Section 1: “Becoming a Disciple” Session 2: “Private Worship”
What is “private worship?”
- ENJOYING & HONORING THE PRESENCE OF GOD . (Remember, HE’S OMNIPRESENT!)
Basking in & living honorably before the presence of God.
- EXPRESSIONS of worship birthed from LIFESTYLES of worship
Ezekiel 8:12 & 23:39 …have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol?… On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. – Daily idolatry “pollutes” expressions of worship!
1st Commandment: No other gods BEFORE me (priority or in my sight)
Romans 12:1 …living sacrifices, holy and pleasing unto God.
“Dirty hands” raised in worship? Fresh water/salt water same spring?
SCRIPTURAL LESSONS ON WORSHIP
JESUS: INTIMACY
- God taking time to be with God? Intimacy with himself?
- Lazarus, “I said this for the benefit of the people standing here”
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God
in the beginning.
Jesus longed to be with the Father as he had been before he was born, worship is us longing to be with the Father now as we will be after we die.
- In “moments” of expression and a life in His presence
ADAM & EVE (Genesis Ch. 2 – 4): DESIGN
- Sin changed their experience of the presence of God
- Out of Garden, Cain & Abel brought offerings to the Lord (“some” from field vs. fat 1st portions of herd = favor / jealousy)
- WE MUST CHOOSE TO LIVE BY DESIGN
PROPHETS: CORRECTION
Jeremiah 1:4, “the word of the Lord came to me”
- “TUNED IN”… “ON BROADBAND”
DANIEL: DEVOTION & REVELATION
Daniel 10:1-3 a revelation was given to Daniel… At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until three weeks were over.
- Fasting / self-denial to focus on God’s presence = revelation
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to God just as he had done before.
- Daniel would rather die than live without his private worship!
PETER (Acts 10:9-11) & JOHN (Rev. 1:9-10): VISION
Peter went up to the roof to pray… trance… saw heaven open up /
I, John,… was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God… On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit…
Private worship restores our design for intimacy with God, which fosters correction, revelation & vision in the Truth!
PRIVATE WORSHIP IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PURSUIT OF HOLINESS
BUT A CHOICE MADE OUT OF “LONGING” RATHER THAN OBLIGATION
NEXT WEEK: PUBLIC WORSHIP