Worship

Big Idea: True worship brings order to life, draws in seekers, and fosters a close relationship with God.

Spring training is an annual event in which all professional baseball players participate. These guys, who make millions of dollars working 8 or 9 months a year, go south to Florida. They go to the baseball park and get ready for the baseball season.

What's really interesting is that spring training is critical to the success of a team. What they do in spring training is that they try to get those guys back into physical shape. They try to get them emotionally prepared and focused. And they go back and try to teach them the basics, like how to bunt, how to steal a base, how to think through a play, what to do in a position. Because, for some reason, baseball players lose their edge. Once they've been out of the circuit for the summer, they forget the basics of baseball.

Right now, we're in spring training at Richview. Now, we're not going to ride on a bus to Florida. We're not going to throw balls all over the place. We're going to sit here in your comfortable chairs and we're going to get ourselves refocused again on the church. Churches often forget their true purpose, so it’s important to remind them of it occasionally. And so, we're in spring training, even though it's autumn.

We began a few weeks ago asking the question, "Church: what's the point?" And the point is, we exist to lead all people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. That's why we're here as a church. Everything we do has to be evaluated against that mission. We've already begun the exciting and sometimes painful journey to transition to a church that is crystal-clear about its purpose. Two weeks ago, we began talking about our five purposes as a church. They're the 5 things that God has commanded every church to do. And this morning we're going to talk about the second of these: worship. God has called us to be worshipers. We're going to ask ourselves why worship is so important to us at Richview.

But before we do, let's pray. Father, Jesus told us in your Word that you are looking for true worshipers who will worship you in spirit and in truth. Acts 2 reports that in the early church, believers worshiped together each day, praising God. Your desire is that we be a worshipping church. And I pray today that you will elevate this value among us. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

God has called us to be worshipers. In 1996, the Barna Research Group did a survey of adults in churches in North America. They wanted to find out how these adults reacted to worship. What they discovered is fascinating. 71% of the adults who regularly attend church said, "I have never experienced the presence of God in worship."

To some people, worship is this regular routine that one goes through each week. You come to church, sing a few songs, go through the motions, but you never really expect anything to happen. For others, worship has become synonymous with style. To them, worship means a certain kind of music. But for many, worship has no real connection with God. It's rote, it's routine, it's really irrelevant. Empty, boring ritual.

But that's not true worship. Around here, we think that worship is much more than an event or a certain type of music. It's a lifestyle. Worship is not something you do for an hour a week. It's not a particular type of music. It's a lifestyle, something that the believer does 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And what's more, we think that the public worship of God, when believers gather together to praise him, should be something exciting. It should be an event at which 100% of believers come and expect to experience the presence of God in worship. There is simply nothing else like God-honoring worship, and we are deeply committed and thrilled about it.

You say to me, "Why? Why is worship so important in the life of the church?" I'm glad you asked! I want to give you three reasons why we are deeply energized and excited about worship here at Richview. Worship impacts us in three ways at Richview.

One: When You Worship, Life Is Ordered

That's the first reason. As you look in the Bible, you begin to discover that true worship does something important. It enables our whole lives to be aligned. God created us to be worshipers. Would you agree that when God created us, we were programmed by the divine Creator to be worshipers? When we put God in the right place, all of a sudden our lives become ordered.

Once in a while, you drive by and see these surveyors looking through this gizmo on a tripod. And they're looking through to this guy holding a marker. If you look carefully at your street at home, there are markers set up on your lawns. You've found them with your lawnmower, or maybe by coming across them as you walk along. By lining up according to the correct markers, they are able to line up the whole neighborhood. That is the standard, and if they nail that one down, they are able to line up everything else as well.

Worship is similar. Worship is getting us back to the mark. It's getting us to see life the way it was meant to be. Observe the impact of worship. It orders priorities, it gives the right values, it gets life into focus. And I want to look at two Old Testament examples of worship to flesh this out a little.

But first, let's define worship. There are many definitions of worship out there—some long and complicated, some very simple. Let me give you the shortest definition of worship that I know of. It's not elegant, but it's true. Worship is when you see God and you go, "Wow!" In other words, worship is responding to all that God is and has done with all that we are. It's looking at him and saying, "Wow!"

