Pastor Tim Dunn "Made to Worship" (Sunday 4-23-23)

Welcome to Life City. This podcast was created to celebrate what God is doing

and what protects us. Our vision is to reach the hungry, the hurting,

and the hopeless. God has given us our heading. Join us today

as we listen to the Word and we pray that God speaks to you in

this message. Amen, I'm glad that you're here today. Amen, glad

to see you. And so today. Ben woke up this morning and when

I woke up, Yeah, it's a good thing. The first thing when

I woke up, I had this idea, Oh, J crew can be

dismissed. That's right. I forgot. I announced it and then I forgot

that's what happens when you gain wisdom. Yeah, like how I did that?

Hallelujah. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Woke up and

had the understanding of what I was going to preach, and on my way

at the church this morning, the Lord changed it. And so here we

go. Romans chapter twelve, verse one, we're gonna talk about made to

worship. Yeah, made to worship. Romans twelve, verse one says I

beseech you there for a brethren by the Oh, I'm sorry, stand with

me real quick. I know you just got settled, but let's stand for

the reading of the word. I apologize, all right. I beseech you

there for a brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your

bodies a living sacrifice, present your life. Submission. Everyone say submission.

Amen, Holy, Everyone say Holy? Acceptable, unto God, which is

your reasonable service? It's what is expected. Amen, It's what he expects.

Verse two. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed

by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good,

acceptable, perfect will of God. The will of God for your life

is perfect. Now. The difference is sometimes we don't always walk perfectly in

His will. Sometimes we get sidetracked. Amen. We chase squirrels, Amen,

like Dodger and my entire family did yesterday London shot a squirrel out of

the tree. Didn't die. If you're an animal activist, I apologize.

We can we can provide some counseling for you. No, I'm just playing.

That's that's ugly. I'm sorry. Um. Sometimes we get off track,

just like I did right there. Yeah, sometimes we get off track

of His perfect will. Amen. But there is a perfect will for your

life. There's there's an exact blueprint for what God wants to do in you

and through No matter what you hear from the enemy, no matter what others

say, no matter what you tell yourself, there is a perfect will of

God and it begins with worship. That's where it starts. Amen. Let's

pray. Lord. We love you, We give you honor today. We

thank you Lord for what we feel in this place. And I ask you

to just continue to work, continue to move in this place through your word

in Jesus name. Amen. Amen, you can be seated for good now

well for the next thirty minutes. Amen. I am glad that my wife

made it home. That's a good thing. Yeah. And uh, they

tried to keep her whether gotten away. They tried to keep her in DC

and and and I was able to get my wife and my mom home.

The girls were panicked that they would not see their mama or granny ever again.

Um. And we don't like disturbances in our schedules, do we.

They irritate us, they frustrate us, They do all kinds of stuff cause

us to panic. Amen. But I'm glad that they made it home and

are here today. So what is worship? Worship is a moment of honest

reflection. That's what worship is. Worship is an is an honest reflection when

you and I recognize who and what we are and are not, okay,

and who God is. That's what worship is. And it comes in all

different shapes and sizes. It it comes in every facet And once we realize,

and it's not just a realization, it's a recognize, recognizing who and

then responding to that, that's what worship is. And so if you thought

worship was this or this, well, it's part of it. It's not

the totality of it, okay. And I would say it's a small part

of it. Amen, Amen, if you can. I think we went

a little bit high with that, Mike Isaiah, I f you'll bump it

down. Just to hair. I feel like it's on the verge of Ringing

in his letter to the Church at Rome, after providing a thorough outline of

the human condition, talking about the character of Jesus, the nature of salvation,

and how God's grace works in Romans chapter one through verse eleven, we

find in verse twelve, where he begins to talk to us about presenting your

bodies to God. This appeal and what this appeal does. It points to

what we find in verse two. It points to transformation. Amen. How

many of you have had your life transformed by God? Amen? Amen?

How many of you a very big way? Amen. There are some great

testimonies in this place, because worship is transformational, and it sets those in

pursuit of Jesus apart from the world. Amen. I can't worship Him and

love the world. I can't worship Him and have any amount of love and

desire for the things of the world. Those two things do not go hand

in hand, dude, you. They do not walk in parallel with each

other. I am either worshiping Him or I am living after the world.

Amen. And So if you've ever thought, and the enemy tries to trick

people and trick us into thinking you can dabble in this and work, you

know that worship is some kind of buffet, a little bit of that and

a little bit of this. But I'll leave that there. You know it's

not Loubi's, Thank God, we'd all be sick. I said that because

my wife loves Luby's and I refuse to eat at three o'clock in the afternoon.

