:
The roof would cave in if I ever came to church
Hearing aids would be available for those who think the pastor
Speaks too softly, and cotton wool for those who think the opposite.
Some relatives will be in attendance for those who like to go
Visiting on Sundays. There would be 100 TV dinners available for those cannot go to church and cook dinner too.
For those who like their children to play sport on Sundays, some coaches would be present.
And finally the church would be redecorated with trees, grass and plants
For those who like to seek God in nature.
It’s not recoded what the results were but the church
Earns top marks for initiative.
Yet when all is said and done, we ought to worship God because he deserves our worship. He has given us His creation, spring days,
Warmth, sunshine, one another. He has placed us in a country where
Most of us can do something to help the poor and needy of the world.
He has given us comforts, luxuries, gifts, talents and this church family.
But more he even allowed a member of his family
To come to this earth and live amongst people like the woman at the well, ready for a religion debate. He taught her, died for her and us
That we might live lives of faith and service based on worship.
This makes it clear what worship is not. It is not primarily about our needs.
We don’t come to worship for what we can get out of it.
We come together to respond to God in Christ with confession, thanksgiving, adoration, intercession.
Sure we come with many needs but as we focus on God in worship He helps us with our needs. If we focus only on our needs we do not worship.
Worship turns us away from ourselves to the God who wants to bring him pleasure as we worship.
I will now suggest ways in which can be special for you.
1. Don’t be spectators but participants.
William Willimon in Worship as Pastoral Care says that many people come to
Hear, see and receive but not to give, act or tell.
In other words the greatest danger in worship is passivity.
If we come to worship like spiritual blotters, only to receive the imprints of
The inspiration of others, then a no excuses Sunday may be necessary.
But if we see ourselves as participants rather than spectators, worship is better.
A little boy was trying to understand a worship service.
He asked: “Dad what are those bags for”?
Dad replied: “People put in their gifts for God’s work.”
Then, “Why do people go up to the rails to kneel?”
“To receive Holy Communion”.
Then: “Dad what does it mean when the minister lays his watch on the pulpit”?
Dad Answered: “It means absolutely nothing son, absolutely nothing”.
Worship can be like the woman of Jn 4, a feisty, questioning, interacting with Jesus,
Something he is often involved in and seemed to enjoy, then and now.
Married to the deceased for 50 years. I asked what he was interested in. What did he have strong opinions concerning. What were his hobbies? What did he believe about God?
The woman couldn’t answer any of the questions. She said, “Well I don’t know. He just used to potter around in his garden”.
That’s the kind of marriage which makes the single life look good. Unless we respond we are not investing in a relationship. We can respond that way in our groups as well. Bring questions, share opinions, and interact. That can worshipful too.
So, worship is our active, engaged response to God in Christ.
2 Prepare yourselves.
If we are going o a holiday we do what Ian and Shirley and Peter and Betty did.
Get the car maintained, have plenty of maps, book in at some places
And then fully prayed up, set off. It is good to prepare for worship as well.
It is good for us to be disciplined on Sunday mornings, at least as much as we for work on weekdays.
Let us try and be prepared in our hearts, punctual, and ready to worship.
We are drawing near and a great and holy God.
Yet I know what it can be like before church.
Debates with children over what clothes to wear. Teenagers protesting: “Why are we so religious? No one else is!” Then finding matching shoes, your stewardship envelope while the phone is ringing and the animals need feeding.
We can slump in to the pews more out of relief we are here, than reverence.
God understands this. Prepare as best you can and you will receive as much as the Lord can give you.
3. When you feel like worshipping least, you need to do it most.
This is a strength of yours. You seem to be largely a weatherproof congregation.
It may be 45’ but there is still a good congregation.
It may be a 10’ maximum and you are here. There was man who complained to his wife: “I don’t want to go to church today.
It’s cold I’m tired, the people don’t like me and I’d rather stay home”.
His wife said: “You’ll soon pick up and the church is warm and the people do like you, and besides you’re the pastor”.
We should seldom depend on how we feel. God is not any less present
Because have had a late night, been depressed, have an arthritic knee.
We are family. If someone wants to come to church and weep for the whole service that is fine. Tears can honour God as much as upraised arms.
Be yourself and God will be His self to you. We may not feel like being here
But God is always amongst us, waiting for us. He always honours us with his presence.
When we least feel like seeking God, he most wants our honest worship.
He knows where we are coming from and where we are going, even if we do not.
Having said this we must now say that worship is not just what we do in church on Sundays. Jesus broadened the understanding of the woman at the well
As he pointed out that worship can take place anywhere,
You don’t need Jerusalem, or the Temple or a building. You can worship Him in the world.
I mean do we really think that God only wants us to worship him for an hour or so once a week in church?
That at around 11.15or so Sunday, worship is out of the way for the week?
Worship here is the beginning of worshipping God elsewhere and everywhere. On the bus, before a meal, as you drive with the most aggressive drivers in Australia, here in SA, and more.
And if we worship here we are more likely to worship God every where else.
The discipline of worship with God’s people whether we feel like being here or not, brings pleasure to God.
Worship is more than what we do here but it begins here. For example, worship continues beyond these walls when we pray.
When we pray alone or with others we are worshipping God.
If you set aside some time to pray you are continuing what you have begun here, the worship of God.
Even dashed prayers at the lights, in a queue, as you walk, read Warren’s book and sit down for dinner. All can be worship of God, even where we are busy
Jowett, the great preacher, used to tell of a girl who came to join his church. She was a servant girl, not well off, and not well educated. He wished to make sure that she knew what she was earnest about her faith, and he asked her how she proposed to live the Christian life.
“I haven’t much time off, sir,” she said, “and I can’t attend many meetings or even many services.”
“Well,” said Jowett, “what do you do?”
“Well sir, she said, “I always take the daily paper to bed with me at night.”
Jowett was puzzled, as well he might be. “What’s the good of that” he said.
“Well sir,” she said, “I look at the fist page and I read the birth notice and I pray for the babies that have been born; and I read the marriages and I pray that they may be happy and true; and I read the deaths and I pray that God’s comfort many come to those sorrowing homes.”
Prayer is worship in the world.
And finally, what brings you pleasure can be worship as well.
What the craft ladies make on a Tuesday afternoon are skilful,
Colourful, creative, acts of worship to the Lord.
I hear of Rob, James and Angus out sailing, enjoying the sea, wind and often the water,
a special family time. For a believer it is a way of worshipping God.
Whether you paint, make music or enjoy listening to it, walking,
Singing, writing, creating, making, as a believer, you can be worshipping God.
It brings joy and pleasure; it is a way to worship God.
Worship in church or the world is a way of responding
To the God whose generosity makes us want to worship.
Most of us want to respond when someone has done a kindness towards us.
If you come to our place and wash a car, mow the lawns and tidy up my study,
Not only will you have given up 8 hours of your day,
You will evoke a response of gratitude. I will want to respond,
And invite you back next week to do the same.
Worship in the church and the world is a way of responding actively to the Lord who deserves our worship, we are made for His pleasure.