WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:04.559 This is the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast, brought 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.719 to you by Living on the Edge. In this podcast, 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:10.539 you'll hear Chip's teaching unedited and from 00:00:10.539 --> 00:00:13.980 beginning to end. Here's Chip Ingram with how 00:00:13.980 --> 00:00:17.300 to overcome boredom and the blues. Webster says 00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.420 boredom is the condition of becoming weary by 00:00:20.420 --> 00:00:24.379 dull, uninteresting, or monotonous activity or 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:29.030 focus. It's trying to get satisfied with something, 00:00:29.149 --> 00:00:31.230 and then after you try it for a while, it doesn't 00:00:31.230 --> 00:00:33.450 satisfy, so you try something else, and then 00:00:33.450 --> 00:00:36.490 things just get dull. If you don't think we're 00:00:36.490 --> 00:00:39.009 a culture that struggles with boredom, consider 00:00:39.009 --> 00:00:42.710 the word amusement and the multi -billion dollar 00:00:42.710 --> 00:00:44.609 industry. You know what the word muse means? 00:00:44.770 --> 00:00:47.109 It means to think. You know what amusement means? 00:00:47.289 --> 00:00:50.250 Not to think. We have amusement parks, video, 00:00:50.570 --> 00:00:54.070 TV, vacations, bungee jumping, thrill seeking, 00:00:54.329 --> 00:00:57.170 adrenaline riding. We have people that the highlight, 00:00:57.409 --> 00:01:00.329 the highlight of their week is when one of their 00:01:00.329 --> 00:01:03.490 favorite authors writes a new fictional novel. 00:01:03.770 --> 00:01:06.890 We're a culture that lives vicariously. We are 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:11.569 so bored. We are so empty when it gets down to 00:01:11.569 --> 00:01:14.569 what matters. We vicariously live through rock 00:01:14.569 --> 00:01:18.209 stars and sports figures and romance novels and 00:01:18.209 --> 00:01:20.569 the latest movie. We have to line up and we have 00:01:20.569 --> 00:01:22.689 to get there first because in the office or we 00:01:22.689 --> 00:01:26.890 want to talk about what? Fictitious people in 00:01:26.890 --> 00:01:30.010 made up stories who live in Southern California, 00:01:30.250 --> 00:01:33.370 whose lives don't work, who they paint up after 00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:36.650 surgery to put on pretend lives that we pay seven 00:01:36.650 --> 00:01:40.400 bucks a ticket to watch. You tell me we're not 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.420 bored. We're bored. Why are we bored? I'd like 00:01:46.420 --> 00:01:49.840 to suggest something. I like to suggest that 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:54.000 boredom is the inevitable result of seeking an 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.280 infinite reference point in a finite object. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:02.319 It's a matter of trying to find significance 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:06.859 in things and in people that can only offer success. 00:02:07.639 --> 00:02:10.539 Boredom is what happens when the new wears off. 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:13.319 You're in a new relationship. Oh, this is so 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.360 exciting. And then what? You get a new car. Wow. 00:02:17.659 --> 00:02:21.639 And then what? Get a new house. It's your dream. 00:02:21.719 --> 00:02:27.419 And then what? Then it's repairs, fixing it up, 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:33.960 working through dysfunctional backgrounds. And 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.219 what I've observed is that the boredom and the 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:39.800 blues go hand in hand. The blues, kind of that 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:43.759 low feeling of life doesn't really matter, is 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.379 the emotional baggage of boredom. The blues comes 00:02:47.379 --> 00:02:49.960 when that inner voice in your heart and mind 00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:52.740 says, this is the next hill to take. This is 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:54.759 what you're going to do with your life. And this 00:02:54.759 --> 00:03:00.020 inner voice says, been there, done that. And 00:03:00.020 --> 00:03:02.960 then you awaken to the reality. that the next 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:07.180 venture will only yield more of the same. You 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:10.639 see, there's a vicious cycle. It's new venture, 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:14.539 excitement, challenge, growth, plateau, boredom, 00:03:14.539 --> 00:03:17.280 then the blues. And so you say, well, that must 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.000 not be it. New venture, excitement, growth, challenge, 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.379 plateau, boredom, and the blues. Well, that must 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:25.919 not be the right person. I'll try someone else. 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.280 Excitement, growth, challenge, venture. It's 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:34.979 a vicious cycle. It's a vicious, vicious cycle. 00:03:35.020 --> 00:03:37.860 You know, some people spend 70, 80 years and 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:42.539 never figure this out. Like little hamsters in 00:03:42.539 --> 00:03:47.280 big cages running faster and faster, changing 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:53.139 colors, never going anywhere. Could boredom, 00:03:53.139 --> 00:03:58.110 in fact, be a gift in disguise? I'd like to suggest 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:00.509 that boredom, this sense of not being able to 00:04:00.509 --> 00:04:03.830 get satisfied in this life, is God's gentle reminder 00:04:03.830 --> 00:04:07.530 that we are spiritual beings made for not only 00:04:07.530 --> 00:04:12.569 time, but eternity. That's why we're bored. Boredom 00:04:12.569 --> 00:04:16.189 is the natural result of seeking to scratch an 00:04:16.189 --> 00:04:20.509 eternal itch with temporal things. They just 00:04:20.509 --> 00:04:25.180 can't do it. In fact, boredom tells us that the 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:30.819 object of our worship isn't big enough or great 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:33.819 enough to be worshipped. You can worship success, 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.980 and once you get it, it gets small. You can worship 00:04:36.980 --> 00:04:40.160 a person, you get it. It's not what you expected. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:42.620 You can think if you raise this family this way, 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:47.779 then it happens. If you can get this job, if 00:04:47.779 --> 00:04:50.920 you can drive this car, if you can score on this 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:54.449 test, if you can get into this college. And then 00:04:54.449 --> 00:04:57.529 once you get it, if you happen to. See, I think 00:04:57.529 --> 00:05:00.709 those of you that happen to be successful are 00:05:00.709 --> 00:05:04.850 really fortunate. See, if you're successful, 00:05:04.970 --> 00:05:07.290 then you actually learn it doesn't come through. 