Worship

Disciplined disciples. That's what we're hoping for. We don't just want kind of just part-time believers. We want disciplined disciples. People who actually have, when they say they've devoted themselves to be followers of Christ, that that's what they're doing.

Students, when they are following a discipline, they are studying diligently, we hope, especially during exam time. Is that right, Ryan? Studying hard, everything that that discipline needs you to know, you're knowing.

And for some reason, we lost that art in the church. We said that we would be disciples of Jesus, but then we don't really spend that much attention following his way or studying his word.

And then we wonder why we're not really getting the delight that comes from following him. It's because we don't have the desire, and it's the discipline that leads to the desire, which leads to the delight.

And that's something that we've been trying to figure out. How do we become disciplined disciples? How do we look more like him?

And this week, we're going to do one, and it's going to be on the discipline of worship. Worship. When I say worship, what do you think of?

When I think about worship, I think of Ellie, Mihi, Alex, Gracie, sometimes Paul. I think of that, right? What do you think of? Let me pick on some people.

Mr. Brown, you know he's coming to you. You know it was about time. You led us so well in those signs.

You led us because you were the only one that we could see. Because bless her, Alex was so good, but she was too short.

Mr. Brown, when I say worship, what do you think of?

Whoa, connection. He talks about, tell us a bit more about that. Connection to what? Expand.

What N.T. Wright said that, he says our focus here is to reflect God to his creation.

In return, reflect creation's praise back to God. So we are that connection between the two.

Yeah.

So praise, worship is a really important part of that. It's not just part of our focus.

Wow, that's huge. I mean, that goes back to Genesis 1, 26, when actually what we were created for in the image of God, to basically reorder culture to reflect his glory and his beauty.

And we're the connectors between that. That's huge. Thank you.

Let's go. Let's fly over here.

Well, Paul, you've got your mask on. You have led us in worship and you've led us faithfully in worship these last few, many years.

What's worship to you?

Our whole lives.

Our whole lives. It's about every aspect of our lives. That's something that we neglect because often when we think about worship, we think, oh, I should get there in time for worship.

What are we talking about? We're talking about the first few songs that they're going to sing.

Oh, I should leave just before the worship because that's when my lunch booking is up.

So we think we reduce it to karaoke. We reduce it to singing songs.

But it's so much more than that. I want to go for someone right at the very back over there.

I can't see you because you're deliberately hiding.

Flo is giving me the evils. So I'm just going to go with Flo.

What's worship to you, Flo?

Glorifying God.

What a knowledgeable, selfless, worshipful congregation we have.

All these answers.

I was hoping for you just to say, listening to me, he's in.

But here we go.

So we are talking about worship today.

And actually, we have, I would say, if we've lost the art of being disciplined disciples, I think we've lost the art of what really worship is when it comes to church.

Have you heard someone say, oh, I go to that church because I love the worship?

Have you heard that?

Have you heard it when you go, oh, I like that church, but I'm not feeling the worship.

The worship is kind of like a solid five and a half out of ten.

And it's really, it's just, oh, I went to that place and the worship was so good.

That singer was just, that keys player.

But what does the word worship actually mean?

Many years ago, actually, this was maybe my first foray into ministry and serving.

Worship was the thing.

I mean, growing up in a Chinese church that Ken and I and Christina and Joe and I, we grew up in.

Worship was not the priority.

It was, I mean, the drummer that we had, bless him, bless his white cotton socks.

He could only play the drums in 5-4.

And every song would be wrong.

It just felt wrong.

And, of course, we had to sing in the trilingual service as well.

So, you know, God was not there.

But, of course, you're Chinese growing up overseas.

So what do you do?

You learn piano.

And then when you learn piano, what do you do when you go to church?

You play piano.

And so you end up playing the songs and shine Jesus, shine, and shout to the Lord, we're my era.

And you just ended up being part of worship.

That was just kind of what we did.

And so that was kind of where I first kind of cut my teeth, if you will, into serving.

And then I looked back into worship and I go, actually, where was the first mention of the word worship in the Bible?

Josh here referred to Genesis, and that's where it was from.

The first worship, the first mention of the word worship was a guy being called by the Lord to go worship him and how he would worship.

Actually, who knows even which story I'm going to be telling?

Any ideas where the first mention of worship was from?

Some of you have heard me say this.

Anyway, I'll keep telling the story first then.

So the guy is being called by the Lord, and he says, hey, come up to the mountain to worship me.

And the guy takes his son.

And Abraham and Isaac, thank you, Joel.

And so the guy takes his son and then takes Isaac and goes, hey, let's go.

And he takes some helpers and servants with them.

And then once they get to the point where they see the mountain, Abraham says the words.

He says, you guys wait here.

Isaac and I are going up to the mountain to worship.

Just let that sink in for a second.

He doesn't have his guitar.

Isaac doesn't have a kahan.

They're not going to go up and get their worship on.

What's Abraham thinking when he's saying, I'm going to go up to the mountain to worship?

He's thinking he's going to be sacrificing the one thing he's asked for the whole of his life.

The thing he loves the most.

