Welcome!
Today: New Year resolution- a call to worship!
Passage: Matt. 2
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house,they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipedhim. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Mat 2, NIV)- emphasis added
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4, NIV)-emphasis added
Worship is one important thing we see from Genesis to Revelation, in the Bible
Starting with the worship of Abel and Cain, we see various occassions where worship is mentioned.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped God. They did not have a specific place /temple but they built an altar for God and worshipped God
God told Moses to ask Pharaoh to set His (God’s) people free so that they could worship God
The first commandment is about worship. The book of psalms is mostly about worship. When Jesus came into the earth, He was worshipped. Jesus briefed the ten commandments in just two:
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[b] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Mat 22, NIV)
Worship is the expression of our Love for God, with all our being – spirit, soul and body
For some reason, many Christians do not give worship the importance it deserves. We sing, read the Bible and pray; that’s it! That’s what we have been doing for generations!
The ultimate goal of worship is to please God. Pleasing God is not like pleasing people, to get things done. Instead, we are only doing that which is reasonable and
appropriate. God expects us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Rom 12:1-2)
Sinful worship does not make sense to God
God will accept our prayer of repentance first, followed by worship
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Mat 23, NIV)
That is hard! But God wants us to reconcile with our fellow beings before we offer our praises/worship to God! but we take exceptions!
If we know that we have hurt somebody, we better reconcile that at least
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. (Rom 12, NIV)-emphasis added
What’s our New year resolution going to be?
Have a blessed, peaceful time!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I hardly give you the praise and worship you righfully deserve. I often get too busy, but you must be first in my life. Help me not to steal that which is
yours. Make me a true worshipper, Lord. Thank you, Amen.
“When we truly love God selflessly, worship just happens!”
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