The Discipline Of Worship Part 2

One reason for us to worship God is one prerequisite. We need to come clean horns. Then we can have genuine fellowship with God today. Join us for lessons from the Bible on how to prepare our hearts really worship the church in Chicago this is Dr. Sir helps us make it fly. Estimates are today will take us into Hebrews chapter 9 for more on the discipline of worship.

What will your take away for us being Dave, I think the greatest take away is simply this, that when we honor God in worship that changes our perspective of everything. In other words, worship is most important. And of course it's important to God but we benefit as well and if we worship well. We will live well, you know, I've prepared a DVD entitled finding purpose in grief and loneliness. There's no doubt that there are many Christians were going through dark times you've lost a loved one, you've lost a child who knows why you are grieving all that I know is grief is worldwide. This DVD distinguishes between good grief and bad grief. It talks about a man who is still grieving today and I think it will give you hope finding purpose in grief and loneliness. It's available as a DVD or CD. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337, and even grief and loneliness is made bearable through worship and now we get the participation we stopped at the altar, gone to the labor now what happens now we begin to participate in turn to Hebrews chapter 13 just a little further in the text we were in chapter 9. All too briefly, I might say that now in chapter 13 it says that this in verse 15. What do we do now that where the holy place.

What do we do now that the worship is actually begun. After we are prepared 13 verse 15 through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name continually. A sacrifice of praise. Now what we do that is we do this primarily through song primarily through song. In other ways, but certainly the Scripture is another way as seen in today's bulletin but primarily through song. The Bible says we have songs and hymns and spiritual songs and you'll notice in our bulletin today.

I do give you permission to look at it this time while I'm preaching, normally not. But this time it's legal notice him 87 May Jesus Christ be praised.

Then we sang. Praise the Lord the heavens adore him. The course was worthy of worship and then think of the songs of worship that are special soloist brought to us today. Everything was God directed everything was praise Jesus everything right because the Bible says we bring to him the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips and primarily nonexclusively but primarily all of the music should be God directed all over the country.

People asked me and I was moody church fact I was in California this past week for a couple of days ministering there and people asked me now as they worship at Moody church contemporary or is a traditional and I guess what they mean is, you know, do you sing the hymns or you do the contemporary thing like to say this and this is my opinion and it's a humble opinion though. My staff knows that all of my opinions are humble.

I believe here at the Moody church we have achieved under God's grace.

One of the most beautiful balances of worship music that anyone could ever expect or hope for.

On the one hand we please say yes.

The hymns of the faith are important. Some people say throughout the hymns listen some of the hymns of some of the best theology. Some of the most God directed thoughts that one could possibly imagine.

And we want to hang onto that and for people who don't like it, I'll say this to you that as you begin to sing those songs, they become a part of you and would be wrong to simply say we have nothing to do with that tradition is to traditional but think of all the wonderful courses in the modern music that is written back when I was at this college and seminary speaking.

They sang a chorus I believe it was on Wednesday evening.

That was so beautiful and I don't think we've ever signed that before and I asked them to send it to me because we have to sing it here at the Moody church. Sometimes we have an orchestra. Sometimes we have drum. Sometimes we have special music we've got someone who plays the guitar and and we do it differently disabled when you're worship committee meets together you know is always just, well, you know, we begin with a prayer and then we do this and then we meet again like that you know how to tell you why were doing that is just because there's some tradition we inherited all worship should have certain elements. In fact, let me comment on that in a moment before I go to, or rather, after I've said something about the second part of worship. You'll notice what it says here in Hebrews chapter 13 the fruit of the lips that confess his name and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. I need to tell you today that giving is worship did you notice that in the Old Testament we rented today, we rented today in the Scripture reading it says come into his courts bring a gift in Hebrews chapter 9 verse nine it says that they offered both gifts and sacrifices.

You notice that when it's time for us to receive the offering. I always say we continue our worship and you probably think is just as Segway that he uses to try to connect the two together. It's not in the Old Testament times, it was unthinkable that somebody would come into God's presence and not bring a gift for God and I suspect I think our records might indicate that there are hundreds of people who attend Moody church, week by week and never bring a gift for God. You know when my wife and I were invited out somewhere for dinner. She always wants to bring a gift. You even if it's a box of chocolates you bring something in here were coming to God and I were giving him his praise, but but that for some people may not be too costly for some, it shall be, as we shall see in a moment, but but we we don't understand that it is not justice. Segway worship is saying we have now praised God.

Now we bring a gift to God.

We bring something for the Almighty. Don't ever in your mind think that your giving money to the church because that if we do something you don't like you'll be able to say will look what they did with that money given to God bring it to God with a heart of joy. Of course we need financial assistance, but it says in Philippians. The apostle Paul says he says you sent me money.

