Connecting With God

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 ¶ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:1-8 (NIV)

1. Literally, billions of people are gathering this morning to worship. (All kinds)

a. They are divided into two kinds of people: Those who connect with God and those who don’t.

b. Most of them desire to be in the first group or they wouldn’t be gathered.

2. I only remotely fit into that group the day I had a saving encounter with God.

3. I sure didn’t understand what true worship was.

4. It is odd how different people respond to the same church service. (Mt. 13)

True Worship that Connects With God has several Characteristics

1- True Worship Will Always Sense the Presence of God

1- Worship is always based on the worthiness of God to be worshipped. (Who He is!)

2- God is majestic, Supreme, Holy and Glorious.

3- God is both: Transcendent (Different from man) and Immanent (Available to man).

4- We need a greater sense of being on Holy Ground. (Brings hope & destroys fear)

1. We trivialize the holy, “Man upstairs”, “the Big Guy”, “Higher Power”

2. “What’s up with that?”

3. God is a big “snack machine”, put in the right amount and get what you want, or kick it and complain.

2- True Worship Will Always Change the Worshipper (For Better)

1- A real encounter with God cannot leave you unaffected or unchanged.

2- Only in the presence of Gods holiness can you see who you really are.

3- Only in the presence of God can you get real help. (Isaiah)

4- True worship is an end in itself, but it never ends in itself!

5- If you leave church unchanged you are did not truly worship.

3- True Worship Will Create a Desire to Serve

1- If we have an experience with God we might desire to bask in it, but God says, “GO”!

2- Any real Worship experience will change our worldly focus.

1. Our hearts must become like Gods heart. PEOPLE (Jn. 3:16)2. Can’t love God and not love you brother!! (1 John)

3- Worship that doesn’t lead to usefulness in the Kingdom is just a “flash in the pan”. (Mt. 13)

4- Worship is a lifestyle! (B. Grahams wife’s sink, “Worship service conducted three times a day”.)

1. A marriage covenant that doesn’t lead to practical life is worthless.

The movement of Worship is always reciprocal. (Revelation and then Response.)

Visualize: There are people around you connecting with God. How about you?Action: Don’t ask, what CAN I do”, but what WILL I do?”

We have been Encountered and Enabled now we must be Evangelistic!

1851 River Bluff Rd. N. Jacksonville, FL 32211

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