Have you had something good happen in your life recently? Think back with me thousands of years ago to a story we find in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat of Judah learned that three nations had united their armies to attack him. He knew that there is no possible way that he can stand against them. So he sent messengers out, gathered the people together in Jerusalem, and prayed.

"We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help" (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). God responded by speaking to a priest, who said this: "You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand and watch the LORD's victory... Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the LORD is with you" (2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT).

How did they react? "Then King Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground. And all the other people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD" (2 Chronicles 27:18 NLT). Before they even saw the results, they fell on their faces, looked at God, and said, "Wow!"

Do you have anything to be grateful for these days? A new baby, a friendship that's brought you a lot of joy, your job, a raise, a promotion, an answer to prayer? There's only one proper response to that: to worship God. Sometimes, before we've even experienced a blessing from God, we catch a glimpse of his majesty and power. Has that ever happened to you? And you fall on your face before God and say, "Wow! You are a mighty God. I'm so glad I know you and can worship you." Have you ever experienced that? We have many reasons to worship God this morning.

But let's look at the flip side of that. You know the story of Job. One day, Job received word that his oxen and donkeys were all stolen, and all of his farmhands were killed except for one. As soon as he received the message, another messenger arrived to report that all his sheep and shepherds were dead, except for one. And then another message came telling him that his camels and servants had all been killed, except for one. To make matters worse, a final messenger arrived with the news that his children had died in a freak accident.

How would you react? Here’s what Job did: "Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God. He said, 'I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The LORD has given me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!'" (Job 1:20-21 NLT).

Question: Did Job feel like worshipping God at that moment? Probably not. Job realized that the only way to cope with his lowest moments was through worshipping God. His was not a heart that felt worship, but it was a heart that needed it. And although he didn’t feel "Wow!", he began the long journey toward "Wow!"

You know David, in the Psalms. How many times do you begin to read a Psalm and hear David cry out to God? His life is a mess; his enemies are all around him; he can’t sleep; his life is wasting away. And a remarkable thing happens as he begins to worship God. All of a sudden, his entire attitude changes. Although outward circumstances have not changed, something inside him has changed. When he worships, he begins to go on that journey toward "Wow."

I don’t know where you are this morning. You might be here with a heart full of gratitude that's just bursting with worship. Or you might have had the sort of week that has crushed your soul. Wherever you are, worship has the power to order your life. It takes it away from the priorities we usually set: material things, fame, popularity, hedonism. And it redirects our lives around the purpose for which we were created. Worship shapes and directs our lives. That’s why we’re so energized about worship at Richview.

Two: When We Worship, Seekers Are Attracted

When we worship God, the second thing that happens is that seekers are attracted to God. “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people. And each day the Lord added to the group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-43 NLT).

Do you see what happened? Unbelievers witnessed the church worshipping God and, as a result, gained the goodwill of the people. Many were saved and joined the church. In 1 Corinthians 14:23-25, Paul makes the point that worship within a church must keep the unbelieving seeker in mind. He says, in essence, don’t do things in your worship that will needlessly drive unbelievers away from God. There is a powerful evangelistic component to worship. When God’s people are worshiping God, it’s a powerful testimony to those who are there observing. They sense something there that they can’t explain.

That’s why I believe that our worship services here at Richview need to be targeted to believers, and yet sensitive to unbelievers. Do you understand that? We design our services with believers as our target. Only those who believe can worship God. But we need to remain sensitive to unbelievers in our worship. Because worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers, if God’s presence is felt and if the message is understandable.

Can I stretch you a little bit here? This is such a personal issue. The debate over musical styles is dividing churches across the world. Spurgeon referred to his music ministry as the “War Department of the church.” Music is an integral part of our lives. A song can touch people in a way that a sermon can’t. I’ll tell you something that’s absolutely true: the type of music we use in worship will determine whom our church reaches in the community. The type of music we choose will attract some people, and it will turn others away. And it’s therefore necessary to match our music to the type of people that God wants our church to reach.

Are you okay so far? Let me go a bit further. Music is amoral. There is no such thing as good music, and there is no such thing as evil music. There are many different styles of music out there—classical music, contemporary music, and music from different cultures. Not all of the music is to my taste, but the style of music we use is not a moral issue. There is no such thing as “Christian music.” What makes a song Christian isn’t the music, but the lyrics. There is no such thing as Christian music; only music with Christian lyrics.

