"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him." Psalm 67
THE TYPE OF WORSHIP GOD REALLY PREFERS IS -
LIFE-STYLE WORSHIP……
WHAT DOES IT
LOOK LIKE? – V. 1 - “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,”
This Aaronic blessing comes from Nu. 6:24-26 and carries
tremendous significance when prayed by a direct descendent of Aaron over an
adult Hebrew man. It was seen as a connection with the covenant that God made
with Abraham. There was hope attached to this blessing. There was favor
attached to this blessing.
When the Psalmist prayed for God to be gracious and to show
His favor on him he was essentially praying to enter into an intimate worship
experience with God. He is describing what worship ought to be for the one who
loves God.
Worship should:
Celebrate God’s Grace and Seek God’s Face.
If this defined worship on that side of the Christ and the
Cross, think how much more it should mean to us on this side of Calvary!
Celebrate His Grace
There is a great article that illustrates the concept of grace written by Charles Stanley.
“One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of
illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism
course he would distribute the exam with the caution to read it all the way
through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as
well. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we
had not studied nearly enough.
The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard through out the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, "You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment."
Wow? We sat there stunned. "Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?" Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.
When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.
The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard through out the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, "You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment."
Wow? We sat there stunned. "Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?" Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.
When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.
Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.
This story illustrates many people’s reaction to God’s solution to sin.
Some people look at God’s standard--moral and ethical perfection--and throw
their hands up in surrender. Why even try? they tell themselves. I could never
live up to all that stuff
Others are like the student who read the test through and was aware of
the professor’s offer but took the test anyway. Unwilling to simply receive
God’s gift of forgiveness, they set about to rack up enough points with God to
earn it.
But God’s grace truly is like the professor’s offer. It may seem
unbelievable, but if we accept it, then, like the stunned students who accepted
the professor’s offer, we, too, will discover that, Yes, God’s grace truly is
free. All we have to do is accept it.
Seek His Face
What does that mean?
It means the presence of God. It means the pleasure of God.
The Bible says of both Samuel AND
Jesus, “They increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
It is the smile of God.
WHEN GOD’S PRESENCE IS WELCOME and
WHEN HIS PLEASURE IS WANTED YOU ARE A CANDIDATE FOR HIS FAVOR.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? – V. 2 – “that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”
When you
worship gets better YOUR WALK GETS BETTER!
Maturity – if you
make a conscious choice everyday to celebrate God’s grace and if you choose
each day to seek His face that will keep you from being ruled by your emotions
and feelings.
Moods – If you
are led by intentional and willful choices, you will be less likely to be
controlled by your moods because you will be directing your thoughts and
emotions.
Mission – If you are grounded in spiritual maturity you will
find it easier to focus on the mission of living a life-style of worship that
will lead to fulfilling the Great Commission.
WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN IT
MAKE? – Vv. 3-7 – “May the peoples praise
you, O God; may all the peoples
praise you. May the nations be
glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of
the earth. May the peoples praise
you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God,
will bless us. God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.”
JUST AS WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES
DRAW PEOPLE TO THE PRODUCTS THEY ENDORSE BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCELLENCE IN WHAT THEY DO –
WORLD-CLASS WORSHIP CAN ATTRACT PEOPLE TO FAITH!
ANOTHER
NAME FOR WORLD-CLASS WORSHIP – R-E-V-I-V-A-L!
WORLD-CLASS WORSHIP THAT LEADS TO REVIVAL INVOLVES:
Celebrating
His Grace And Seeking His Face
Showing His Grace And Favor
Sharing
His Grace And Favor
CELEBRATE GOD’S GRACE AND SEEK HIS FACE AS A WAY OF LIFE:
IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
IN YOUR MARRIAGE
IN YOUR PARENTING
WHEN YOU COME TO WORSHIP
IN YOUR SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
IN YOUR WORKPLACE