The thing he's ascribed the most worth to.

He's saying, I'm going to go to that mountain.

I'm going to offer him up to God.

Because God is worth even more than my son.

That's the first mention of the word worship.

We now reduce it to a few songs that we sing just before the preacher comes up to share.

Isn't that interesting?

Isn't that devastating?

That we've reduced what worship truly is.

The old English word for worship was worth-ship.

Worth.

It's what you ascribe worth to.

The Greek is proskuneo, which means you're ascribing worth to something to the point where you are in reverence of it.

You kneel down before it and you're saying, you, this is the most important thing.

Something else that's interesting about worship, worth-ship or worth-shape, the word really is what you worship shapes you.

What you worship ends up shaping you.

What you value the most is the thing that shapes you the most.

So then I ask again, what do you worship or what do you think about worship?

We had Josh and Danny around for dinner the other night and we were talking about something that we ascribe a lot of worth and value to, which is the Harry Potter series.

We finally met two people who love Harry Potter more than us.

And in the first film, the Philosopher's Stone, or as the Americans called it, the Sorcerer's Stone, there's a mirror.

Does anyone remember the mirror in the first film?

Yes, we have some fans.

The mirror of Eriset, where Harry stumbles across this mirror.

And when he sees this mirror, he is just completely engrossed in this mirror because when he looks into the mirror, what does he see?

What does he see?

His parents, James and Lily Potter, alive and well surrounding him.

Why?

Because the mirror of Eriset would grant him the desires of his heart, would let him see the thing that he values and yearns for the most.

The word Eriset is what the mirror's name is, is basically the word desire spelled backwards.

And so that mirror showed him what his heart's desire was.

Tim Keller says the true God of your heart is the one that your mind effortlessly wanders to when you have nothing else to think about.

When you just sit on the couch and you just, huh, what is my life?

And then the first thought that comes to mind, that is your life.

That is what you worship the most.

That is what you value the most.

That is what shapes you.

The Bible tells us, hey, you should worship God and God alone.

And you say, I think I do.

Well, some people might just go, actually, you know, I don't even know what worship truly is.

Like, I don't think I worship anything.

Maybe I'm not there with God yet, but I don't really worship anything.

And that's another quote that's come in that I wanted to read for us.

And I've read before by someone who's actually a non-believer.

Sadly, actually, he ended up taking his own life.

David Foster Wallace said this about worship.

It's a little bit of a long quote, but I really want to read it to you.

So just, I pray that the Lord will give you the gift to hang on every word.

There is actually no such thing as atheism.

There is no such thing as not worshiping.

Everybody worships.

The only choice we get is what we worship.

And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual type thing to worship

is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.

If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life,

then you will never have enough.

Never feel you have enough.

It's the truth.

Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly.

And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you.

On one level, we all know this stuff already.

The trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.

Worship power.

You will feel weak and afraid, and you will never, you always need more power over others.

Worship your intellect.

Being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out.

Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful.

Sinful is that they are unconscious.

They are default settings.

We naturally just worship things.

They are our default settings.

And we all worship something.

The question really is, what is it that we're worshiping?

What do we put most value in?

And as disciplined disciples, what we're saying is that the only thing we should worship is God.

The truth is, what does that look like?

And how do we even do it?

And so we're going to go through scripture today, and we're going to go through Psalm 95,

which actually is probably the most famous psalm when it comes to worship.

In many, many years, this psalm has been used basically as an inspiration for liturgy, for how to worship.

It is a call to worship.

And in it, I think there are some really powerful truths that I'd love to draw out today.

So Psalm 95 is what we're going to read.

And we're going to hold this book with reverence and in awe.

And I'm going to invite you to stand for the word of the Lord,

and then have Mel come up and read Psalm 95 for us.

Psalm 95.

O come, let us sing to the Lord.

Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.

Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.

For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.

In his hands are the depths of the earth.

The heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,

as on the day at Massa in the wilderness,

when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof,

though they have seen my work.

For 40 years I loathed that generation and said,

They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.

Therefore, I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my test.

This is the word of the Lord. Thank you, Mel.

Take a seat. Thank you.

We're going to break this down.

Here's my proposal.

Actually, Alex led us so well, and me and the whole team in worship.

You notice we only sang two songs today.

The goal is actually afterwards we'll have a little bit more space,

a little bit more time to take what we've learned

and be able to respond to God through worship,

through maybe more specifically song worship.

So that's what we're going to be doing so you can be prepared for that.

I pray that as you listen to me open up this word,

that actually what you'll be compelled to do,

what I'm exhorting you to do,

is that you would worship him with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

It would be a whole body, whole existence experience that we're going for.

So if you have the word, then you follow along with me.

Verse 1,

O come, let us sing to the Lord.

So we are talking here about song.

We're talking here about song worship.

He says, O come.

What this means is that default setting that David Foster Wallace was just talking about,

we have to deliberately turn from that and go, O come.

Because if we were already there, we wouldn't have to be called to say, O come.

Psalm 100 is another worship psalm.

And it says, let's enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Let's enter his courts with praise.

