WORSHIP THE LORD

ONE CHURCH – Pinelands Baptist Church DIFFERENT CONGREGATIONS with each congregation having its own style / emphasis in four different areas: 1.Building community 2.Being missional 3.Developing a worship style appropriate to its sub-culture 4.Teaching and learning in appropriate ways

BUILDING COMMUNITY meaning to create an environment where people with broken hearts or who don’t fit our traditional Christian mould will feel loved and accepted

BEING MISSIONAL each one serving the purpose of God in our generation in our situation

WORSHIP Is to consciously ascribe to God his worthiness

1. THE NEED FOR EACH ONE TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO WORSHIP

Worship is not about US WORSHIP IS ABOUT GOD

Deuteronomy 12:5-7 You must not worship the L ORD your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the L ORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

There, in the presence of the L ORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the L ORD your God has blessed you.

John 4:21-24 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

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. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Hebrews 13:15–16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

1 Peter 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

It’s a sacrifice and still requires EFFORT

2. THE NEED TO HAVE THE RIGHT HEART IN WORSHIP

Isaiah 1:11–15 (NLT) 11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the L ORD. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?

13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!

15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

Matthew 15:7-9 (also Mark 7:6-7) You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

God never changes Even if our circumstances do

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Psalm 22:3 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

THAT’S WHY WE COME TOGETHER SUNDAY BY SUNDAY TO WORSHIP