Listen, how many of you understand that worship is not a spectator sport? It's a participatory sport that all of us ought to be engaged in worship.
You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us today. As we continue our look at Psalm 65 and a message called The Privilege of Worship. And pastor, I want to drill down just for a moment on the title of this message, The Privilege of Worship. Because I think sometimes we might hear that, well, this is an obligation that we're supposed
to do, and it is in a sense. But, boy, help us get to the mindset that this is a privilege for us to do.
Well, the best thing that I could say about that, Steve, is this If I had an invitation to a place where I felt that there was somebody that was a superior person in terms of their standing and their state, it would really, really be a privilege to be invited to come to that place. Now we as believers have been invited by the awesome Almighty God to come into his presence. Look, why in the world would someone as awesome as God want to have someone as depraved as
I am to be in his presence? And then listen. Listen to the Scripture. Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may find grace and mercy to help us in time of need. Now that's in the book of Hebrews. It was written to Jewish Christians. They must have gasped because they knew the picture was about the Holy of Holies, where only the High priest could go in once a year on Yom Kippur. October 10th, 1111. It's the month of Tishrei. On the Jewish calendar. And
it's like what? We can go in every day at any time of day or night. Into what?
And going boldly. Not with a rope tied around your ankle.
Right. Or bells? Yeah. On. On the tassels of your high priestly robe. And it's like, why don't we understand? And you know, I tell you what brings it in context. Look at the persecuted church. And I have to hide and go in the woods and have house churches where they can't let anyone know where many of them are being martyred just for saying the name of Jesus Christ. I guarantee you, if they had what we have here in America. Oh, wow.
Yeah.
It'd be a blessing to them.
Tool absolutely would. Well, this is a message entitled The Privilege of Worship. And we're going to be in Psalm 65 today. So if you can grab a Bible and join us there. Here is Pastor Ford.
I've done chapel for about 18 or 19 of the professional football teams in our country. Every time I go, it's the only place I go where as big as I am, I feel like Pee-Wee Herman. I look at these athletes and I mean them. Some big corn fed boys, them offensive linemen and and, uh, I was with the Minnesota Vikings. I met the sinner. And, uh, he stood up and he just towered over me. How you doing? I said, I'm doing fine. Gotta try to equal him
some kind of way. And sometimes when I'm with these teams, I'm not going to. I'm not going to kid you. I feel as out of place as a £500 man at a Jenny Craig reunion. And so normally what they'll do is, uh, it depends on what team. Some teams are real nice. Uh, so, like, when I first did the bears, I was in the owner's box. General. And man, that was that was nice. All the food that was in there, and it was all free. Shoot you. You know,
I love that. And they'll give you two tickets. Some teams give you money and tickets and, uh, you know, I always like to do those teams. Uh, uh, so, so, uh, sometimes, uh, and they told me, they said, you know, I'm on a, a list. I said, well, I appreciate that because I asked them, when these teams come to town, why do they call me? And he said, you're on our A list. And I said, well, you have a A list. Yeah, you're on our A list. And I said, man, that's great.
And so I made the A list. And what happens quite often is like when, uh, Coach Davis was the coach of the Cleveland Browns. He would fly me around the country to do chapels, and green Bay asked me to come up and do a Sunday night chapel, and they give me tickets to Monday Night Football game. That was in green Bay. And I thought, oh, wow. And I have a friend that I wanted to kind of
say thank you to. So I said, look, I'm going to do the chapel, green Bay, and if you'll come, uh, they usually give me two tickets and they're usually pretty nice. If no, nowhere else. We're on a 50 yard line. Uh, you know, I'll get us a hotel room for the night. Not together. Separate, and we can go to Monday Night Football. He said, man, that's nice. So we we get up there, we we have chapel, meet some of the players and all that kind of stuff. And then we head to
the hotel. We get to the hotel and I say, my name is Pastor James Ford Junior, have a reservation. And he said, oh yes, yes. Good to see Mr. Ford. And, uh, can I have your credit card and your license? And so I get my credit card and license. And he goes and does what they do with the credit card. He came back and he said, uh, I'm sorry, sir, but your card was declined. Now I wonder to myself, why does it always sound like he said, I'm sorry, sir,
your card was declined. Yeah. And I said, oh, oh, oh, I don't know what's going on. So I gave him a second card. Brother green and he went and he came back and he said the same thing, sir. I'm sorry your card was declined. And so, you know, I only had one more. And I'm thinking, oh, man. So I'm looking at my friend and he's light skinned. So he was turning red for me and and so I gave my last card and I knew this card would go through. Same reason, you know, your card is going
to go through sometimes. Why? Because I just made the payment on that card. And so I said I just made the payment on this card. This one will go through. He didn't say anything when he came back. He just said, uh uh uh uh, and and so now, you know, I'm totally embarrassed. What are we going to do all of a sudden? My friend throws a black card up on the counter. Now, I had never seen a black card. Uh, I didn't know what a black card was, but I knew it had to be something, uh, because the person
that was waiting on us started smiling, and he said, oh, okay. Uh, yes. And so got us two rooms and, you know, so afterward, I said, now, I never seen a black car that's a black. He said, oh, yeah, that's that's a black car. That's what it's called, a black car. I said, okay, well, you know, I don't get it. He said, well, you have $1 million line of credit. I said, I gotta get me one of those. He said, well, in order to get one, you got to spend $1 million. I said, oh, okay.