There's an entering that's required.

There's us pulling ourselves out of our daily grind,

out of the things that we've just been engrossed with,

that if we're honest, that we've been worshiping and saying and responding to the,

O come.

Whatever your mind wanders to when you have a moment of relaxation,

that's the thing that you're worshiping.

And what the psalm writer here is saying, O come, come round.

Worship is a deliberate, intentional decision to choose to worship.

There is no doubt about it.

You cannot naturally, accidentally worship.

There are moments, don't get me wrong,

there are moments when you are hiking and you just see this beautiful view of dragon's back.

You're like, I'm just filled with awe and worship.

There is that.

But if we're honest on the day to day,

it requires us to deliberately say, no, I will worship.

I will ascribe the worth back to the king of heaven.

It is a deliberate choice that we have to make to turn around.

O come, O come.

And it says, let us make a joyful noise.

Why are we joyful about this?

It's because it's the good news.

It's because we were blind, we were captive, we were deaf,

and yet now we are set free.

Now we see, now we hear.

This is the good news.

It's been a 180.

We were going to die.

We were going to die in a puddle,

and yet God has rescued us.

We were going to drown, and yet he has saved us.

So it is good news.

So when you worship, the goal maybe,

and this is where actually I'll talk a little bit more about it,

the goal is to end up in a place where, God,

I'm just so thankful for what you have done for me.

There is joy in my heart.

Sometimes it's deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down in my heart,

but there is joy.

And it requires an intentional, deliberate act.

To rejoice is a choice.

We have to choose to do it.

So he says, let us, let us, and it is joyful music.

It is joyful music.

Sometimes I think maybe in the last few decades,

at least the ones that I've grown up in,

since the late 1900s,

it's been a very emotional kind of music worship.

It's very emo kind of worship.

Maybe Oceans was the song that really just sent us

into this contemplative, emotive, synth pad era.

And so we just reflect and we just sit

and we just get our worship vibe on

and just, oh, it's just the feels.

But there is joy to it.

A couple of years ago, for my work with Young Life,

I got the privilege of going to Africa.

Whew, the Africans,

they know how to worship with joy.

There we go.

There we go.

Oh my goodness.

I mean, I can't really keep to beat,

but it doesn't really matter.

So you have to dance anyway.

And somehow, somehow,

every worship session that we had

ended up in the Congo line.

I was like, what's going on?

It's like, by the fourth night,

I was like, guys, come on.

No more Congo line.

It's just too tiring.

Whereas, of course,

if you worship with white people,

they're already much more expressive

than the Chinese people.

Don't get me started on the Chinese people,

unless it's karaoke.

Something unlocks with Asian people

when karaoke happens.

But anyway.

But then the most of our worship

for the rest of the world

is just this kind of stance.

I mean, sometimes we sing a song,

it's about lifting our hands,

and we bow down,

and we're just kind of like arms crossed.

And I was like, oh, that's interesting.

And of course, there's different wings of worship

when it comes to the church.

The church is beautiful, by the way,

in its diversity.

The kingdom of God,

the mansion of heaven

is one that has many rooms.

And there are those who are very loud

and with the drums

and just dancing nonstop.

And there are ones

that are just contemplative,

or maybe some are more heady.

And I've heard it said

that actually worship songs

are like take-home theology.

You won't remember much of what I've said,

apart from how I've made you feel

in this time.

That's why I'm exhorting you

in your heart.

But you might not remember

that much I'd share with you

about scripture,

about theology,

but worship songs,

when you're in a pickle at work,

you'll remember that worship song.

You'll remember what the lyrics are

from that worship song.

So that's why worship songs

are actually very important.

It's very important

to really think through

what we're actually singing

and whether they are biblically sound

because they're the ones

that are most catchy.

They're the ones that we take home

and go, oh, I believe it

in my head, in my heart.

So we need to be careful

that actually what we're singing

is actually right.

And so there are so many different wings,

but the Africans,

I tell you,

they are strong,

they are powerful,

they are joyful.

Can we have some of that

in ourselves?

And I'll say a little bit

about why we struggle

with that a little bit later.

It says, let us,

so I'm just literally going for it

and just rinsing this first line

just out to dry.

Oh, come.

It's a deliberate act.

You have to go,

leave yourself

and you have to go

into this place

where you're deliberately,

intentionally worshiping God.

And it says, oh, come,

let us.

We do it together.

There is community in this.

It is let us.

It's not just let you.

Honestly,

that's why you're here,

I hope.

That is because you've realized

over COVID

that sitting at home

with YouTube

watching Tim Keller

or John Piper speak

isn't enough.

Listening to a Hillsong song

at home

whilst you're in bed

and half asleep

isn't enough.

It requires a deliberate action

to get out of bed,

to join brothers and sisters

and to worship together.

Martin Lloyd-Jones,

who's the one who actually,

Tim Keller would say,

he mentored him a lot

and through a lot of his teachings

would say,

why would you want

to have the word of God

open to you by yourself?

Be with people.

That's how the word of God

comes alive.

That's how you practice

the commands of God,

which is to love one another.

But if you don't have

anyone around you,

how are you supposed

to follow that command?

Let us come to worship together.

Martin Luther says this,

at home,

in my own house,

there is no warmth

or vigor in me,

but in the church,

when the multitude

is gathered together,

a fire is kindled in my heart

and it breaks its way through.

We need people.

More importantly,

I think we need

different kinds of people.

Now,

I think there's something

to be said

for homogenous life groups

where you do life together

and you relate to each other

and you understand each other

and you're facing

some of the same challenges together.

That is good.

But that can't be

the only part of community

that we have.

We need to be surrounded

by people who are not like us at all,

who push us out

of our comfort zones.

Because if you look around

and go,

actually,

the people that I'm surrounded by

are just like me,

sound just like me,

have the same challenges,

and they're in finance

just like me,

and they wear the same t-shirt

just like me,

and the Patagonia vest jacket

just like me,

then actually you wonder,

oh,

I don't have anyone

showing me a different side

to the kingdom of God.

I have no one

to show me

a different aspect of God.

C.S. Lewis talks about this

when it comes to friendships.

He says there's some friends

that just bring out

a side of you

that someone else cannot.

And so when you meet

that friend

with that other friend,

you get to see

a different side of him

that's like,

oh,

I haven't seen

that side of you before.

In some ways,

that's the same as God.

When we are surrounded

by brothers and sisters,

we'll see different sides

of God

that we would have

never been able to see

if we were just

with the same people

that we were hanging out with.

So this says,

oh,

come,

let us come

into worship together.

And let's be willing

to sing different kinds

of songs

and let's be willing

to sing different styles

and do different things.

Remember,

the forms of worship

are not the worship.

The forms of worship

are simply designed

to bring us in

to worship.

How we do it,

let's all decide together.

And if God's put you here

in this community,

in this city,

at this time,

let's discuss it together.

Let's see what you can bring

from your background

and your preference

that will help.

I've always wondered,

actually,

if you look at just

contemporary Christian worship

around the world,

most of the songs

are written

by either surfers

in Sydney

or just people

in Bethel Redding

right in just

the outbacks,

just rednecks people.

And you're like,

that's interesting.

It's only basically

those two groups

that have been responsible

for the majority of songs.

If you look at,

there's a worship songs chart,

by the way,

in the world.

I mean,

it's a little bit

Christian geeky here now.

But basically,

they track the songs

that are sang around the world.

Every church is supposed

to submit and say,

hey,

these are the songs

that we're singing.

If you look at the top 10 songs

sang around the world,

they're written by those

two groups of people.

And I think that's interesting

because the kingdom of God

is so diverse.

There are so many,

so many different kinds

of cultures and people.

Yet somehow,

why have we reduced ourselves,

our worship,

to just songs written

by those basically.

10 people.

How do we,

as we're sat here,

what's our form of worship?

What does that look like?

And I invite you,

I invite you to be involved

in that.

And ask,

hey,

how,

what thought are we putting

into the songs

that we're singing?

How are we choosing

these songs?

How are we playing

these songs?

How many times

are we going to sing

the chorus?

Are we like the charismatics

who will sing the choruses

maybe 200 times?

Or are we like this group

that just sing it once

and are done with it?

Hands in pockets

and then we sit down.

No form is wrong.

The form isn't the worship,

but it should lead us

into the worship.

So let us be diverse.

And all of it

is really,

is what Josh really

just talked about,

is how do we bring,

how do we bring connection

between God

and man?

How do we feel

his presence?

And so that carries on

into verse two.

Don't worry,

I will speed up

much more later on.

Let us come into

his presence

with thanksgiving.

So many of us

who worship

do feel God's presence.

Put your hand up

if you've felt

the presence of the Lord

while singing songs before.

I'm not going to pick on you.

There's just something

about music

that does it to you.

There's something

about music.

I've had it described

to me as music

is the lowest

hanging fruit

when it comes

to intimacy.

I have a couple

of playlists

that none of you

will ever see

on Spotify

because some of them

include Backstreet Boys

songs and

Dance with My Father,

Luther Vandross.

That's in there.

I go to that playlist

when I'm stressed.

There's another playlist

I go to

which is a Chinese

playlist that has

I love the songs

like

Just those random

heartbreak-y

kind of songs.

I don't even know

why they're there.

My wife asked me

the other day

she saw the history

that this was played

recently.

She was like

why are you

listening to those songs?

I'm like

baby I've just been

so stressed.

J-Tow just does

something to me.

Just how he sings

is such a high note.

It just

makes me feel

more of a man.

Music has this power

over us

that just brings us

into a space

and that's not wrong.

I want to say that again.

That's not wrong.

That helps us get

into the presence

of God but I will

also say that that

is the lowest

hanging fruit.

I mentioned the church

that Ken and I

and Joe and I

we grew up in

and worship honestly

not strong,

not strong.

But then at university

we went to another church

it was like an Aussie

style kind of church

that suddenly decided

to sing and play

in key.

And I was like

whoa

this is cool

I like how this feels

and they dim the lights.

