WEBVTT 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.480 Authentic worship. Is it singing a song? Is it 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:18.899 stained glass, electric guitar? I believe authentic 00:00:18.899 --> 00:00:21.460 worship is one of the most misunderstood concepts 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:24.500 in the body of Christ today. Would you like to 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:27.480 hear exactly what Jesus says authentic worship 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:32.460 is and how to do it? Then stick around. On this 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:35.600 weekend edition of Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:38.060 discusses what authentic worship really looks 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:41.520 like. God is actively seeking true worshipers, 00:00:41.539 --> 00:00:44.439 people who worship him in spirit and truth, from 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:46.820 the heart, with an accurate view of who he is. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:49.880 But here's our problem. We've made God so small, 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:52.700 reducing him to our buddy, instead of recognizing 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:55.820 him as the holy, transcendent creator of the 00:00:55.820 --> 00:00:59.079 universe. Today, Chip reveals three essential 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:01.640 characteristics of worship that pleases God. 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:04.939 Plus, he'll share practical tools that can transform 00:01:04.939 --> 00:01:08.120 your daily time with God. Well, here's Chip Ingram 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.120 concluding our series called Experience Breakthrough. 00:01:11.620 --> 00:01:16.099 Well, let's ask the one question. If someone 00:01:16.099 --> 00:01:20.579 asks you, who are you worshiping? In your honest 00:01:20.579 --> 00:01:23.200 heart of hearts, who are you worshiping? Is it 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:27.859 Christ or is it an idol? Person, job, success? 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.400 Could I suggest that as I keep talking, you start 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.260 having a little wrestling match with God about 00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:37.459 what has your best interest in mind. And what 00:01:37.459 --> 00:01:41.239 would be the wisest thing for you to do? It's 00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:44.739 important. In fact, your whole future depends 00:01:44.739 --> 00:01:47.980 on it. We find in John chapter 4, verses 21 to 00:01:47.980 --> 00:01:52.120 24, Jesus ends up talking with a lady, a Samaritan. 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:55.420 She was despised woman. And the historical history 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:57.459 is Samaritans are kind of like Jewish half breeds. 00:01:57.579 --> 00:02:00.280 They have about half Jewish blood and half Samaritan, 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:02.799 you know, blood. And they had a real tussle between 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.430 the Jews and the Samaritans. And so Jesus is 00:02:05.430 --> 00:02:09.030 tired. The fellows go in to grab lunch. He's 00:02:09.030 --> 00:02:11.090 sitting by a well, and this lady, we find out 00:02:11.090 --> 00:02:14.710 later, has a pretty checkered past. Jesus looks 00:02:14.710 --> 00:02:17.449 beyond all that, and they strike up a conversation. 00:02:18.129 --> 00:02:20.490 Jesus declared, believe me, woman, a time is 00:02:20.490 --> 00:02:22.770 coming when you will worship the Father neither 00:02:22.770 --> 00:02:25.550 on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. They got talking 00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:27.110 about worship, and she said, well, you know, 00:02:27.129 --> 00:02:29.530 our fathers do it here, and you Jews do it over 00:02:29.530 --> 00:02:32.120 there. You Samaritans worship what you do not 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:35.020 know. We worship what we know for salvation is 00:02:35.020 --> 00:02:38.659 from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:41.860 come when true worshipers will worship the Father 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:46.159 in spirit and truth. Now notice this line. For 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.460 they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 00:02:49.659 --> 00:02:52.840 You want to be close to God? You want to experience 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.159 God? You want to see God do things in your life 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:57.599 about people that you read about and in the New 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.780 Testament, in the Old Testament? He is seeking. 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:05.099 I mean, he's got the spiritual x -rays out, probing, 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:07.219 looking for men, looking for women, looking for 00:03:07.219 --> 00:03:10.039 students who would worship him in spirit and 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:12.900 in truth. He longs to have a relationship with 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:16.060 you. You are special. But he won't interfere. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.300 You know, it's like people dancing, you know? 