00:05:07.889 --> 00:05:09.949 Some of us that fail a lot in a lot of those 00:05:09.949 --> 00:05:15.350 areas are still believing that we can. God's 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:18.009 answer to boredom, interesting, is authentic 00:05:18.009 --> 00:05:21.750 worship. The great theologian Augustine wrote, 00:05:22.379 --> 00:05:26.420 This was after he sought meaning in a wild, wild 00:05:26.420 --> 00:05:30.100 life, seeking pleasure in everything imaginable. 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.199 Augustine wrote, God has placed a God -shaped 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:38.019 vacuum in every heart, and we will not be satisfied 00:05:38.019 --> 00:05:46.420 until we find him. He went on to say, and our 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:52.139 hearts will never be at rest until. They find 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:57.500 their rest in Christ. So what's authentic worship? 00:05:58.699 --> 00:06:02.060 One writer says, worship is pulling our affections 00:06:02.060 --> 00:06:08.500 off our idols and putting them on God. Definition 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:10.920 of worship is, worship is our response to God 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:13.160 for who he is and what he's done. That's a good 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:16.240 working definition. It's the key. It is the key 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.360 to overcoming a life of meaninglessness or boredom. 00:06:20.340 --> 00:06:23.779 Followed by the blues. Real worship is our response 00:06:23.779 --> 00:06:28.199 to God for who he is and what he's done. So the 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:31.480 $64 question is, what does he want? Right? What 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:35.079 should your response be? What does God want? 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:37.040 Can you imagine if Jesus would come in the flesh 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.540 and stand before us and we could get in microphones 00:06:39.540 --> 00:06:42.579 and line up and say, excuse me, sir, what would 00:06:42.579 --> 00:06:44.839 you like from my life? I mean, since I'm going 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:46.730 to... I'm made for eternity, and I only live 00:06:46.730 --> 00:06:48.649 here for a little while. I'd like to use it well, 00:06:48.730 --> 00:06:50.110 and I don't want to be bored, and then I don't 00:06:50.110 --> 00:06:52.089 want to get the blues. So, excuse me, Lord Jesus, 00:06:52.250 --> 00:06:56.189 what do you want from me? I'm going to tell you 00:06:56.189 --> 00:06:59.350 exactly what he'd say. He wrote it through the 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:02.550 Apostle Paul, Romans chapter 12, verse 1. He 00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:05.810 would say to you, do I want a little song? No. 00:07:06.170 --> 00:07:10.029 Songs are okay. Do I want you to come to a worship 00:07:10.029 --> 00:07:11.949 service? Is that what worship is? He'd say, no. 00:07:12.470 --> 00:07:14.899 They're good. Do I want you to have a special 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:17.139 feeling inside? If you have the special close 00:07:17.139 --> 00:07:19.259 feeling, is that worship? He said, oh, that's 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:22.160 important, but no, that's not it. He would say, 00:07:22.220 --> 00:07:25.860 I urge you, therefore, my brothers and sisters, 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.699 in light of God's mercy, in light of all that 00:07:28.699 --> 00:07:33.720 I've done for you, to present your bodies, your 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:38.699 life, as a living and holy sacrifice. Accept 00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:40.500 the will of God. The word means well -pleasing. 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:43.069 It's what he wants. which is your reasonable 00:07:43.069 --> 00:07:45.870 service of worship. And that last little phrase, 00:07:46.009 --> 00:07:48.149 reasonable service of worship, very interesting 00:07:48.149 --> 00:07:50.410 word in the New Testament. It's a technical term. 00:07:50.529 --> 00:07:52.230 In fact, if you look at different translations, 00:07:52.569 --> 00:07:55.490 some will talk about reasonable service and other 00:07:55.490 --> 00:07:57.610 translations will say spiritual service. It's 00:07:57.610 --> 00:07:58.910 because the translators don't know how to handle 00:07:58.910 --> 00:08:02.259 the word. What it is is that it became a technical 00:08:02.259 --> 00:08:05.620 term for worship, but the word logitsima, I mean, 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:07.959 we get our word logic. In other words, it's the 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:10.920 most logical thing to do. He's the creator. You're 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:13.819 the creature. What is logical? What's wisest? 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:16.600 What's the emotionally most healthy, positive 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.040 response for you in your life is to present your 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.980 life on the altar. And by the word, that word 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:25.540 present, it's in a tense of the verb that means 00:08:25.540 --> 00:08:28.889 in a point in time. It's not some vague, some 00:08:28.889 --> 00:08:31.350 way, somehow, yeah, I believe in God or even 00:08:31.350 --> 00:08:34.330 I go to church. This is presenting yourself on 00:08:34.330 --> 00:08:37.549 a specific day, on a specific day of the week, 00:08:37.590 --> 00:08:42.149 at a specific time where you say, you may already 00:08:42.149 --> 00:08:46.169 be a believer even, and you say, I don't want 00:08:46.169 --> 00:08:51.230 to worship anything less than you. It's when 00:08:51.230 --> 00:08:53.110 you do a little gut check and you look at your 00:08:53.110 --> 00:08:57.019 boredom account and you say, In my heart of hearts, 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.779 I think I'm worshiping my girlfriend. In my heart 00:08:59.779 --> 00:09:01.539 of hearts, I think I'm worshiping my boyfriend 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:06.519 or my job or my mate or my kids or money or success 00:09:06.519 --> 00:09:09.100 because that's where all my energy and my time 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:11.759 and my dreams gravitate to. And you call a time 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:13.960 out in life and you say, you know, God, I'm going 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.799 to make a willful decision, point in time to 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:21.840 present myself on the altar as a living and notice, 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:25.649 holy. Holy means I'm going to do it your way. 00:09:25.690 --> 00:09:29.809 I'll be set apart. My speech, my life, my words, 00:09:29.929 --> 00:09:34.269 my sexuality will be holy. And that's what you 00:09:34.269 --> 00:09:37.809 want. In fact, notice the summary. It says worship 00:09:37.809 --> 00:09:39.990 is the complete and total giving of ourselves 00:09:39.990 --> 00:09:43.590 for that which we believe has ultimate purpose 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:46.330 and will provide the greatest reward. I like 00:09:46.330 --> 00:09:51.250 that definition. See, real worship. Is the complete 00:09:51.250 --> 00:09:56.070 and total giving of who you are. For what you 00:09:56.070 --> 00:09:58.490 honestly believe is the ultimate purpose in life. 00:09:58.629 --> 00:10:00.950 And this is important. What you believe will 00:10:00.950 --> 00:10:03.789 bring the greatest reward. And that's why when 00:10:03.789 --> 00:10:04.950 you want to know what you're going to worship. 