"Bring It With You"
October 9, 2005

The Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 100
The New Testament Lesson: John 4: 19 - 24

To inspire people to worship with reverence

I.  Worship is a participatory event; it can not be done for you.
   A. Have you ever left the house and forgotten your tickets?
        1. depending on how far you are going to an event, it is trouble
        2. Jill and I have a standard ritual.
            a. We get in the car and drive about half way to the game.
            b. At that point, Jill asks, “have you got the tickets?”
            c. It’s not planned that way; that’s simply when she thinks of it.
            d. Did that recently when we were headed to a baseball game.
            e. Fortunately, I HAD the tickets.
        3. Early in our marriage, I forgot them.
            a. It’s a horrible feeling when you’re an hour’s drive from home.
            b. You’re standing outside while all the cheering going on inside!
            c. All you can do is wonder what you’re missing.
        4. Some people feel that way about worship.
            a. They come to worship and hear the cheering.
            b. wonder why they don’t feel a part of it.  They forgot their tickets.
   B. When you come to worship you must bring the essential element
        1. When Jesus met the woman at the well, worship was mainly ritual.
            b. In order for worship to be valid, you had to get the mechanics right.
            c. As long as you brought the required sacrifice, you were fine.
            d. Question was about mechanics: Is Mt. Gerizim a acceptable place?
        2. Jesus’ answer is surprising and changes the nature of worship
            a. The place of worship makes no difference!
            b. The important element is your attitude
        3. Jesus says worship occurs when spirit and truth are involved.
            a. Is your heart in it?   Do you really care about what you are doing?
            b. And are you open before God?
   C. Worship is a participatory event staged for God’s benefit.
        1. When you come to worship, you are coming as an actor.
        2. It is like we are on the stage and have an audience of one: God.
        3. Worship is about honoring God and it done for God’s sake.
        4. Worship is not about us learning or being happy.
            a. It doesn’t matter whether we enjoy our worship.
            b. What matters is whether or not God enjoys it.
    D. No one can make worship for you.  We can only guide it.
        1. If you want to worship, you have to bring it with you!
            a. whether or not worship occurs depends on your attitude.
            b. You don’t come to worship (as in going to a place)
            c. you come to worship (as in the infinitive of the verb!)
        2. many people talk about worship was though it is the pastor’s job.
            a. I have to make a good worship service so people can enjoy it.
            b. If worship falls flat, it’s because I’ve failed.
        3. The reality is that worship is a job that belongs to all of us.
            a. The more people who bring worship with them the better it will be
            b. Pastors can guide your worship.
            c. we can help create an atmosphere in which you may worship.
            d. But we all share responsibility for worshiping.
        4. It that’s true, what do you need to bring with you?

II.  True worship depends on a Spirit of reverence
   A. If you’ve been around Scouting much, you’ve heard the Law
        1. It describes the character of a scout with twelve important words
        2. It contains a word that I’m sure gives some people pause: reverent
            a. I’m sure many have wondered what that word is doing there.
            b. only place you hear it is when a minister is addressed “reverend”
            c. many people think it means something like “religious.”
        3. It’s in the oath because early Greeks thought of it as a virtue.
   B. It is an essential quality for worship, but it is not religion!
        1. Reverence is not a body of beliefs.
        2. An it isn’t an somber attitude
   C. Reverence is the capacity to feel correctly about the value of things.
        1. First of all: reverence generates feelings.
            a. most people can not look at a beautiful sunset without reverence.
            b. Those are the kind of feelings that are reverence.
        2. Secondly, reverence puts us in our place!
            a. Far too often, we are at the center of our thinking.
            b. We value things as they relate to us and our welfare.
            c. Of course that is only natural: but our human nature is selfish!
            d. As we develop reverence, we understand everything isn’t about us.
        3. I remember a time of reverence at camp.
            a. I grew up as a city kid and could easily count the stars.
            b. I took a youth group on retreat to camp Johnsonburg.
            c. That was my first time away from all the city lights.
            d. imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw the stars!
            e. Awe!  Joy!  Fear!  Wonder!  Gee, I’m not so big after all!
        4. Reverence is the emotion we should feel as we think about God!
            a. recognizing the awesome nature of the Creator
            b. when we see ourselves in comparison, we are very small and frail
            c. dealing with this powerful person should cause some emotions
        5. But I’m afraid familiarity breeds contempt
            a. We gotten so used to talking about God, we’ve lost our fear
            b. I suspect that many of us feel more reverence in the presence of a thunderstorm that in the presence of it’s Creator!

III.  How does one generate the attitude that’s right for worship?
   A. Paul Woodruff is highly critical of worship in his book Reverence
        1. He says “Worship is a confusing place to look for reverence.  To begin with, worship is not always reverent; even the best forms of worship may be practiced without feeling (and therefore without reverence).”
        2. Unfortunately, I must agree with him.
            a. I have seen people sit for an hour completely unaffected.
            b. They will often blame the problem on the pastor or choir or church
            c. Hop to another place looking for the right experience.
   B. If we want our worship to be meaningful, the begin with ourselves.
        1. How do you prepare for worship?
        2. Many prepare by reading the Sunday paper and fighting with children (obviously, not a recommended method.)
        3. Worship preparation starts when we finish worship the week before
            a. All week long we are preparing to meeting with God.
            b. The way we orient ourselves to creation and value it.
            c. Our reflection on what is happening around us.
            d. It should intensify the night before with a good night’s sleep.
            e. Waking in the morning, we think about God’s love and grace.
            f. Arriving at the door of the church with real reverence.
            g. finally, opening our grateful hearts to the One who brought us though another week.

Friends, you do not come to worship as something to be done for you.  We gather for the purpose of worshiping.  We will succeed to the extent that we feel awe and respect for God and recognize that we are blessed to be allowed to honor God in our lives.  If you want meaningful worship, look into your own heart, examine your own preparations and then commit yourself to a life that honors God every single day!

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!