Worship: A Commitment . . . Not a War, Part Two, Part 3

One truly understand how God works in the mind of the war for centuries not centuries but for years and I've never had anybody honestly raise their hand know what you don't know you. Describe what the last five years of your life have been like they been all you know is it's been for your good basement for his glory. Otherwise you wouldn't be the person you are today. That is if you walk with him through can readily agree with those. The question is known the mind of the Lord. After all God's ways are beyond our comprehension and will become together on Sunday mornings. The family of God has the profound privilege of worshiping our mysterious and masterful today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will finalize a presentation that started last Thursday about de-escalating what's commonly known as worship series was originally delivered to the church that Chuck leads as a senior pastor and they set out to declare their commitment to biblical worship think it's time we announce openly without reluctance, but some of our community church is a church for our times, but it is not a church caught up in the trends nor by the grace of God. Will we ever be as a church. I hope it will be marked by balance always been our goal from the start. We do not play and sing or preach for any man's glory. It is all for the glory of our God.

It's a part of our philosophy of worship and worship has to do with the location of our great God, which means I'm not important in the process not significant in the act. Worship is a declaration of his supreme Majesty worship is losing ourselves in wonder and love and praise is Wesley once put it, so preoccupied with our God that nothing on this earth. James a significant place in our thinking, our trials become reduce the discoveries of life become exciting and the changes that God brings without explaining his reasons only hold us to him closer and we discover there's a dimension of life that is supernatural and unseen, and the invisibility of it adds to the invincibility turn to Matthew chapter 15 I want you to see an example of vein worship. Matthew 15 I want to see Jesus as he is on the street if you will, facing his opposers his opponents there called Pharisees and scribes verse one in the tour. There were 10 Commandments, but for the Pharisees and scribes. There were over 650 more added, which means such things as this is the way you wash your hands before you eat your meal and there was a tedious lengthy process you go through as you fulfill the traditions of men and if you don't, you're wrong. They shot you ultimately they judge you in the final part is they drive you out because you need to do what they are telling you to do legalism that is worse.

So here's an example.

Jesus is with this man they been eaten from the field. They didn't wash their hands so the Pharisees show up and they're complaining what your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders noticed they didn't say the holy Scriptures there transgressing the tradition of the elders, for they don't wash their hands when they eat bread and he answered and said to them, why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition you get. He trumps their criticism by mentioning the sacred text. They may be ignoring the tradition of your list, but here is the word of God that they're not ignoring.

Why do you ignore it while upholding your tradition will he goes on to give them an example, God said, and he describes it.

Verse five but you say so. They come in with their interpretation and their addition to the text, and they go further than God ever allowed them to go over 70 says it like it is you have a Christmas. This is why do you act like you're so righteous when in fact you're a bunch of hypocrites rightly did Isaiah prophesied he quotes to them extemporaneously from the scrolls of Isaiah. These people honor me with their lips, that's not worship, but their heart is far away from me that's not worship God doesn't want her lips. He wants all of us hearts lips every benefits. But in vain they worship the words in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrine, the precepts of men. He called his disciples to him or the multitudes to him and he said to them, hear and understand not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth that defiles the man disciples said to him, you know, the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement, you think to tell you every time you speak the truth.

Someone will be offended, especially Pharisees. Certainly those who are running from the truth. Those who do not acknowledge that God's word is the truth. You will be offended will be offended by the Frank bold nature of the proclamation that comes with exposition. The Scripture cuts through cuts into beyond the soul and spirit beyond the joints and the marrow, and it is a critic because it is a critic of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

That's why when you hear Bible exposition you feel exposed, so he says to them. Of course there course. I'm telling them about the word of God and I'm exposing the traditions of men turn from here to Romans 11 way back to the beginning of Romans he reveals us as sinners lost undone without hope. There's no way were going to reach God on our own. No one seeks God. No one no one on his own has any interest in spiritual things. That is certainly not the biblical God of heaven and so God must intervene and the dead in Christ, and he brought his grace. He reached in and loved us when we were very lovely and we came to know Christ as chapter 5 we had the struggles of chapter 6, seven and eight and then finally at 910 11 Paul has been building this doctrinal base and disliked the crescendo mark on the music score and if you love music, you know, it gets louder and louder as he gets wider until finally a smart double fortissimo for triple 40 signal that means say it is our plan. It is loud or singing as loud as you can without screen when a guess to chapter 11 verse 33.

He speaks in what is called a provocative goal, but depth of the riches.

1130 30, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. There's nothing among mankind that would ever deserve such a statement, but with the living God will the riches Of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, look at the next two words as he uses and how unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways like a great word unsearchable on mobile.

You know how high can it means I don't have the answers to what I spent so much of my time wasting it on finding answers when not to trust him. God knows what he's doing. He planted eternity past when he knew I would be a sinner and you as well and we wouldn't have it together and we would live on this planet, surrounded by people who don't have it together so God's plan was to do it. Unfathomable, unsearchable work in our lives.

All depth of the riches of such a point that puts God in a completely different category. That's who we worship. That's why we worship we bow to no other. We call on the old American general or some other general that's flawed in any war, we turn to no statesmen returned to no president return to no king or queen nine of them are in the category of unfathomable and unsearchable. This is what it only got then he asked some rhetorical questions wonderful who is known the mind of the Lord that anybody here claimed that he knows the full mind of the Lord. Let me just pause here and give you a chance. I've been asking that for centuries not centuries but for years and I've never had anybody honestly raise their hand know what is your secure intelligent enough to know you don't know you know the mind of God. You can't even explain last week UK described for the last five years of your life have have been like they been all you know is it's been for your good estimate for his glory. Otherwise you wouldn't be the person you are today.

That is if you walk with him through it, who is known the mind of the Lord to the next one, who became his counselor requested that you imagine beginning a day. Okay Lord I'm going to give you little advice on today or you know more this afternoon, but at that situation. You could've done a lot better if you did on sewing Wyatt's blasphemy. You're not his counselor is why silence is appropriate in his presence. That's why I don't know fit so beautifully when you're asked why did this happen. I don't know why was this child born to that family and not to this family.

Why did the flood strike that home and not this whole tornado when it moved through snaked its way beyond my neighborhood and took that house and not ours or harder, took hours and not there are no but I know it wasn't a snake. I know it wasn't an afterthought for God flipped a divine coin and said let's go that house.

No, no, say what I can expect will no one. It says you can't, it's what you worship him, Almighty God, worthy of worship and worthy of praise.

I can't describe what this why this is happening. All I know is you have a plan.

Help me find my way through it into it and beyond it. Do your work in me.

That's worship that's giving God the praise he deserves. That's releasing your life, your experiences, your struggles and your giving them to him whom you cannot advise just who is given to him that it might be paid back to him again if you give God nothing that makes God needy. One man put it this way, to admit the existence of a need in God is to admit incompleteness in the divine being.

He has no need yes no need. It is all on this earth going on for his glory and our gatherings are time when we acknowledge that a lot of toasters words may not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to talk to our habit of skipping through the corridor of the kingdom. Like children in the marketplace, always chattering about everything but pausing to learn the true value. Nothing that cuts us to the quick. We chatted about everything. I wonder were such strangers to silence.

Why else would he say be still and know that I am God, I urge you before nightfall to sit quietly television off lights out alone in his presence before the week begins. Tell him you're his love you and through you and to you all things to you be the glory all this week a man to you. I place myself. That's what Romans 12 one is about.

I regret the chapter break. Paul finishes this grand crescendo with an urgent plea. I plead with you on the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice isn't about you to sacrifice you yourself it's a spiritual service of worship to the last word in verse one worship. It's a spiritual service of worship.

I crawl on that sacrificial altar. I give you each member of my family I give you my future. I give you whatever has happened in my past I give you my worries, my concerns, I give you the obstacles I'm looking at in the future. I give it all to you. I'm on the altar. It's all yours.

I trust you, what's, what's the problem here. Well, were surrounded by a culture that will call you stupid for doing that.

Nothing in our culture will encourage you to live like that.

Check the next periodical you getting your mail check tomorrow morning's newspaper check the Wall Street Journal check whatever may come from your company or from your school.

Check it out.

You will get no counsel on how to live or think like that. After all, look at what you've achieved pH.

D. Will look at the people who answer to you. Look at the company of Bill, look at that salary look at that bank account.

That's what impresses our culture who get that promotion.

Look at that time you got your own parking space you got your own bathroom.

Well, when you stand before your heavenly father. Not one of those things will be mentioned but your time on the altar will be you see the world around you. Once you squeeze you into its mold and so verse two says don't let that happen. That's why it appears there, stop being conformed to this world will than what I do. I live a mind that's transformed mine. My mind must be transformed. My thinking. My thinking that leads to my actions, transformed mind, that means I start thinking God's thoughts.

