Here’s a million-dollar question: “WHAT IS WORSHIP?”
Notice how we always label the different sections of a church service? There will be the hospitality time, then there’s worship, and after that, the word etc. So, when we say worship, do we just mean ‘singing, clapping and maybe sometimes a little dancing’?
Pastor Andy mentioned last week that we are all created to worship. That is why we always seem to be admiring someone or something else. There is an internal desire to put something on a pedestal where we make them our God. So, if it’s not God you are worshipping, then you are making someone/something else your God.
So back to the question: What is worship?
Worship is giving worth to God. When we worship something, we value everything about it. As an example, say, if you worship Manchester United, you wouldn’t mind spending money on MU merchandise even if it means starving yourself for the next one month. Nor would you mind screaming your heart out to support them in every match even if it means you would be too tired to do anything the next day and your throat will be sore for the next one week. Why such craziness? Because you worship them. Same thing applies when it comes to worshipping God. Not that we spend all we have on church and scream our hearts out in church (though you can do that).
But it’s about giving your all to God because you see God as ‘worth it’. It’s about getting excited about God with every breath you take and including Him in everything you say, do and think. Worship is about being obedient to God and having a relationship with Him. Worship is about loving, giving and sharing because that’s who God is.
There is also a tendency to become or want to become like the thing we are worshipping. We become obsessed and think that everything our idol does is perfect. So if your idol is, say, Brad Pitt, then you would most likely find out what he likes, dislikes, what he has been doing etc. And there is a tendency to like what he likes, dislike what he dislikes, and be like him.
Our purpose is to worship God. We exist to glorify God and at the same time to enjoy Him. Worship is our life. If we don't worship God, we are not living out our purpose and that basically spells out a wasted life. So, here is a thought before I end: Are we living out our purpose by worshipping God and becoming more Christ-like every day, or are we becoming more like someone/something else as the day passes because they’ve become our God?
Notice how we always label the different sections of a church service? There will be the hospitality time, then there’s worship, and after that, the word etc. So, when we say worship, do we just mean ‘singing, clapping and maybe sometimes a little dancing’?
Pastor Andy mentioned last week that we are all created to worship. That is why we always seem to be admiring someone or something else. There is an internal desire to put something on a pedestal where we make them our God. So, if it’s not God you are worshipping, then you are making someone/something else your God.
So back to the question: What is worship?
Worship is giving worth to God. When we worship something, we value everything about it. As an example, say, if you worship Manchester United, you wouldn’t mind spending money on MU merchandise even if it means starving yourself for the next one month. Nor would you mind screaming your heart out to support them in every match even if it means you would be too tired to do anything the next day and your throat will be sore for the next one week. Why such craziness? Because you worship them. Same thing applies when it comes to worshipping God. Not that we spend all we have on church and scream our hearts out in church (though you can do that).
But it’s about giving your all to God because you see God as ‘worth it’. It’s about getting excited about God with every breath you take and including Him in everything you say, do and think. Worship is about being obedient to God and having a relationship with Him. Worship is about loving, giving and sharing because that’s who God is.
There is also a tendency to become or want to become like the thing we are worshipping. We become obsessed and think that everything our idol does is perfect. So if your idol is, say, Brad Pitt, then you would most likely find out what he likes, dislikes, what he has been doing etc. And there is a tendency to like what he likes, dislike what he dislikes, and be like him.
Our purpose is to worship God. We exist to glorify God and at the same time to enjoy Him. Worship is our life. If we don't worship God, we are not living out our purpose and that basically spells out a wasted life. So, here is a thought before I end: Are we living out our purpose by worshipping God and becoming more Christ-like every day, or are we becoming more like someone/something else as the day passes because they’ve become our God?
''The Making Of A Disciple'' Series :: #2 How You Cannot Be A Disciple?
0 Comments Published by Siau Ying on April 30, 2007 at 2:12 AM.
To begin with…
We as human beings choose people; we tend to judge people by their outward appearance or their actions. But thankfully, God looks at the heart, the substance within that we carry as a disciple of Christ.
As a child of God, we are on a mission which is to make disciples that make the difference, no matter what circumstances we are in.
In Part 1 of the series we talked about the ‘launch’ in Luke 5:4. In Luke 5: 10, Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." The phrase ‘from now on’ shows us that ‘catching men’ was not something His disciples used to do at that time, it requires them to risk and give their lives in obedience, not knowing what follows but trusting God for good.
This teaches us to surrender ourselves, our fleshly and worldly desires to Him. You can’t reach this world as long as you need this world. We don’t need the world; the world needs us, the disciples of Jesus. ‘The world’ here can just mean people around us, our friends and family members. You may be the only chance that they can ever meet Jesus. They may see Jesus through you because He lives in you.
Okay so…
How You Cannot Be A Disciple?
