December 31, 2023 - Your Focus Shapes Who You Ultimately Become - Pastor Paul Vallee

[00:00:00] Let's stand this morning and we're going to pray. Father, I thank you. We are closing the chapter on 2023. And you know, for a lot of us there were amazing victories. There were blessings, but also challenges. But the good news is we're on the other side of it and we got through it and we're hopefully stronger for those experiences. And now as we move towards 2024, my prayer for us as a people, that we will get closer to you, that we will get stronger in you, that we will experience you in ways we never have before. That we will spiritually grow in dynamic ways, Father. And we are going to see great things happen not only in our life, but in our families and in our community. Father, we believe people are going to come into your kingdom. We're going to be a part of that. And we thank you for that, Lord. And now I pray even as we open our hearts to your word this morning, may we receive your word. That engrafted word, which Peter reminds us is able to save our souls. And I pray that that word today will impact us at a very deep level. And we thank you for that in Jesus name. And God's people said, amen. Amen. [00:01:15] I'm going to have you turn in your bibles to the book of Romans, chapter twelve. We're going to look at a few verses there. [00:01:21] Imagine living in a society, and I don't think it takes a lot to imagine this, but imagine living in a society where everyone has a distorted concept of God. [00:01:30] And that concept is literally what's shaping their lives. It's a place where ritual did not bring freedom. Rather it brought bondage. A place where fear rather than love was the motive to serve that false understanding. And yet that was the kind of place that Abraham lived 4000 years ago. [00:01:50] At the center of the life of the people was a temple complex where people worshiped the heavenly constellations. They worshiped the sun, the moon, the stars. In other words, they worship that which was created, not the creator. I wonder what caused Abraham to finally connect to God. I wonder if questions began to fill his mind that he was seeing that didn't quench the longing in his soul and satisfy the questions in his mind. We do know one thing from the record of scripture that there came a day when God revealed himself to Abraham and his life was radically changed. It says in acts chapter seven, this is Stephen presenting a message before the religious leaders. He's reminding them of this incident. The father of their faith, the God of glory, appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, God said this, leave your country and your people and go to the land. I will show you now, how many know that in that encounter there was a command. How many see it? And really, if Abraham was going to believe God and act on what God said, that's the true measure of faith, right? Doing what God says, it's not about, oh, I heard God speak to me. I experienced God, but God said something I want you to do. Go to this country. And Abraham, by faith went. [00:03:17] That encounter with God, and his obedience changed the whole course of his life. How many say that's true? His faith was evidenced by his behavior. Look what it says by faith. Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. How many know? We can talk about heaven, but we don't know what it's know. One person asked me once, can't you preach on heaven? I go, there's so little to say about know, because God, for whatever reason, he's not talking a lot about it. He says a little bit, but not that much. We just know there is a place called heaven and God is there. And we know some of the descriptions, but not a ton of stuff about it. Okay. We don't know what life's going to be like, but we know it's going to be a lot better than this. I can make one guarantee. The Bible says this, no more sorrow, no more tears, no more sickness, no more dying, no more pain, no more sin. [00:04:23] That's pretty nice inside and out, right? We don't have to struggle anymore. No more temptation. This is pretty good. We know that much. We know some things about it, but not a ton. Now, Abraham's response to God in obedience is really the true nature of what worship is. [00:04:42] Worship is a response of a genuine encounter with God. [00:04:46] I think the great need of the church is to connect to God in real worship. Genuine worship. As a matter of fact, Warren Worsby wrote a book called real worship. In it, he says, we are weary of business as usual. We need and want a transforming experience from the Lord. The kind of spiritual visitation that will help to heal our broken homes, our split churches, that will strip away our religious veneer and get us back to reality. [00:05:10] Not playing anymore. That's what he's saying. [00:05:13] He says that will restore the true spiritual values and destroy the cheap counterfeits that we have been fostering on ourselves in the lost world. That will most of all bring such glory to God that the world will sit up and take notice and confess that God is truly among us. I like that. There's only one thing that's going to change you and me worship. That's what changes us. What becomes our focus in life ultimately shapes who we become. Like, is that amazing? [00:05:46] You see, that's what really worship is all about. [00:05:51] It's interesting that this word transformation or transfiguration or change, it's the same greek word. It's only found three times in the New Testament. It's talking about genuine change. How many are saying, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm sick and tired of being the same old schmuck, you know what I mean? I want to have some change in my life. I want to become the person God designed for me to become. I want to become like that which I truly want to worship, which is God. I mean, if you start worshipping the true God, you'll become like him. You'll become godly. You'll be like God. [00:06:28] Now, it's interesting how this change comes about. In two Corinthians, chapter three, verse 18. I'm going to give you the three verses, and we'll look at one of them. And we all who, with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed. Another translation says, changed into his image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit. So what is God doing? He's bringing about transformation or change in our lives. And here's the second idea, is simply when Jesus himself was on the mount of transfiguration, the Bible says he was changed. Right? How many know that? And his true nature came out. His divine nature overcame his human nature, and they saw him as he truly was. Bible says his face was brighter than the noonday sun. It was really a powerful experience. Peter never got over that experience. He even writes about it in his letter. The third time this word is used is in the book of Romans, chapter twelve, verse two. And we discover there what worship really is and how it brings about that change in our lives, that transformation. So what is it about worship? I want to look at four things about the power of worship that changes us. How many are saying, you know what? I want my life to be different than it was. I want my life to change. I want to grow, I want to develop. I want to move forward. I don't want to just stay the same place as I was before. I want to move. You know what? How many know if that's going to happen. Something's got to change in my life. I have to kind of cooperate with God. [00:07:59] Some of us, our cooperation levels are low, so we're going to move them up to a higher level. How's that? In 2024. Let's take a look here. What needs to happen. These four areas. The first thing about the power worship is the explanation of why do we worship God? Why is it important for us to worship God? What is it about worshipping God that changes us? That's what I want to answer. [00:08:25] Well, first of all, you and I were designed to worship, and everyone in this room is a worshipper. Okay? You may not be worshipping God, but you are a worshipper. You're going to worship something. You're wired that way. And really, what worship is, it's that which we have the deepest affection and longing for. [00:08:46] Whatever it is that you are interested in receiving, whatever it is that you want, whatever it is that you focus in on, whatever it is you're giving yourself toward. In a sense, you're worshipping. Now, some people, they're worshipping things, and that's why they're materialists. That's why materialism is at such a high level in our society, because people are trying to acquire more and more things. Have you ever noticed that no matter how many things they have, they never have enough things? They just need more things? It's because that's the nature of worship. You just keep wanting more of what you are pursuing after. [00:09:26] Now, we know that worshipping anything other but the true and the living God is called idolatry. It's an idol and that's problem. [00:09:38] We worship God. First of all. First reason is because who he is, right, he's worthy to be worshipped. Many people, I think, have a limited view of worship. They think worship is when you come to church. Some people have it narrowed down to when we're singing. That's worship, okay? [00:09:56] That's only a part of worship. That's only a little part of it. I want to broaden your definition of worship so you'll understand it. [00:10:06] It's so much more. Warren worseby says, when you consider all the words used for worship in both Old and New Testaments, and when you put the meanings together, you find that worship involves attitude, which is like awe, reverence, respect, actions, bowing, praising, serving. [00:10:25] It's both a subjective something internal and heartfelt experience, and an objective activity. We're singing, we're giving, we're serving. [00:10:34] Giving as an act of worship. [00:10:38] Serving people because you're serving God. That's worship. Isn't that amazing? Worship is not an unexpressed feeling, nor is it an empty formality. True worship is balanced and involves the mind, the emotions, the will, the total personality. It must be intelligent. It must reach deep within and be motivated by love, and it must lead to obedient actions that glorify God. [00:11:01] I would say obedience is worship. Doing what God is asking us to do is worship. [00:11:07] Wow. Evelyn underhill defines worship as the total adoring response of man to the one eternal God self revealed in time. [00:11:16] So we worship God for who he is. Is God worthy of worship? Well, he's the creator. He is obviously worthy of our affection. He's obviously worthy of our study and our trying to get to know him. What I've discovered, and I have a very inquisitive mind, you may not know that about me, but it's the truth. And I have been exploring God for almost five decades and I'm not bored. There's just so much more to find out. Isn't that great that you're going after someone who's inexhaustible? [00:11:51] It's unlimited and it's amazing. You never arrive. You know, when people say, well, I already know all that stuff, I go, no, you don't. You're just telling me that you have no interest in that stuff. [00:12:04] We should have a heart after God. We worship God because of what he's done. [00:12:11] If we look at this expression in Romans chapter twelve, verses one and two, what we're going to find out is Romans is divided into two parts, the doctrinal, practical, the doctrinal side, the teaching side, the explanation side of our salvation. Actually, Romans is probably the most systematic book explaining what it means to become a follower of Jesus. It explains our salvation very systematically. He goes in and describes all the things that are happening. But when he gets to chapter twelve, he's shifting. He's making a shift to say in light of, because of all the things that God has done for us, this is what we should do. Now, this is our response. And by the way, our response to what God does for us is what worship is. Okay, now let's take a look. It says here, Romans, chapter twelve, verse one, it says therefore. [00:13:07] Now, every time you see the word therefore, this is a signal. It means you got to look what just been said. You have to look it back there and say, what therefore? Because of. You can say because of or therefore. I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy. So Paul has been explaining God's mercies, chapters one through eleven, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship. So what is God expecting from us? What is true worship? According to romans twelve one? [00:13:46] I need to offer my body as a living sacrifice. My body means I'm offering what myself. [00:13:56] I'm offering my mind, I'm offering my emotions, I'm offering my will, I'm offering my energy, I'm offering my time. I'm offering everything about me that's worship. [00:14:07] You cannot serve God and say, oh, I'm going to give God 10% and I'm worshipping God. God goes, no, that's not worship. [00:14:16] No, God is expecting 100% of our lives. [00:14:21] That's true worship. He expects all of you, not part of you. Well, when I got time for God, I slot him in. [00:14:29] Well, that's how a lot of christians live. [00:14:33] God's an addendum to my life. He's just an add on. I pull him in when I need him, kind