And even if I didn't need it. He said it did use some good because it was an aroma and the sacrifice with which God was well pleased is not what life is all about is knowing what pleases God and doing it.

So what you do is whether it's little or much better you can afford a little or much is not the biggest issue.

The biggest issue is you bring a gift to God and the Bible goes on to say that we should obey the leaders in verse 17. So how do we do that as a church we don't have leaders maybe who are up here all the time will I need to explain it to you this way that within God's providence.

It's his undeserved Providence. I am the primary speaker and preacher for the leadership at Moody church.

That doesn't mean that others don't do it.

Thank God they do and they do an awesome job, but it's just that I happen to be the primary one. So if you want to obey the leaders and submit to their authority. You're listening to the message you are saying. What is the exhortation. What is the the message that is being given today. What vision is being painted in my relationship with God. You know that this is a series of messages on the disciplines of the soul so you ask yourself, how do I apply the message on meditation.

The message on prayer. The message on on worship and then next week. The message on the silence. How do I apply this because what we're here to do is to be taught in the presence of God you expect to be rebuked and challenged and convicted and encouraged and forgiven and given insights you're expecting all that to happen when you say well that mean when you get together then why the sequence that you have in the bulletin just a tradition now you look at the bulletin and what do we have. First of all, we begin with an invocation were saying God. We know you exist everywhere at all times and all places. But now that your people are being together. Would you give us with the older theologians called the manifest presence of God. We want God to dwell here with these when we want. We want people who are coming in new people and visitors to say as they leave you now. Surely God dwells in. That's why we have an invocation then noticed that we sing hymns of praise we read the Scriptures we have, we receive the offering. We have a message and and all worship should encompass these elements.

The only question question we as a worship committee have what is the best sequence and if we ever think that the sequence should change, and from time to time. We do change the sequence, it's only because we think it might make a better flow. But this is worship. This is us in the presence of God with this kind of variety and what an opportunity it gives. Just imagine what it was like to be in the presence of God after you been to the altar and the labor and you come here saying God is here and I'm going to be here to praise God, you know, the issue is not whether we are so traditional or contemporary. I mentioned a moment ago that I think we've achieved a marvelous balance. I guess for now your job is secure. But the real issue is a matter of heart. The real issue is whether or not God's. Please, and that is determined actually probably almost always before we get here rather than when to concluding lessons. First, worship is always costly. Some of you probably read this and you said no way the sacrifice of praise, it doesn't cost much to praise God, my goodness. We sang songs of praise today and talk is cheap.

Some people know what the sacrifice of praise is because they praise God in the midst of tragedy in the midst of heart ache in the midst of difficulty in the midst of a bad marriage in the midst of the death of a child that is a sacrifice of praise with which God is well pleased. Always costly.

Remember Abraham what an awesome story. He's asked to sacrifice Isaac and immediately in the morning after the Lord tells him that he leaves and he goes and then when he gets to the mountain he says to the young men who are within you stay here with this animal they had a donkey that brought some of the wooden and I and the lad. My son were going to go yonder catchup now and worship cost Abraham anything he was willing to put his son to death, believing that God would raise him from the dead on the you talk about cost member David.

David was given a threshing floor. The sky set out to be kind you want to give it to you average person would've said hey that's really great is really a God thing. David said you know when it comes to building a worship center. I will not offer to God. Something that doesn't cost me anything. I'm going to pay you because I don't want cheap worship when Job's 10 sons were put to death, and they died because of fire and because of the wind and the whole bit in 10 fresh graves on the hilltop Bible says Joe fell on his knees and worshiped that it cost them something, you better believe it cost and it costs us something because we come to worship and we can we yield and we give ourselves to God and we say I have no more plans of my own. From now on. My plans are your plans and we become honest in our confession of sin and dealing with that which defiles the conscience and now we come into God's presence and now we are going to be enjoying the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of giving because we give sacrificially we give until it costs us something were not freeloaders. Now we begin to understand by old hole worship costs if it's cheap, probably does mean that much to God. Second lesson, you really can't worship within the church.