We have to learn how we CANNOT be a disciple to learn how to BE a disciple =)
>> Luke 14 : 26
Now great multitudes went with Him. And he turned and said to them. ‘’If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoa! Is Jesus asking us to hate our parents, brothers and sisters and ourselves so that we can be His disciple? Of course not! He is telling us that your love for Him must be so big that it makes any other love looks like hate. We definitely still have to honour and love our parents and brothers sisters, but that must not be greater than your love for God. Every small or big decision that we make each day depends on our priority. To get our priorities right, we must love Jesus above all else.
>> Luke 14 : 27
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Here, Jesus asks us to die to ourselves daily, take up the Cross and follow His ways. Dying to ourselves means to give up our fleshly desires in which most of the time, are not what God wants for us. What we want may not necessarily be what we need. A disciple must subject himself to the higher calling. We seek God’s ways and desires for us because only He knows what is best for us.
>> Luke 14 :28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it .
If we want to do something, we have to count the cost. There’s a price to pay to become a disciple. It takes our sacrifices, our dying-to-self, and discipline.
Salvation is free because Chirst paid the price, but discipleship will cost you everything.
Martin Luther once said, ‘A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.’ And if we give our lives to something, that something worth our lives!
>> Luke 14 : 33
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.’’
We cannot be Jesus’ disciple if we do not forsake all. He wants our total devotion to Him. No matter how tempting they can be, we should forsake all others, including attitude or style of living that will not please Him. Because it is only then we can experience His awesomeness and great plans for us.
*******
Hey guys and girls out there! ;) Do feel free to feedback and discuss about this article or anything else in the SHOUT OUT box yea…
and don’t forget to join us at Teenacity at 5PM this Saturday onwards at the Summit Hotel 2nd Floor! It’s gonna be a special service and you won’t want to miss this out… so come and check it out! =D
We as human beings choose people; we tend to judge people by their outward appearance or their actions. But thankfully, God looks at the heart, the substance within that we carry as a disciple of Christ.
As a child of God, we are on a mission which is to make disciples that make the difference, no matter what circumstances we are in.
In Part 1 of the series we talked about the ‘launch’ in Luke 5:4. In Luke 5: 10, Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." The phrase ‘from now on’ shows us that ‘catching men’ was not something His disciples used to do at that time, it requires them to risk and give their lives in obedience, not knowing what follows but trusting God for good.
This teaches us to surrender ourselves, our fleshly and worldly desires to Him. You can’t reach this world as long as you need this world. We don’t need the world; the world needs us, the disciples of Jesus. ‘The world’ here can just mean people around us, our friends and family members. You may be the only chance that they can ever meet Jesus. They may see Jesus through you because He lives in you.
Okay so…
How You Cannot Be A Disciple?
We have to learn how we CANNOT be a disciple to learn how to BE a disciple =)
>> Luke 14 : 26
Now great multitudes went with Him. And he turned and said to them. ‘’If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoa! Is Jesus asking us to hate our parents, brothers and sisters and ourselves so that we can be His disciple? Of course not! He is telling us that your love for Him must be so big that it makes any other love looks like hate. We definitely still have to honour and love our parents and brothers sisters, but that must not be greater than your love for God. Every small or big decision that we make each day depends on our priority. To get our priorities right, we must love Jesus above all else.
>> Luke 14 : 27
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Here, Jesus asks us to die to ourselves daily, take up the Cross and follow His ways. Dying to ourselves means to give up our fleshly desires in which most of the time, are not what God wants for us. What we want may not necessarily be what we need. A disciple must subject himself to the higher calling. We seek God’s ways and desires for us because only He knows what is best for us.
>> Luke 14 :28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it .
If we want to do something, we have to count the cost. There’s a price to pay to become a disciple. It takes our sacrifices, our dying-to-self, and discipline.
Salvation is free because Chirst paid the price, but discipleship will cost you everything.
Martin Luther once said, ‘A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.’ And if we give our lives to something, that something worth our lives!
>> Luke 14 : 33
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.’’
We cannot be Jesus’ disciple if we do not forsake all. He wants our total devotion to Him. No matter how tempting they can be, we should forsake all others, including attitude or style of living that will not please Him. Because it is only then we can experience His awesomeness and great plans for us.
*******
Hey guys and girls out there! ;) Do feel free to feedback and discuss about this article or anything else in the SHOUT OUT box yea…
and don’t forget to join us at Teenacity at 5PM this Saturday onwards at the Summit Hotel 2nd Floor! It’s gonna be a special service and you won’t want to miss this out… so come and check it out! =D
Some pics from Teenacity Day Out to the Zoo & FCT Youth Service!
0 Comments Published by teenacity on April 29, 2007 at 5:45 PM.
Those who missed it... awwwww...don't cryyy.....
