Worship as a Lifestyle #1 Isaiah chapter 58 What does “worship” mean? How would you describe it to someone else? From Anglo-Saxon: “worthship”, “worthiness” – to acknowledge the worth of someone/thing, giving the honour, respect, adoration, praise that it deserves. Hebrew has two words: “to bow down” AND “to serve”

Deuteronomy 5 v8, 9 (KJV) 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: Deuteronomy 8 v19 (GNB) 19 Never forget the Lord your God or turn to other gods to worship and serve them. If you do, then I warn you today that you will certainly be destroyed.

This idea is repeated in the NT: Romans 12 verses 1, 2 1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. (GNB) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (KJV) 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. (NIV) 1 Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. (CEV)

True worship always leads to service worship services AND services of worship We worship what we value and love the most We invest in it, work for it, commit our time and money to it, sacrifice for it. Worship is a uniquely human activity - to recognise, express, live, serve, please, fear

Augustine said, “Almighty God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” King Solomon wrote, “God has set eternity in the hearts of people...”

If we dont worship and serve God, we dont worship nothing, we worship anything! [IDOLS] Worship is a lifestyle “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1st Cor 10 v31) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.” (Col 3v23)

There are individual and corporate dimensions to worship Inner and outer expressions Worship is to be the God-centred orientation of my life honouring God in everything I do putting God first living to please God in every aspect of my life What is the supreme purpose of a person?

Two questions for reflection What daily tasks, attitudes, relationships could I consider afresh, and engage with them as if I were doing them directly for Jesus? Which is more pleasing to God right now – my Sunday worship or my Monday to Saturday worship? What will I do about it?