00:10:05.409 --> 00:10:07.070 If you really want to know what you worship. 00:10:07.169 --> 00:10:09.389 It has little to do with what your mouth says. 00:10:09.950 --> 00:10:13.210 Does it? What you worship has very little. Oh 00:10:13.210 --> 00:10:15.870 I worship God. Well maybe. If you want to know 00:10:15.870 --> 00:10:17.509 what you worship. I'll give you three litmus 00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:22.190 tests. Number one. Go track your money. Number 00:10:22.190 --> 00:10:26.769 two, go track your time. And number three, ask 00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:29.789 where does your mind drift to when you're dreaming 00:10:29.789 --> 00:10:32.549 about what could be? Where does your mind gravitate? 00:10:33.429 --> 00:10:36.070 If it gravitates to the things of God, if it 00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:38.610 gravitates toward intimacy with Christ, if it 00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:40.490 gravitates toward seeing people come to know 00:10:40.490 --> 00:10:42.850 Christ, if it gravitates toward your heart breaking 00:10:42.850 --> 00:10:46.690 for the things that God hearts break over, then 00:10:46.690 --> 00:10:50.080 you worship Christ. If it just unconsciously 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:53.779 gravitates to the next deal, the next novel someone's 00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:56.860 going to bring out, which team won, whether you 00:10:56.860 --> 00:10:59.740 can get home in time to check the scores on ESPN, 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.399 whether so -and -so is going to go with you or 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:04.440 go with someone else, whether you're going to 00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:06.700 get this job or get into that school. If your 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:11.299 time and your money and your dreams revolve around 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:14.240 anything other than Christ, that's what you worship. 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:19.230 Now, here's the deal. That can sound very threatening. 00:11:19.990 --> 00:11:23.750 Understand God's heart. Understand God's heart. 00:11:24.250 --> 00:11:28.870 We all do that at times. I certainly do. But 00:11:28.870 --> 00:11:31.149 the heart of God is not. If you heard and if 00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:33.590 you felt emotionally a little bit of a shame 00:11:33.590 --> 00:11:37.110 on you. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. That's a bad 00:11:37.110 --> 00:11:39.029 boy. That's a bad girl. Then you missed the point. 00:11:40.110 --> 00:11:43.409 This is a God who wants to give you authentic. 00:11:44.550 --> 00:11:46.649 pearls, and you're holding on to these little 00:11:46.649 --> 00:11:48.889 plastic things that you think will deliver for 00:11:48.889 --> 00:11:51.110 you, and he's holding authentic pearls, and he's 00:11:51.110 --> 00:11:52.850 saying, you know, if you could let go of that 00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:56.789 junk, I could give you something real. That's 00:11:56.789 --> 00:11:59.649 what the lordship of Christ is. That's what worship 00:11:59.649 --> 00:12:01.970 is. You know, you can spend your life chasing 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:04.029 that girl, chasing that guy, or the ideal marriage, 00:12:04.090 --> 00:12:05.889 or being successful, or getting rich, or building 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:07.590 a big house, or remodeling this, or doing that, 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:10.870 or driving that. You can do that. And when you 00:12:10.870 --> 00:12:14.399 get done, Your plastic beads will be plastic 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:19.240 and you will be bored and it won't deliver. And 00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:23.600 then you'll get blue or all those things have 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:26.120 their place. You could allow Jesus to be the 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.879 center focus of your life and he would dictate 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:32.919 your time, your energy, your dreams. And since 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:35.120 he's all knowing and since he loves you and since 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.879 he died for you, maybe his plans even better 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:43.480 than yours for you. Just a thought. Well, let's 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:48.659 ask the one question. Heart of hearts, don't 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:52.840 raise your hand. If someone asks you, who are 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:55.440 you worshiping? In your honest heart of hearts, 00:12:55.480 --> 00:13:01.220 who are you worshiping? Is it Christ? Or is it 00:13:01.220 --> 00:13:07.820 an idol? Person, job, success? Could I suggest 00:13:07.820 --> 00:13:11.080 that as I keep talking, You start having a little 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:13.120 wrestling match with God about what has your 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.539 best interest in mind and what would be the wisest 00:13:16.539 --> 00:13:19.879 thing for you to do. And I want to challenge 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:21.460 you before you walk out of here at some point 00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:24.899 tonight. Decide whether you're going to offer 00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:29.100 your body as a living sacrifice or keep worshiping 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:35.279 something else. It's important. In fact, your 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:38.179 whole future depends on it. We find in John chapter 00:13:38.179 --> 00:13:41.899 4, verses 21 to 24, Jesus ends up talking with 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:44.399 a lady, a Samaritan. She was a despised woman. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:47.580 Jews didn't talk to Samaritans, so it's an unusual 00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:51.039 conversation. And the historical history is Samaritans 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.240 are kind of like Jewish half -breeds. They had 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:55.179 about half -Jewish blood and half -Samaritan 00:13:55.179 --> 00:13:57.940 blood, and they had a real tussle between the 00:13:57.940 --> 00:14:01.259 Jews and the Samaritans. And so Jesus is tired. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:05.039 The fellows go in to grab lunch, bring it back. 