A number of you, here this a.m., are in high school
-& some of you are just out of high school & maybe going to college
And there’s this question that comes up, people have been asking you
& you’ve probably tired of hearing it
-but, you’ve been asking yourself this question:
“What are you going to do with your life?”
-& if you’re older, like me, you’ve been there
-& to some extent, you’re still needing to ask that question
-of the remainder of your life
“What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
What that’s getting at, is you want to build something
-not so much build a bridge or a house
-but, build your life
-you want to - you need to, build your life
-to build a career, build a family, build wisdom & character
-build a heritage
-when you’re in school, you’ve got your life ahead of you
-but, really, for most of - or all of your years - you’re building your life
-& sometimes, you’re life gets sort of broken down
-& this too, happens to many while they’re still in school
-your life gets broken down & you’re in the re-building phase
Now, when we say, you want to build your life - what do you need to do?
How do you do it well?
-you’d think & most would say,
-get a good education
-get a good job
-get to know the right people
-get some good investments & save
-raise a family
That’s all good advice & you might think of some other good things
-but here’s something to add to that list & should be right near the top
-& yet, I don’t think a lot of people would ever think of it
-when thinking about building their lives - WORSHIP
Where does worship fit in your recipe to success in life?
Where does worship fit in on the blueprints for building your life?
We’re going to consider this morning, the essential position
-that worship has in building our lives
We’re in the midst of a study from the O.T. book, Ezra
This is the history of the Jewish people returning to Jerusalem to rebuild
-so, we too, are looking at some things to learn about building
& rebuilding our lives
-God had brought judgment on His people since they had for some generations
-wickedly ignored Him
-so, God brought defeat at the hands of the Babylonians
-the people were dispersed & the city of Jerusalem was all broken to pieces
-& with it - the temple
-but, soon into this judgment, God promised, after 70 years,
-to rebuild the nation & the holy city
-& that account is found in the book of Ezra
We’ve been looking at this keeping in mind, that God is building
& in many ways, rebuilding our lives
-physically
-emotionally
-interpersonally - with our relationships
-spiritually
So, we’ve been drawing some good, practical parallels
-as we’ve noticed how the temple was rebuilt
Last week, we focused on the importance of giving
-to rebuild, it will take some giving on our part - sacrificial giving
-time
-talents
-treasures - our money
-it takes our giving to do God’s work
Today, we’ll see how important WORSHIP is to this process of building
& re-building our lives
In Ezra 3, the people who came on this mission from Babylon to rebuild the temple
-have settled into their own homes
-it looks like they took a few months to settle their homes
-& now, they come together in Jerusalem
-in the 7th month of their religious calendar
Ezra 3:1-3
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifice..
They needed to build their temple
-& this was their mission for coming back to Jerusalem
-but notice the prominence of worship in this whole process of rebuilding
-other then simply settling into their homes,
-& before they got all busy with the obvious need
-to work on building the temple
-the first thing they do, is set up some appropriate way
-to express their worship to God
-they set up an altar so they can make sacrifices to God
Now, for us, worship looks very different - we don’t need an altar any more
-& we don’t sacrifice animals
-look at Hebrews 13:
Hebrews 13:9-16
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
We don’t need an altar, nor do we need the sacrificing of animals
-nor do we need a city or a temple
-first, we worship God by coming to Jesus
-we accept His offering of Himself as a sacrifice for us
-& that’s a sacrifice to God the Father
-a completely satisfying eternally active sacrifice of worship to God
-Jesus Christ
-second, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God
-& this is motivated from the first - Jesus sacrificed Himself for us,
-we now sacrifice ourselves for Him
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
Worship is giving a sacrifice to God - giving ourselves as an offering,
-not animals
-giving ourselves to serve Him - to devote our lives to Him
-worship changes our lives
-or, changing our lives for God is worship
So, to worship -
-first, we come to Jesus & receive His sacrifice for us
-second, we sacrifice our lives for Him
-third, there is the expression of worship
-this is what we think of mostly
-our music - & very unfortunately,
-that’s where it starts & stops in some people’s minds
-I refuse to call the musicians who lead music on Sunday a.m.
-the “Worship Team”
-some think the worship starts & ends with the music - NO!
-our prayers
-our words of adoration
-maybe dance & other art forms - may be ways of expressing worship
-our giving of offerings & tithes
-even our fellowship - hugs & handshakes - can be worship
Ephesians 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This third aspect of worship that I’ve listed here, is what we think of the most
-however, without the first two
-these actions, or expressions of worship - are not worship at all!
Hebrews 13:15-16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hopefully, you’ll agree - worship is necessary for the building of our lives
-as it was necessary for the people re-building Jerusalem
-before they did anything else, they set up an alter & began to sacrifice to God
-they celebrated the special feast days
-days that celebrated the special blessings of God
-days that commemorated how in the past God delivered His people
Ezra 3:4-6
Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid.
In O.T. times, God had prescribed certain & specific days & weeks
-for celebrations
-each with it’s own meaning
-each with it’s own set of sacrifices & some rituals
-now, in the day of the church
-we don’t have all those prescribed special days & weeks
-about the only thing we have is the Lord’s supper
-which is a very special time of worship
-& we’re advised to meet together & we primarily do that on Sunday a.m.
-as well in small groups throughout the week
-for prayer, fellowship, study & group worship - as with the Lord’s supper
-look at the early church
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
That’s Worship!
-prayer, fellowship, teaching & the celebration of the Lord’s supper
-the ministering to one another’s needs
-the large group gatherings & the small group fellowship
-the outreach - to the lost
-ultimately, God is praised & glorified & worshipped
-that has got to be a top priority for us, if we’re to build - or re-build our lives
-in fact, we should learn from the people re-building Jerusalem & the temple
-start with worship
-before all else - start with worship
I don’t know if we think of Sunday as the last day of the week or the first day
-on the calendar - it’s the first day - that’s what it’s suppose to be
-however, have you noticed, a lot of calendars put Sunday with Saturday
-on the end of the week
-& a lot of people think of Monday as the beginning of the week
-but, it would help, if we truly thought of Sunday as the first day
-so we would be starting our week with worship
-but of course, a lot of people don’t go to church
-& I’m afraid, as they try to build their lives - they usually don’t get too far
-building & re-building, is best started with worship
& worship then carries us into the building process
Ezra 3:6-9
On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid.
7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 9 Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
They started with worship & this led them to the rebuilding
-but, just as they started with worship & worship got them going on the building
-worship carried them on throughout the building
Ezra 10-13
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
"He is good;
his love to Israel endures forever."
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Sometimes worship is loud!)
Some people, when they hit the bottom in life - they reach out for God
-you’ll see some come to church like this:
-they’ve been in jail
-they might be going off to war
-they’re lonely & somehow broken
-& they come to God & they come to church
-well, things start going better - but then, they forget God
-of course they still know He’s there - but, they really don’t continue to worship
-they don’t give themselves to God
-they don’t express worship
-they don’t fellowship, learn, pray & celebrate with believers
-& what happens? Pretty soon they’re back in jail
-or they’re back to having the same problems
-problems that are brought on by living in the world
-or brought on by living for themselves & not God
Building our lives, starts with worship & continues with worship
-& worship is coming to Jesus - to be born into the family of God
-having your sins forgiven
-your guilt pardoned
-your wickedness washed by Jesus - by His perfect sacrifice for you
-worship then continues with an ongoing giving of yourself to God
-time, talents & treasures
-& worship will be expressed in praises to God
Hebrews 13:15-16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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