The Privilege of Worship, Part 3

natural outflow of that should be worship. But frankly, sometimes it's not. Maybe our hearts have just kind of grown cold. Uh, we are choosing, for whatever reason, not to engage with recognizing who God is and who we are. Talk to the person who's maybe just feeling like I don't feel like worshiping pastor.

to the mall. The mall? Right, right. Uh, but you're coming into the presence of an awesome God. So there ought to be a setup for worship. Uh, and it ought to be high liturgy. Uh, that is some psalm that talks about the greatness and the glory and the grandeur of God. As a matter of fact, Steve, I'm going to tell you the place to begin, for the corporate worship is at home before you even get to the building where you're going to worship with other believers.

So at home you get up. And what I generally do is I get up, I sing a song to the Lord, I open up my Scripture and let him speak to me. I go to him in prayer. And it doesn't have to be long and extended, but it's kind of like lighting the fuse on the dynamite of worship. And then by the time I'm, you know, I get in my vehicle and as my young people would say, I'll bump somebody on the box, uh, Kirk Franklin or Nicole Mullen. You know, I know my Redeemer lives. You know,

something like that. On the way, I'm preparing my heart. So sometimes I get up and I'm like that, that that little story where the mother said, son, get up. It's time to go to church. I don't want to go. I don't like those people. They don't like me. But you got to go. Come on, son, give me two good reasons why. Mama. Number one, you're 45. Number two, you're the pastor. And so sometimes even I don't want

to go. But I tell you what, Steve, uh, there are times when this has prepared me and became a catalyst and a motivation to me wanting to go. Then I'll tell you always, even when I don't want to preach, the choir will sing something. Somebody will say something that I know is from God to fire me up for worship.

go to church more, not less. Yeah. 69% don't come to Bible study, even though the Bible says in acts chapter 241 and 42, they continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers. 72% of our people don't give at least 10% of their income to God. As a whole. We average 2%. The world averages for, well, we average 2.5%. And the world gives to their charities 4.5%, which means then unbelievers give

about two times as much as believers give. And we say we're going to heaven and say they're going to hell. Yet they're more concerned about what's going to happen on this earth in an earthly existence with no hope of heaven. And it's not a cash issue, it's a commitment issue. You know what? Some of us spend more money going to the movies than we do giving to God. Some people spend more money on getting their lottery tickets than they give to God. Listen, most of you now don't

look around at your neighbor. I'm talking to your neighbor, not you. Most of you would have more to give to God if you would give God some of your beer money. If you give God some of your wine money, if you give God some of your reefer money, if you would spend on God what you spend to go to a show, 65% aren't involved in any ministry within the church. They're not using their gifts for the body. According to First Corinthians 12, 89% don't come to corporate

prayer Wednesday or Saturday. It's a sad state of affairs, but yet we all say we love Jesus. Now, let me just let me just let me just read the script. I'm going to go ahead and just read the script because I'm going to read the script. Okay. So some years ago, you know, Bible study was just it was worse than this. Only about 5% of people came. So? So we're about 800. If, you know, if I could get everybody here at the same time on a Sunday morning,

but only about 5%. So we're talking about 20 to 25 people coming to Bible study out of 800 coming to Bible study. So then I said, okay, this gotta stop because either I have to cut everything and say, okay, here's what we're going to do. We're not doing anything but Sunday morning worship, Bible study and prayer. No choir or come in and we'll sing a couple songs, and then we'll have the word take the offering and go home. And then on Wednesday, we're not going to do anything

but pray and have the Word of God. And we're having nobody doing any ministry whatsoever. And God talked me out of that because he said, uh, no, no, no, no. Because once some of them stop doing something, they ain't coming back. I said, okay, okay, Lord. Okay, so what should I do? So I said, let me see if I can minister to you. What's the issue? So here's what the choir said. Well, look, we got families, and that's why you don't have a lot of stuff around here.