of a thing. Oh, I got a problem. I'll pull them in. Oh, I need a little advice. I'll pull them in kind of a thing. No, that's not worship, folks. No. God is the one who I start my day saying, what are we doing today, Father? It's not what I want. It's what you want. What's your will? I'm here to bring honor to you. It's not about bringing honor to myself. It's not about what I want. It's about what you want. And by the way, when we begin to make that huge, this is a huge paradigm shift for most people. But when you make that shift, what you're going to discover is actually God's will for you, is what's going to make you happy. [00:15:16] You should write that down. God's will for my life will make me happy. And the problem is why many of us are unhappy is because we're trying to do our will and talk God into doing our thing and he doesn't feel any compulsion to do it. [00:15:31] And then we go, well, God's not answering my prayers. I'm going, maybe he doesn't want you to do that. [00:15:38] He's got an agenda. What is it? Let's find out. Because we're going to find out when we truly worship God, we're going to find out what God's will is. I love that. So this chapter is making this transition. So what are some of the mercies? Let's take a look. We're made righteous in God's eyes. Do you know, through Christ's death we now have a right standing when we receive Jesus before the father. And what that really means is we're now allowed into the presence of God. Because if you study the, there's a, the whole Old Testament is teaching you the inaccessibility of God. God's holy, we're unholy, can't come into his presence, we die. Paul says it this way in romans. But now apart from law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the law and the prophets testify. In other words, the Old Testament is pointing towards something. The righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. [00:16:36] So the whole Old Testament is one teaching us that God is holy, that we're lawbreakers and we need Christ, we need a savior. That's the whole lesson. Very powerful. Now when we receive Jesus, the Bible says we have a new and a living way of access into the presence of God. Do you know in the Old Testament you could only be in God's presence one person once a year on the day of atonement, one person. Do you know what happened when Jesus died on the cross? The Bible says something very profound. It says there was a curtain in the temple between the holy place and the most holy place. The curtain was torn in two from the top to the bottom. And Hebrew says to make anew in a living way so that you and I have access into God's presence. [00:17:21] Now you and I in a sense, are like high priests every single day of our lives and every day is the day of atonement. And every day you and I can walk into his presence. Does anybody go, wow, is that amazing? How many go? That's a mercy that you have an access, you have a relationship with God. Jesus says, now you can say our father. [00:17:45] He's not only Jesus'father, he's our father. Roman says we can say Abba means daddy. We have intimacy with God. This is profound. This is a mercy that you and I have access to God. And the Bible says that faith in Christ creates a clean heart, a pure heart. Remember what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount? He said, blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Nobody with an impure heart is ever going to see God. You and I have to have a clean heart. Created me a clean heart, o God. That's the psalmist prayer. Created me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me. If I regard inequity in my heart, God will not hear my prayer. If I regard sin if I make sin the object of my intention, God's not paying attention. But see, God has done something in our life that's a mercy, that God's changed us. He's brought us into a relationship. But it also suggests that some people will be excluded from God's presence. I think we forget that we're not living in a static position. [00:18:54] I think a lot of people say, yeah, I made that prayer 30 years ago, bless God, I was a Christian and that's it. It's static. I want you to know the Bible says that the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Do you know there's battles in this christian life? And I've been a pastor long enough to see people come and people go, people serving God for a season, dropping out. Anybody notice that? How many have noticed that? It's sad, but you know what? That's truth. That's reality. We need to understand that. [00:19:23] I was reading this morning in my devotional time in the book of Revelation. We're all going to stand before God one day. Do you know? We're all going to be judged and God's going to judge the deeds done in our bodies. Yeah, but I believed in you, Jesus. Yeah, but did you do what I said? Well, no, I kind of didn't. No, I'm looking at your actions, not your words. And I think sometimes in North America we think if I make the right confession of faith I'm in. That doesn't matter what I do. Forget that nonsense. Jesus is looking. If you really believe in me, you're going to do what I say. Remember, I said obedience is what it's worship. And if we're not obeying God, we're not worshiping. And that's the acid test. We need to understand that. You say, well, wait a minute, I'm getting confused, pastor. I thought we're not saved by works. Well, no, you and I can't save ourselves. We can't do enough good things to be saved, but we need to trust Jesus in order to be saved. But out of that, salvation should come a change in our lives and we become worshipers and we begin to obey God. We begin to do what God asks us to do. And maybe you're here this morning, you say, man, I want to know Jesus. I want to have a right relationship with God, because look at what it says here in revelation. Those who are victorious will inherit all of this and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars, they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. What do you mean, second death? It means that you'll be eternally separated from God. The first death is really a physical and spiritual separation. But the second death is eternal separation. [00:21:04] But through Jesus, God's mercies have been revealed in Christ. We've been forgiven, cleansed, put into a right relationship with God and declared righteous. But what is even more incredible is we've been justified and now have peace with God. What does that mean? He says, therefore, since we've been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, sin causes a barrier in our relationship to God. But this barrier now has been addressed. Our sins have been taken away by Jesus the sinbearer. The legal idea here is that our sins have been removed from our legal account. [00:21:39] The idea of justification is just as if we'd never sinned. [00:21:43] We were absolutely forgiven. The ledger has been wiped clean. [00:21:48] People can bring up our past. Satan will hold it against us, but God never will. [00:21:54] You see, God's forgiveness is complete. Listen to what psalm 103 says. As far as east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us, we've been given a new identity and a power to live a new life. This life comes through God's spirit that's now living within us. And that's what he says in Romans. The spirit you receive does not make you slave so that you will live in fear again, but rather the spirit who brought you about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. It's in the power of this relationship that we are changed and are able to live a new life. [00:22:32] That's why he says in Romans six, we are therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live. What? [00:22:45] A new life? Not an old life. Not the same life, a new life. [00:22:51] So the foundation or basis of worship then, is our relationship that we have with God through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And maybe we'll just pause for a moment. I'll ask the question is that you today have you put your faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, that he is your sinbearer? He died on the cross for you. You want to turn away from the old life and have a brand new life, a new start. This is the offer God is making with us. Paul says when he's writing to the corinthian church, he says, I'm standing in Christ's place. He's saying, be reconciled to God. That's what I'm doing today. I'm asking you, would you like to be reconciled to God? Would you like your sins to be forgiven? Would you like to have your legal ledger of sin that's being held against you, totally wiped clean and God never hold it against you? How many think that's amazing? [00:23:45] That's justification. It's just as if you'd never sinned. That's beautiful. Maybe you're here right now. Here's what I'm going to tell you to do. I want you to pray right now. Say, God, I'm so sorry I've sinned against you and I want to receive your free gift of Jesus. I want to receive you, Jesus, would you come into my life right now? You know what he's going to do if you pray that prayer? He's going to come in. And if you make that your prayer before you leave today, write on that connect card, I gave my life to Jesus today. You know why? That's important? We're going to contact you and give you material to help you grow in your christian life. We're going to help you develop in this walk. It's a new beginning. It's a new life. Let me move on here. It says in Galatians, the person who lives in a right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. See, God did something for you. Now because of that, you're going to start doing things that God prepared in advance for you to do. That's called good works. You don't do them to become a Christian. You do them because you are a Christian. It's the result of we don't save ourselves, God saves us. But then God gives us this new life. It's a beautiful life. And you and I can now have this empowering spirit to help us live this new life. But let me move on to the second thing about the power of worship. It's the extent of true worship. I think we have a lot of misconceptions of it. Many people believe, as I said, that the extent of worship is when we come here. No, it's more than that. [00:25:25] We may even coming here may be or may not be worshipping. It depends on our heart. That's interesting, too. It's not about form. It's about what's transpiring within us here in our text. It tells us that we're to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. I've already read the text. In romans twelve, one and two, it says, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. [00:25:51] How many think God has an expectation? Anybody notice? God has an expectation. He says, this is what I did for you. This is what I want you to do now in response. I want you to give yourself holy to me, fully to me, and I'm going to bring about a change inside of you. That's where the change happens. We're going to now let God begin to change us. This is know we voluntarily give ourselves to God. John MacArthur shared how a woman came to him after he had spoken at a conference and said, I just can't seem to live the christian life the way I should. I'm frustrated. I don't have spiritual victory or any sense of accomplishment. I struggle with the simplest forms of obedience, and I'm constantly defeated. She's just explaining I'm a defeated person. [00:26:38] When she was asked what she had tried to do to solve the problem, she said, well, I've tried, know, like prayed and these kinds of said. But then, as she know, I've tried to get everything from him I can, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm still miserable, and I want more. To which MacArthur answered her, I think you've put your finger on the problem. The key to spiritual victory and true happiness is not in trying to get all we can from God, but in giving all that we are and have to God. How many? See the difference? See, one is, here's what I want to get. He said, no, that's the problem. It's what you need to give. See, you and I have as much from God as we want. This is a very shocking statement. A lot of people, oh, I want so much more of God, but I can't seem to get it. I'm saying the problem isn't with God. He wants to give it. The problem is you're withholding. See, the more you give of yourself, the more of God you get. How's that? It's the opposite of what we think. We got to surrender. We got to give. We got to say, okay, here am I God? I'm giving myself to you. [00:27:50] Now, the offering of ourselves is described as true and proper worship. To withhold ourselves from God is not only unwise, it's unloving. [00:28:04] Again, let me quote MacArthur. He says, there can be no sanctification, which means becoming like Christ. No, holy. Living apart from our bodies. So that's why it's important that we give our bodies to God. It says here in Thessalonians, may the God of peace himself sanctify or set you apart or make you holy entirely. And may your spirit, soul and body be preserved, complete without blame, at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:28:32] So what is he saying there? He's saying, you got to give your full self to God. It's what he's saying. And God will take care of you. How many realize that sin is illogical and irrational behavior? [00:28:44] I