If you don't worship outside the church you know if your life is not a life of worship on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday. It's very difficult for you to suddenly come in here and say oh I was worship time to put this clearly. I think it's very difficult for us to pour water on the blessed Holy Spirit all week and then expect to strike up a fire on Sunday. You see, because worship in a sense is a culmination of who we are. We we love God we serve God we are in the word we we are praying we are yielding where being cleansed then and now we come together and whenever possible we come together on time. I don't stop soon and start Medlin we come together on time. Why, because God is here and the people of God are herein and we expect God to show up in conviction and in joy and didn't worship and review and hope everything together worship Bishop I can remember the liberal whose son committed suicide. He believed that his son wanted to talk to them after the boy died because they were missing the clock on the wall with stop at a certain place at the time that the boy committed suicide. This is after the suicide the clock would stop at that time and so he went to a witch and didn't know that he was actually talking to a demon who is inspiring the witch and thought that he was talking to his son. He published a book which I read years ago on that and one of the questions he asked his son was. Do you hear much about Jesus. On the other side boy said no no dead. We don't hear too much about Jesus here on the other side could I humbly suggest that if you die and go to a place where you're not hearing a lot about Jesus, but I suggest that you are indeed trouble and at the end of the day worship and all of the praise that is being offered to God is really preparation for heaven because in heaven there will be endless praise from beginning to end will be saying, glory to the Lamb and the songs that we have been singing here on earth are going to be enlivened, then maybe given some new words and maybe even some new tunes in all of us are going to be able to sing like the soloist that we heard this morning, and maybe even better. And all of the praise is going to be God directed and on earth were training for heaven and that's why we worship some of you perhaps have never really worship because you've never trusted Christ the Savior. That's the beginning point.

I encourage you to receive him as yours as your sin bearer because he died on the cross for sinners and end through connecting with God, he will burst in you a desire to worship the King to worship the Almighty and become a worshiper for the rest of your life, both in the church and outside the church were all begins. Would you join me as we pray our father we ask today that in grace, you will enable us to come into this place Sunday by Sunday, having stopped at the altar, having spent time at the labor so that our focus and heart can be entirely God directed old father come to the Moody church. We pray, we know that you are here, but by your blessed spirit. Manifest your presence may this be a place of love a place of understanding a place of of communication place father were new souls are born into your kingdom and we pray today that the desire that you have given to the woman at the well. The father seeks such to worship him. We pray that you might find hundreds of people at church responding call in Jesus name we pray, my friend.

Today, this is Pastor Luther I hope you respond to that call you when we think about heaven.

We have to have a good theology of Christian theology of death and until, of course, that day when we are in heaven. There's a lot of grief, a lot of sorrow and that's why I've prepared the DVD entitled finding purpose in grief and loneliness.

Perhaps you say today, Pastor Luther, I don't need that DVD or CD, but I know someone who does. I believe that you do and the reason is because it is ubiquitous grief and loneliness are everywhere for a gift of any amount. This can be yours.

Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com. Of course RTW is all one word RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that contact info again.

But I want to thank you in advance for standing with us because together we are making a difference and were so glad that we can give you resources that will help you make it all the way to the finish line. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 is time again for you to ask Pastor Hooks or a question about the Bible or the Christian life. There are some issues in the Bible, but it's hard to get your head around the listener were calling RD in Florida, is finding his head beginning to hurt. Perhaps Pastor lets her you can help RD rights. I have a question about predestination. Since God is all-powerful in every way. He knows from all eternity. If you will personally be saved. How does that play against our having a free will to either accept or reject God. If God knows I am made from all eternity to burn in hell where is my free will. Where does this leave me as one human being to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and feel secure in my entry into heaven when at least for me, free will is so open the question while RD first of all thank you so much for asking. One of the most difficult questions that I could ever be asked because the issue of free will versus predestination has had a long history in the Christian church and there has been many debates about it but let me say this. First of all, all Christians believe in predestination.

There's no question about that because, as taught in the Bible is taught not only does the word occur many times but also the ideal occurs. Everybody believes in predestination. The question is how do we understand it. The bottom line is that on the one hand it is very clear that we are not robots. We could not have human responsibility if we were simply robots simply puppets on a string. But on the other hand, it is also clear that God does elect some people to eternal life and he does bypass others and when a person is saved, the person cannot give thanks to himself and he thinks to himself, because it is a gift of God. God works in some lives in ways differently than he does in others. And I think that what we need to do is to simply live with both and humbly confess that we can't understand exactly how they fit together. Now, in your case and in the case of those who are listening.

Nobody has to say what I'd like to be saved but I can't be because I'm not elected or predestined to eternal life. If you have the desire to be saved. You can be like. I tell people if you want to find out whether or not you're a member of the elect is simply come to Jesus, he will receive you and that will prove to you, indeed, that you belong. As a child of God. So that's my quick answer to your difficult question but keep thinking, keep working and keep studying listeners keep those tough questions coming for Dr. Moser if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click thereon. Ask Pastor Luther or call us with a question at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. There are times when we must shut out the noises we grow so accustomed to turn off the TV, radio, and yes, even your smart phone. You'll find what remains is still small voice of God beginning next time I'm running to win a surprising final discipline. Discipline of silence, living life from the center and why listening is often more important than talking. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher