So here are some questions that I have for you:
What kind of music do y’all like?
How much music do you listen to?
When do you listen to music?
Why do you listen to music?
We talk a lot about worshipping God, but too often we assume that worship is something that only happens when we lift our hands and sing during the slow songs at church. Really, worship is so much more than that. As seen in Romans 12:1, true worship is what happens when we offer ourselves as a pleasing sacrifice to God. Worship cannot be summed up in just one action; it’s an entire lifestyle.
So, my next question is this: What does it mean to really worship God?
Do this quick exercise. On a piece of paper and write down a number. The number you write down is the percent of the time that you spend in worship every week. There is no right or wrong answer. Don’t put your name on these. But be honest.
After you have written that number down. Do the math. There are 168 hours in a week. Below are some numbers to help you out.
30% = 50.4 hours
20% = 33.6 hours
10% = 16.8 hours
5% = 8.4 hours
2% = 3.36 hours
0.5% = 1 hour (approximately a weekly church service)
Were you honest with that number you wrote down? I’m a numbers guy and I am a visual guy so this helps me. I like to see the numbers. I have my number written down and put next to my computer on my desk to help remind me of how little time I actually worship God and that God deserves better.
So again I ask the question, what does it really mean to worship God?
This should be easy to answer right since we are all great Christians, right? Is it just about the songs that we sing for Sunday morning when the worship leader leads us?
Worship is more than that, right? Our pastor does a great job of leading our church with this idea. In our bulletins on Sunday mornings, he has labeled the service as a worship service. We worship through music, worship through prayer, worship through giving and worship through the message.
So again I ask, what exactly is true worship?
Let’s read Romans 12:1.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” | Romans 12:1 (ESV)
This gives us a pretty clear and defined answer to that question right! There is a lot of stuff that we can pull from this verse.
Let’s start reading verse 1 again.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God… | Romans 12:1a (ESV)
Why do we worship?
Because God has been and still is, so merciful to us.
How has God shown you mercy?
God loved you so much, even before you were born, but he knew he couldn’t be with you because of your sin. So he sent his son to die on a cross in your place so that those sins could be forgiven and now he can have a close, personal, intimate relationship with you. EVEN BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, GOD SHOWED US MORE MERCY THAN WE COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Read verse 1 again.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice… | Romans 12:1b (ESV)
What does that mean?
Sacrifice is defined as “the act of giving up something that you want to keep.” So, presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice really means to give ourselves totally up to God. It’s giving him control of us, control of our lives and what we do with them.
Make this your prayer. It will not be easy but it will be worth it.
“God, I want to be in control of my own life but I know that You have much better things in store for me that I could ever come up with on my own. So I offer my life as a sacrifice to you, do with it what you will.”
Read verse 1 again.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God… | Romans 12:1c (ESV)
How do you make your life holy and acceptable to God?
Hebrews 13:15-16 can help us out answering this question.
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. | Hebrews 13:15-16 (ESV)
So what pleases God?
When we praise him by openly by professing his name. When we do good and when we share with others.
Here is some perspective for ya: God is completely powerful. He controls everything. He can have anything he wants in the entire universe. And it pleases him to hear you profess his name and faith to him. He wants to hear you call you to him.
It also pleases God when you do good and when you share with others.
Good things are not always easy. Sometimes it’s a hard decision to do good. BUT know that you are pleasing God every time you do it!
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” | Romans 12:1 (ESV)
Time to be honest for a minute. How many of y’all really only consider worship as something that takes place at church? It’s okay if you think that, BUT, as followers of Christ, we should strive to always be learning and trying to live better for him.
Worship and I mean real, genuine, true worship, is deciding to live your life as a sacrifice to God. It’s about living a life that is holy and acceptable to God.
It’s living a life that is pleasing to God by not being ashamed of His name, but by being open about your faith in Him. It’s about doing good and doing what the Bible tells you to do. It’s about sharing with others. Sharing your life, your faith, and your belongings.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. |Psalm 100:2 (ESV)
Singing songs of worship is awesome, and God loves to hear our songs. But it is important to understand that true worship is so much more than a good song.
If you want to truly worship God, you have to decide: Are you willing to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to him?
Trent Fugitt 