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:07.740 He's sitting by a well, and this lady, we find 00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:11.240 out later, has a pretty checkered past. Jesus 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:14.799 looks beyond all that, and they strike up a conversation. 00:14:15.940 --> 00:14:18.279 Jesus declared, believe me, woman, a time is 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.600 coming when you will worship the Father neither 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.379 on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. They got talking 00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:25.940 about worship, and she said, well, you know, 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:28.360 our fathers do it here, and you Jews do it over 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:31.529 there. You Samaritans worship what you do not 00:14:31.529 --> 00:14:34.429 know. We worship what we know for salvation is 00:14:34.429 --> 00:14:38.490 from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now 00:14:38.490 --> 00:14:41.490 come when true worshipers, that's what we want 00:14:41.490 --> 00:14:45.309 to be, right? I do. True worshipers will worship 00:14:45.309 --> 00:14:49.029 the Father in spirit and truth. Now notice this 00:14:49.029 --> 00:14:52.970 line. For they are the kind of worshipers the 00:14:52.970 --> 00:14:56.570 Father seeks. You want to be close to God? You 00:14:56.570 --> 00:14:58.629 want to experience God? You want to see God do 00:14:58.629 --> 00:15:01.190 things in your life about people that you read 00:15:01.190 --> 00:15:03.529 about and in the New Testament, in the Old Testament? 00:15:03.830 --> 00:15:07.409 He is seeking. I mean, he's got the spiritual 00:15:07.409 --> 00:15:10.669 x -rays out, probing, looking for men, looking 00:15:10.669 --> 00:15:13.269 for women, looking for students who would worship 00:15:13.269 --> 00:15:16.970 him in spirit and in truth. He's the hound of 00:15:16.970 --> 00:15:19.730 heaven. He longs to have a relationship with 00:15:19.730 --> 00:15:22.830 you. You are special. But he won't interfere. 00:15:24.139 --> 00:15:26.120 You know, it's like people dancing, you know. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:28.279 It's rude to rip someone else and say, I want 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:30.340 to dance. See, when you're polite, what do you 00:15:30.340 --> 00:15:32.659 do? You tap them on the shoulder. And then the 00:15:32.659 --> 00:15:35.200 other person steps back. And then you step in. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:38.740 This is what God does. Day by day, moments like 00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:43.059 this, he comes to you. And he taps you on the 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:46.320 shoulder. He says, excuse me, can I cut in? And 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:47.879 you say, well, I'm worshiping this house right 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:53.320 now. He says, I know. He said, not a good dance. 00:15:54.589 --> 00:15:56.230 And he taps you on the shoulder and he says, 00:15:56.269 --> 00:15:58.490 can I cut in? Oh, I'm worshiping my career and 00:15:58.490 --> 00:15:59.870 I have to go to school and I go to grad school 00:15:59.870 --> 00:16:01.070 and then I have to do this and I have to do that. 00:16:01.129 --> 00:16:08.070 He says, I know. Can I cut in? See, he seeks 00:16:08.070 --> 00:16:11.129 after people who worship him in spirit and in 00:16:11.129 --> 00:16:16.870 truth. Why? God is spirit. And his worshipers 00:16:16.870 --> 00:16:19.529 must worship in spirit and in truth. Now, the 00:16:19.529 --> 00:16:22.149 question is what, right? What in the world does 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:25.269 it look like? If the Holy Spirit will illuminate 00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:28.149 our minds, do you realize that the Father will 00:16:28.149 --> 00:16:31.629 be seeking you? We find in John chapter 4, verses 00:16:31.629 --> 00:16:35.610 21 to 24, Jesus ends up talking with a lady, 00:16:35.690 --> 00:16:37.509 a Samaritan. It's very interesting. In verses 00:16:37.509 --> 00:16:40.350 21 and 22, they're talking about geography and 00:16:40.350 --> 00:16:43.129 location. Authentic worship can happen anywhere. 00:16:44.330 --> 00:16:47.350 Now, we're more open to that. But in that culture, 00:16:47.389 --> 00:16:49.669 that society, hey, God is going to show up at 00:16:49.669 --> 00:16:52.580 the synagogue. Jesus said a time's coming when 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:56.320 location means nothing. See, worship is not about 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.960 form. It's about function. It's not about location. 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:04.400 It's about purpose. Worship can happen in a church 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:07.859 building, nature, quiet moments, a human heart. 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:10.480 First Corinthians 6, 19 and 20 says, know you 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.500 not that your bodies are the temple of God and 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:17.079 the spirit of God dwells in you. God, we are 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:19.059 told in scripture, doesn't take up residence 00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:22.119 in. Things made by human hands, but what in human 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:26.880 hearts? If you know Christ as your savior, if 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:28.700 you've turned from your sin, believed on his 00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:31.019 death on the cross and his resurrection and invited 00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:32.819 Christ to forgive you of your sin, you've trusted 00:17:32.819 --> 00:17:35.500 in him and he's entered your life. You've been 00:17:35.500 --> 00:17:37.440 adopted into his family. The Holy Spirit lives 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:42.539 within you. You are his sanctuary. It can happen 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:45.660 anywhere. It can happen as you walk. It can happen 00:17:45.660 --> 00:17:49.329 as you talk. It can happen as you think. Every 00:17:49.329 --> 00:17:52.970 single moment of every day, anywhere, worship 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:56.910 can take place. But it begins at a point in time 00:17:56.910 --> 00:18:00.750 when you say, I want to worship you as a living 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:05.269 sacrifice. This is me. Second, authentic worship 00:18:05.269 --> 00:18:08.029 flows from the heart. Did you notice that phrase 00:18:08.029 --> 00:18:11.230 happened two times? Worship in spirit. Everyone 00:18:11.230 --> 00:18:13.369 wants to know, should there be a big S there 00:18:13.369 --> 00:18:15.490 or a little S? You know, like in spirit as a 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:18.670 big S, the Holy Spirit, or in spirit out of the 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:22.369 human heart. From the context, it seems clear 00:18:22.369 --> 00:18:25.049 that it's a small S. It's from the heart because 00:18:25.049 --> 00:18:27.789 the Holy Spirit hasn't even been given yet. But 00:18:27.789 --> 00:18:29.670 as we read our New Testament, what we know is 00:18:29.670 --> 00:18:32.740 both are true. It's the Holy Spirit who teaches 00:18:32.740 --> 00:18:35.079 us how to pray. It's the Holy Spirit that leads 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:37.140 and guides us into all truth. So both are accurate. 