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:21.460 It's rude to rip someone else and say, I want 00:03:21.460 --> 00:03:23.520 to dance. See, when you're polite, what do you 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:25.719 do? You tap them on the shoulder. And then you 00:03:25.719 --> 00:03:29.120 step in. This is what God does. He comes to you. 00:03:29.930 --> 00:03:31.849 And he taps you on the shoulder. He says, excuse 00:03:31.849 --> 00:03:35.189 me, can I cut in? And you say, well, I'm worshiping 00:03:35.189 --> 00:03:39.210 this house right now. He says, I know. He said, 00:03:39.310 --> 00:03:43.830 not a good dance. And he taps you on the shoulder 00:03:43.830 --> 00:03:45.810 and he says, can I cut in? Oh, I'm worshiping 00:03:45.810 --> 00:03:47.229 my career and I have to go to school and I got 00:03:47.229 --> 00:03:48.509 to go to grad school and then I have to do this 00:03:48.509 --> 00:03:50.789 and I have to do that. He says, I know. Can I 00:03:50.789 --> 00:03:55.270 cut in? See, he seeks after people who worship 00:03:55.270 --> 00:03:58.569 him in spirit and in truth. Why? God is spirit. 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.080 And his worshipers must worship in spirit and 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:04.659 in truth. Now, the question is what, right? What 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:07.319 in the world does it look like? If the Holy Spirit 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.259 will illuminate our minds, do you realize that 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:13.159 the Father will be seeking you? We find in John 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.939 chapter 4, verses 21 to 24, Jesus ends up talking 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:19.500 with a lady, a Samaritan. It's very interesting. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.339 In verses 21 and 22, they're talking about geography 00:04:22.339 --> 00:04:25.500 and location. Authentic worship can happen anywhere. 00:04:26.490 --> 00:04:28.970 Now, we're more open to that, but in that culture, 00:04:29.029 --> 00:04:31.290 that society, hey, God is going to show up at 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:34.189 the synagogue. Jesus said a time's coming when 00:04:34.189 --> 00:04:37.930 location means nothing. See, worship is not about 00:04:37.930 --> 00:04:41.569 form. It's about function. It's not about location. 00:04:42.649 --> 00:04:46.029 It's about purpose. Worship can happen in a church 00:04:46.029 --> 00:04:49.490 building, nature, quiet moments, a human heart. 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:52.259 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20 says, know you not 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:54.259 that your bodies are the temple of God and the 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:58.879 spirit of God dwells in you? God, we are told 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:01.819 in scripture, doesn't take up residence in things 00:05:01.819 --> 00:05:04.259 made by human hands, but what? In human hearts. 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:08.620 If you know Christ as your savior, if you've 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:10.740 turned from your sin, believed on his death on 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:12.899 the cross and his resurrection and invited Christ 00:05:12.899 --> 00:05:14.579 to forgive you of your sin, you've trusted in 00:05:14.579 --> 00:05:17.439 him and he's entered your life. You've been adopted 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:19.240 into his family. The Holy Spirit lives within 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:24.620 you. You are his sanctuary. It can happen anywhere. 00:05:25.060 --> 00:05:27.500 It can happen as you walk. It can happen as you 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:31.480 talk. It can happen as you think. Every single 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:35.079 moment of every day, anywhere, worship can take 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.699 place. But it begins at a point in time when 00:05:38.699 --> 00:05:42.759 you say, I want to worship you as a living sacrifice. 00:05:43.579 --> 00:05:47.680 This is me. Second, Authentic worship flows from 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:49.939 the heart. Did you notice that phrase happened 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:53.139 two times? Worship in spirit. Everyone wants 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:55.480 to know, should there be a big S there or a little 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:57.980 S? You know, like in spirit as a big S, the Holy 00:05:57.980 --> 00:06:00.759 Spirit, or in spirit, out of the human heart. 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.379 From the context, it seems clear that it's a 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:06.959 small S. It's from the heart because the Holy 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:09.670 Spirit hasn't even been given yet. But as we 00:06:09.670 --> 00:06:11.569 read our New Testament, what we know is both 00:06:11.569 --> 00:06:14.529 are true. It's the Holy Spirit who teaches us 00:06:14.529 --> 00:06:16.670 how to pray. It's the Holy Spirit that leads 00:06:16.670 --> 00:06:18.730 and guides us into all truth. So both are accurate. 00:06:19.569 --> 00:06:22.529 But the idea here, Jesus is saying he's living 00:06:22.529 --> 00:06:25.509 in a world with religious ritual. Jesus is saying 00:06:25.509 --> 00:06:28.529 true worshipers have to be people from the heart. 