Worship
A Pillar of the Church.
The other three pillars include Connect, Grow, Go. The other three pillars need to flow out of the Pillar of Worship.Sermon by Pastor Aaron Jozwiak of Red Village Church on January 10, 2016.
Scripture Reading
Book Two
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
42 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
43 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalms 42 and 43 may have been one book, and one song. Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 43:11 appear to be similar to the chorus.
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
43 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalms 42 and 43 may have been one book, and one song. Psalm 42:5 and Psalm 43:11 appear to be similar to the chorus.
Main Points
- Worship comes from longing (affections).
- Worship has enemies.
- Worship must be intentional.
1. Worship Comes from Longing
Worship comes from our heart's longing (affections or passion). Where your heart is, is where your treasure is (Luke 12:34). See Psalm 42:1-2,5,11;Psalm 43:5.
Worship is something we should want to do. Is it the duty of the deer to drink from the stream? Is the deer forced to drink? Without drinking, the deer would die! It's life is dependent upon the water.
Worship is something we can only properly do in response to who God is.
2. Worship has Enemies
We don't always worship God or long for God.
The outside world promotes self worship. The outside world is an adversary and is taunting the Psalmist (Psalm 43:1).
Our hearts can be the enemy of worship. Our hearts...
- are prone to wander.
- can be filled with sorrow (Psalm 42:3).
- have inner turmoil, anxiety, fear, worry.
- have discouragement from unending difficulty. The opposite of a flowing stream is a crushing waterfall (Psalm 42;7).
- can doubt God. The world doubts God. See Psalm 42:9 and Psalm 43:2. Jesus asked why He is rejected (Matthew 27:46). These questions can be a part of worship.
3. Worship must be Intentional
Worship can be spontaneous. Don't let your thoughts and emotions run wild. Intentionally remember to worship (Psalm 42:4). We need to remember and remind ourselves who God is and what He has done (Psalm 42:5&11). Intentionally speak the good news into our heart. Difficulties should lead us to go to God's alter (Psalm 43:4).
How do We Intentionally Worship?
Individually, we fast and pray. We should worship God consider how amazing God is and His creation.
Corporately, we connect with each other, growing with each other, and going where the world is hurting and broken. We must tell them!
Don't wait for spontaneous worship to occur. We are to deliberately worship God every day.