00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:40.940 But the idea here, Jesus is saying he's living 00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:43.920 in a world with religious ritual. Jesus is saying 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.960 true worshipers have to be people from the heart. 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:51.400 Anytime you get honest, anytime you're broken, 00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:53.519 anytime you say, oh, God, I need you. And you 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:56.220 come just as you are. God says, and I'm there. 00:18:56.579 --> 00:18:59.410 I'll meet you. He's just looking for people who 00:18:59.410 --> 00:19:03.450 come honestly from the heart. God has room for 00:19:03.450 --> 00:19:06.650 people that have blown it deeply, who have absolutely 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:09.329 messed up morally, and they repent and they come 00:19:09.329 --> 00:19:11.869 back broken. And God has a place to forgive. 00:19:12.029 --> 00:19:14.049 Are there consequences? Sure. But he meets them 00:19:14.049 --> 00:19:17.769 where they're at. You want a father who's seeking 00:19:17.769 --> 00:19:20.329 and pursuing you? First of all, realize worship 00:19:20.329 --> 00:19:23.470 happens anywhere. Take advantage of it. Second, 00:19:23.690 --> 00:19:26.430 authentic worship flows from the heart. Third, 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:29.359 Authentic worship is rooted in an accurate view 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:34.380 of God and of ourselves. Notice, in truth. It's 00:19:34.380 --> 00:19:37.500 in spirit from the heart. In truth. Scripture 00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:41.960 is the standard for our worship. John 17, 17. 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:45.380 Jesus is in the garden. He's praying. He's ready 00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:48.519 to check out of the planet. Remember? Sanctify 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.019 them, he prays to the Father. Sanctify them by 00:19:51.019 --> 00:19:54.769 thy truth. Thy word is thy truth. When we wanted 00:19:54.769 --> 00:19:56.390 to know what the object of our worship should 00:19:56.390 --> 00:19:59.269 be, what did Jesus say? I am the way, the truth, 00:19:59.509 --> 00:20:01.990 and the life. If you're going to have authentic 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:05.910 worship, Jesus needs to be the center of it. 00:20:05.970 --> 00:20:08.609 What did Jesus say? If I be lifted up, what? 00:20:08.829 --> 00:20:12.269 I will draw all men to myself. You see, worship 00:20:12.269 --> 00:20:14.369 has got to be much more than an experience, an 00:20:14.369 --> 00:20:16.309 emotional experience, even a religious experience. 00:20:16.950 --> 00:20:18.849 All kind of religions have all kind of religious 00:20:18.849 --> 00:20:23.109 experiences. It must be in spirit and in truth, 00:20:23.190 --> 00:20:25.390 the truth of Christ, the truth of scripture, 00:20:25.710 --> 00:20:28.150 the truth of the resurrection, the truth of the 00:20:28.150 --> 00:20:31.230 character of God. What has reduced our worship 00:20:31.230 --> 00:20:34.230 in our day is God has gotten so small because 00:20:34.230 --> 00:20:38.650 we don't think about God as he is. God used to 00:20:38.650 --> 00:20:40.470 be so far away that people couldn't get close 00:20:40.470 --> 00:20:42.569 to him. And then this whole evangelical Christianity 00:20:42.569 --> 00:20:45.549 came in and we've swung the pendulum in our day 00:20:45.549 --> 00:20:48.609 where God's everybody's buddy. Hey, Lord. Hey, 00:20:48.710 --> 00:20:51.529 man upstairs. Give me five, man. I got news for 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:55.210 you. I got news for you. He's a holy God. And 00:20:55.210 --> 00:20:57.089 when the people of the Bible see a holy God, 00:20:57.150 --> 00:21:00.450 they fall on their face. And every time we open 00:21:00.450 --> 00:21:04.150 a curtain and you look at heaven, Isaiah 6, Revelation 00:21:04.150 --> 00:21:06.450 5, anytime you get a peek at heaven, you know 00:21:06.450 --> 00:21:09.609 what you see? You see worship and you see exalted, 00:21:09.609 --> 00:21:13.109 angelic beings flying and they cover their eyes 00:21:13.109 --> 00:21:15.269 and they cover their feet because they are in 00:21:15.269 --> 00:21:19.519 awe. They are in awe of the holiness and the 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:23.740 otherness and the sheer power of the holy God 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:26.819 who created all that there is. We are so glib 00:21:26.819 --> 00:21:29.460 with the God of the universe. And we don't think 00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:31.380 he can do much because we have shrunk him down 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:34.380 to our little size and made him our little best 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:37.839 friend genie who will work out our life. And 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:40.920 we pray about parking spaces. I'm for that. And 00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:43.099 relationships and money and this and that. And 00:21:43.099 --> 00:21:45.240 you know what? When's the last time you thought, 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:49.240 who is God? And you worshipped him for who he 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:52.759 is. And then to think that he would grant a parking 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.799 space or a life mate or a financial need is humbling. 00:21:57.059 --> 00:22:02.180 That one so transcendent, so powerful, even knows 00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:05.880 you want a parking space. Let alone answers that. 00:22:06.420 --> 00:22:08.640 But you know what he is? He's intimate and he's 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:12.029 caring. And he's compassionate. And so he'll 00:22:12.029 --> 00:22:15.069 just take me and he'll take you where you are. 00:22:15.890 --> 00:22:18.430 He'll meet you where you are. Not where you ought 00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:21.690 to be. Right view of God and a right view of 00:22:21.690 --> 00:22:25.390 ourselves. That's what truth does. When you look 00:22:25.390 --> 00:22:28.269 at yourself, you're full of dignity because you're 00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:30.029 made in the image of God. But you are fallen 00:22:30.029 --> 00:22:33.019 and I am fallen. And we are sinful. And the heart 00:22:33.019 --> 00:22:35.380 is desperately wicked above all else. And when 00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:37.200 you worship, you will find something happening. 00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:39.119 The closer and the closer and the closer you 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:41.000 get to God, you will not have any problem with 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.559 humility. Because God's holiness expands. You 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.660 know what happens? Your sinfulness expands. See, 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:50.420 most of us, we think God grades on the curve. 00:22:50.619 --> 00:22:54.960 He doesn't. He's 100 % pure. 100 % of the time. 00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:56.880 All the time. He doesn't grade on the curve. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:59.059 So you know what I do? In my weaker moments, 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:01.640 and I have many of them, I find someone who's 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:03.920 a little less holy than me and I compare myself 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:07.420 to them. And I think, you know what? I'm doing 00:23:07.420 --> 00:23:09.839 pretty good, you know? You know, I don't swear 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:11.579 anymore. I'm doing this a little better. You 00:23:11.579 --> 00:23:14.460 know what? Then I get before God. And then he 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:17.819 lets me see some of my motives in ministry. And 00:23:17.819 --> 00:23:19.640 then he lets me see little things that come out 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:22.339 of my mouth that reveal a heart that is so selfish. 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:25.380 And then he lets me see some just junk. And there's 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:27.660 times when I have a great time praying. I just 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:30.559 think, God, how do you even put up with me? He 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.259 says, Jesus, that's how I put up with everybody. 00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:36.720 He loves you. He died for you. He paid for that 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.259 sin that I just pointed out. And you're in a 00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:41.980 lifelong process of him renewing and transforming 00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:45.119 you. Well, are you a worshiper that the Father's 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:48.460 seeking? Do you worship anywhere? Does your worship 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.559 come from the heart? Is your worship revealed 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:53.980 an accurate view of God, an accurate view of 00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:57.440 yourself? Well, let's move on. How can you experience 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:59.890 greater? Intimacy in your worship. Let's get 00:23:59.890 --> 00:24:02.150 real practical. Let me give you some tips, if 00:24:02.150 --> 00:24:04.670 you will, from people who've walked with God 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:07.150 a lot longer than me and a lot longer than most 00:24:07.150 --> 00:24:10.049 here. I think one of the greatest problems in 00:24:10.049 --> 00:24:14.490 our worship is lack of balance. We tend to get 00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:18.089 into ruts very quickly. Certain forms, whatever 00:24:18.089 --> 00:24:20.289 form we grow up with, we think that's the way. 00:24:20.809 --> 00:24:23.150 It's amazing. People, if you grew up with hymns 00:24:23.150 --> 00:24:24.670 and God spoke to you through hymns, do you think 00:24:24.670 --> 00:24:27.329 hymns are what we ought to sing? Some of us that 00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:29.529 came to Christ through choruses, you know, choruses 00:24:29.529 --> 00:24:32.009 is where it's at. Some of you that came to Christ 00:24:32.009 --> 00:24:35.609 with electric guitars, you know, God couldn't 00:24:35.609 --> 00:24:36.650 even be in the building if there's not electric 00:24:36.650 --> 00:24:38.650 guitar and drums. Because that's how you came 00:24:38.650 --> 00:24:40.670 to Christ. There's some of you that think that 00:24:40.670 --> 00:24:42.069 you're not really worshiping unless you raise 00:24:42.069 --> 00:24:43.690 your hands. And there's some of you that think 00:24:43.690 --> 00:24:45.309 if you do raise your hands, please don't worship 00:24:45.309 --> 00:24:49.269 next to me. There's some people that unless the 00:24:49.269 --> 00:24:51.769 organ is playing and the stained glass, and there's 00:24:51.769 --> 00:24:53.950 that sense of absolute silence when you walk 00:24:53.950 --> 00:24:56.940 in. then that's the way to worship. And there's 00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:58.859 others that feel unless there's the joy of the 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:01.140 Lord, unless there's celebration happening in 00:25:01.140 --> 00:25:03.119 the room, then there's not worship. And you know 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:06.579 what? You're all right. You're all right. But 00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:09.559 so easily what we do is we get in a rut and we 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:12.799 think it's form instead of function. And then 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:15.940 we slide into very gradually making our needs, 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.680 our lives, our agendas instead of God, the focus 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:23.180 of our time of worship. Private worship, I believe, 00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:28.910 is our, declaration, our declaration of driving 00:25:28.910 --> 00:25:35.009 a stake to refuse to become little gods. To the 00:25:35.009 --> 00:25:37.710 extent that you worship privately, you are driving 00:25:37.710 --> 00:25:40.569 a stake and saying, I'm going to have something 00:25:40.569 --> 00:25:44.170 in my life on a daily or at least almost daily 00:25:44.170 --> 00:25:49.089 basis that forces me to stop and let go of all 00:25:49.089 --> 00:25:53.190 the plastic, all those beads, and remember who 00:25:53.190 --> 00:26:01.990 is. Lord, king, sovereign, boss. And private 00:26:01.990 --> 00:26:06.009 worship is a declaration of my refusal to be 00:26:06.009 --> 00:26:10.150 God. And when I don't have time to worship, when 00:26:10.150 --> 00:26:12.650 I'm too busy to worship, you make the parallel. 00:26:13.069 --> 00:26:16.829 How could we not have time for him who made us? 00:26:16.970 --> 00:26:20.250 It's an oxymoron, isn't it? Unless we really 00:26:20.250 --> 00:26:24.160 believe we're God or... We're worshiping something 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:28.279 else. In your private worship, so that you don't 00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:31.079 get in a rut, this was taught me early on, but 00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:33.019 it's been very effective. In fact, when I do, 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:36.500 sometimes I have a hard time concentrating, and 00:26:36.500 --> 00:26:38.539 I have a really hard time praying, and I feel 00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:40.400 like my prayers aren't getting anywhere. The 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.880 other big problem I have in worship and time 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:45.660 with the Lord is I lie a lot. I lie to myself. 00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:49.279 I pray prayers I don't mean. I say things that 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:51.220 sound good, and then I hear them and I think. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:54.339 And so I write them down. I don't know why, but 00:26:54.339 --> 00:26:56.640 when I see it in print, I'm thinking, oh, Ingram, 00:26:56.660 --> 00:26:59.259 who are you fooling? That's not true. Then I 00:26:59.259 --> 00:27:01.619 write down what's really true. And often in my 00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:05.380 journal, I'll write down the letters A, C, T, 00:27:05.619 --> 00:27:08.759 and S. Because if I'm under a lot of pressure, 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:12.240 all I do is S, supplication, supplication, supplication. 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:16.480 The A stands for adoration. In your private time 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:19.980 with God, read some passages about who he is. 00:27:20.650 --> 00:27:23.829 Or think thoughts about his character. Second 00:27:23.829 --> 00:27:27.769 is confession. This is an easy part to skip in 00:27:27.769 --> 00:27:30.849 a hurry. And every time I skip it, my spiritual 00:27:30.849 --> 00:27:33.150 skin gets thicker and then it's harder to hear 00:27:33.150 --> 00:27:36.289 God's voice. But I'll write C on my paper and 00:27:36.289 --> 00:27:38.190 then I'll sit quietly and I'll say, God, will 00:27:38.190 --> 00:27:39.990 you bring anything to my mind that I need to 00:27:39.990 --> 00:27:42.089 confess? Anything that's produced a barrier between 00:27:42.089 --> 00:27:45.230 me and you or me and another person. And I sit 00:27:45.230 --> 00:27:48.400 quietly. And I assume that what God brings to 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:50.960 my mind, not vague. Now, if you get a vague feeling 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:56.559 like you are a jerk, that is not God. No, it's 00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:58.720 true. Because the scripture is very clear. The 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:01.519 Holy Spirit's job is to what? He illuminates 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:03.940 in order to draw you near. That's what conviction 00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:06.460 is. Conviction is the opposite of condemnation. 00:28:07.080 --> 00:28:09.880 Condemnation makes you feel bad and makes you 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:12.019 want to go away from God. Conviction is, hey, 00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:14.299 I really love you, and there's this little problem 00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:16.359 between us. Why don't we get this taken care 00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:18.680 of so we can get closer? And you sit quietly, 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:22.259 and he'll show you. Third is T for Thanksgiving. 00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:26.480 I find that multiple mornings, I don't feel like 00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:28.900 being chipped. I don't feel like being a pastor. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:30.890 I don't feel like doing anything. And maybe you 00:28:30.890 --> 00:28:32.809 can agree. And, you know, then you think, well, 00:28:32.829 --> 00:28:34.690 it's a cup of coffee. And then after my second 00:28:34.690 --> 00:28:36.269 cup of coffee and I still feel the same way, 00:28:36.289 --> 00:28:38.890 I realize maybe I have an attitude problem. And 00:28:38.890 --> 00:28:41.329 it's amazing to sit down and fill half of a page. 00:28:41.809 --> 00:28:45.190 God, I'm thankful today for. And then I start 00:28:45.190 --> 00:28:47.829 with my wife and I start with my kids. And I 00:28:47.829 --> 00:28:50.069 begin to list things that I'm thankful for. And 00:28:50.069 --> 00:28:52.049 in about five minutes, my attitude changes. And 00:28:52.049 --> 00:28:54.890 I offer them up to Him. This little acronym, 00:28:55.049 --> 00:28:58.130 ACTS, A -C -T -S, I think it's a great way to 00:28:58.130 --> 00:29:01.380 learn to worship. The final one is S, supplication. 00:29:01.819 --> 00:29:04.079 And what I do is I just take my concerns. I write, 00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:07.059 I'm concerned about, and then I list them. And 00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:08.859 then at the end of them, I turn them into prayers. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:11.740 God, would you take this one? Would you take 00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:13.480 this one? Would you take that one? Now, you don't 00:29:13.480 --> 00:29:15.900 need to write all that out. I'm just a slow learner, 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:19.279 and it helps me. Because the other thing I've 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:22.119 done is life gets complicated, and it is a joy. 00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:24.619 Sometimes I'm feeling really even less motivated 00:29:24.619 --> 00:29:27.720 than when I talked before. then what I do is 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:30.279 I just flip back in my journal three days ago, 00:29:30.339 --> 00:29:32.599 and I see the check marks, the dates, the answers 00:29:32.599 --> 00:29:35.059 to prayer. Then I flip back a week. Check mark, 00:29:35.140 --> 00:29:37.279 check mark, check mark, check mark. Dates, answers 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:39.819 to prayer. And you know what it reminds me? God 00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:42.539 is still on the throne. Ingram, you're not the 00:29:42.539 --> 00:29:45.240 center of the universe. Lighten up, buddy. I 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:46.740 got it all under control. I had it controlled 00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:49.000 last week, got it now, got it next week. If you 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.720 get hit by a milk truck, life will go right on. 00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:52.680 And you know what? That's a healthy thing to 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:55.420 remember. In public worship, let me give you 00:29:55.420 --> 00:29:57.900 three Ps by way of practical experience. The 00:29:57.900 --> 00:30:01.079 first one, and take this from a winsome heart, 00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:03.359 okay? Take this from, because we don't practice 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.700 this well, I'll kind of warn you, is preparation. 00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:10.119 If you come to Saturday night, slow down earlier 00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:12.839 in the afternoon. If you come on Sunday, the 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:15.380 night before. You can't stay out until 2 o 'clock 00:30:15.380 --> 00:30:17.059 in the morning and have effective worship at 00:30:17.059 --> 00:30:20.740 9 or 11. See, what you got to ask is, this is 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:22.799 the most important thing you get to do all week. 00:30:23.630 --> 00:30:26.529 You know, this is it. I mean, it's like the NBA 00:30:26.529 --> 00:30:29.430 championship game, the NFL Super Bowl game. Those 00:30:29.430 --> 00:30:31.569 guys are not running around the hallways at 3 00:30:31.569 --> 00:30:33.690 in the morning, you know, playing cards. Man, 00:30:33.750 --> 00:30:35.549 they're on a special diet, and they're thinking, 00:30:35.650 --> 00:30:37.509 they're focused, because that day's the big day. 00:30:38.529 --> 00:30:40.710 You know why? Because that's what they worship. 00:30:41.289 --> 00:30:43.950 Now, what we worship, man, we ought to prepare. 00:30:44.609 --> 00:30:47.470 You ought to come emotionally low -keyed and 00:30:47.470 --> 00:30:51.470 focused in. You ought to come rested. You ought 00:30:51.470 --> 00:30:53.750 to have prayed for the service, the people involved 00:30:53.750 --> 00:30:56.930 in it. You ought to realize that the first 15 00:30:56.930 --> 00:31:00.109 minutes is not fluff time. It's when we sing 00:31:00.109 --> 00:31:03.430 in adoration to God. So coming here not on time, 00:31:03.430 --> 00:31:06.670 but five to 10 minutes early to interact and 00:31:06.670 --> 00:31:08.750 maybe share what's going on and encourage someone 00:31:08.750 --> 00:31:15.170 and actually being here when it starts. And see, 00:31:15.309 --> 00:31:17.970 you're going to come with an attitude to hear 00:31:17.970 --> 00:31:20.920 from him. He's going to meet you. Second, P is 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:25.079 for purpose. The purpose of worship is not to 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:27.380 evaluate if Chip had a good night, if you like 00:31:27.380 --> 00:31:29.339 the music, and if so -and -so is here that you 00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:33.980 hope would be here. The purpose is to not get 00:31:33.980 --> 00:31:38.759 anything. It's to come to give. It's your opportunity 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:45.349 in community to focus on. The sovereign living 00:31:45.349 --> 00:31:48.869 source of all life and tell him how you feel 00:31:48.869 --> 00:31:51.410 about him, how much you love him, how much you 00:31:51.410 --> 00:31:53.809 thank him. And so your purpose is to come to 00:31:53.809 --> 00:31:59.470 give, to offer yourself and your praise to him. 00:32:00.230 --> 00:32:02.869 That would change then how you listen. That would 00:32:02.869 --> 00:32:06.769 change how you sing. Third P is participation. 00:32:08.490 --> 00:32:11.509 Church is not a spectator sport, nor is it a 00:32:11.509 --> 00:32:14.569 spectacle to come and observe. Now, we know that 00:32:14.569 --> 00:32:16.549 many people that don't yet know the Lord and 00:32:16.549 --> 00:32:18.809 God is bringing, they can spectate and that's 00:32:18.809 --> 00:32:21.549 fine. But if you're a part of the family, it 00:32:21.549 --> 00:32:24.049 may be hard to sing at first. Singing out loud 00:32:24.049 --> 00:32:26.529 was like weird. I never did that in my life. 00:32:27.029 --> 00:32:29.089 And then I became a Christian. I found out all 00:32:29.089 --> 00:32:32.430 these Christians sing. And I used to go. And 00:32:32.430 --> 00:32:35.009 little by little, I warmed up. And I realized 00:32:35.009 --> 00:32:38.509 the Spirit of God works as we sing. It's a place 00:32:38.509 --> 00:32:44.180 to pray for, reach up, reach out. And listen 00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:49.039 with an ear to say truth. I must obey the truth. 00:32:49.099 --> 00:32:51.740 See, real worship always ends in participation. 00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:56.599 Once you see who he is, you're changed. Now you've 00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:58.619 looked into the mirror, the perfect law of liberty. 00:32:59.099 --> 00:33:02.119 What specifically are you going to do and am 00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:05.400 I going to do to put into practice the truth 00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:07.960 God's revealed to us? Until we've done that, 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:11.160 we have not worshipped. Jot down for your own. 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:15.640 Luke chapter 5, 1 to 11. Read that through with 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:19.039 eyes of worship and see how Peter worships and 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:23.839 how he ends up following Christ. Conclusion, 00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:26.940 worship is not a service you come to or an activity 00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:31.279 you practice. Worship is a life focus, an expression 00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:33.839 of your deepest longings, passions, and devotion 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:40.890 to whom or what you love the most. This is Living 00:33:40.890 --> 00:33:43.849 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. As we continue 00:33:43.849 --> 00:33:46.490 this series on experiencing breakthrough, you 00:33:46.490 --> 00:33:48.750 might be realizing you need to build a stronger 00:33:48.750 --> 00:33:51.589 spiritual foundation. Well, that's exactly why 00:33:51.589 --> 00:33:53.809 we're offering Chip's free online devotional, 00:33:53.910 --> 00:33:56.710 Psalms of Hope. Here's what makes this resource 00:33:56.710 --> 00:33:59.410 different. Chip doesn't just explain the Psalms 00:33:59.410 --> 00:34:01.670 to you. He teaches you how to study them for 00:34:01.670 --> 00:34:04.640 yourself. Each day for 10 days, you'll spend 00:34:04.640 --> 00:34:07.000 10 minutes learning from Chip, then 10 minutes 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:09.039 applying what you've learned through prayer and 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:12.199 meditation. You'll journey through Psalm 1, Psalm 00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:16.079 15, and Psalm 23, passages that speak directly 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:19.099 to finding stability, experiencing God's presence, 00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:22.670 and building authentic relationships. This isn't 00:34:22.670 --> 00:34:24.789 about adding another obligation to your schedule. 00:34:24.929 --> 00:34:27.489 It's about creating a daily rhythm of connecting 00:34:27.489 --> 00:34:30.150 with God that can transform your entire life. 00:34:30.369 --> 00:34:34.110 And it's completely free online at livingontheedge 00:34:34.110 --> 00:34:39.230 .org. Just search for Psalms of Hope. Now, creating 00:34:39.230 --> 00:34:41.570 resources like this takes financial investment. 00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:43.820 When you give to Living on the Edge, you're not 00:34:43.820 --> 00:34:46.440 just supporting a radio program. You're helping 00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:48.699 people around the world discover what it means 00:34:48.699 --> 00:34:51.940 to truly walk with God. If this ministry is making 00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:54.360 a difference in your life, please consider giving 00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:57.960 today. Visit livingontheedge .org to give or 00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:01.699 write to Living on the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, 00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:06.840 Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You can also call 888 00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:11.909 -333 -6003. Join us again next time for another 00:35:11.909 --> 00:35:14.650 insightful Bible lesson here on the Chip Ingram 00:35:14.650 --> 00:35:21.010 Sermon Podcast. Today's program is produced and 00:35:21.010 --> 00:35:22.929 sponsored by Living on the Edge.