SERMON SERIES | DISCIPLINES FOR SABBATH-REST (1)
WORSHIP
01/02 MAY 2021 | PRAYER & PRAISE SERVICES
Rev Lilian Ang
Scripture Passage: Romans 12: 1-2 (NIV)
WATCH | SERMON (VIDEO)
READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary | The definition of worship is to ascribe proper worth to something. Therefore, the object of our worship should be God and our focus is on His worthiness to be praised. In other words, worship is focusing on and responding to God and the way we live every day in His presence. A living sacrifice is an offering of ourselves which flows out of an informed worship and transformed life in Christ.
Our Worship Must Be Informed – Only when we know who God is and what He has done for us, can we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. Who is God to us? A God of comfort, of power? Worship is about knowing God and responding personally to that knowledge. The more we know Him, the more we will be driven to worship. And why do we offer ourselves to God? It’s because of His mercy, and our knowledge of it, that we can offer our bodies as living sacrifices (rather than animal sacrifices), holy and pleasing to God. It is this very offering of our whole being to God which is the spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1). Do we understand God’s grace in our lives, and what’s the proper response? Our response should be to give God our minds all the time (Mark 12:30), and love and worship God with our whole being.
Our Whole Life Must Be Transformed – The world we belong to will continue to entice us. The word “conform” is to behave socially similar to something or be shaped by it. As Christians, we need to refuse to be shaped by this world. What are the values and morals which are shaping us which we need to resist? There’s a process of becoming more Christ-like, and that’s to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so our hearts can respond by being doers of His word. But transformation does not happen automatically or overnight - some of our old ways are deeply entrenched. We must continually feed on God’s word. Only then will we be able to discern what is pleasing to God (Rom 12:2c).
Acts of Worship – Worship takes discipline and a shift in mindset to focus on God in whatever we do. Every moment can be an act of worship. Reading God’s word, speaking kindly to others, playing an instrument, doing the dishes, and excelling in our work/studies. But the question is, do we focus on who God is and in light of that, respond to what He’s done? At the end of the day, true worship must express itself in concrete acts of service, performed by our bodies, with true conviction in our hearts.
(Sermon Notes by Desley Khew)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. How would you describe your personal and corporate worship during this season of your life?
2. How is rightly knowing God connected to worship and rest?
3. What is one way you can worship God meaningfully this week?
4. What does it mean for you to make worship a way of life?
5. Spend 15 minutes every day this week to write down all the attributes of God you can think of. What does each attribute mean for you? Worship God in thanksgiving.