Designed for Discipleship—Worship

Don’t raise your hand, but how many of you have a gym membership?  Here is what I think most of us know about gym memberships:

A lot of people have one…

Fewer people actually go…

And even fewer people are actually transformed by it.

Honestly, some of us are paying monthly just to think about getting in shape.

In the same way, it’s possible to “attend worship” on Sunday morning … without being transformed by it.

Because worship was never meant to be something we show up to—it’s something we become. A disciple of Jesus doesn’t simply attend worship on Sunday morning; they become worshippers.

Last week, we talked about the practice of silence and solitude—finding our eremos, that quiet place where we step away from the noise and distractions of life to simply be alone with God.

And we specifically saw how this practice worked in Jesus’ life. We saw that in silence and solitude, Jesus found:

• Strength to Face the Enemy
• Direction for His Next Steps
• Rest in the middle of Busyness
• and Connection with His Father

And we said that if Jesus needed silence and solitude… then so do we.

We ended last week with a simple challenge: Find your eremos. Find a quiet place to pray, to listen, and to seek the Father in His word. Show up—and trust that God will meet you there.

But what happens after we leave the silence and solitude? What happens when the quiet moment ends… when we’re done praying, done studying God’s word, and step back into the noise and demands of everyday life?

Silence and solitude were never meant to be the end goal.  That’s where some of the early church fathers really got it wrong.  That is where the practice of taking a vow of silence or moving to a monastery came from.

Being a disciple of Jesus begins in the silence and solitude because it is there we learn to be with God, and it’s there, away from the noise and distractions, that He forms our hearts and our minds.

But it is through becoming worshipers that we learn how to respond to God. What we do with what we’ve experienced in His presence—that is worship.

For many of us, when we hear the word worship, we immediately think about singing.

We think about Sunday mornings. We think about KLove, our favorite worship band, or our favorite worship song. Or maybe we think about a moment in a service where we were very aware of God’s presence.

All those things have value—but they are only a small part of something much bigger.

Because worship is not just an event we attend or something we just do on a Sunday morning.

Worship is the response of a life that has encountered the greatness of God.

So here’s the big idea for today:

Worship is a disciple’s response to the greatness of God.

Or to say it another way: Worship is the overflow of a life that has spent time with God.

Worship is:

• The way you live…
• The way you obey…
• The way you’re generous…
• The way you trust God in everyday moments…

All of it is worship.

Today, for the final message in our series, Designed for Discipleship, we’re going to look at what it really means for a disciple to live a life of worship.

Not just in a moment or through a song… But with every part of our lives.

1. Worship is the whole-life response of a disciple.

That is exactly what the Apostle Paul tells the Romans.

Rom 12:1 (CSB)—Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Remember, anytime you see the word “therefore” in scripture, ask yourself, “What is it there for?”  Paul says, in light of the previous 11 chapters or 315 verses where I have told you who you are in Christ and what you have received in Christ, Paul calls these things God’s mercies. 

That’s the sum of Romans 1–11: “the mercies of God.” God has been merciful to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, those who believe in him are justified by faith, reconciled to God, and have the hope of everlasting joy. 

Rom 8:1 (CSB)—Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus 

Remembering these mercies, commit yourself completely to Him.

Why? Because of what He did for you. Our “act of worship,” Paul says, is to declare, “I’m laying my life down for You, Lord, because You gave Yourself for me. You have great things in store for me. And I don’t want to miss any of them now or eternally.”

This act of committing our lives to God is pleasing to Him; it is our true act of worship.

When Paul says to, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice,” the idea is that it is an ongoing act, not a one-time act.  Jesus has given us “new life”, and we are to use this “new life” as our act of worship.

Here’s something important to understand about your act of worship: Your view of God, or, how you see God, will determine what that act of worship looks like.  If you have a small view of God, or a small understanding of Him, then your worship will be casual and inconsequential.  

If, however, you have a big view of God and a deep understanding of who He is, His character, His holiness, and His greatness, then your worship will reflect that view.  Instead of casual and inconsequential worship, you will live a life surrendered to Him.

2. Worship begins with seeing God clearly.

Look at how this plays out in the life of the Prophet Isaiah:

Isa 6:1-5 (CSB)—In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Armies. 

Whether Isaiah is having a vision or he is actually transported to the throne room of Heaven, I’m not sure, but what is clear is that when Isaiah is confronted with the holiness of the God of the universe, the creator of all things, he says, “Woe is me for I am ruined.”  

In God’s presence, Isaiah’s view of God changes pretty quickly and the reality of God’s greatness and His holiness utterly humbles him.