think sin is a form of insanity. You say, why do you say that? Because I don't think any sane person would do anything to destroy themselves and others. But when we sin, that's exactly what we're doing. [00:28:56] Okay? [00:28:58] That's my definition of insanity. It's equated to sin, and we're all a little bit in that direction. But some people are a lot more than others. [00:29:10] How many say that's true? Some people fully give themselves to sin, but it's illogical and irrational behavior because it's destructive. It's self destructive and it destroys other people. It always will do that. But how many know that if we give ourselves holy to God in response to his holy giving of himself to us, you know what's going to happen? It's the opposite. We're going to become rational, sane. We're going to be a blessing rather than a destructive person. We're going to bring wholeness into our families and into our own minds and lives. It's the very opposite. Let me move to the third thing we discover is the evidence of true worship. Worship is described both positively and negatively. Now, first of all, let's look at it. The negative of it says we are not to conform to the ungodly values of our society. [00:30:03] In other words, this translation is talking about not being conformed to the schemes of this world. The word world is better translated, age. [00:30:18] Do you know we're living in an evil age? How many know we're living in an evil age? [00:30:23] Folks, we've always lived in an evil age. [00:30:26] Okay? So everyone goes, oh, it's so evil out there going, what's always been evil. You see, we're living in an evil age, but there's coming a new age. [00:30:38] And the new age is when Jesus comes back, there'll be no more sin. That's a new age. It'll no longer be the evil age. [00:30:45] So why are we surprised by all the evil in our world today and the way people talk and the values of our society. And I've been alive nearly seven decades, and I'm saying to myself, it just seems to be getting Crazier. Anybody relate to what I'm talking about? It just seems to be getting nuttier, fruitier, crazier. Zanier. It's totally illogical, it's irrational. You can't even relate. You can't even talk. If you even try to straighten somebody out, they're all offended. They're bent out of shape. They're so broken. They're so forgiveness, what's that? That's a concept. Doesn't even exist anymore. Everybody's standing up for their rights. Everybody's offended. There's no forgiveness. Nobody puts up with anything. Come on. That's the way it is. [00:31:32] That's an evil age. That's how people think. That's part of the values of this culture. [00:31:38] It's influenced by demonic forces. There's no question in my mind of the evil that's occurring in our world because things like education alone can't fix it. And I want to just say this, the economy can't fix it. Money can't solve all the problems. [00:31:54] So all of you that are saying, well, we just got to get the right people in, in power. [00:31:59] They all talk about money, economy. Hey, listen, the problem is spiritual, folks. [00:32:06] You got to change things from the inside out. Everyone's trying to change things from the outside in. It doesn't work, doesn't stick, right? It's a spiritual problem. [00:32:16] One of the reasons why we're conformed to this world is we're afraid of what people will say or think of us. [00:32:22] It's really beautiful. As you get older, you go, I don't really care. [00:32:29] I'm secure. [00:32:30] I've journeyed with God long enough to know that I care about one person's opinion. [00:32:36] It's God's. What does he think? [00:32:39] Listen, I've been a pastor so long, I've been told by all kinds of christians all kinds of stuff over the years. They've been straightening me out for over four decades. [00:32:48] I'm being honest. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just being honest. [00:32:53] But everybody has an opinion. But there's only one opinion that counts for me. [00:32:59] It's in the word of God. This opinion counts, right? We got to know what he know. Jesus prayed that we will not stumble at the fact that we're going to be rejected by culture. Listen, what he says. I've given them your word. It's a key word and the world has hated them. [00:33:19] Do people hate? [00:33:21] Yeah, probably should going to be. Some people hate you, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. They actually crucified Jesus. If I'm going to become more like him, it's going to threaten some people. I can't be shocked by that. Not only is worship expressed by resisting the values and rebellion against God, but worship is something we embrace. [00:33:46] Let's look at verse two here. It says here, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. [00:34:00] We will no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world. We'll no longer be conformed to this present evil age, its value shaped by demonic forces. [00:34:13] Why would I want to be in step with that? I'm out of step with that. By the way you say, well, you're getting old. Passion. That's the problem. It's not the problem. I want to be in step with God. He's out of step with that. That's where we want to go. We have to become transformed by the renewing of our mind. Here's the positive side of worship. The negative side is, I'm not going to let what society says define who I'm going to be. I'm going to listen to what God has to say and allow my mind to be transformed by its renewing. It says, the real battle in life is being fought in our minds. Did you know that? Here's where the battle is going on the battlefield, for the soul is in our minds. That's why Paul writing to the Philippians encourages us to nurture our minds. Listen what he says. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever's true, whatever's noble, whatever's right, whatever's pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, what are we supposed to do? [00:35:09] Think about such things. [00:35:11] Most of what the society is saying is neither true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. I didn't say all but most. How many say that's probably true and you know what's happening? [00:35:27] We allow what society says to affect our thinking. I'm going, yeah, but if it's not true, why worry about it? If it's not pure or noble or right, who cares? Amen. See, I think we got to start saying, what are we feeding our minds? [00:35:46] That's the question. What are we feeding our minds. How many know, what you feed your bodies affects your body? Has anybody figured that out yet? How many have figured that out? Especially over Christmas. [00:36:00] This ought to be hitting home, right? [00:36:02] We probably all ate things, and I think once in a blue moon, it's fine to do. It's Christmas time. We all ate probably more than we should have, or we ate probably stuff we shouldn't have, but we did it. [00:36:14] But if we did that year round, if we ate like we did this last week, some of us would be real sick physically. Come on, let's be honest, right? But you know what? When it comes to our minds, we have no filters. It's just like, well, I can handle this. Well, I can handle that. Whatever you're feeding your body affects your body. Whatever you feed your mind affects your mind. Now I got to stop and pause and ask the question, how much time do I spend in God's word? [00:36:46] Isn't that a great question? Well, I hear it preached once a week, pastor. Or every other week when I come, or how often I come. [00:36:55] Listen, that means that you're feeding your mind on what society is saying. Twenty four seven. And you have no other recourse. You have nothing to filter all the garbage that's coming at you. How many know we need a filter? [00:37:09] How many know you got to have a lens that looks at life differently than the way society, somebody is controlling your minds? [00:37:17] For most of us, it's media, television, movies. I can just go down literature. I can just go down the track and say, this is what's controlling you. And you don't even know it. [00:37:28] So you have to make a decision. You got to say, it's like years ago, this rocker got saved trying to think his name, but it doesn't matter. They said, well, don't you think that because you're a Christian and you're reading the Bible, you're getting brainwashed? He said, yeah, I know. And my mind was a sick and dirty old mind. It needed to be rubbed out and scrubbed out and cleansed and all the rest of know. We need a work to go on in our minds. We need to begin to see life the way the creator sees it and how God's purposes are being developed. And all of a sudden, it changes what's going on in our know. [00:38:06] John MacArthur says, it's in the mind that our new nature and our old humanness are intermixed. It's in the mind that we make choices as to whether we'll express our new nature in holiness or allow our fleshly humanness, to act in unholiness. [00:38:20] So what's the best way to renew our minds? Well, we got to engage God in his word. That's why the psalmist wrote in psalm 119, verse eleven, I've hidden your word in my heart that what? I might not sin against you. I need to know what God's standard is. The world standard is there isn't a standard today. You can do anything you want and it's okay according to society. God says, no, it doesn't work that way. Everything you do is going to affect you. It's going to have a negative impact on you if it's wrong. [00:38:48] And I go, no, there's no such things as absolute right and absolute wrong, pastor. Well, that's what the devil would like you to believe, folks. There is an absolute. God has authority. He created this world. He created it for his purposes. And when you and I deviate from that, we suffer. And I see a lot of suffering people today. That's what I see. I see broken relationships. We have a lot of struggles in our minds. Come on, let's be honest. [00:39:15] Today we're telling everybody it's okay to be messed up. [00:39:20] Come on. We are saying it's normal to be messed up. Well, I'm saying we shouldn't be judging people because they're messed up. I agree with that. But I don't think we leave people in a broken condition. I don't think that's a loving thing to do. Hey, if you are suffering and nobody helps you, you'd say that's a very unloving thing to do. God says, I want to heal you. I don't want to just heal your bodies. I want to heal your minds. [00:39:45] I believe that, you know, where did Paul come up with this idea? Know, don't be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We go, yeah, well, he was inspired of the Holy Spirit, pastor. I go, yeah, he was. But you know what? He was so full of the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit just quickened things and he just framed it a little differently. Let me take you back to psalm one. Listen to what it says. Blessed is the one who does not walk and step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sits in the company of mockers. Doesn't that sound like, don't be conformed to this age, the way people think? Look at the next verse. But whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on his law day and night? [00:40:30] Isn't that rather the way we get transformed by the renewing of our mind? [00:40:35] Can I just tell you what's going to happen? [00:40:37] Let me give you a little journey through the spiritual life. You first start out, you become a Christian. You maybe read the Bible once in a while. You don't know what you're doing. You don't understand it. That's how it starts, right? You read a little more, you take some classes, maybe you get discipled. I'm just giving you a pattern. Eventually you start. The big change in everyone's life is when we stop becoming a daily Bible reader. And they've done surveys on this. This is amazing to me. They say only 10% of people who profess to be Christians are daily bible readers. I got to ask you the question, are you a daily Bible reader? You see, when you make that decision, something changes in your life, because now you're beginning to spend time with God. Because, you see, now you're saying to God, oh, I'm serious about this. I'm giving you my body, my time, my energy. I'm starting to spend time with you. I'm looking at what you're saying. You're communicating to me because your word is your message to me, and I'm reading it, and all of a sudden, I start thinking differently. It starts changing my appetite, because let's face it, if I eat junk food all the time, my body's going to crave junk food. But when I decide to change my diet and I change to healthy food and I start eating only healthy food, when I go back to eating junk food, your body will say, what are you doing? [00:41:51] I feel sick. [00:41:53] It feels unnatural. Now my body's functioning at a different level. It's the same way spiritually. When you start feeding your mind the word of God daily, all of a sudden you're going, this stuff is junk. Why would I even spend time there? I have no desire for it. [00:42:08] It's actually obnoxious to me now. I can't believe that I once was eating that diet of that junk over there. Now I'm in the word of God, and it's changing me. I can sense it. And by the way, what's fascinating about all of this is now they've done medical studies and research on the brain. So this