00:06:30.389 --> 00:06:32.990 Anytime you get honest, anytime you're broken, 00:06:33.129 --> 00:06:35.110 anytime you say, oh, God, I need you. And you 00:06:35.110 --> 00:06:37.810 come just as you are. God says, and I'm there. 00:06:38.189 --> 00:06:40.990 I'll meet you. He's just looking for people who 00:06:40.990 --> 00:06:45.029 come honestly from the heart. God has room for 00:06:45.029 --> 00:06:48.230 people that have blown it deeply. Who have absolutely 00:06:48.230 --> 00:06:50.910 messed up morally. And they repent and they come 00:06:50.910 --> 00:06:53.449 back broken. And God has a place to forgive. 00:06:53.629 --> 00:06:55.649 Are there consequences? Sure. But he meets them 00:06:55.649 --> 00:06:59.350 where they're at. You want a father who's seeking 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:01.910 and pursuing you? First of all, realize worship 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:05.110 happens anywhere. Take advantage of it. Second. 00:07:06.009 --> 00:07:07.990 Authentic worship flows from the heart. Third, 00:07:08.209 --> 00:07:10.930 authentic worship is rooted in an accurate view 00:07:10.930 --> 00:07:15.990 of God and of ourselves. Notice, in truth. It's 00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:19.189 in spirit, from the heart, in truth. Scripture 00:07:19.189 --> 00:07:23.550 is the standard for our worship. John 17, 17. 00:07:24.189 --> 00:07:26.990 Jesus is in the garden. He's praying. He's ready 00:07:26.990 --> 00:07:30.089 to check out of the planet. Remember? Sanctify 00:07:30.089 --> 00:07:32.610 them, he prays to the Father. Sanctify them by 00:07:32.610 --> 00:07:36.370 thy truth. Thy word is thy truth. When we wanted 00:07:36.370 --> 00:07:37.970 to know what the object of our worship should 00:07:37.970 --> 00:07:40.850 be, what did Jesus say? I am the way, the truth, 00:07:41.050 --> 00:07:43.569 and the life. If you're going to have authentic 00:07:43.569 --> 00:07:47.490 worship, Jesus needs to be the center of it. 00:07:47.569 --> 00:07:50.189 What did Jesus say? If I be lifted up, what? 00:07:50.370 --> 00:07:53.870 I will draw all men to myself. You see, worship 00:07:53.870 --> 00:07:55.949 has got to be much more than an experience, an 00:07:55.949 --> 00:07:57.910 emotional experience, even a religious experience. 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:00.430 All kind of religions have all kind of religious 00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:04.699 experiences. It must be in spirit and in truth, 00:08:04.779 --> 00:08:06.980 the truth of Christ, the truth of scripture, 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:09.740 the truth of the resurrection, the truth of the 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.819 character of God. What has reduced our worship 00:08:12.819 --> 00:08:15.819 in our day is God has gotten so small because 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:20.240 we don't think about God as he is. God used to 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.060 be so far away that people couldn't get close 00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:24.160 to him. And then this whole evangelical Christianity 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:27.120 came in and we've swung the pendulum in our day 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.199 where God's everybody's buddy. Hey, Lord. Hey, 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.110 man upstairs. Give me five, man. I got news for 00:08:33.110 --> 00:08:36.789 you. I got news for you. He's a holy God. And 00:08:36.789 --> 00:08:38.669 when the people of the Bible see a holy God, 00:08:38.710 --> 00:08:42.009 they fall on their face. And every time we open 00:08:42.009 --> 00:08:45.730 a curtain and you look at heaven, Isaiah 6, Revelation 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:48.029 5, anytime you get a peek at heaven, you know 00:08:48.029 --> 00:08:51.190 what you see? You see worship. And you see exalted, 00:08:51.210 --> 00:08:54.710 angelic beings flying. And they cover their eyes 00:08:54.710 --> 00:08:56.850 and they cover their feet because they are in 00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:01.100 awe. They are in awe of the holiness and the 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:05.320 otherness and the sheer power of the holy God 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:08.399 who created all that there is. We are so glib 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.039 with the God of the universe. And we don't think 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:12.960 he can do much because we have shrunk him down 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.960 to our little size and made him our little best 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:19.419 friend genie who will work out our life. And 00:09:19.419 --> 00:09:22.539 we pray about parking spaces. I'm for that. And 00:09:22.539 --> 00:09:24.679 relationships and money and this and that. And 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:26.820 you know what? When's the last time you thought, 00:09:26.899 --> 00:09:30.820 who is God? And you worshipped him for who he 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:34.360 is. And then to think that he would grant a parking 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:38.379 space or a life mate or a financial need is humbling. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:43.759 That one so transcendent, so powerful, even knows 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:47.460 you want a parking space. Let alone answers that. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.220 But you know what he is? He's intimate and he's 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:53.659 caring. And he's compassionate. And so he'll 00:09:53.659 --> 00:09:56.659 just take me and he'll take you where you are. 00:09:57.460 --> 00:10:00.019 He'll meet you where you are, not where you ought 00:10:00.019 --> 00:10:03.279 to be. Right view of God and a right view of 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:06.980 ourselves. That's what truth does. When you look 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:09.840 at yourself, you're full of dignity because you're 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:11.620 made in the image of God, but you are fallen 00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:14.590 and I am fallen. And we are sinful. And the heart 00:10:14.590 --> 00:10:16.970 is desperately wicked above all else. And when 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:18.789 you worship, you will find something happening. 00:10:18.870 --> 00:10:20.710 The closer and the closer and the closer you 00:10:20.710 --> 00:10:22.590 get to God, you will not have any problem with 00:10:22.590 --> 00:10:26.129 humility. Because God's holiness expands. You 00:10:26.129 --> 00:10:29.230 know what happens? Your sinfulness expands. See, 00:10:29.289 --> 00:10:31.990 most of us, we think God grades on the curve. 00:10:32.190 --> 00:10:36.549 He doesn't. He's 100 % pure. 100 % of the time. 00:10:36.570 --> 00:10:38.450 All the time. He doesn't grade on the curve. 00:10:38.529 --> 00:10:40.649 So you know what I do? In my weaker moments, 00:10:40.830 --> 00:10:43.200 and I have many of them, I find someone who's 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.519 a little less holy than me, and I compare myself 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:49.000 to them, and I think, you know what? I'm doing 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:51.399 pretty good, you know? You know, I don't swear 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:52.940 anymore, and I'm doing this a little better. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.960 You know what? Then I get before God, and then 00:10:55.960 --> 00:10:58.220 He lets me see some of my motives in ministry. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:01.080 And then He lets me see little things that come 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.360 out of my mouth that reveal a heart that is so 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.620 selfish. And then He lets me see some just junk. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:08.899 And there's times when I have a great time praying, 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:10.879 I just think, God, how do you even put up with 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:14.539 me? He says, Jesus, that's how I put up with 00:11:14.539 --> 00:11:17.659 everybody. He loves you. He died for you. He 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.600 paid for that sin that I just pointed out. And 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:23.080 you're in a lifelong process of him renewing 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:25.919 and transforming you. Well, are you a worshiper 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:28.840 that the Father's seeking? Do you worship anywhere? 00:11:29.139 --> 00:11:32.000 Does your worship come from the heart? Is your 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.879 worship revealed an accurate view of God, an 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:38.409 accurate view of yourself? You're listening to 00:11:38.409 --> 00:11:41.149 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll return 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:43.909 to our message in just a moment. But first, did 00:11:43.909 --> 00:11:46.370 you know that you can access this entire series 00:11:46.370 --> 00:11:49.429 anytime you want? Head on over to livingontheedge 00:11:49.429 --> 00:11:52.289 .org where you'll discover Chip's full teaching 00:11:52.289 --> 00:11:55.330 library, along with study guides and small group 00:11:55.330 --> 00:11:57.990 materials. Whether you want to replay today's 00:11:57.990 --> 00:12:00.789 message or explore other topics, everything you 00:12:00.789 --> 00:12:03.210 need to grow spiritually is available online 00:12:03.210 --> 00:12:08.429 at livingontheedge .org. Let's get back to Chip's 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:11.629 message. Well, let's move on. How can you experience 00:12:11.629 --> 00:12:14.230 greater intimacy in your worship? Let's get real 00:12:14.230 --> 00:12:16.289 practical. Let me give you some tips, if you 00:12:16.289 --> 00:12:18.970 will, from people who've walked with God a lot 00:12:18.970 --> 00:12:21.429 longer than me and a lot longer than most here. 00:12:22.210 --> 00:12:24.429 I think one of the greatest problems in our worship 00:12:24.429 --> 00:12:28.970 is lack of balance. We tend to get into ruts 00:12:28.970 --> 00:12:32.409 very quickly. Certain forms, whatever form we 00:12:32.409 --> 00:12:35.169 grow up with, we think that's the way. It's amazing. 