This is fun.

And then I'm like

oh this feels so good.

And of course

the Hillsong era

was when it was

kind of really

building up then

I was like

oh these songs

they just sang so well

music done beautifully.

Psalm 33 says

play skillfully.

There is something

to playing skillfully

by the way.

Let's not practice

and rehearse.

And if you don't

have the gift

you don't need to sing.

It's okay.

I'm talking about

on the mic.

You can sing here

just don't disturb

and distract other people.

But music is designed

to bring us

into the presence of God.

Psalm 22 talks about

God inhabiting

in the praises

of his people.

He dwells among

why?

Because these are the people

that want him.

These are the people

that are enthroning him.

Saying we worship you

we want you to be here

and God is here.

His tabernacle is here

he dwells among us.

So there is an experiential

element to this

which we shouldn't overplay

but we also shouldn't

underplay.

Because otherwise

we are literally

just singing karaoke.

Or we're singing

in a memorial service

to someone who we think

is dead.

That is not true.

Jesus is here.

God is here

and we're singing to him

and we're being lifted

by him and our spirits

are being connected

to his and there's

something so beautiful

in that.

When Jesus was talking

to the woman

at the well in John 4

he's saying the Father

is looking for those

who worship in what?

The spirit

and in truth.

That there is an element

of just us connecting

to the supernatural

that our spirits

are just lifted

by being connected

to the Holy Spirit

and that is something

that really just edifies

the church

brings us to this place

where we can feel

God's presence

and be embraced

by his love.

There is something

beautiful about that.

But it's a spirit

and in truth.

1 Corinthians 14

Paul talks about

actually I pray

with my mind

but I also pray

with my spirit.

I sing with my spirit

but I also sing

with my mind.

There's two parts

to this.

So we should keep

it balanced.

Now if I'm honest

I think if we look

at the church worldwide

I think sometimes

we struggle with that.

It's just part of the

whole polarizing trends

that we're in.

Some of us sway

way more to just truth

and some of us sway

way more to just spirit.

But I look at this

and I'm going

Jesus is calling

and he's looking

for people who are

willing to

and not afraid of both.

Who are yearning

for his word

who want to know

who he is

but are also

just enamored

by his presence

and just warmed

by the embrace

of his love.

Spirit and in truth.

And that moves us

on to verse 3

to 5.

Because we can't

just worship

using our emotions.

It can't just be

about how we feel.

That's got to be

part of it

but it isn't

the whole thing

and this is where

the psalmist really

moves into

why they're worshipping.

So verse 1 and 2

is come let us

sing to the Lord

let us come

into his presence.

Why?

Verse 3

For the Lord

is a great God

and a great king

above all kings.

In his hand

are the depths

of the earth

the heights

of the mountains

are his also.

The sea is his

for he made it

and his hands

formed the dry land.

O come let us

worship and bow down

let us kneel

before the Lord

our maker

for he is our God

and we are the people

of his pasture

and the sheep

of his hand.

This moves in

from spirit

to being in his presence

to talking about truth.

Why do we worship?

Why is he calling us

to worship?

Why?

For God is a great God.

For God is a great God

and the great king

above all gods

in his hand

are the depths

of the earth

and the heights

of the mountains

are his also.

He's basically

just thrown down

truth after truth

of who God is.

So when we worship

in spirit

in his presence

we also worship

in truth

by knowing

what we're worshipping

and who we're worshipping.

If we're just worshipping

a God of our own doing

based on our own emotions

that's not true worship.

But when we worship

in spirit

and in truth

and we know

who God actually is

and we're declaring

who he is

that's when we're able

to worship

in spirit

and in truth.

This is where actually

Richard Foster

talks about a lot

when we talk about worship

we're not initiators

of worship.

We are only the ones

who are responding

to something.

We're worship

in response to something

and let me read you

his quote.

Richard Foster says this,

Worship is the human response

to the divine initiative.

Worship is our response

to the overtures

of love

from the heart

of the Father.

Its centrality,

its central reality

is found in spirit

and in truth.

The psalmist here

is saying actually

we worship God.

Why?

Because of who he is

and what he's done.

We're worshipping God

because of who he is

and what he's done.

He is a great God.

He is a great king

above all other kings

and he made this world

and that's why

we worship him.

He is above all other gods.

If you think about

the culture that they were in

in the ancient times

there were so many other gods.

There were so many other gods

that they were worshipping

and what they're saying

is here Yahweh,

God himself.

He is the only God.

He is the great God.

He is the great God

above all the other gods.

So when we worship

it's responding to who he is

which is he is far above

everything else.

We think about the gods

that they had during those times

and we think about

some of the gods

that we have now.

Whether it is

the religions that we have

surrounding us

who are declaring

the different gods

or whether it's just

maybe the most powerful

violent gods

that we have in society

right now

which are money,

sex and power.

And you think about

those gods.

You think about

what we ascribe worth to.

You think about

the things that shape us.

Those are the things.

If you think about

all the decisions

that you and I make

every day

so many of them

are down to

money, sex and power.

How do we get more money?

How do we get more

sex and connection?

How do we get more power

so we can lord it over people

and rise up

in the ranks of society?

Those are the gods

of the day.

Those are the gods

that we have to repent of

every time we come

into God's presence.

God, those are all

little G's.

You are the OG.

You are the only one.

You are the only God.

Isaac Newton said this,

the more time

and devotion one spends

in the worship

of false gods

the less he is able

to spend in that

of the true one.

What's your God?

As you walked in here

this morning,

what are the gods

that you had

that you still have?

What worship does,

what worship should do

as we respond to him

is that it should cause us

to be in a place

where we remember

who he is

and what he's done

and we realize

that is far above

anything else

that we're struggling with

and wrestling with

and worshiping down here.

That is the goal

of why we come

and worship together

and how do we do that?

It's really just

allows us to be

in a place of gratitude

as you look back

and go, man,

I would be down

in the ditch

if it wasn't for God.

In my pursuit for money

I fell into so many holes

and yet I'm only sat here now

by the grace of God

and for that I worship him.

That he is gracious

and compassionate.

He is slow to anger.

He is abounding

in steadfast love.

That's the God

that I'm worshiping.

And everything

he's done for me.

I've told you about my time

when I was wrestling with God

about coming over to Hong Kong

and wrestling

in the holiest of places

in a pub in England

and crying there

on a Tuesday morning

and that was the reminder.

It was God reminding me

through a song.

It was,

haven't I come through

for you at every turn?

When have I let you down?

It was God kind of

turning his back to me

and going,

where's this mistrust

coming from?

You're sat where you are

because of everything

that I've done.

The lack of gratitude

you have, my son.

That was the thing

that broke me

and that led me

into worship

and song did that.

So we praise God

for song.

You see, sober,

it's a sobering thing

that really goes,

we go through

when we worship

is because we kind of

sober,

not in a bad sense,

but in a sense of just

we are now in more,

in tune with reality

that I am this small,

that I,

without God,

I'm here,

but with God

I'm here

and everything

that he's done for me.

That song we sang

at the beginning,

our God is a great,

big God.

See,

when you worship

with the proper heart,

when you worship

in spirit

and in truth,

you'll realize

how big truly God is

and what the Psalms

are filled with.

Psalm 8 is just

how excellent is your name,

how majestic

are you

in all the earth.

And what happens

is something beautiful.

When you worship

and focus on him

and what he's done,

your problems

just shrink

and shrink

and shrink

and shrink

and you realize

I've been looking

at the wrong thing

this whole time.

I should

cast my eyes

onto God

and I'll

have my perspective

calibrated.

What's the truth

in your life

that you need

to give thanks for?

What has God done

in your life?

What are the altars

that you kind of have

to build

to remind yourself

of who God is

and how good he is?

Because if we're honest,

we all worry

about something.

When you're young,

you're worrying

about your exams

so you can get

into the right school.

Once you get

into the right school,

then you're worrying

about the right

friendship groups

that you have

and then after that,

you get into

the right university

and then you're worrying

about the next job.

And once you get

the next job,

you're like,

oh, I've got my dream job

and I'm finally happy,

God, I can worship you

until you wonder,

oh no, actually,

one year later,

I kind of want

to change my job.

And so then you've got

to think about that

and you've got to pray,

God, I just want

to worship you

with the right job,

the one that I've been

gifted and called to.

Please, can you give me

this one?

I think this one

will be the one

that helps me

worship you well.

And then God,

please, would you give me

that job?

And then, of course,

he gives you that job

and then two months later,

he's like, oh,

I can't do life group

anymore because I'm

too busy with my job.

And my job now

makes me too tired

so I can't worship you

anymore in the same way.

We always keep worrying

about these things,

but the moment we stop

and pause and just look

back at the whole trail

of goodness and faithfulness

that has followed us,

you're like, man,

I am so entitled,

I am so spoiled,

I am so forgetful

for who God is

and what he's done.

And the thing that

you're worrying about now,

in one year's time,

in two weeks' time,

you're not worried

about anymore.

Can you see how fickle

we are,

how forgetful we are?

That's why we worship

and that's why we

worship together.

Verse six,

let us worship

and bow down.

So we worship in spirit,

we worship in truth,

we worship in community

and now we worship

in humility.

Let us worship

and let us bow down,

kneel.

It's our whole being.

It's every part of us

is how we worship

and this is where

it gets a little bit

tricky for me

and at least you'll notice

for me,

I have a journey

which is,

I grew up in a very

conservative place

so we worship

with our hands

in our pockets

and then after a while

you cross your arms

and then you feel

some emotions

so you cross your arms

even more

because you're trying

to suppress them

because you're Chinese

and you're like,

I'm not going to let

this vulnerability out

and then I went

to worship

with other people

and they're just

free and expressive

and I'm like,

oh,

there's something to that.

Whoa,

that guy's kneeling,

bowing down.

So I have a thing

and you can notice this

if you want to

but I'm trying

only to focus on God.

Whenever we are singing

a song that says

I bow down,

I'm like,

I kind of need to bow down

because that's what

the song is saying

in my head.

