WORSHIP THE LORD

1. Introduction

a) 25Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. (Exodus 23:25-26 NIV)

b) The Living Bible says, "You shall serve the Lord your God only; then I will bless you with food and water, and I will take away sickness from among you. There will be no miscarriages nor barrenness throughout your land, and you will live out the full quota of the days of your life."

2. What is worship?

a) Worship is, in fact, our act of service to God. Worship does not make us feel good. Rather it should make God feel good. In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham's faith and obedience. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac whom he loved so much as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains God would direct. Abraham obeyed and God said He would bless him with incredible blessings and multiply his descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars, and like the sands along the seashore.

3. Do you feel good?

a) Did Abraham feel good when God asked him to sacrifice his only son? Absolutely no! Most probably Abraham could not sleep for many days and pondering over God's request. He did not even tell his wife, Sarah about what he was about to do. Quietly, he went away to do the thing God requested. In the end when he obeyed, God blessed him for his obedience.

b) Husband, do you feel good when the Scripture says to love your own wife? Love your own wife and not somebody's wife. Loving your wife requires your choice (will) to act. Sometimes it is hard when things are not according to what you want.

c) Wife, do you feel good to submit to your own husband? Submission is not inferiority. It is your act of worship in obedience to God. You may disagree with what your husband intend to do, but you must always let your husband make the final decision concerning the matter. God will hold your husband accountable for all the decisions he has made.

d) Father, do you feel good when the Scripture says that you ought to be the prophet, priest and king in your home? You are to be the head of the home and to make every wise decision affecting your loved ones in your family. It is not easy trying to be what God what you to be in your home. To gather all the family members for family altar seems almost impossible. But God will bless your family if you do.

e) Mother, do you feel good when you have to routinely prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for your family? And sometimes, you are not appreciated at all. Things are being taken for granted. No appreciative words or even saying a word of "Thank you" for all your hard work.

f) Children, do you feel good to honour your father and mother as the Scripture says? Though your parent may be inperfect, yet God has seen it fit to allow you to be born in the family. Honour them so that you may live out the full quota of the days in your life as promised in God's word.

g) In doing these things by obeying what the Scripture says, you are in fact worshipping God!

4. Worship in holiness

a) 16Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29 NIV)

b) Holiness means;

i) Totally devoted or dedicated to God.

ii) Set aside for his special use.

iii) Set apart from sin and its influence.

c) 6Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Psalms 95:6 NIV)

d) 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)

e) 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)

5. We can expect God to bless us

a) 25Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. (Exodus 23:25-26 NIV)

i) Bless with food and water (sufficient provisions in the home).

ii) Take away sickness (enjoy good health).

iii) No miscarriages, no barrenness (no loss, no dryness, no unfruitfulness instead promotion, multiplication, fruitfulness, abundance etc.)

iv) Live out the full quota of the days of your life (enjoy abundant life, longevity - 120 years in Genesis 6:3).

@1. 3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3 NIV)

6. Obedience and faith

a) God wants us to be obedience to his word and have faith in him concerning his promises.

b) God has a terrific plan for us in Jeremiah 29:11.

@1. 11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

7. Fundamental laws

a) The fundamental laws of God are written in the universe and affect our lives as surely as gravity (what goes up must comes down). We are subjected to these laws whether or not we believe them. When we transgress them, we set in motion forces that must be reaped by simple, impersonal law - the law that is absolute and eternal.

b) The laws of God are both natural and spiritual:

i) Natural

@1. In physics - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

@2. In algebra and chemistry - every equation / formula must balance.

ii) Spiritual

@1. 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV)

@2. 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7 NIV)

c) We sow and reap in kind.

i) 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV)

8. Prayer focus

a) Pray that we will be obedience and faithful to whatever the Lord want us to do for him.

b) Pray that we worship him in Spirit and in truth.