00:12:35.389 --> 00:12:37.230 People, if you grew up with hymns and God spoke 00:12:37.230 --> 00:12:38.669 to you through hymns, do you think hymns are 00:12:38.669 --> 00:12:41.230 what we ought to sing? Some of us that came to 00:12:41.230 --> 00:12:43.250 Christ through choruses, you know, choruses is 00:12:43.250 --> 00:12:45.509 where it's at. Some of you that came to Christ 00:12:45.509 --> 00:12:49.049 with electric guitars, you know, God couldn't 00:12:49.049 --> 00:12:50.009 even be in the building if there's no electric 00:12:50.009 --> 00:12:52.009 guitar and drums. Because that's how you came 00:12:52.009 --> 00:12:53.990 to Christ. There's some of you that think that 00:12:53.990 --> 00:12:55.370 you're not really worshiping unless you raise 00:12:55.370 --> 00:12:56.950 your hands. And there's some of you that think 00:12:56.950 --> 00:12:58.529 if you do raise your hands, please don't worship 00:12:58.529 --> 00:13:02.419 next to me. There's some people that unless the 00:13:02.419 --> 00:13:04.879 organ is playing in the stained glass and there's 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:07.000 that sense of absolute silence when you walk 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:09.899 in, then that's the way to worship. And there's 00:13:09.899 --> 00:13:11.799 others that feel unless there's the joy of the 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.039 Lord, unless there's celebration happening in 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:15.980 the room, then there's not worship. And you know 00:13:15.980 --> 00:13:19.340 what? You're all right. You're all right. But 00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:22.299 so easily what we do is we get in a rut and we 00:13:22.299 --> 00:13:25.460 think it's form instead of function. And then 00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:28.580 we slide into very gradually making our needs, 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.200 our lives, our agendas, Instead of God, the focus 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:35.620 of our time of worship. Private worship, I believe, 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:41.259 is our declaration. Our declaration of driving 00:13:41.259 --> 00:13:47.200 a stake to refuse to become little gods. To the 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.860 extent that you worship privately, you are driving 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:52.659 a stake and saying, I'm going to have something 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:56.179 in my life on a daily or at least almost daily 00:13:56.179 --> 00:14:01.019 basis that forces me to stop. And let go of all 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:05.039 the plastic, all those beads, and remember who 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:13.980 is Lord, King, Sovereign, Boss. And private worship 00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:19.580 is a declaration of my refusal to be God. And 00:14:19.580 --> 00:14:21.919 when I don't have time to worship, when I'm too 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.419 busy to worship, you make the parallel. How could 00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:28.929 we not have time for Him who made us? It's an 00:14:28.929 --> 00:14:31.909 oxymoron, isn't it? Unless we really believe 00:14:31.909 --> 00:14:35.710 we're God or we're worshiping something else. 00:14:36.629 --> 00:14:39.509 In your private worship, so that you don't get 00:14:39.509 --> 00:14:42.269 in a rut, this was taught me early on, but it's 00:14:42.269 --> 00:14:44.809 been very effective. In fact, when I do, sometimes 00:14:44.809 --> 00:14:48.190 I have a hard time concentrating. And I have 00:14:48.190 --> 00:14:49.710 a really hard time praying, and I feel like my 00:14:49.710 --> 00:14:51.730 prayers aren't getting anywhere. The other big 00:14:51.730 --> 00:14:54.129 problem I have in worship and time with the Lord 00:14:54.129 --> 00:14:57.559 is I lie a lot. I lie to myself. I pray prayers 00:14:57.559 --> 00:15:01.159 I don't mean. I say things that sound good. And 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:03.399 then I hear them and I think. And so I write 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:05.419 them down. I don't know why, but when I see it 00:15:05.419 --> 00:15:07.519 in print, I'm thinking, oh, Ingram, who are you 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.299 fooling? That's not true. Then I write down what's 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:12.960 really true. And often in my journal, I'll write 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:18.220 down the letters A, C, T, and S. Because if I'm 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:21.299 under a lot of pressure, all I do is S, supplication, 00:15:21.340 --> 00:15:24.279 supplication, supplication. The A stands for 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:27.940 adoration. In your private time with God, read 00:15:27.940 --> 00:15:31.639 some passages about who he is or think thoughts 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:35.980 about his character. Second is confession. This 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:39.240 is an easy part to skip in a hurry. And every 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:41.840 time I skip it, my spiritual skin gets thicker 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:44.539 and then it's harder to hear God's voice. But 00:15:44.539 --> 00:15:46.799 I'll write C on my paper and then I'll sit quietly 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.840 and I'll say, God, will you bring anything to 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:50.659 my mind that I need to confess? Anything that's 00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:52.960 produced a barrier between me and you or me and 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:56.899 another person. And I say it quietly. And I assume 00:15:56.899 --> 00:15:59.580 that what God brings to my mind, not vague. Now, 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:01.879 if you get a vague feeling like you are a jerk, 00:16:02.019 --> 00:16:07.320 that is not God. No, it's true. Because the scripture 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:09.200 is very clear. The Holy Spirit's job is to what? 