Extravagant Worship: Part 3

December 17, 2017

In the final talk of our ANCHOR collection, Louie Giglio wants us to remember that Worship is our response to God because of Who He is and what He has done. We were all created to worship, and if we don’t choose to worship God, we will find ourselves worshipping something that, in the end, cannot fulfill our purpose here on Earth.

Key Takeaway

Through the Christmas story, we see that worship is not a Sunday thing; it's a living, breathing, everywhere, everyday thing for the glory of God.

As we close out this Anchor collection, we have been reminded of our major theological anchors as Passion City Church. The glory of God is where everything begins. We believe everything is about God and for God. We are anchored in the radical grace of God. We're not here earning something from God, we're here because God gave everything for us. Our response to that is extravagant worship to the glorious God whose radical grace has forgiven us and given us a brand new life in Him.

What is worship and why does it matter?

Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God - for who He is and what He has done. Expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.

We are the people of God, assembled in the Presence of God to declare the praises of God, to call each other up to lives that worship God, and then link arms and go into the world to be a light for God. Then we regather again in the worship in the house of God as the people of God.

We don't have to look around and see good in everything to worship God, we can rest in the fact that God is good. Circumstances don't determine our worship. The unshakable truth is that God sent His only Son to die for us and sent His Spirit to dwell in us. So we worship God for who He is and what He has done.

This is made known to others by what we do and say. Worship matters to you because it's what you were made to worship. You were made by God and for God. Your job is what you're good at, but you were created to worship.

Our worship matters because it's a witness to the world. The minute they see us, they are sizing us up. They are watching. They are deciding about the veracity and uniqueness of our God.

When what worship is and why it matters collide, it looks like the Christmas story. It looks like grace arriving in our story. When Jesus took His first breath on earth, it meant we were getting new life. We can go from death to life through Jesus. Worship is giving God's breath back.

One of the examples of worship in the Christmas story is that John the Baptist leaped in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary walked in with Jesus in hers. It's a resounding confirmation that life begins at conception. It's also one of the postures of worship. We leap.

As soon as Mary realized what happened to her, she sang a song. Her soul magnified the Lord. When Zechariah was finally able to speak after John was born, the first thing he did was sing a song. We sing.

The angels came with the announcement of the gospel and when they did, there was a loud, resounding anthem of praise. Heaven comes into worship. The result is that it's loud. Worship can be reverent and quiet, but it's not unusual to look in Scripture and find that worship is loud. We're loud.

The Shepherds moved toward Christ when they heard about Him. Worship isn't always sitting back and waiting for somebody to lead you. Before anything has started, we lean into Jesus. We move.

Beware of false motives. Herod said he wanted to go worship Jesus, but he had ulterior motives. Jesus said the worshipers He is looking for are those who worship in Spirit and in Truth. Every time we enter into worship, we are wise to check our motives. We search our hearts.

The Magi bowed down. They recognized Jesus as the King of Kings. There is a correlation between our grasp of grace and how long it's been since we've been on our knees. Bowing down is a natural posture when you're around Jesus. We bow.

They lavished gifts on Jesus. They brought gifts fit for a King. The Magi went all out. It was a sacrifice. This is the worship God loves, the sacrifice of praise. We sacrifice.

There is an attempt to silence the worship of Jesus. The Magi didn't return to Herod, so he took drastic measures by having every boy under a certain age killed to wipe out the King of the Jews. The enemy is in the equation trying to silence your worship. We don't stay quiet.

The Shepherds broadcast the story and returned continually praising God. As soon as they saw the baby, they knew they saw a miracle and told everyone about it. They didn't stay where they were, they went back to work, but as they went they were continually glorifying God. We never stop worshiping.

We see that worship is not a Sunday thing; it's a living, breathing, everywhere, everyday thing for the glory of God.

“

"I think there is a correlation between our grasp of grace and how long it's been since we've been on our knees."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

What is worship and why does it matter?
Our worship is a witness to the world. What are they trying to figure out as they continually watch us worship?
What did Louie mean when he said worship is giving God's breath back?
What does John's reaction in the womb of Elizabeth tell us about our innate ability to worship? How was his response a posture of worship?
What did both Mary and Zechariah immediately do in response to God's miracle in their lives? Have you ever had that response?
When Heaven enters in worship, how does it sound? Is there anything wrong with quiet or reverent worship? Why is it really quite ok to worship loudly?
Do you wait to have someone lead you in worship or do you come in already leaning into Jesus? How are the Shepherds an example to us?
Before worship, are you in the practice of searching your heart and checking your motives?
How is the enemy trying to silence your worship of God?
Do you bring a gift fit for a King when you come in worship? Is it a sacrifice for you?

Scripture References

18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

The Valley of Dry Bones

1The hand of the

Lord

was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the

Lord

and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign

Lord

, you alone know.”

4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the

Lord

! 5This is what the Sovereign

Lord

says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the

Lord

.’ ”

7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign

Lord

says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign

Lord

says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13Then you, my people, will know that I am the

Lord

, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the

Lord

have spoken, and I have done it, declares the

Lord

.’ ”

One Nation Under One King

15The word of the

Lord

came to me: 16“Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.

18“When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’ 19say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign

Lord

says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’ 20Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign

Lord

says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

24“ ‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28Then the nations will know that I the

Lord

make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’ ”

11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

46And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

50His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

53He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

54He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

55to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.