Let's see. I looked at what the wife spins. It took me, what, maybe 4 or 5 years to get it up to a million. He said, no, you got to spend a million at one time. I said, oh, well, it's a good idea. And so there were some things I needed. And and he just said, look, look, he said, I got $1 million line of credit. Just go and help yourself. Whatever you need, get it. I needed the shirt, some other things and order dinner to the room. And so, you know, he told me, yeah, go ahead. And I
intended to pay him back. So I, you know, I just went on and got a few things. And when I tried to pay him back, he said, he said to me, no, you can't pay me back. And I said, no, I need to pay you back. He said, no, you can't pay me back. See, you already paid me. I already pay you. You said thank you. That was payment enough, right? Well, you don't have to try to twist my arm to convince me, you know? And but I thought about it. I said, man, that's amazing. Here's somebody. Now I'm supposed
to take them out. And all of a sudden now my credit card doesn't make it. And then I begin to think about it. I said, you know what some of us need to learn from what I went through? Uh, because all he expected for such a magnitude of generosity was an attitude of gratitude. Amen. He can't expect anything else. All he wanted me to do was say thank you. I couldn't pay him back and definitely couldn't match the limit on the credit card. Yeah, uh, but all it
was was a thank you. That's it. Come here. See? See? You want a reservation in heaven and you put down your personal righteousness credit card and it came back. Declined. Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. It's declined. You tried your works righteousness credit card, and, uh, you said my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds, and it came back. Declined. You put down your baptism credit card, and it came back declined. And so you put down your. My daddy was a deacon. My mama was on the
mother's board. My relative knows Christ credit card, and it was declined. So you threw all your humanistic, self-righteous credit cards, and they all were declined because none of them would be able to get you a reservation in heaven. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Then Jesus stepped up, and he didn't put down a black card. He put down a red car. Yeah, that's what he put down. He put down a red card. You see a black card? It covers you. Uh, but
a red card, it covers la de da de. And everybody John 316 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth. See, a black card has $1 million ceiling. Uh, but a red card. Ephesians one three. You're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Yeah, I got a red card. See, the black card covers your purchases. Uh, but the red card purchases you and covers you. And so. Jesus. Uh, he did it with his red card. Jesus paid it all.
All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed me white as snow. Maybe that's why, uh, the writer said that I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood. I know it was the blood for me. One day when I was lost, he died upon the cross. I know it was the blood for me. And listen, Jesus said, you can't pay me back. You can't pay me back. I tell you what. All I want you to do is praise me. Amen. That's all I want you to do is give me some praise. All I want you to do is thank me.
All I want you to do is lift me up. All I want you to do is magnify my name. All I ask you to do is shout to the Lord. All I ask you to do is to be grateful that your name is written in my blood, in my book, and you are going to live for all eternity. And it covers you in the past, the present, and the future. That's something that shout about.
You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford. A message called The Privilege of Worship. And as you've been listening to this teaching on Psalm 65, I hope that it's been encouraging you in your walk with Christ. If so, we'd love to hear about that. You can always drop us a note through our website, Treasure tree.org, or through social media like Facebook or Twitter. We recently heard from a listener named Carol who writes, thank you, Pastor Ford, for how much of the word of God you shared
and expounded on today. You targeted my heart, made me cry, made me rejoice. May our loving Savior bless you. Well, thanks Carol for giving us some feedback and you can do so again through our website, npr.org. Click on the contact link or through social media. But right now, let's get back to the message. Here is Pastor Ford.
Now I'm ready to quit. Amen. But I can't I gotta give you a little something. And so last week we saw in Psalm 65 he says, listen, you need to know that you have the privilege of worship. Why should a person take worship as a privilege? Number one, what we saw verse one last week because you come into his presence. Now see, that doesn't mean a whole lot to us. But what we looked at, we come into his presence and. And what does that mean? I
am actually hooked up with the person of God. I am in the place of God for the praise of God. Now let's move on. Notice what he says. The second reason why we ought to see worship as a privilege. Verse two. Not only do you come into his presence, but you call on him in prayer. Notice what it says in verse two O thou that heareth prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Now, now get this verse one. What has to do with hollowed out Verse one. What
would you see? Verse one. Last week. Who's here? Praise. What's he talking about now? Prayer. Here. The first thing I want you to see is the connection between verse one and verse two. You say what connection? Okay, here it is. We praise him so we can pray to him. I submit to you that verse one and verse two in this Psalm is connected because he wants us to understand.
If you don't have a verse, one, you don't need a verse two that if you don't have a verse, one, you don't get a verse two that that you need to understand that what God wants from us is praise, and what God gives to us is provision. That if we don't have praise, we don't need to pray. Okay, you don't believe what I'm saying? In other words, his worship is connected to your wants. You go ahead and
do it yourself. I'm not going to run the role, but look at how many people were in the context of worship, seeing God minister to their wants and minister to their needs. That while we're in the midst of the presence of God, God is going and touching people and moving and ministering by His Spirit. In other words, when I make him my priority, he makes my provision his priority. In other words, when I give God what
he wants, God gives me what I want. You know, I just finished the book, but remember when we studied a new look at an old prayer in Matthew 16, the disciples prayer? Let me let me show you what I mean. Here's what the here's what the the the Bible says. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. Notice what he says then it says, give us this day our daily bread and all the rest of em. Let me. Let me see if I can get you to understand it.
Hallowed be thy name. That's God's person. Thy kingdom come. That's God's program. Thy will be done. That's God's plan. And so God says, listen, I want you to have my person program and plan as your priority. And when you do, here's what you get. Give us this day. Forgive us our debts. Lead us not. So. God says, when you when you have my person, program and plan as a priority, then I have your provision pardon and protection as my priority. And that's the way the whole
prayer is set up. And you see it here in this Psalm, because sometimes we get the cart before the horse. In other words, why should God answer our prayer when we don't adore him? Hmm. Let me just say this. The problem in America is not with the sinners. Sinners sin because that's what sinners do. Why are we surprised? Some just do it better than others. That's it. No, no, no. But the problem is not with sinners. Let me say
it again. What I've been saying the whole time. The answer is not going to come from the white House. The answer is not going to come from the state House. The answer is not going to come from the courthouse.
It's only going to come from the church house. And so the problem in America is right in this room, because the Bible says Second Chronicles 714 if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. No matter who's sitting in the Oval Office, God will still be sitting on the throne. Yeah.
That's right. That's right. So it really doesn't matter. Here's another one that you probably won't like. And whoever's sitting in the Oval Office, God is the one who orchestrated it. And he orchestrated it for his purposes. Yeah, because Daniel chapter two says he's the one who sets up one king and pulls down another. And I'll tell you something else. Romans 13 tells us that we are obligated to obey the government. You know, it's like it's like, do you know,
eternal lives matter? Yeah, yeah. Do you know that? Yeah. And so what what's happening? It is, it is we are to understand that worshiping God is a privilege. We can call on him in prayer. And the psalmist says worship is a privilege because I get to call on God in prayer. So let me go back to the oh, let me go back to the oh, look at the text. O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come. Now, last week, anybody want to stand up and tell us
what O means? Exclamation point! Excitement, enthusiasm. So he says in verse one, praise Waiteth for thee. I can't wait to praise God. Hey, listen, how many of you understand that worship is not a spectator sport? It's a participatory sport that all of us ought to be engaged in worship. So here he says, oh, I'm excited about you, God, I'm waiting to praise you. Uh, but listen, he's as excited about prayer as he is about praise right over your head. Say, what are you talking about? That's what
I see. He says we ought to be worshiping God for the privilege of being able to worship him, because we can come to him in prayer, and we are to be consistent. Now, some of you, uh, are not, uh, see, think about this. Uh, some of you like some of the songs that we sing, but not all the songs. Some of you like some of the verses about Jesus, but not all of them. Some of you like some of the sermons that I preach, but not all of them, because right now some of you are saying, I'll be
glad when this is over. Uh, he go on back to relationship or something, you know, it's like, okay, I, I get it, I get it, I get it. Some of you going to lose your enthusiasm at offering time. Here's what he's saying. We ought to seek for a consistent life that that that we are to love prayer as much as we love praise. I'm just excited about prayer as I am about praise. I know some of you are not excited about prayer. How do you know that?
Because you never come. You never come to prayer. I pray at home, but the Bible says we should pray together as a corporate church.
You know, worship is a privilege. And hopefully this message from Pastor Ford is helping you see that with fresh eyes. You're listening to Treasure Truth, and you can find us online when you come to treasure Truth Radio. You know, as we're talking about prayer and worship, it's only natural to ask, how did these important aspects of our faith fit into your marriage? You know, it's so easy to make faith personal, and we don't know then how to
invite our spouse in. But God designed marriage to be a partnership at the deepest level, a relationship founded upon God's own love and commitment to each of us. In the book Seven Reasons Why God Created Marriage, Pastor Ford takes an in-depth look at the biblical foundation of marriage, a look that will help you have a God honoring relationship with your husband or wife. You can request a copy of this book When you give a gift of
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I'm Steve Hiller. Our producer is Amy Rios. Join us again next time as we go deeper in the study on the privilege of worship with Pastor Ford. That's here on Treasure Truth. A production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.