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.639 He illuminates in order to draw you near. That's 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:14.759 what conviction is. Conviction is the opposite 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:17.110 of condemnation. Condemnation makes you feel 00:16:17.110 --> 00:16:19.809 bad and what makes you want to go away from God. 00:16:20.210 --> 00:16:22.629 Conviction is, hey, I really love you. And there's 00:16:22.629 --> 00:16:24.549 this little problem between us. Why don't we 00:16:24.549 --> 00:16:26.269 get this taken care of so we can get closer? 00:16:26.470 --> 00:16:29.370 And you sit quietly and he'll show you. Third 00:16:29.370 --> 00:16:34.149 is T for Thanksgiving. I find that multiple mornings 00:16:34.149 --> 00:16:36.470 I don't feel like I don't feel like being ship. 00:16:36.570 --> 00:16:37.850 I don't feel like being a pastor. I don't feel 00:16:37.850 --> 00:16:40.019 like doing anything. And maybe you can agree. 00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:41.639 And, you know, then you think, well, it's a cup 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:43.820 of coffee. And then after my second cup of coffee 00:16:43.820 --> 00:16:45.779 and I still feel the same way, I realize maybe 00:16:45.779 --> 00:16:47.799 I have an attitude problem. And it's amazing 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:50.899 to sit down and fill half of a page. God, I'm 00:16:50.899 --> 00:16:54.019 thankful today for. And then I start with my 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:56.379 wife and I start with my kids. And I begin to 00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:58.500 list things that I'm thankful for. And in about 00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:00.639 five minutes, my attitude changes. And I offer 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:03.799 them up to him. This little acronym, ACTS, A 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:06.460 -C -T -S, I think it's a great way to learn to 00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:10.140 worship. The final one is S, supplication. And 00:17:10.140 --> 00:17:12.000 what I do is I just take my concerns. I write, 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:14.940 I'm concerned about, and then I list them. And 00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:16.640 then at the end of them, I turn them into prayers. 00:17:17.460 --> 00:17:19.500 God, would you take this one? Would you take 00:17:19.500 --> 00:17:21.200 this one? Would you take that one? Now, you don't 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.579 need to write all that out. I'm just a slow learner, 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.900 and it helps me. Because the other thing I've 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:29.660 done is life gets complicated, and it is a joy. 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:32.119 Sometimes when I'm feeling really even less motivated 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:35.160 than when I talked before, then what I do is 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:37.660 I just flip back on my journal. three days ago, 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:39.960 and I see the check marks, the dates, the answers 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:42.359 to prayer. Then I flip back a week. Check mark, 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:44.519 check mark, check mark, check mark. Dates, answers 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:47.019 to prayer. And you know what it reminds me? God 00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:49.680 is still on the throne. Ingram, you're not the 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:52.319 center of the universe. Lighten up, buddy. I 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.779 got it all under control. I had it controlled 00:17:53.779 --> 00:17:55.980 last week, got it now, got it next week. If you 00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:57.680 get hit by a milk truck, life will go right on. 00:17:58.220 --> 00:17:59.599 And you know what? That's a healthy thing to 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:02.279 remember. In public worship, let me give you 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.680 three Ps by way of practical experience. The 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:07.829 first one, And take this from a winsome heart, 00:18:07.910 --> 00:18:10.069 okay? Take this from, because we don't practice 00:18:10.069 --> 00:18:13.329 this well, I'll kind of warn you, is preparation. 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:16.690 If you come to Saturday night, slow down earlier 00:18:16.690 --> 00:18:19.349 in the afternoon. If you come on Sunday, the 00:18:19.349 --> 00:18:21.829 night before. You can't stay out until 2 o 'clock 00:18:21.829 --> 00:18:23.490 in the morning and have effective worship at 00:18:23.490 --> 00:18:27.089 9 or 11. See, what you got to ask is, this is 00:18:27.089 --> 00:18:29.069 the most important thing you get to do all week. 