THE HEART OF A WORSHIPPER

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Jesus teaches us that God seeks individuals who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

 

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:  for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

 

B.      We learn from Acts 2:42 that the early church members were steadfast worshippers of God.

 

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 

C.      In Hebrews 13:15, the inspired penman exhorts us to praise God continually.

           

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

 

D.     And in 1 Peter 2:9, Peter admonishes us to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

 

E.      These verses reveal that God’s people are to be worshippers, but the church often struggles getting individuals to worship.

1.      Some just do not attend.

2.      Some will allow other things to get in the way of their worship.

3.      Some believe that a dab (1 hour) a week will do you.

4.      Some attend, but they are not thrilled with worship.

5.      In many places, churches just continue to make the worship services shorter and shorter.

 

F.      The reality is that in order to worship God properly, each of us must have “The Heart of a Worshipper.”  Let’s look at what is involved in having such a heart.

 

I.              A LONGING TO BE IN GOD’S PRESENCE

 

A.     When we worship, we are literally bowing in the presence of the Almighty God.  We cannot see Him, but He is present with us (See Matt. 26:29).

 

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

 

B.      A true worshipper knows God assembles with His saints.  He yearns to be in the presence of his heavenly Father (Ps. 63:1-2).

 

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:  my soul thirstest for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

 

C.      It takes a person with little understanding or a very hard heart not to yearn to be in the presence of God.

1.      He is the supreme being of the Universe.

2.      He is our Creator.

3.      He is our Redeemer.

4.      He is our Father.

5.      He is the one who loves us the most.

6.      He is the one who blesses us abundantly.

7.      He is the one who has provided a wonderful eternity in the world to come.

 

II.            AN APPRECIATION FOR GOD

 

A.    Appreciation:  “the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value”

 

B.     Estimate:  to form an opinion regarding something’s worth

 

C.     How many of us have ever really done an assessment of God? 

How many of us have really tried to form a conclusive judgment about God’s worth?

 

D.    Some facts to consider:

1.      He is the only God. 

a.      “There is one God…” (Eph. 4:6).

b.      “But to us there is but one God…” (1 Cor. 8:6).

2.      He is eternal.

a.      “The eternal God is thy refuge…” (Deut. 33:27).

b.      1 Timothy 1:17

 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

c.       We want to believe that God came from something, but He did not.  He is a self-existent being.  He always has been and will always be.

3.      He holds the power of life and death in His hands (Gen. 2:7; Luke 12:20).

4.      He is powerful and can manifest His power in untold ways (Rev. 15:3).

 

 

…Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

 

E.     We have barely scratched the surface of the nature and character of God. 

1.      His being is unfathomable.

2.      His total and complete nature is incomprehensible.

 

F.      Question:  The Cullinan diamond was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered.  It size was 3,106.75 carats.  If someone were to give you the largest diamond that exists in the world, how would you feel about that stone?  The quality, the value, and the greatness of that stone pales in comparison to the God of heaven.

 

G.    When we make an accurate assessment of God and understand His value, we will come to an appreciation of Him that drive us to fall before Him and worship.

 

III.           A KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

 

A.     Man often has a difficult time evaluating himself.

1.      We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), but we are dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19).

2.      We are talented and can accomplish great things (Gen. 1:28; Matt. 25:14-15), but we are also sinners (Rom. 3:23).

3.      We possess wisdom and knowledge, but we are not able to direct our own steps (Jer. 10:23).

 

B.      Man likes to focus upon his strengths.  Too, he likes to cover up his weaknesses.  Because of this, he has a difficult time seeing his need for God.

 

C.      When man sees himself in his weak, frail, sinful condition, he…

1.      Runs into the presence of God.

2.      Falls before Him in utter helplessness.

3.      Cries out unto the Almighty God because of his uncleanness and unworthiness before God.

4.      Examples:

a.      Isaiah (Isa. 6:5)

 

Then said I, Woe is me!  for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:  for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.

 

b.      The apostle John (Rev. 1:17a)

 

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead…

 

D.     Man is not worthy to be in God’s presence.

Yet, God allows Him to stand before him.

When we do, praise should spill forth from our hearts and lips.

Why?  Because this great and holy God wants me to be with Him.

 

IV.          AN UNDERSTANDING OF SACRIFICE

 

A.     Sacrifice involves that which “costs” someone something (See 1 Sam. 24:24)

 

And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price:  neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.

 

B.      How many in our society really understand the meaning of the word “sacrifice”?

1.      We may have struggled somewhat in life, but how many of us have truly sacrificed something on another’s behalf?

2.      We give a little money.  We give a little bit of time.  We give some of our knowledge or talents.  But, have we truly sacrificed?

3.      Because we have not had to sacrifice, we do not completely appreciate the sacrifice God made for us.

a.      He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

b.      He gave himself for our sins (Gal. 1:4).

c.       …and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (Eph. 5:2).

d.      He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity… (Tit. 2:14).

e.      …but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Heb. 9:26)

f.        So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many… (Heb. 9:28).

 

C.      When we understand what God sacrificed by giving man the perfect sacrifice for his transgressions, we will earnestly fall before the throne of grace and give thanks (See Luke 17:15-16).

 

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks:  and he was a Samaritan.

 

V.            A WILL TO PLEASE GOD

 

A.     When it comes to living our lives, we have choices as to whom we desire to please.

1.      We can please self.

2.      We can please others.

3.      We can please Satan.

4.      We can please God.

 

B.      To please means “to give pleasure to.”

 

C.      Paul admonished the churches to please God in the first century.

1.      Colossians 1:10

 

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.

 

2.       1 Thessalonians 4:1

 

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

 

D.     True worship pleases God.

1.      The sound of our praise pleases Him.

2.      The oneness of His followers pleases Him.

3.      The obedience of His people pleases Him.

4.      The sacrifice of our time and money pleases Him.

5.      The correct ordering of our priorities pleases Him.

6.      The mind of the worshippers focused on Christ’s death pleases Him.

7.      The respect the worshippers give the proclamation of His Word pleases Him.

 

E.      What doesn’t please God.

1.      Choosing something else to do instead of worship.

2.      Using feeble excuses not to come into His presence.

3.      Complete rebellion by forsaking the assembly.

4.      Failing to see the importance of worship.

5.      Failing to understand the need of worship.

6.      Failing to pay attention and fully participate in worship.

 

VI.          A HOLE THAT CANNOT BE FILLED

 

A.     A heart that longs to worship God is a heart that cannot be filled.

1.      This heart cannot worship God too much.

2.      This heart yearns for every worship service.

3.      This heart drinks in every aspect of the worship service.

 

B.      The sand at the beach:  A person can dig a hole in the sand and try to fill it with water and the hole can never be filled.  It drinks and drinks and drinks the ocean water. 

 

C.      The psalmist possessed this type of a heart.

1.      Psalm 42:1-2

 

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:  when shall I come and appear before God?

2.      Psalm 143:6

 

I stretch forth my hands unto thee:  my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.  Selah.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Do you have the heart of a worshipper?

1.      Do you long to be in the presence of God?

2.      Do you have an appreciation of God?

3.      Do you really have a knowledge of self?

4.      Do you have an understanding of God’s great sacrifice?

5.      Do you have a will that longs to please God?

6.      Do you have a heart with a hole that cannot be filled with too much of God?

 

B.      1 Chronicles 28:9

1.      Man’s responsibility:

 

…and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind:  for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the hearts…

 

2.      The consequences:

 

…if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.