past, I've been listening to a course on the spiritual brain by Dr. [00:42:35] Andrew Newberg. And here's, they're actually doing mris and blood tests to see the effects that have on people who pray and actually practice the spiritual disciplines. Let me give you a quote. It says, several studies have compared those who meditate and pray as part of their spiritual traditions to people who do not meditate and pray. And here's just a few of the interesting findings. Several MRI studies have shown that brains of long term practitioners are thicker than the brains of non practitioners. Yeah, I know you guys are all thick, but. No, but what he's saying is it actually has a physiological impact on the fore lobe of your brain. That's amazing. Okay, listen to this. They have more activity in the frontal lobe and also see changes to the central structure of their brain called the thalamus, which controls sensory information, cognitive, and consciousness. This is all about decision making, folks. This is where our brains are actually working. And what he's saying is, people who are prayers and meditators on God's word all of a sudden have physiological impact on your brain. Is this amazing? How many think this is interesting? Basically, it's essential for our experience and understanding of reality. Then he goes on to say, one of the fascinating things that happens when people are meditating and praying is that the brain begins to release chemicals called dopamine and serotonin. Now, if you know anything about the brain and if you've ever had depression issues, you know that what's happening is they're concerned about your dopamine levels, and you have low levels of serotonin, and those little neurotransmitters are not functioning quite correctly. And so they give you chemicals to help trigger and get the brain to actually release dopamine and release serotonin in your brain. And I'm telling you that if you and I just would do what God's word says, it's a natural way of experiencing these chemical responses so that physiologically, you're being affected. [00:44:48] Is that interesting? [00:44:51] This is research, actually. This guy's a scientist, and he's a medical doctor, and he goes, maybe we need to take a new look at how to help people get healthier, because we're starting to see that maybe spiritual things impact people in a positive way. Going, no kidding. [00:45:09] It's like the scientists are trying to figure it out where the world all came from when they finally climbed the mountain. What they find sitting on the top of the mountain is a bunch of theologians going, we're already here. We knew God created the world. What are you talking about? [00:45:23] It's true. [00:45:25] This helps us have healthier emotional and physical lives. I think that's powerful. Let me give you to the last thing here, the effects of worship. Ultimately, worship causes us to fulfill God's purposes for our lives. We're able to discern and do God's will. Worship is not about form or function as much as it's an attitude of our hearts and the actions of our lives. Notice I added actions because a lot of us, we're fooling ourselves. We think we do what we believe, but in reality, that's not practice. [00:45:58] How many have ever faked yourself out thinking you were doing something just because you believed it, but you weren't even acting on it? You know what I've discovered? [00:46:05] It's harder to do things than it is to say things. [00:46:13] Okay, try doing. [00:46:16] A lot of people complain about a lot of things about the other people. Why don't you do this or do it? Try doing it yourself. [00:46:24] Tell me how easy it is and maybe you'll be more compassionate, more understanding, less critical. Just throwing words out. But I think those are powerful words. Says, don't be conformed any longer to the pattern in this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. Now, I've already said this. What causes life change? [00:46:51] When we start worshipping God, we become what we worship. We become like him. It's powerful. [00:46:59] It's out of this life, separated to God that the holy life or a proper estimate of who we really are begins to develop. Look at verse three. For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. [00:47:18] So, what is he talking about here? Well, be humble, but not self negating. [00:47:25] See, some people think humility is putting yourself down. I go, no, that's not it. You know what humility is? Humility is a life of dependency on God. I'm depending on God. I recognize I can't do it apart from him. See, then you read down the next few verses here, and I'm going to close with this. Verses three to eight, I'll say this part. Only those who are holy and humble can live a healthy life. [00:47:50] Because what I'm basically saying is healthy and holy are the same thing. I'm not just talking about physical health here. I'm talking about emotional, mental, spiritual and relational health as well. How many go? I'd like to have all those things going on in my life. I want to be healthy physically. I want to be healthy emotionally. I want to be healthy mentally. I want to be healthy spiritually. I want to be healthy relationally. Anybody up for that? Here you go. I'm giving you guys the keys right now. You got the keys? I'm giving you the car. Here's the keys. [00:48:20] Are you going to do anything with it? Well, I'd really like to look at that car, pastor. I'll just look at it. That's what a lot of people do in the christian life. I'm just looking at it. No, here's the keys. Get in there, start going. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to ding it up. You probably will ding it up if time or two, but you still got to do it. But look what happens when we start living like this. [00:48:41] This healthy life is a life of love. Let's just read down a few verses here real quick. Love must be sincere. Hate what's evil. Cling to what's good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. What's he describing? He's describing love in action. He's describing what the christian life is really all about. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't this practical? [00:49:13] So what am I trying to get us to understand today he's challenging us to worship God. How many say, I want to be a worshipper? I'm saying, you already are one. What are you worshipping? That's the real question. Are you worshipping God? [00:49:25] How do you worship God with your whole body? How do I do that every day? I got to make time for God. This is what it's all about. You start your day, so many people go, well, I do my devotional time later in the evening. For most people, if you're like me, I'm gone. I just can't do that. That's not going to happen. But maybe you're an evening person. I give you credit. If you are, yeah, go ahead and do it then. But for me, I'm a morning person. I got to get up. First thing I want to do is spend time with God. [00:49:54] Well, actually, I go downstairs and exercise, but what I'm doing and I'm praying, and then I'm listening to lectures, and then after I shower, I spend time reading the word. I have a whole habit. I'm very habitual. But you have to be like that. Spend time with God, go to sleep at night. I'm thinking about the word of God. I'm meditating on scripture. I wake up in the morning, I'm meditating on scripture. Why? My mind is just rolling in this stuff. And you know, what it does, it brings. [00:50:25] I'm encouraged. [00:50:28] Anybody that knows me very well, you go, you know, pastor, you always just seem to be even keel, right? Not up, not down. I said to Patty, you know, when I was a brand new Christian, I was really high, really low. Now I'm more even keeled. I just have a confidence in God. Where does that come from? His word. [00:50:46] When you are filling your mind every single day with God's word, you're going to say and do things that you go, did I do that? You're going to be surprising yourself. God's going to give you wisdom. You're going to be able to handle situations. You go, I don't even know where that came from. It came because you were feeding your mind the word of God. You were feeding your mind the nature of God. You were feeding yourself with stuff that all of a sudden eventually starts leaking out of you at the right and appropriate moment. Isn't that beautiful? How many think that's neat? So many of us, we're in crisis management mode. We go from crisis to crisis. We're always in a crisis. We don't know what to do. I'm going because you're feeding yourself the wrong information. [00:51:28] If you start feeding yourself the word of God daily, all of a sudden you're going to start doing good things, the right things, and you won't even realize you're doing it because it becomes so natural. [00:51:41] You become a different person. [00:51:44] That's how change comes about. Let's stand. [00:51:48] So now, I've already talked to the people who are non believers to give their life to Jesus. Now I'm talking to believers. [00:51:58] Now, I'm not here to embarrass you, but some of you in this room are going, you know what? I have to honestly confess. I'm not a daily Bible reader. I'm so tempted to make you close your eyes and raise your hands because I would love to know what percentage of our church actually reads the Bible daily. It's really intriguing because I know what the national statistics are. 10%. [00:52:17] That's shocking to me, but that just tells me the 90%. The rest of the people that are not doing it, where are they getting their thinking from? Where is their mind at? [00:52:30] The society that present evil age is shaping their brains. They're feeding on that stuff. Then we walk around, we're demanding our rights and we're not even behaving like christians. Oh, we're saying we're a Christian, but we're not acting like one. [00:52:44] It's like the guy I met in Jamaica, he tells me he's a Christian, but he's selling dope. [00:52:53] Could you imagine how that went over with me? He's accosting me to sell me dope, and he tells me, I said, I've got something better than that. He said, what do you have? I said, I got Jesus. He said, well, I'm a Christian. I said, well, you're not acting like one. [00:53:07] Came right out of my mouth that fast. [00:53:10] So then he says, well, you know, we're pretty poor down here, and this is how we got to make a living. And I said, no, what you're telling me is you're not trusting God and you're growing other things instead of the food that would help people, you're diminishing people instead of enriching them. You're not trusting God at all. [00:53:29] That kind of shook this guy up. [00:53:31] I'm going to hear that. I said, you know what? I said, maybe God sent me down here from Canada to tell you, you need to get right with him. [00:53:41] How's that? Just comes out of my mouth just like that. How come it comes that fast, pastor, my mind is loaded. I have no idea when God's going to hit a button, what's going to come out? [00:53:55] Oh, it got better. I prayed for him on the street. I could see other people wanting to talk to me, but they all had negative things to sell me on. Once I was praying with him on the street, all of them slinked away. [00:54:10] They go, he's going to pray with us, and we don't want that right now because we're not doing what we should be doing. [00:54:18] And maybe you're here today. Say, I feel a little bad that I don't pray and read the word of God. I am begging you, as your pastor, would you consider becoming a daily Bible reader? Join us in doing this, and I guarantee I'm going to make you a guarantee. If you will do this for an entire year, you'll go the best year of my life. I can't believe how much it's changed me. My whole mind is doing better. My relationships are getting better. Even the problems I'm having, I'm handling better. It will change you. I guarantee it. This is a guarantee. How can you do this? I've got God's backing behind me. He's making the guarantee. All right. I'm just pitching for God today. God says, if you'll spend time with me, that's what real worship is, it's going to change you. [00:55:06] So with every head bowed right now, how many say, you know what? I want to make a commitment, pastor. I want to do by the grace of God, by the spirit of God, by God's enabling help, I want to spend every day in God's presence, reading his word and praying. That's you today. You're going to raise your hand. Come on, let's raise our hands. That's you. I'm going to make that commitment. Some of you are already doing it. It's not going to change your lifestyle. But for a lot of us, this is a big change coming your way. You want a different year? This is the answer. So, Father, I thank you today that you are going to put it in people's hearts and minds to do this. Not to feel guilty if they miss a day, but, Lord, to really apply themselves, to spend time worshipping you and putting you at the front of their lives instead of an addition right at the center. And, Lord, I just pray that you're going to bless our lives 2024 in ways we cannot believe. We're going to walk in obedience instead of disobedience, we're going to become true worshippers. We're going to become like that which we're worshipping. And what we're going to worship this year coming is you. And we thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. God bless.