Forty Days of Purpose

April 24, 2005

Lesson 2

Worship: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure

Today we are going to talk about a life of worship taking

into account that you and I are a trinity of sorts, a body,

a soul and a spirit all compacted into one!

You were designed this way and until you understand it

and prioritize as God commands, life will never make

any sense.

You and I were created for a relationship with God.

Key - John 14:23

What is your life - “it is even a vapor, that appeareth

for a little time, and then vanisheth away” - James 4:14

Rev. 4:11

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the

ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of

life; and man became a living soul” - Gen. 2:7

This body which receives so much pampering and

attention is destined to return to the earth as dust

from which it came and the spirit, which often is

so neglected, will return to God who gave it.

Eccl. 12:7

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat

of Christ; that every one may receive the things

done in his body, according to that he hath done,

whether it be good or bad” - II Cor. 5:10

“God requireth that which is past” - Eccl. 3:15

Matt. 22:35-39 tells what God expects.

"heart....soul....mind" - God is to be loved with all

our powers and faculties. (understanding-intellect)

We are to love our fellow man who is made in God's

image and likeness, the heir of the same hope as we

ourselves, and presented to us as the object on and

by which we are to show the reality of our love to

God!

I John 4:20-21

Exodus 20:3 tells us what He demands - “Thou

shalt have no other gods before me”

John 4:23-24

Luke 2:52 cites Jesus’ example - “And Jesus

increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor

with God and man” - this means intellectually,

physically, spiritually and socially!

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an

example, that ye should follow His steps”

I Peter 2:21b

“For in that He Himself hath suffered being

tempted, He is able to succour them that are

tempted” - Heb. 2:18

Christianity in relation to the body.

For those who seek happiness by rebellion

to God’s expectations and demands through

the gastric, the sexual and other propensities

of their physical being - there is:

I Cor. 10:13

Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God.

God wants you and I to walk with Him!

We hear alot about worship - if we will obey God

and seek His face, worship will take care of itself.

It is not a formal act, it is “my son, give me thy

heart” and like a popular product commercial,

“Just Do It” would not be far from right.

“I will be their God and they shall be my people”

HOW TO RESPOND - WORSHIP THAT IS

PLEASING TO GOD?

Romans 12:1-2

DEDICATION - Commitment - you have to start

here - “ye must be born again” - “This is the

work of God, that ye believe on Him whom

He hath sent”

Principle of PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

"mercies of God" - have been, are, so varied, so

suited to our case, so unfailing, that we cannot think

upon them without acknowledging the claim that they

have on us. "the love of Christ constraineth us"

The mercies of God are nowhere so apparent as

in redemption - human sin requires a great salvation!

"your bodies" - body as well as soul - God requires

that body, soul and spirit should be consecrated to

Him.

The bodily nature is intended to express and manifest

the character, the spiritual life, the true man. SELAH

The members or parts of the body are to be employed

not as instruments of sin, but of righteousness.

Rom. 6:13

The presentation to God of yourself is the one

great act in which all specific acts of obedience

are summed up and involved, a spiritual worship!

John 4:23-24

Carson Henry (Hank) - hands folded story - my

grandson - standing before me without comment -

just seemed to be pleased to be in my presence -

that should be our attitude towards God!

A living sacrifice - not a dead sacrifice.

The Christian life is not forfeited in being

presented to God, though He is a consuming

fire - it is THROUGH CHRIST that we

are INSULATED

Example of fly/mosquito zapper.

"present your bodies a living sacrifice" -

Lev. 16:7, 10 - the usual word - "bring" v. 9

Presented alive - Christ was presented -

Luke 2:22

"holy and acceptable" - (without blemish)

There is nothing upon which greater stress is

laid than the requirement that every offering

to God shall be such as a Being of perfect purity

can accept.

Obedience is the highest and most acceptable

form of worship which can be offered to God.

John 14:13

Living for God’s purposes and not your own.

The difference between success and a mess!

Putting something else before God that does

not deserve to be there, whether possessions,

a relationship, money or yourself!

THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF

STRESS!

Jer. 10:23 Prov. 3:1-10

Our worship of God is to be VOLUNTARY!

Not because of fear or duty although the “fear of

the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.

The devil accused Job of serving God for nought.

Job 1:6-12

Reserved for God - God has made reservations

for you and I - I Pet. 1:3-4

We are to offer our bodies.

A living sacrifice. INSULATED from the negative

influences of the world. Insulated, not isolated!

Self-centered, selfish, materialistic Society - the

world’s philosophy and mentality. Don’t get

caught up in it but be TRANSFORMED.

Everybody’s doing it does not make it right.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

(Sunday alcohol sales)

Isolated - compare Christ's relationship to

God and His plan for us in John 17

The other extreme - imitating and being

conformed to the world and its culture -

by so doing the “salt has lost its saltness”-

Mark 9:50

The solution is neither imitation nor isolation.

It is insulation and infiltration.

Human secularism and godless materialism

in a society that rejects God.

John 17:15 - “I pray not that thou shouldest

take them out of the world, but that

thou shouldest keep them from the evil”

“be not conformed” by what is accepted by

others - public opinion polls.

Human character and life are treated as

something to be formed and fashioned by

the personal will.

In the New Testament, Satan is called "the

prince of this world" - the unbelieving, the

unchristian population are designated as the

"children of this world".

To be Godless is to be lifeless! To be "fashioned

according to this world" is to conform to sinful

and prevalent practices.

“be transformed” - a metamorphosis - what

a caterpillar goes through to become a beautiful

butterfly.

Rob - Home School - Project

Radio program this week about people losing

their children in public schools.

"be renewed" - "this is the will of God, even

your sanctification" - I Thess. 4:3 - Set apart from

evil and for the use of God!

Likeness to God will exclude likeness to the world!

This is only the result of the Holy Spirit working in

us, producing this likeness to God, transforming us

into His image, bringing every thought into captivity

to the obedience of Jesus Christ!

This transformation is to be developed by living

near to God. Prayer, and the study of God's Word,

are avenues toward obtaining this likeness.

Renewal of the mind - not self-focused but

focused upon God - “looking to Jesus the author

and finisher of our faith”

Psalm 16:8-11

"in thy presence is fullness of joy - literally satiety

of joy - enough and more than enough to satisfy

the most extreme cravings of the human heart.

"in thy right hand", ready for bestowal, "are

pleasures for evermore"

An inexhaustible store, which may be drawn

upon forever. (contrast personal bank account)

Salvation first - then Col. 3:1-10

“that good and acceptable and perfect will of

God” - high quality - Jer. 29:11 - a future and

a hope - “perfect” - tailor-made - talk about

designer clothing that pop culture knows

nothing about!

I Cor. 6:12-20 - (READ)

(Christianity in relation to the body)

Last week - Do you have a relationship with God?

Are you saved? Do you have a relationship with

His Son Jesus Christ?

This week - Have you completely dedicated you

life to Christ? Have you offered your body to God?

Is your first goal in life to get to know God and to

love Him more?

Suggested prayers - last week - this week.