I start getting my cues from his written word. I apply it directly to my situation. In the process. I prove the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect. And you know what hit you know what I lose my worry list and I pick up a worship lifestyle and that is what we want to cultivate that student prior Community Church not a group of people who enjoy being entertained, but a body of people who are learning how to worship as a lifestyle worship is a commitment never meant to be a war like you to bow your heads, please. And just sit quietly. There just sit alone for moment with your thoughts. I acknowledge that some of you hearing this are probably thinking where on earth did this guy get off saying things like that.

If you think that chances are good your new among us, and you have been exposed to the teaching of the Bible so you don't need to go out and buy a big Bible you need to make a journey is a mental journey. It's a heart driven journey to the cross where there is life waiting for you because you see at that ancient cross on which Jesus died. The complete penalty for your sins.

All of the things that we struggle with all the stuff that led you to those habits that became unbreakable all the stuff that led to the mess.

It's called your sinfulness Christ paid the complete price for those sins. He want you to know a life that's different by trusting in him, he will bring you across that bridge you walk across by faith and he will bring you into his family. It's too important a decision to make. Thinking you can just walk down an aisle of the church or stand up front and say a few words and it's done.

This is an in depth decision. This is life changing.

This is a decision of your heart. You need to think through. That's what we have people who are seasoned mature individuals who will not preach, they will listen and they will help you come to terms with this decision before this day is over come to terms with what you've heard simple prayer Lord, I confess, I'm a sinner and lost. I can't find my way got everything from consequences to addictions. Just a big mess and I bring it all to you and I trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior take him now surrounded by people who have done that you won't see lightning or hear thunder. You won't suddenly have sky writing happen but down deep inside God will begin to do a work is you as he brings you from darkness to light from death to life, what you who know the Lord took to pray for those sitting near you is right now. Pray for them as you pray for them. Make sure you searched your own soul and answer the question in my truly a worshiper of the living God, and my cultivating a life of worship this wonderful moment of quietness. Our father, I want to express to you my gratitude for helping me say these things today. I been so dependent on you for this message and not feel that you have.

You have done it and I give you all the credit for that help me to continue to do so in the power of your spirit protect our church father from the war. Guard us from any encroachment of the secularization of ministry made this anniversary soon to be celebrated be marked by stoned our church at its best, meaning on our faces before you doing what we do for your glory. I remember the little children will fill this room this week and I pray for the presentation of the gospel.

I pray that you bring many of those little lives to faith in Christ. Encourage the teachers help them to speak a word that is in touch with their lives. They might trust him and for any you've never met Christ that become a reality. This day now to him who is able to guard us from stumbling and present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy to the only wise God our Savior glory and majesty menu power forever never ever ever people's email and with this closing prayer Chuck Swindoll concludes a five-day study on all important topic. He titled his message worship, a commitment not a war part two. To learn more about Chuck Swindoll in this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org as a complement to Chuck signature series called the church awakening were also pointing you to a helpful biography that is written on the apostle Paul. It's called Paul a man of grace and grit a pioneer of the early church. Paul's contagious enthusiasm for Christ has shaped the way we gather and worship.

To this day. In his dramatic story continues to shape church culture to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on Paul go to insight.org/offer that insight for living were pleased to receive notes, letters and phone calls from friends who affirm the value of this daily program might be encouraged to hear this one. It said I am the pastor in southern Texas. I'm 70 years old but going strong. Preachers need to have a preacher to an Chuck is my preacher insight for living brings me daily inspiration, accountability, and instruction in God's word.

Thank you and God bless is not great when we inspire the pastor of the church were impacting all the people who attend that church as well and when you give a contribution to insight from making these moments possible to give a donation right now. Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 807 seven 288 were to give online, go to insight.org/crew ships leave the harbor for Alaska all the time, but there's only one that's hosted by Insight for living ministry, you're invited to travel with Chuck Swindoll this summer. Every moment of your vacation is thoughtfully prepared and protected so that you can enjoy the perfect balance of rest adventure relaxation, sightseeing just playing on all of the company of those who share your respect for God's word and God's creation may vary by the mountain of my life right all my life I wanted to see English when I stepped out on the deck of our ship and witness the massive wall of ice. How it was truly breathtaking escape with insight for living ministries to the great frontier. July 1 through July 8, 2023: 1-888-447-0440. That's 1-888-447-0444 or learn more insight.org/events the tort of Alaska is paid for, made possible by only those who choose to attend Bill Meyer inviting you to listen when Chuck Swindoll continues his teaching series called the church awakening tomorrow on insight for living. The preceding message worship commitment not a part two was copyrighted in 2008 2010 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited