Fanatic (Biel)

Chris Biel, in the first of the "Fanatic" series of http://www.lifechurch.tv/message-archive/fanatic/1, opens with a question. What is the one thing that God desires that only you can give? The answer is our worship. Recently, Chris pulled out his guitar and did something he hasn't done with his family in a while, worship. His 4 year old wanted to say a prayer beforehand and all he could say was a dinner prayer. Chris says, "I guess I need to work on that". Why is worship so important? 1) There is a war being waged for our worship. Many scholars believe that the role of Satan in Heaven, before he rebelled, was as a worship leader. In Isaiah 14:13-14. you can see what Satan desires. Given these verses, if Satan could accomplish one thing here on earth, what would that be? Although we might not worship Satan, we very likely could worship other things BESIDES God. We worship our workouts, our jobs, our kids or television shows (like American Idol). Worship is giving worth or value to someone or something above all else. There's a war for our worship. In the ten commandments, the first that is mentioned is "You shall have no other gods before me, you shall not make idols for worship because I am a jealous God." Chris did some soul-searching and he was asking God to show him what he worships besides God. What God whispered to him was "comfort". He finds that he kicks back all to often on the couch and watches sports at the expense of his kids or for that matter, his worship of God. 2) We were created in God's image to be an object for Him to love and as a source to offer worship to Him. It's why we exist. It's not just our songs to Him, it's our life. In Luke 19:38, the disciples who were just ordinary guys with ordinary lives, had been impacted by Jesus in such a way that they were going through the streets offering praises to Jesus. When the Pharisees rebuked them, Jesus said that if his disciples were quieted, the rocks would cry out!! Why do we go to church for worship? To answer this, Chris talks about his musically inclined family that afforded him the opportunity to perform in a couple of Broadway plays on stage. He compares these performances to our experience at church; there's an audience and a performer. HOWEVER, there is a big difference in the two. In church, we are not the audience or performers, we are all a part of the cast to the audience of God. It is all for Him. We come not to receive, but to give to God. It is something that has been done throughout history. Worship is just a response to who God is and what He has done. In Romans 12, Paul says, "therefore brothers, I urge you, in view of God's mercy..." This is what what we hear in the worship song, "It's all because of Jesus I'm alive." In his closing prayer, Chris mentions the scripture "God is jealously longing for our affections". Good message...

Created about 4 years ago