"WORSHIP: THE EXPERIENCE OF MEETING GOD"

What is a Worship Service?

ISAIAH 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

⁶Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

⁸Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

5 key ingredients of worship

I. CONNECT WITH THE LORD

 A. Isaiah’s Vision – He saw God

     The attributes of God

•       Majesty

•       Power & Might

•       Glory

•       Holiness

 B. Seeing God for who He IS!

  1. Read the Bible

  2. Then we meditate on God

  3. Sing about God

  4. Shut out the busyness & chaos of this world

II. ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN WORSHIP

 A. Isaiah’ Vision

 B. Our Active Worship

  1. When I act out worship

  2. Calling to one another

-       sharing what God has done

-       singing to one another about God

III. HUMBLE OURSELVES IN CONFESSION

 A. Isaiah

  1. Confessed his own sin

  2. Confessed sin of his people

 B. Confession

"O wretched man that I am, who will rescue me from the body of sin?"

  “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"

IV. RECEIVE FORGIVENESS & CLEANSING

 A. Isaiah

-       "Woe is me, I am ruined!!"

o       I’m dead!!

 B. Receiving forgiveness & cleansing

·        The angels not only said that Isaiah's sin was atoned for, but also declared that his guilt was taken away.

V. RESPOND TO GOD IN SERVICE

 A. Isaiah vs. 8

     "I have something that needs to be done, who will respond?”

 B. Call to Respond to God's Word

Worship was never intended to be a static exercise

  -  Romans 12:1"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and please to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship."

Worship is not just a feel good experience

  - Worship is not just a time filled with activity

-       Worship is not just singing, reading, praying & preaching

  Worship involves

  1) Connecting with & seeing God

  2) Actively Participating in Worship

  3) Confession & Repentance

  4) Receiving Forgiveness & Cleansing

  5) Responding To God in Service

Rev. 5:11-14

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honour and glory and praise!"

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honour and glory and power,

for ever and ever!"

¹⁴The four living creatures said, "Amen", and the elders fell down and worshipped.