Last week we sang A Mighty Fortress; the music for that hymn came from a pop tune of that day. John Calvin enlisted the help of two secular songwriters to compose music that would bring his theological ideas to life. When Silent Night first came out, it was described as “vulgar mischief, and devoid of all religious and Christian feeling.” When Handel’s Messiah came out, it was labeled “vulgar theatre” with too much repetition and not enough message.

I’ll be completely honest with you this morning. My main question in worship used to be, “What style of music do I like?” But it’s being replaced by two other questions. My first question is this: “What is my spiritual attitude as I worship?” Because then it doesn’t matter what the style is. When my heart is right with God, I could be in a cathedral with a pipe organ, or in a gym with a band, and it wouldn’t matter. I would be worshipping God using one of the greatest gifts he has given us in this world: variety. That’s my first question: What is my spiritual attitude?

My second question is this: "What type of person will this music reach?" If you sent a missionary to a foreign culture, what would you expect them to do? You would want them to never change the message of Christianity. But you would want them to translate that message to the culture and nuances of the group they're working with.

Now, we're missionaries to the culture around us. Are we going to change the message? Never! But are we going to translate the message of Christianity to reflect the culture and nuances of the day? Absolutely. That's why we need to know our community. So if jazz is the way to reach our community, you know what I'd do? I would begin to sing those blues. If classical music could unite our community, let's gather the orchestra and play works by famous composers. If polka was the secret to reaching the community, you know what I'd do? I'd move to a new community.

But seriously, are you more concerned with your musical preferences than with reaching the lost? Paul stated that he is ready to endure anything for the sake of bringing salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to God's chosen people (2 Timothy 1:10).

Never transform the message, but effectively translate the message so it can be heard in every generation. Charles Colson writes, "Many churches have found the right balance behind all the music and skits and fanfare. They have a solidly orthodox message that deepens the spiritual life of the members. That is the key. What matters is not whether churches use skits or contemporary music or squash courts. What matters is biblical fidelity."

Have I stretched you a little? I think I've said enough. When we worship God in a sincere, passionate, orderly, and authentic way, it attracts seekers to God. It is a powerful tool for pointing to the God we love.

Three: God Comes Near

God comes near, because that is his desire. God is looking for worshipers. "The time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way" (John 4:23 NLT).

Isn't that amazing? God is looking for worshipers, because worship is the only thing that he cannot give himself. And when God finds somebody or a group of people who are worshipping in spirit and in truth, God comes near. And by that I don't mean geography; God is already near.

Do you remember when David said: "I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence. If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there" (Psalm 139:7-8 NLT).

God coming near isn't a matter of geography, it's a matter of intimacy. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said to a church – to believers: "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends."

That's what Jesus longs for. Jesus longs to come near to us – not just once in a while, but every single day. Every single time we gather together to worship. That's why I'm so excited about worship. That's why God has given us worship as one of the five purposes of our church. Because when we worship, God comes near; seekers are attracted, and God comes near.

As we close, I want to read a story to you.

A man went to church with an angel as his guide. Every seat in the church was filled. But there was something strange about the service. The organist moved her fingers over the keys, but no music came from its pipes. The choir sang. Their lips moved, but no sound was heard. The pastor approached the pulpit to read the Scriptures, but the man watching with the angel couldn't hear the pages turning. Then the Lord’s Prayer was recited by the entire congregation, but not a single syllable was audible. The pastor returned to the pulpit and began his sermon, gesturing to emphasize his points, but the man didn't hear anything.

Turning to the angel, the man said, "I don’t understand. What does this mean? I see that a service is being held, but I hear nothing."

The angel replied, "You heard nothing because there is nothing to be heard, at least not by heaven’s ears. They’re just going through the motions. Nothing they are doing has any meaning for them. Worship without heart is not worship at all."

Let’s pray.

Lord, You call us to be a church that exalts you. You alone are worthy of our worship. Lord, we aspire to be a church that truly worships you in spirit and truth, not just going through the motions, but fully engaging and glorifying you in all aspects of our lives. Be pleased with our worship, and be pleased to come near, as we draw near to you. We ask this in Jesus’ holy and precious name, Amen.

Adapted from a message by Ken Taylor, Community Fellowship Baptist Church