You don't have a lot of stuff. I don't even got you out. You look at some of these churches in this city, and they got their people out 4 or 5, six times a week, every week. You come here twice, most times. And so I said, okay, choir, you know what's going on? Why don't y'all come to Bible study? You know, the choir told me, well, we come out Wednesday and we come out Thursday, pastor. And that's just too much time. Okay, so what I did

was I said, okay, we'll take care of that. Then I said, okay, why don't some of you others and I did it anonymously so everybody can say what they want to say and have to worry about. He knew I said that. No, I ain't know who said what. So some people said, well, uh, I work in the evening, so I can't come to evening Bible study. And then some people said, well, I get off of work. I work downtown by the time I get home from work, you know, and eat and, and do the kids homework.

Bible study halfway over ain't used to me coming late. I don't like to be coming nowhere late. Then. Then some people say, you know, and we're hungry, you know, and we want, you know. So here's what I did. I combined the choir rehearsal on Wednesday and said, okay, now you don't come on Thursday anymore. You ain't got no excuse for that. So you could come to Bible study because choir rehearsal is right after Bible study. But you know what? That wasn't the real reason. How do

I know that? Because some choir members didn't come this Wednesday. Want to know why? Because the praise team was singing today. And since they don't sing today, they ain't come to Bible study because the only reason they come to Bible study, some of them, is because they know somebody's going to get up in their grill talking about, hey, you, you came to rehearsal. How come you didn't make it to Bible study? I had three teachers volunteer. They teaching the

public school system. They with kids all day. But yet they said on Wednesday from 5 to 630, we will help the children with their homework. We had a homework room and we had three teachers that came for a whole month at 430 right after school and came over here. Guess how many kids came in one month? None. None. Not one. And then those who talked about feeding. What happened to that? Because we feed, we said, okay, now that they're feeding the people who are outside, y'all come

on in. Well, y'all ain't feeding them good food, are you? How come we aren't? Because I go up there and eat, too. And you ain't give me no junk. So sometime there was fried chicken. And everybody know every Christian love fried chicken. Especially we who are pastors. Fried chicken done had roasts, done had turkey. And sometimes we get low level hot dogs and beans and chips. But that's alright. We got Kool-Aid too. And so where is everybody that say I

can't come to Bible study because this, that and the other? Yeah, I gotta get this one because this is the one I love. I do this one all the time. I'm never going to retire this one. I love my church, I really do. I love her with all of my might. I go on Sunday morning, but not on Wednesday night. I give my time and treasures there, do everything just right. I do it Sunday morning, but not on Wednesday night. My preacher preaches very well. He really is quite bright.

I hear him Sunday morning, but not on Wednesday night. I know the Lord Jesus is coming soon and I'm ready to take my flight, but I hope he comes on Sunday morning and not on Wednesday night. Mm. Yeah. That's it. Yeah. And where is the mentality where David said I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. Where are those who come into his presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise? Where are those who are glad to be in this place? Okay,

here's the last one. Here's the last one, he says. Uh, we come in his presence. It's a privilege. And it's a privilege of his person. It's the privilege of his place. It's the privilege of his praise. Now get this. Where do you get that? Listen to this. And unto thee shall the vow be performed. Say, what in the world is going on here, Pastor Ford, where he talks about. And the the vow. Now, here's the context. I'm just going to. Bottom line, you got to do your own work.

Here's what he's saying. We're waiting to praise God because praise is fitted for him. It's custom made, designed for God. So then it's part of the vow that I have made. Has anybody ever said, Lord, if you get me out of this. Has anybody ever said, Lord, if you just do this one thing, Lord, if you just forgive me one more time. Anybody ever say that? Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. That's what he's talking about. We owe God praise. And so since it's not ours we are cheating him. Because praise belongs to God.

Back to our message. Here is Pastor Ford.

goodness of God. Now get this he's saying, because of God's grace, because of his government, because of his goodness, we owe him praise. Now let me show you how he does it. If we'd have followed this outline, here's what we would have said because of the grace of God. And that's when God gives us what we do not deserve. We are to want him. That's verses one through four. We ought to want him. We ought to desire him.