Then in verse 8 this happens:

Isaiah 6:8 (CSB)—Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me. 

No hesitation.  No, let me check my calendar.  No stopping to evaluate the up or downside.  Just immediate surrender.  God said it, Isaiah responded.

For us, when we spend time in silence and solitude, we hear and see God. When we spend time in His presence and are confronted by His greatness and His holiness, how we respond to what we hear and see is our worship.

Just like it was for Isaiah, worship is the natural response to revelation.

What does this worship look like?  What characterizes a life humbled and surrendered to God?  The Prophet Samuel would say obedience is the most important component of worship.

1 Sam 15:22 (CSB)—Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. 

Let me give you the context here.  Saul is King of Israel and God gives Saul some specific instructions. He tells him to go and destroy the Amalekites completely.  Leave no one alive, not even the oxen, camels, sheep or donkeys.

But Saul only partially obeys.  Basically, he and his men kept the best animals and destroyed the rest.  Also, instead of killing King Agag, he captured him alive.  The next day, Samuel confronts Saul and asks why he disobeyed God.  Saul comes up with some sorry excuses and says I did obey.  He said the things they didn’t kill, they were going to sacrifice to the Lord.

Samuel replies, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”  In other words:

3. Worship is expressed through obedience.

You can come on Sunday and be moved by God’s presence in the songs, but singing without surrender is incomplete worship.  Obedience is the disciple’s worship in action.

Another great example of this is Abraham’s life in Genesis 22.  In case you are not familiar with Abraham’s story, let me give you the abridged version.  God comes to Abraham and tells him I am going to bless you, and your descendants will be My people, and I will be their God.  Your descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky.  

Abraham says, I’m down for that God, but one problem.  My wife and I are old and we have no children.  God says that’s not a problem for me.  After a lot of drama, Abraham and Sarah have a son and name him Isaac.  

In Genesis 22, God calls out, and Abraham says, “Here I am.”  Interesting.  The same response that Isaiah gives when God calls him.  “Here I am.”

God says, I want you to take Issac and offer him as a burnt offering.  So, Abraham loads the donkey with some wood and his only son, Issac.  Isaac is getting a little suspicious at this point because they have everything they need to worship the Lord with a sacrifice, except the animal.  When Isaac asks his dad where the offering is, Abraham says, don’t worry, the Lord will provide the offering.

They get to the place God told Abraham to go.  He builds the altar, stacks the wood and lifts the knife to kill his only son … Then this happens:

Gen 22:11-13 (CSB)—But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

Then the Lord speaks to Abraham again and says, “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son,  I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies.  And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

That is the power of our obedience.  That scenario, perhaps less dramatically, is played out in our lives every single day.  God probably won’t ask you to sacrifice one of your kids, but there are situations and moments in our lives, every day, where God is calling us to worship Him through our obedience.  He’s calling us to lay something down so we can pick up something greater.

4. Worship is the daily rhythm of a disciple.

Col 3:17 (CSB)—And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Whatever you do… do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Whatever you do, Paul says.  Everything you do in your life shows the value you hold for what Jesus has done for you.  In other words:

When I was younger, this was a tough concept for me.  In really practical terms, what does this look like?  

(Show the graphic)

I started visualizing it like this:  The circle is my life.  It is made of things like my work, my marriage, my hobbies, my kids, my friendships.  You may think of other things that fit into that circle.  At the center of the circle is Jesus.  I center my entire life around Jesus.  My marriage is centered around Jesus.  At the center of my work, my hobbies, and my relationships is Jesus.  How do I glorify Jesus, who loved me and gave himself up for me, in all of these areas of my life?

I center everything in my life around him. Centering my life around Jesus is my daily rhythm of worship.  When I begin to do that, my life overflows with results.  The world begins to see love, joy, peace, patience, etc.  The Bible calls these the fruit of the Spirit.  You’ll find the list in Galatians 5.  These things are the result of our daily rhythm of worship.

It is in solitude and silence that God forms the disciple’s heart, and worship is how that formed heart then lives.  

Worship is a disciple’s response to the greatness of God.

What does your life say about the greatness of God?  What does your life say God is worth?

The real question is not if you worship, but what your life is declaring about what is worthy of worship.

I want to leave you with a few questions, not to heap on the guilt or to make you feel like dirt because you feel like you have done something wrong, but some questions that may help you clarify what kind of statement your life is making about the greatness of God:

1. What do you need to place on the altar?

2. What has God told you that you still need to act on?

3. Where in daily life are you most likely to forget God? How can you turn that into worship?