On Discovering Life

Fusion Sermon

2/5/12

 

A Praise Break

 

Intro: Review of the past few weeks and worship/glasses story

 

Sermon title explained:

• Not a momentary experience but a shift in how we think and approach life
• If we aren’t thankful, we’ll begin to believe that we are entitled

 

Read Psalm 145 and pray

 

4     Principles and a Mandate

 

1. Praise is a forever thing! (1 – 3)

• ‘Unsearchable’ – past the capacity of the human mind; unfathomable
• Tozer excerpt
• At the foundation of worship needs to be a correct understanding of who God is and that knowledge should make us fall to our faces in gratitude

 

1. Praise should be our legacy (4 – 7)

• What legacy are you leaving behind?
• Josh and Jill – praising their way through

 

1. Praise is a response (8 – 13)

• What has God done for you?
• Previous sermon: He is worthy of worship simply because of who He is

 

1. Praise is birthed out of pain (14 – 20)

• Testimony – deaths in family

 

1. Mandate: Just praise!

• God is doing a new thing and Satan would love for us to get distracted
• Seek His face, not His hand

 

Pray

Fusion Sermon

12/10/11

The Uprising

Intro: Original message and the Hunger Games (The Uprising)

Prayer

Historical Background of the Israelites

• Genesis – Israel is the elected nation

• Exodus – Israel is redeemed, delivered out of bondage in Egypt

• Leviticus – Israel is taught how to worship in view of God’s holiness

• Numbers  – Israel is tested and numbered

• Deuteronomy – Israel is given instruction, told that they would possess the land

• Joshua – Israel crosses over Jordan and possess the land

A look at Joshua

• Joshua is the ‘new Moses’ – leading the people to possess the land

• Why Canaan?

• Place of rest – no more bondage

• Place of bounty – flowing with milk and honey

• Place of triumph – enemies stronger than Israel in Canaan, forced them to rely solely on the power of God

What does that mean for us?

• So, my declaration tonight is…’It’s time to possess the land!’

• But we have a few things we need to do before we can get there: ‘It is important to realize that Israel’s ownership of the land was unconditional under the Abrahamic covenant, but possession of the land was conditional upon faith and obedience.’

• Obedience
  • Joshua 5 – Circumsion (a second time) vs. 4 – 9

• There are some things that need to be cut off in our lives in order for us to possess the land

• ‘Fill me up, God’ – requires Him to empty us!

• Faith
  • Ephesians 1:3  – we lack nothing!
  • Ephesians 6:10-18

Prayer

Fusion Sermon

10/2/11

W.O.W. : Worthy of Worship

Intro: RA Challenge Week Story

• Question from Blue Like Jazz (CU Connex Group): What does the Lord mean to you?
• Whiteboard list

Transition: Is a God who possesses these attributes and characteristics worthy of worship?

It’s easy for us to say ‘yes’ here…we’re at church! But what about in your everyday life? Do you live in such a way that says He is worthy of worship?

Segway into sermon: So tonight, I want to walk through five verse of Scripture, that I pray serve as a reminder, even after we leave this place, of how worthy our God is of our worship

Read Psalm 100 with me…

Pray with me

Now I want us to look at this passage from verse 5 to verse 1 and point out three reasons why God is worth of worship…

Look at verse 5 again…

• He is worthy of worship because of His steadfast love
  • A commentary I read said that the term ‘steadfast’ evokes the foundation of joy for God’s people. This joy is found in his enduring character of gracious love.
  • This is a love that WE CANNOT RUN FROM!
  • 1 John 4:7 – 10
    • We didn’t do anything to deserve it! But He loves us anyway

Let’s go to verses 3 and 4….

• He is worthy of worship because we are His!
  • And the knowledge of that should cause us to worship (vs. 4)
• Romans 8:31 – 39
  • NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE ARE HIS!

And lastly, verses 1 and 2…

• He is worthy of worship because we can enter His presence
  • As I was studying for this message, I read this: ‘Verse 2 points to the fact that an awareness of the goodness of God and of the great privilege of worshiping him produce joy in those who know they are welcomed into His presence’
    • Church, we can ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE!
• Matthew 27:45-54
  • Why is this significant?
    • The curtain of the temple was between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place
    • Made up of woven fabric of 72 twisted plaits of 24 threads each/ 60ft high and 30ft wide
    • No one was allowed to the Most Holy Place except for the high priest (once a year on the Day of Atonement)
    • Ripping the curtain in two signifies the removal of separation between God and His people

 

If you haven’t heard a word, I’ve said all night…hear this…

 

God is worthy of worship…SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS!

• His steadfast love is not about us…but about His character
• His faithfulness is not about us….but about His character
• And we should rejoice that we get to even be in His presence!

The Psalmist says ‘Come into his presence with singing’ and that’s what we’re about to do. And as John Mark and the band come up, let me encourage you to take time to reflect on who God is…not what He’s done…but simply who He is…and give Him the praise He deserves.

The altar is open if you just need some time with the Lord and our prayer team is available…let’s pray…