Now,

I don't judge you

for not doing it

but in my own conviction

and I had someone

tell me this,

hey,

if you're just wrestling

in it,

just do it.

Why worry?

What are people

going to say

or think

other than the fact

that they think

you're a little bit weird?

That's okay.

So I try and follow

the songs that we're singing

with integrity

and say,

if that song tells me

to do this

then I'm going to do this

because that's what

I'm doing.

There's a few of us

that last Sunday

we went to Macau

to watch a sports game

and I was just

reminded of

the passion

of sports fans.

There's a picture

that we have

of Cuban and my son

and I think Josh

you might have been

in that picture too

and it's just

something great happened

and we all just

lifted our arms

and we're just like,

yes!

And I was like,

ah,

but we don't do that

in church

often.

But football fans,

they're just,

their whole body

is involved

in worship.

And now this is where

our culture,

I think,

we are,

of course,

on the more conservative

side

until karaoke is involved

and then we just

start swaying

and then we bring

our phones out

and the flashlight

and that's as expressive

as we get

as a culture.

But I think

there's something

about worshipping

with your body

that is important.

There's something

that the way

you conduct yourself

and the way

you hold yourself

is important

and I'm not here

saying that there

is a standard.

There is no rule.

There is whatever

you are comfortable

with and doing

one step beyond

that out of your

worship for God.

That's it.

So if you are used

to and comfortable

worshipping your hands

then I encourage you,

maybe take your hands

out of your pockets.

Maybe just as an act

of worship to you,

all you need to do

is just take your hands

out of your pockets.

Maybe you're okay

with doing the,

kind of like,

the holding the TV.

And if you're good

and comfortable

with holding the TV

as you challenge yourself

and as you worship,

then maybe lift

the TV higher.

And if you're comfortable

with raising your arms

like you're in a football game,

which is what

every other fan

of every other worshipper,

every other thing does,

if you go to,

next month there'll be

Coldplay and I can bet you

everyone's worshipping

as though with their arms

out wide open, right?

And Chris Martin

somehow is able to do it

whilst playing piano.

But if that's yours,

then what's the next step?

The whole point

isn't what you're actually doing,

is where's your heart?

Are you staying

within the confines

of your fear

or are you actually

willing to step out

and go,

God, you deserve

every part.

And just know

that in scripture

there is precedence

for the whole spectrum.

I mean,

most people in the Bible

would worship

either standing up

like this,

holding their hands

in the Bible

or literally lying

prostrate on the floor.

Those are the two postures

that are the most common.

Those are the top two.

If you look around

the world now,

I think the top two

are arms crossed

and hands in pockets.

But just know

that there is precedence

to go,

I mean,

King David,

he would dance

in a way

that was most undignified

than this.

Why?

Not because he was

trying to get attention

for himself

but because he was

worshipping the one

and only true God

that he had in his eyes.

He was ascribing

worth to him

and he didn't really

care about what

anyone else was thinking.

So I encourage you,

whatever you're comfortable

with,

just take one step further.

Worship God

with your whole heart,

soul,

mind and strength

and all of this

is in a sense

of humility.

God,

I am nothing without you.

I am this small.

So I bow down.

I kneel.

I bow.

Verse seven,

and here's where we finish

and then we'll have

some time of worship.

Someone might want

to prep Alex

for getting ready now.

Verse seven,

he says,

for he is our God

and we are the people

of his pasture

and the sheep

of his hand.

Ancient kings

those days

would be referred

to as shepherds.

Why?

Because they would

wander lands together.

The people would

wander into lands together

and they would be shepherds.

They would be provided for,

they would be protected

by the king,

the shepherd.

And here we have God

as our shepherd.

And then it goes this,

and this is a really

interesting passage.

Today,

if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts

as at Meribah

and as on the day

at Massa in the wilderness

when your fathers

put me to the test

and put me to the proof

that they had seen my work.

For 40 years,

I loathed that generation

and said,

they are a people

who go astray

in their heart

and they have not

known my ways.

What's he talking

about here?

He's talking about

the issue of trust.

When you worship,

what you're saying

is the God I ascribe

worth to you

and I trust you

completely.

And he says,

today,

if you hear his voice,

don't harden your heart.

Don't be like those people

in Meribah and Massa.

Who are those people

who are in Meribah and Massa?

If you go back

to Exodus 17,

it's the Israelites.

Remember,

they've left Israel

and they're wandering

to the promised land

and they get to a point

where they're dehydrated.

There's no water.

They're thirsty.

They're hungry.

And so they go to this place

and they're complaining.

Meribah means arguing.

Massa means testing.

And so what he's saying here

is that don't argue

and don't test.

Don't be sour.

Don't be skeptical.

What they were doing,

what the Israelites

were doing at that time,

admittedly,

I think quite understandable

because when I'm hungry

or when you're hungry

or when you're thirsty,

you start going

a little bit crazy.

At the very least,

you get grouchy.

So these people

were arguing

and testing God

and basically

what they were saying

is that we're not convinced

that God will deliver us

from this.

It is better for us

to go back

to be slaves in Egypt.

You should never

brought us out

into freedom.

We want to be back there.

And so, of course,

Moses gets angry

at all of this.

Have you forgotten

what the plight was

all those years?

And so he named

that place Meribah

and Massa saying

this is the place

where you argued

and tested God

and you kept testing

and testing him.

And of course,

he ultimately provides

water through the rock.

But what the writer

here is saying

is don't be like

those people.

Don't be hard-hearted.

Be convinced

that God will come

through for you

because he has

come through for you

every single time

up until now.

What makes you think

he won't from this point on?

Don't test.

Don't argue.

Don't be skeptical.

And of course,

from that,

we have the Prince of Egypt

song,

When You Believe,

which really is just,

that's the heart of it.

Our worship is

when we go to God

and go,

God, I believe you.

Not just for what

you will do for me,

but I believe

that you are

who you say you are

and that you will do

what you say

you will do

and therefore,

I worship.

Therefore,

I ascribe worship

to you,

worth to you

and only you

and I don't test you.

What they have

going on here

in the Israelites

is that there is

a self-sufficiency

happening.

They're like,

you know what?

I think if we

retrace our steps

and head back

to Egypt

and we bow down

to Pharaoh,

maybe he'll let us

back in

and maybe we can

be in control

of our lives

again.

Yes,

we had so many

things oppressing us.

I remember wanting

to die during that time,

but at least I'll be

in control of it.

Now I'm just

subject to the weather,

subject to this God

who isn't giving us

the basic requirements.

It's testing here,

the idol here,

the mini God here

is self-sufficiency.

Worship banquishes that.

When you worship

and you say,

God, you are this

and you've done this

and I am this,

self-sufficiency

goes out the door

because it's God

that we're worshipping.

And he's saying

verse 8 to 9,

do not harden your hearts

when your father's

put me to the test.

Imagine a husband

constantly testing his wife.

Do you love me?

Can you show me

your love again?

That's what the Israelites

were doing every time

now again.

Sometimes I think

that's understandable

when you're really

hot and hungry

and thirsty.

But our hearts,

that's where

the hardness comes.

that's when it's like,

actually,

I'm not believing anymore.

I'm not trusting anymore.

Worship gets us back

to that place.

And it's funny

because that passage there,

and this is where

I'll finish,

is actually referred to

in Hebrews,

which is what I've been

personally reading.

If you turn to me,

I promise I won't make you

turn back to Psalm

after this.

The Hebrews writer

quotes this Psalm

and he says it

in chapter 3.

basically,

verse 7 onwards,

therefore as the Holy Spirit

says,

chapter 3,

verse 7,

the book of Hebrews.

Today if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts

as in rebellion

on the day of testing

in the wilderness.

And he's talking about,

really,

he's really

talking about,

hey,

the Moses that you follow,

the law that you follow,

Jesus is even greater.

And so he quotes this Psalm

from Psalm 95.

And he says,

don't be like that.

Today,

God is trying to lead you

into a place of rest.

And that's what Hebrews 4

is about.

It's about,

how do we get into

this place of rest?

We all want that place

of rest.

Well,

we can just lie down

from the day-to-day grind

that we have

and just be in a place

of rest.

If you ask me,

how do we get to that

place of rest?

Today I will tell you

it's worship.

When you worship

and when you remember

who God is,

when you take the time

to reflect

and to remember

and to remind each other,

you will enter

this place of rest.

This place of rest

where you know

that God is with you,

that he will provide

everything that you need

and that he has provided

everything that you need

up until now

and he's not going

to stop now.

That's what worship is,

that it leads us

to a place of rest

and it's when that comes

when we respond

to God's goodness.

I love who he is.

That's it.

William Sperry says

this worship

is a deliberate

and disciplined adventure

in reality.

It is us committing

to this,

go on this journey

of remembering,

responding

in worship

and ending up

in rest.

Do you want that rest?

Do you want that place

where you can just strive

and enter into that rest

that Jesus provided for us

because he did the work

on the cross

for us already

and that we simply

just have to respond

to what he did

to worship him?

What's worship

got to do

with being disciplined

disciples?

Well, you have to choose.

You have to choose

to come,

to turn from your ways

to worshiping

the things that you're

worshiping

and saying,

come.

Worshiping

is a discipline thing

because it requires you

to come with people

and people are annoying.

We are often,

always,

Rebecca's just laughing,

we are often,

always,

surrounded by idiots

and yet there is

something beauty,

beautiful,

when it comes to

being with people

who are different to us,

who like different songs

to us,

who sing

at different volumes

to us

because only then,

and you look around

the room now

and just try not

to be awkward

and just look at someone

who you know

is just so different to you

and maybe just one glance

so they don't know

that you've just clocked in

that it's them.

You look at that person

who's so different from you,

I mean,

I'll just look at Uday,

just like,

with just that,

with that full head of hair

and that facial hair

and just the whole thing

is we're just so different

and then I look at him

and then I say,

there's a side of God

that I'll be able

to comprehend

when I spend more time

with Uday,