January 27-28, 2007, Matthew 22:36-38 Acts 1, Selected

LIFE 360!
LIFE THAT MAKES GOD SMILE!

*** Matthew 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." [NIV]

HEART - LOVE GOD WITH OUR AFFECTION! - Psalm 100:2
SOUL - LOVE GOD WITH OUR ACTIONS! - Col. 3:17
MIND - LOVE GOD WITH OUR ATTENTION! - Acts 17:23

WORSHIP IS LIVING A LIFE EXPRESSING LOVE FOR GOD!
*** Romans 12:1 "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." [Msg]

"The Most important thing you can KNOW in life is that God loves you. And the Most important thing you can DO in life is to love God back!" – Rick Warren

*** Acts 1:1-2 "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach [2] until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen." [NIV]

WORSHIP BEGINS WITH LOVING JESUS!

Acts 1:3 "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." [New International Version]

WORSHIP IS BASED ON THE LOVE OF JESUS!

*** 1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us." [NIV]

Acts 1:4-5 "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. [5] For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." [NIV]

WORSHIP BEHAVES IN OBEDIENCE OF JESUS!

*** John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command." [NIV]

Acts 1:9-11 "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. [10] They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. [11] "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." [NIV]

WORSHIP BUILDS ON THE PROMISES OF JESUS!

*** John 14:1-3 "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." [New Living Translation]
Acts 1:12-14 "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. [13] When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. [14] They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." [NIV]

WORSHIP BLOSSOMS IN A GROUP FOR JESUS!

*** Heb 10:25 "Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer." [CEV]

Acts 4:13 "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." [NIV]

WORSHIP'S BEAUTY IS ADOPTING THE LIKENESS OF JESUS!

- Worship Begins with Loving Jesus, Loving God!
- Love for Him is the Source of Worship!
- Worship is Simply the Outflow of that Love!
- DO YOU LOVE HIM?

HOW DO WE EXPRESS TRUE WORSHIP?
*** Isaiah 29:13 "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." [NIV]
*** John 4:23 "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." [NLT]

"Spirit" = PASSION!

"Truth" = AUTHENTICITY!

YOU CAN WORSHIP IN YOUR HOME! - 2 Tim. 1:5 "I remember your true faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now have that same faith." [New Century Version]

YOU CAN WORSHIP AT WORK! - Titus 2:9-10 "Guide slaves into being loyal workers, a bonus to their masters - no back talk, no petty thievery. Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God." [Msg]

YOU CAN WORSHIP AT LEISURE! - Col. 4:5 "Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity." [NLT]

YOU CAN WORSHIP AT CHURCH! - 1 Cor. 14:26a "So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all...." [Msg]

"Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Oh, that you would listen to his voice today!" Psalm 95:6-7 [NLT]