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:32.759 You know, this is it. I mean, it's like the NBA 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:35.599 championship game, the NFL Super Bowl game. Those 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.680 guys are not running around the hallways at 3 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:39.759 in the morning, you know, playing cards. Man, 00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:41.599 they're on a special diet, and they're thinking, 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:43.500 they're focused, because that day's the big day. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:46.640 You know why? Because that's what they worship. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.819 Now, what we worship, man, we ought to prepare. 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:53.259 You ought to come emotionally low -keyed and 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:57.200 focused in. You ought to come rested. You ought 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.420 to have prayed for the service, the people involved 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:02.559 in it. You ought to realize that the first 15 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:05.599 minutes is not fluff time. It's when we sing 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:08.900 in adoration to God. So coming here not on time, 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:12.079 but five to 10 minutes early to interact and 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.119 maybe share what's going on and encourage someone 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:20.400 and actually being here when it starts. And see, 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:23.140 you're going to come with an attitude to hear 00:19:23.140 --> 00:19:26.039 from him. He's going to meet you. Second, P is 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:30.099 for purpose. The purpose of worship is not to 00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:32.359 evaluate if Chip had a good night, if you like 00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:34.279 the music, and if so -and -so is here that you 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:38.819 hope would be here. The purpose is to not get 00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:43.500 anything. It's to come to give. It's your opportunity 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:49.950 in community to focus on. The sovereign living 00:19:49.950 --> 00:19:53.410 source of all life and tell him how you feel 00:19:53.410 --> 00:19:55.890 about him, how much you love him, how much you 00:19:55.890 --> 00:19:58.230 thank him. And so your purpose is to come to 00:19:58.230 --> 00:20:03.769 give, to offer yourself and your praise to him. 00:20:04.529 --> 00:20:07.109 That would change then how you listen. That would 00:20:07.109 --> 00:20:10.930 change how you sing. Third P is participation. 00:20:12.630 --> 00:20:15.569 Church is not a spectator sport, nor is it a 00:20:15.569 --> 00:20:18.579 spectacle to come and observe. Now, we know that 00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:20.519 many people that don't yet know the Lord and 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:22.720 God is bringing, they can spectate, and that's 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.440 fine. But if you're a part of the family, it 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:27.880 may be hard to sing at first. Singing out loud 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:30.299 was like weird. I never did that in my life. 00:20:30.819 --> 00:20:32.799 And then I became a Christian. I found out all 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:36.039 these Christians sing. And I used to go, and 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:38.619 little by little, I warmed up. And I realized 00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:42.059 the Spirit of God works as we sing. It's a place 00:20:42.059 --> 00:20:47.579 to pray for, reach up, reach out. And listen 00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:52.339 with an ear to say truth. I must obey the truth. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.000 See, real worship always ends in participation. 00:20:55.619 --> 00:20:59.740 Once you see who he is, you're changed. Now you've 00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:01.740 looked into the mirror, the perfect law of liberty. 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:05.160 What specifically are you going to do and am 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.359 I going to do to put into practice the truth 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:10.859 God's revealed to us? Until we've done that, 00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:13.980 we have not worshiped. Jot down for your own. 00:21:14.509 --> 00:21:18.390 Luke chapter 5, 1 to 11. Read that through with 00:21:18.390 --> 00:21:21.769 eyes of worship and see how Peter worships and 00:21:21.769 --> 00:21:26.430 how he ends up following Christ. Conclusion, 00:21:26.549 --> 00:21:29.450 worship is not a service you come to or an activity 00:21:29.450 --> 00:21:33.730 you practice. Worship is a life focus, an expression 00:21:33.730 --> 00:21:36.230 of your deepest longings, passions, and devotion 00:21:36.230 --> 00:21:43.039 to whom or what you love the most. This is Living 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:46.180 on the Edge with Chip Ingram and a powerful message 00:21:46.180 --> 00:21:49.500 about worship that transforms everything. Chip 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:51.839 will share one final thought in just a moment. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:54.819 If you'd like to revisit or share any part of 00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:58.279 this series, everything is available at livingontheedge 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:02.359 .org. Now, as this series on experiencing breakthrough 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:05.039 concludes, I want to point you toward a resource 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:07.940 that can anchor your spiritual life. It's Chip's 00:22:07.940 --> 00:22:11.000 free 10 -day devotional called Psalms of Hope. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.220 Here's the format. Chip provides 10 minutes of 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:16.900 biblical teaching each day from Psalm 1, Psalm 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:20.599 15, or Psalm 23, three psalms that have sustained 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:23.720 believers for millennia. Then you spend 10 minutes 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:26.799 in personal reflection and prayer. Just 20 minutes 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:30.579 daily, 10 transformative days. Today we explored 00:22:30.579 --> 00:22:32.720 what it means to be a worshiper that the Father 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:35.680 seeks. Psalms of Hope will deepen that practice, 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:38.619 helping you develop the kind of authentic, consistent 00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:41.839 worship we've been discussing. If you want worship 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:44.640 to become more than an occasional feeling, if 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:46.680 you want it to become the pattern of your life, 00:22:46.819 --> 00:22:50.220 these Psalms offer the pathway. Start today by 00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:53.559 going online to livingontheedge .org, search 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:57.079 for Psalms of Hope, and begin your journey completely 00:22:57.079 --> 00:23:00.500 free. Friend, this teaching exists because listeners 00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:03.420 choose to financially support it. Your partnership 00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:05.900 makes it possible for others to discover these 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.960 life -changing biblical truths. Would you consider 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:11.440 joining us? We've made it easy to give online 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:15.140 at livingontheedge .org or send your gift through 00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:18.880 the mail to Living on the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:23.539 Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You can also call us 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:29.140 and give over the phone at 888 -333 -6003. Well, 00:23:29.180 --> 00:23:31.759 now here's Chip with today's Talking Point. As 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:34.400 we wrap up today's message, I just want to remind 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:38.789 you that boredom isn't bad. Boredom is simply 00:23:38.789 --> 00:23:41.950 the evidence that we're trying to scratch an 00:23:41.950 --> 00:23:45.950 eternal itch with a temporal backscratcher. You 00:23:45.950 --> 00:23:48.890 see, the reason we have music and noise and we 00:23:48.890 --> 00:23:51.869 stay busy, busy, busy is because we don't want 00:23:51.869 --> 00:23:54.230 to get alone and realize that we're worshiping 00:23:54.230 --> 00:23:57.170 something far less than the God who created us. 00:23:57.690 --> 00:23:59.630 And so authentic worship we learn today, it can 00:23:59.630 --> 00:24:01.529 happen anywhere, not just in church, it's your 00:24:01.529 --> 00:24:03.589 life. We learn authentic worship, it's got to 00:24:03.589 --> 00:24:05.910 flow from your heart. It's not external. It's 00:24:05.910 --> 00:24:08.230 not just form. And we learn that authentic worship 00:24:08.230 --> 00:24:11.250 is rooted in accurate view of God and ourselves. 00:24:11.789 --> 00:24:13.930 So by the way, let me give you just those keys 00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:16.329 I gave on private and public worship, because 00:24:16.329 --> 00:24:18.670 this week I want you to give that a whirl. Remember 00:24:18.670 --> 00:24:23.349 the ACTS acronym, A -C -T -S. I'd like you to 00:24:23.349 --> 00:24:27.559 set aside 15 or 20 minutes just this week. And 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:31.920 adore God, confess your sin, give thanks, and 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.720 then supplication. Pray for some others. Have 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:38.160 you got that? A -C -T -S. Do that for 15 or 20 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:41.140 minutes every day this week and see if it doesn't 00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:44.619 superpower your worship to a new level. I'm Dave 00:24:44.619 --> 00:24:46.640 Drewy, inviting you back for a lesson on how 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.220 to build lasting relationships. That's on the 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:55.609 next weekend edition of Living on the Edge. Today's 00:24:55.609 --> 00:24:58.109 program is produced and sponsored by Living on 00:24:58.109 --> 00:24:58.609 the Edge.