For dinner when even though I'm forty something, I'm the youngest by about

thirty years. Typically. Yeah, Typically we're driving and the girls, like

my wife always points out where there's Loubi's. I always proclaim that they've closed,

they've shut down, they've went bankrupt. My girl's like, what's Louby's.

I'm like, thank school cafeteria and it's playing. I've got to testify,

Amen. Amen. But the thing about worship is also this worship is

sacrificial. Worship is sacrificial. It's not something done merely for our enjoyment.

Worship is the recognition of who God is, and it's the recognition of our

condition and His authority. That's what worship is. Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter

three, verse six, he says, in all thy ways, acknowledge him,

and he will direct your paths. In verse seventy said be not wise

in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Those

things are intertwined. Those things work in harmony with each other. I can't

if I can't have him directing my path I can't have mine eyes upon him

and fearing the Lord if I'm not departing from evil. So What helps me

depart from evil is when I acknowledge Him through praise and worship in every area

of my life, with every facet of my life. And a part of

that is sacrificing things to Him. And it begins with what Paul wrote in

Romans twelve one. He says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies. The first sacrifice

that God desires is your heart and your mind and your life. Amen.

And so that's where worship begins. Worship is not just a song on a

Sunday. It's not just a handclap of praise. That's that's a part of

it. But it begins in the heart. It begins in the mind.

It starts in the very center of our life, of our soul. That's

where worship. That's where worship is right. It's powerful. When it's wrong,

it's idolatry. Amen. And so in the Old Testament, when we

look through it, the actions that took place within the tabernacle was worship.

Okay, Now we tend to focus on the tabernacle and the Holy of Holies,

what took place in behind the veil, and when we talk about and

I do too what David said, and in salves or he said, enter

into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. And that's great,

and we love that, and I love that, and that's awesome.

But worship doesn't start by entering in. Worship doesn't stop after you come into

his gait. It doesn't stop by entering into his courts. Because we look

at the Tabernacle and we see the biggest thing in the outer court was the

altar of sacrifice. Well, guess what worship, True worship continues at an

altar of sacrifice. Amen, in my worship, if I'm not willing to

allow usig in me, it diminishes the power that God can work through my

worship. Amen. The actions of the outer Court were just as much a

part of worship as the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies at all work

together. What you are willing to let die at the altar is just as

much a part of worship as the dance. Amen. Why do you think

Paul said I die daily? Amen? It wasn't just a submission part.

It wasn't just a fleshly part. It was a part of Paul's daily worship.

I've got to die to some things so I can properly pursue him,

because they are going to be things that get in the way. There are

going to be things that interfere. And so what you're willing to die too

will open the door what you're going to live for. We love the story

of Jericho, right and I had somebody share this with me. They saw

it, read it, hurt at something, and I thought it was pretty

interesting this thought. It says they walked around Jericho for seven days and shouted

for one day. But today we shout for seven days and only walk with

God for one day. No wonder, no walls come down. It's our

walk with God that brings power to the shout Amen. Worship is not just

what we do on Sunday. I know we call it a worship service.

I get it, there's nothing wrong with that. But if this is the

only time that you entertain His presence with the overflow of your heart and the

overflow of your life, and then do you really have a walk? Do

you really have And so it's no wonder that you're fighting the things you're fighting.

It's no wonder that you're up against the wall. That you may feel

like you're up against because we must worship him in our daily life. The

power of your worship is fueled by your cross and your altar, not just

a Sunday praise. Man, if you do not have a cross in your

daily worship, if you do not have an altar, to sacrifice some things

in your life, to kill some things in your life, because every single

day there are things. It's like a snowball rolling downhill. It collects a

lot of stuff. Man worship engages his cleansing power. How do how are

we holy? Because He is holy? And when I'm in pursuit of him,

I can operate in his holiness. I can walk in his holiness,

haste powerful. And when I pursuit of him, I can walk in his

power and his authority. Apart from him, I have no authority. Apart

from him, I have no dominion. It is only in my pursuit of

Him and my worship of Him. And that's why worship is so vital and

it's so important. And we see this in March chapter ten, and it's

the story of the rich young ruler, and so Verse seventeen says, and

when he was gone forth into the way, there came this guy running,

and he kneeled to him, and he asked him due to inherit eternal life.

And Jesus told him, He says, why do you call me good?

There is none good but one that is. God says, thou knowest

the commandments. Do not commit, adulter, do not kill, do not

still, do not bear false witness, defraud, not honor thy father and

mother. And he answered and said, on him Master, all these I

have observed from my youth. I've done everything that I am supposed to do.

In Jesus beholding him. This is the deal that phrase. Jesus beholding

him. Jesus saw right through it, and he sees the deepest part of

your life today, the part that you want to keep hidden from all of

us. And some of those parts we don't need to see. But the

Lord, the Lord sees him. He's beholding you today, but not just

beholding you. He's loving you, Jesus, the scripture says. And Jesus

beholding him loved him. And one thing you lack, Kill the thing you

love the most, and come after me, kill the thing. Let the

thing that you desire the most. Let the thing that you're attached to the

most die and come after me. Go and sell all that I have.

Whatsoever you have, give it to the poor, and thou shall have treasure

and heaven. Come, take up your cross and follow me. And that

was not what this man wanted to hear. Why because he wanted to do

all of the right things, He just didn't want to pursue Jesus. He

was in love with his own life and all of its attachments more than he

was the idea of pursuing a life of worship and servanthood to the Master a

man. And this life will add so much to your life. It'll tack

on everything and every weight and something that looks okay, And it's not necessarily

a sin. What can add weight if you're not careful a man? And

there's going to come a point where the Lord's going to ask you, in

your pursuit of Him, what you love more? What do you love more?

Do you love the attachments of life more than you love your pursuit of

Him? Because that's what worship is. What are you pursuing? What you

are pursuing becomes the affection of your worship. This young man's affections were stronger

for the attachment of his life than it was the pursuit of Jesus. I

can't be all about him. If I'm full of me, I have to

die if I want to live. I don't know. It sounds crazy And

if you never read scripture, you would think, okay, weirdo. But

Jesus said, he that is dead, it is alive. Amen. Amen.

Why it's all about my heart of worship. It's all about understanding what

I am called to do. Worship must be involved in the process and it

must have a cross in it so that some things in your life and my

life can die. We must be willing to sacrifice some things for our pursuit

for him. Amen. You want to walk in that power and authority.

There's gonna come a moment if you're walking after him, that he asked you

to lay something down. Amen. I've never met one person in my life

that is in true pursuit of Jesus Christ that he hasn't asked them to lay

something down. And in that moment there is a paradigm shift. How you

respond? Do you have to be perfect? No bids you to put something

on the cross, to lay something on the altar? How you respond to

that? Can determine the power and authority, the understanding, the knowledge,

the wisdom, the peace and all of it that you walk in, that

you experience, that you feel, what God does in you and what God

does through you, is how you respond in that moment. Worship must involve

me killing some things that are not pleasing to the God. That is the

pursuit of my worship. Amen. Oh, we want to be in his

presence. To get there, we've got to go past the altar of sacrifice.

I can't enter into his presence until I've dealt with some things in my

life. Amen. There's there's a process, amen. And we don't do

it in the physical, Thank the Lord. Some of you don't have a

sheep or a goat, so you'd be bringing Fido, you know, I'd

be bringing Bow. He's a bad dog, dodger, he stays. He's

just got a good name. Amen. We love the presence of God,

right, we love we love to be in his presence, Amen. But

a life in pursuit of Him will always cost you something. Amen. It

will always cost you something. And the level that you're willing to sacrifice may

very well determine the level you're willing you're able to walk in. So I

want to ask you this, What has God spoken to you in times past,

recently in the distance. What has God spoken to you that you have

yet to respond with obedience? What is God required of you that you've negotiated

on We're good at negotiations, right, God says, Hey, I want

you to do that. Well, okay, how about we Okay, let's

look at this. We can do it your way or we can meet in

the middle. Let's meet in the middle. Lord, you know, let's

not do it fully your way. We'll do it fully my way. I'll

submit, and you give a little grace. We love using that word grace

when it benefits us. Right, give a little grace. I'll give a

little, You give a little. We'll meet in the middle. I'm good

to go worship. Worship? What are you willing to put on a cross?

Willing to put on the altar in order to worship him? Only you

can answer that, because the absence of a cross, the absence of an

altar in your worship, will diminish the effectiveness that how God can work in

you and through you. The power of worship is displayed when Jesus was tempted

by the devil. So Matthew chapter four, verse ten, As my wife

comes, Matthew chapter four, verse ten says, when Jesus says, unto

him, get the hints, Satan doesn't get behind me, It says,

for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and

him only shalt thou worship. So he makes a statement, get behind me.

There's only one that deserves the honor and the glory of being worshiped.

And then in verse eleven we see the response to that. Then the devil

left him and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. So what happens

is Jesus sets a precedent that the pursuit of your worship can hold at bay

the adversary of your soul, but also releases ministering angels of heaven to come

to your aid. That's the power of true worship. That's the power of

seeking Him in every facet of your life. You know what repentance is.

Repentance is a part of worship. It's me laying down my life. It's

me being willing to let the old things die so that He could do something

new in me. That's what we're in the term of the world is putting

distance between me and the world so that I can grow closer to Him.

And the closer you get to him, the more things of the world will

be or should be, distasteful in his presence. As you draw close to

him, it changes the affections of your life. What truly matters, the

people you hang around, the places you go, activities of life, every

thing changes when we're drawing closer to him. Why because He is holy,

and the closer I get too holy, the more the impurities of this world

reveal themselves. And I have this choice to me what am I attached to

more his holiness or the world? Because I can't have ruth, I can't

hold on to this and hold on to that. I must choose. You

must choose today. I've watched as people have going through the process of giving

their life to the Lord, because it's more than just a moment, a

one, one time deal. I gave my life to Lord Him. Go,

that's great, That's that's the start. But there's a journey, there's

a process. It's a life, it's a walk, it's daily. It's

not a one time event. A man baptism of His spirit is not a

one time event. It's not a one one thing. It's it's a well

springing up for eternal life. It's it's something that happens over and over and

over again. The cross and the altar is not a one time event.

We see that through scripture, Old Testament, New Testament. And I've watched

people as they begin to pursue God, and they pursue what He has and

they feel, they love what they feel, and they love what's happening,

and then there comes this moment of decision, a defining moment in their walk,

where they feel the tug of the old things and they feel the drawl

of the new. Watched as everyone has made the decision to disconnect from the

old and reach for the new. But I've watched people be lured back by

the tug of the old life a man, and it breaks my heart.

And so when we talk about worship, I think in the church world today,

it's so easy to just associate that with a musical instrument, or with

a song, or with hands raised or wapping our hands. And again that's

part of it, but that's more praise than it is even worship, because

worship becomes a lifestyle. Worship is something that I do on a daily basis.

It's it's the bond of my relationship with Him. That's what worship is,

and it determines it well, we say it this way. It is

determined by how much I'm willing to separate from the attachments of life in this

world as to what I'm willing or able to walk in. The effect of

worship should be experienced in the minute details of your life. So if that's

not happening, there's an altar today. If there are some things in your

life that need to die, there's an altar today to sacrifice those because it's

going to take that to walk in that true worship that we were made to

do. We were created to do. He told the woman at the well,

the Father seeks such to worship him. And you reread throughout the Old

Testament, when things would happen these Old Testament men and women, they would

build altars and they would begin to worship. Worship took place at an altar

more than it took place anywhere else throughout the Old Testament. It was this

place of of of of gratitude, It was this place of thankfulness. It

was this place of understanding that my life is his and I give it all

to him, and everything that's in it I give to him. I give

my life to him. Would you stand with me? I wonder if you

just close your eyes this morning. I feel a drawing of the Holy Ghost

in this place today. And I don't know what your background or experience is

with the moving or the freedom or liberty of the Holy Spirit, but I

want you to know that it's They're safety in it, there's peace in it,

there's joy in it. Man, And I believe every one of you.

You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a heartbeat after God, if

you didn't desire to be closer to Him, to know him more. But

I feel like I need to ask this, What are you willing to place

on the altar today in your life of worship to Him, in your life

pursuing Him? What are you willing to lay on the altar today? What

is there in your life it needs to be sacrificed. I can't answer that

for you. Only you can. But all I can do. I know

what I will do is I will make an invitation to day, as my

wife begins to sing, to give you an opportunity, small representation of an

altar up here at the front of this building to lay some things down,

some habits, some addictions, some thoughts, some fear, doubts, hurts,

wounds. Have you got any of those things and they're holding you back?

I invite you to come today, bend your knee, bow your face

before you la. Thank you so much for being with us today. We

hope you were blessed in some way by the message. To learn more about

us, check out www dot my Life City Church dot org, or you

can contact us at info at my Life City Church dot org. Thank you

once again for joining us, and we hope you have a great week.