We ought to have a passion for him. But because of the government, that's his rule and reign, his sovereignty, that he's King of kings and Lord of lords, then we are to walk with him. One preacher say walk with the king and be a blessing today. And then the goodness of God. You know what that means. We ought to wait for him. There's things we want and we in a hurry. I want it like yesterday. And sometimes what we'll do is we'll rush. And I done told you ladies over and over again. But it's good

to plug it in right now. You rushing God about a boo. And you get in the Ishmael. And God's trying to send you an Isaac. And the devil will always send you Ishmael before God sends you your Isaac. So the next one that try to step to you, just look at him say, gotta be Ishmael. I'm waiting on Isaac. And so what's it all about? Let me summarize it because Imma let you go home. AP Gibbs, uh,

has a book called Worship The Christian's Highest Occupation. Now, here's what he said, and I quote, praising God is the occupation of the Christian soul. It's a job when the soul of a Christian is occupied and comprehends the blessings God has given. That soul is overcome with gratitude for the grace of God. So then it's the nature of the believer to praise God. He's saying, you can't separate believer from praise. Amen. And he goes on and let me get let me get the rest of it.

He goes on to say, you can tell what something is by its nature, because. The nature of a thing tells what it is. Okay. And he goes on, and I quote, it is the nature of a dog to bark. If you have a dog and your dog don't bark. Something wrong with your dog? It's the nature of a cat. And this morning I said to meow. And Elder Dixon was like. He said, no, pastor, you know purr. I said, okay, I must have been thinking about meow mix. Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.

But whenever the children of Israel walked around the wall on the seventh day, they were to shout to the Lord, now what did they shout? I'll tell you what they shouted, because Psalm 135 three says, Shout hallelujah to the Lord. So they didn't shout anything. They want to shout Hallelujah is the highest praise. And so here's what they did. All those over 2 million. Walking around the rock. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

And the wall came tumbling down. Want to know why? Because some miracles only happen in the context of worship. Paul and Silas in jail. They start worshiping. And what happened? You have jailhouse Rock for the first time. Because some miracles only happen in the context of worship. Jehoshaphat three enemies, they got him surrounded. And what happens? They begin to praise and sing, and it says. And the Lord set ambushes for their enemies. Because some miracles only happen in

the context of worship. Oh, oh, come, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. That's worship folk, that's worship. Let me close. I said, one for the father, one for the son. This for the Holy Ghost. Blessed. Three and one Luke 1710. Lepers come into the presence of Jesus Christ. Now wait a minute. You're supposed to stay away from people, and I think it's 40ft. And when you get close to people, you gotta let them know you're a leper. So you you'd

say unclean, unclean. But they got close to Jesus. Why, he let them in their space. In his space, when they came in his space. You know, I can imagine they're like, he doesn't do us like everybody else. He let us into his space. And then they didn't even have to say anything. They say, Lord, will you heal us? And he said, go show yourself to the priest. Now, what does that mean? Leviticus says, after you're healed. But what they do, they go before they're healed. Why? Because

we walk by faith and not by sight. So they have faith. And they. And Jesus said, do you believe even when you don't see it, that I'm able to be it and do it for you, but then walk like you already have what you don't have? And it says as they turn, they were healed. And you know the rest of the story. Only one came back and Jesus said, did I heal? Ten? Well, how come only this Samaritan came back? You're getting ready to get up on out of here and break camp. But I want

to ask you a question before you leave. Did you really worship God today? Did you pay your bill on time because it's due every first Sunday.

All over this country, there are over 100 countries where they cannot do what we're doing right now. Darfur, Sudan. Uh, Syria. Uh, in Aleppo and Iran. Iraq. Turkistan, uh, Kyrgyzstan, uh, North Korea, China, all over the world, Christians are dying just for carrying a Bible, just for saying it. And you can come in here and you can stay almost two hours and worship him without fear, without failure. Do you understand the privilege that you have? And I have to worship the

true and the living God. We ought to praise him because he's the bright and morning star. We ought to praise him because he's the lily of the valley. We ought to praise him because he's the fairest of 10,000 to our souls. We ought to pray because he wrote our name in his book. We ought to praise him because there's nobody else worthy of the glory of the honor of the praise all the time He richly deserves it. He rightly deserves it. He rightly deserves it. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Glory to your name.

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