1. The Heart of Worship
Graeme Sterne
2005

2. I’m coming back to the heart of worship And it’s all about You
I’m coming back to the heart of worship And it’s all about You. It’s all about you Jesus. I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it, ‘Cos it’s all about you. It’s all about You Jesus

3. Worship is not… Singing Bowing down to the ground
Praying for long hours
Going without food
Meeting in a church
Meditating
Giving money

4. These are outward actions that come from something much deeper
The heart of worship is
surrender
Romans 12:1,2 Hosea 6:6

5. True worship happens when you give yourself completely to God
Yielding to the Spirit
Following Christ
Being a disciple
Going all out for God
Sanctification
Islam???

6. When God gets a hold of your life he does not want to trim a branch here and there. He wants the whole tree – all of it! C.S. Lewis

7. Barriers that block total surrender
Fear – of letting go
Pride – don’t want to admit I need help
Ignorance – don’t know what it involves

8. Barrier 1: Fear of letting go
We want to keep control
We are scared of what surrender might mean
We know in our heads that we should trust God but our feelings pull in another direction

9. Perfect love casts out fear
The languages of love:
* Touch
* Gifts
* Saying it
* Doing things together
* Serving

10. God proves His love for us …
Never lets us out of His sight
Cares about every detail of our lives
Gives us capacity to enjoy things
Turns all things for good
Has gone to prepare a place for us
Is patient with us
Helps us with our burdens

11. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matt 11:28,29

12. Paradoxes in Christianity
Slaves are free people
If you lose your life you gain it
If you try to hold onto your life you lose it
If you give you will receive
Surrender is a noble thing to do

13. Barrier 2: Pride Rich young ruler Isaiah 30:15 (and back to v. 1 ff)
“What friend we have in Jesus”
We have a strong internal drive to stay in control

14. We have a strong internal drive to stay in control
We accept our humanity intellectually but emotionally we clutch onto control
When faced with our limitations we react with
- irritation
- anger
- resentment
- impatience
- envy
- self-pity

15. Barrier 3: Ignorance Surrender is not: Passive resignation
Giving up rational thinking
Repressing our personality
Entering a spiritual existence and leaving this life behind

16. Surrender is: Best demonstrated in obedience
e.g. Peter in the fishing boat
Reacting to a challenge with prayer
e.g. David & Goliath, Daniel, Mary
Letting God do His work
e.g. Abraham, Rebecca, Saul
Reflected in relationships
e.g. Jesus in the garden

17. Surrender is:
A deliberate choice to listen to God instead of our own feelings
A deliberate choice to put God’s interests first
A deliberate decision to obey not matter what the history, circumstances or consequences

18. The blessings of surrender
Peace Isaiah 30:15
Freedom John 8:32
Power Romans 8:5-11
“The greatness of a man’s power is in the measure of his surrender”
William Booth (Founder of the Salvation Army)

19. We were designed to serve – who will it be?
You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans