Acceptable Worship to God | Josh Kelly | Wave Church

The first objective is this, and before I say it, I want to remind you that I want to reach each word because I picked each word carefully with the one I'm out to address, and I believe that it is reflecting the heart of our King Jesus. I believe it reflects the heart of the shepherd of this house, Pastor Steve. I'm not the shepherd of this house, I'm like a mini shepherd of the house. Not just because I'm short. I don't know if you knew this, but we have an election coming up, and as Christians, as the church, our heads are not in the sand. We have a responsibility as ambassadors of King Jesus to pray for our leaders, to live lives worthy of the calling that we have received, and to vote according to biblical truths. May it remind us, church may remind us today, the church has not moved its position politics has. Politics has become theological. The church's position has not changed, politics has. I had some friends last year tell me something in regards to politics and faith, an opinion that I disagreed with. The first lesson in this disagreement is that we're still friends. Some of us have forgotten how to keep relationship within disagreement, and this is what they said that I disagree with, that the statement was made, the opinion was made, that Christians should not vote with their biblical convictions. I have two problems with that. My first problem is you cannot back that biblically. I'll give you one scripture the Bible says, "In everything you do, do it for the glory of God, in everything you do." It does not say, the Bible does not say, "In everything you do, accept voting." May it remind us the whole point of separation of church and state was not to keep the church out of the government, it was to keep the government out of the church. That's what we believe. My second problem with this opinion is everyone else is voting with whatever their convictions

are. So as a believer, what do I vote with then? I'm not just voting based on a political party, I'm voting as a servant of Christ. Culture, a political party, a politician is not my true north, scripture is. Jesus is the way, the truth, the life. So if I leave my biblical conviction behind, I leave behind truth and righteousness. The Bible also says, "Church, there is a way that seems right to a man, but leads to death." You know what I've found? Because everyone thinks they're right. Some of us are so arrogant, even when proven wrong, and I've been here, even when proven wrong with truth, fact, and evidence, and pride we refuse to move to truth. Church hear me, we've all been wrong. Turn to your neighbor, especially if it's your spouse, and say, "I'm sorry I was wrong." You're welcome for healing this morning. Church hear me. With any election, there are some things that we vote on that are not clear in scripture. Therefore, we must use discernment, wisdom, and prayer. God gave you a fascinating brain, and I want to encourage us to use it, and I want to encourage us as believers to not forget, don't forget to allow scripture to wash over your brain. So are you suggesting that we are brainwashed, yes, we are either brainwashed by culture or brainwashed by the truth of the word of God. And while some policies are not biblically obvious, there are those that are. There are policies we don't need discernment, we don't need wisdom or prayer because God has already given it to us in his scripture. There are policies that our nation, that our state votes for, that seem right to man, that actually lead to death, and the enemy loves to masquerade as light, especially in the arena of politics. In case you're unaware early voting has already commenced, September 18th, election day is November 3rd. Church. We will always agree.

Church, I encourage you, we encourage, as a church family, take the time to learn about everything that will be on your ballot. There's elections for the U.S. Senate House of Representatives, various school boards. I would suggest that school boards have never been more important in our city council, as well. There are three state constitutional amendments at play, as Christians, as a pastor, I have a responsibility to be informed and weigh the candidates, the issues, and the amendments in light of Scripture and our biblical convictions. I've heard it said, Pastor, I'm just going to pray, I don't need to vote. Well, praying without voting is like tithing with no budget. I'm just believing that God's going to bless me, but if you tithe but spend more than you earn, if you tithe with no budget, you limit God's blessing. Can I get any amen? When it comes to voting, we must pray, but Scripture, God doesn't call us to pray without action. He calls us to pray and to act in faith. So Church, I encourage us to vote by faith. I say all this to make us aware of two amendments we cannot be ignorant of as believers. There is an amendment on November 3 that is asking Virginians to enshrine the right to abortion into our Constitution. Let me bring clarity as a follower of Jesus. This is biblically clear for me to vote no. Here be Church. This amendment seeks the right to kill a child of the womb. May it remind us abortion is already legal in our state. 39,000 abortions took place last year in Virginia. So what are we voting for then? We are voting for abortion to be potentially elevated to a sacred right alongside free speech and religious liberty. And this amendment intentionally excludes any concept of parental notification or consent for young teenagers. Culture wants to debate how to regulate abortion, but our state is asking us to evaluate and celebrate abortion in the highest document of the state. Genesis 1, every human being is created in the image of God. Biblically Church, this is not my opinion. This is clear. Child sacrifice has taken place throughout all of history. God condemns it as people sacrifice their children to Molech and that demonic idol is still very much alive today. This phrase, my body, my choice, it opposes the gospel and our Savior. Your body is a temple created in the image of God. Hear me friend, hear me. Our Savior Jesus says, this is my body broken for you.

This is my body that I sacrifice for you. If the church does not speak, act, and voice righteousness, who will? I will not allow culture to celebrate and desensitize kingdom culture and truth. There is a second amendment with the same objective to enshrine the right to same-sex marriage in our Constitution. As a church, biblically, this is clear. God's plan, God's design, marriage is His creation and it is between a man and a woman. Now, hear me. Hear me church. While it is already legal in our state, again, this will not change the law, but it seeks to lift same-sex marriage as a moral right with no exclusion for religious liberty. I say the third amendment on purpose has to do with felon voting rights. I will not speak to this as the Bible is not clear on this issue. Could I get it, Abed? So, I encourage this church, use your brain, use prayer, use wisdom. And this is very important what I say next. If you are here today and you've had an abortion, If you were here today and you wrestle with same-sex attraction, hear me! I will not allow culture to cause me to shy away from God's design and God's truth I will not shy away from telling you with boldness that Jesus loves you. Jesus died for every sin, every sinner, all of whom I am one. Nobody is out of the reach of the blood of Jesus that washes me clean. I think it's important to state how thankful I am for the men and women who serve our nation in the military and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us to experience the freedoms we possess to vote. If Christians do not stand up and vote make no mistake. We risk those freedoms to be lost especially as believers. Hear me. I'll preach whether it's legal or not but I prefer it to be legal. Regardless of election outcomes my hope is in no politician. My hope is in the Lord. I follow His ways regardless. I'll build the church in freedom and I'll build the church in persecution. I've said it before and I'll say it again there is no perfect politician. There is no perfect party. If we wanted perfect there's only one man who is perfect and his name is Jesus and he's seated on the throne and he is the king of all kings. For as these are not opinions we don't need my opinions. We need the truth of the word of God. His righteousness. Can I get a name in? My second objective today is to continue in our series on worship. Turning neighbors say are you doing okay? Turn the other neighbor that you just ignored say I'm doing okay. Turn back to the other neighbor and say okay good. If you're taking notes the subtitle of this message today in worship is this do your job.

Hebrews 12 we're going to read Hebrews 12 Hebrews 13 and then we're going to read in the book of Psalms Hebrews gives us some insight into worship the Bible says this. Therefore let us be grateful. Anybody grateful? Why are we grateful? Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Can I remind you today if you are a believer or follower of Jesus you are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The gates of hell cannot will not shall not prevail against it. Our God has already won. Can I be shaken and thus let us offer to God. That's what we do. When we worship we offer to God. Look at the Bible says acceptable worship. That tells me there is such thing as unacceptable worship. What is acceptable worship the Bible tells us let us therefore offer to God. Acceptable worship with reverence and all. For our God is a consuming fire. There's something happens when we go beyond casual worship and we begin to worship in spirit and in truth we begin to offer God worship and all in reverence of who He is. We begin to experience His spirit. We begin to experience His presence. We begin to experience His consuming fire. I don't come to church to have a nice service. I come to church to experience His consuming fire. Can I get an amen? That changes me. Our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 13 says this through Jesus. This statement is so important and everything we do is through Jesus. Therefore let us continually this is what we do is the church. We continually offer to God a service. and worship when it costs them. To offer God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips, this is our job, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. This is the fruit of the lips of a believer. This is the fruit of the lips of the church that we openly profess His name. This is the church, the fruit of my lips is not negativity, it is to openly and boldly profess His name. As a believer, the fruit of my lips is not gossip, the fruit of my lips is to openly profess His name. As a believer, the fruit of my lips is not tearing people down on Facebook, the fruit of my lips is openly professing the name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus. Worship is openly professing His name. We're going to read in Psalm 57, it's writer is King David.

May it remind us that there are 42 kings in the Old Testament, only one gets this description, King David, that he was a man after God's own heart. Wow, it reminds me that the Lord looks at the heart. He goes beyond the superficial and God looks into your heart. I don't believe we're living in a day and age and culture where God the Father, the Bible says is searching to and fro. He's looking for those whose hearts are set on him. He's looking for a people, he's looking for a church whose heart is after him. Can we be that church? David wrote half the book of Psalms, this hymnal book, this book of worship and praise. David is a brave man, he was a warrior. He loved the word of God. David defeated the greatest warrior in history at the age of 17. David was sold out to God, but you know what I think is important for us to remember? Because his great king was a man after God's own heart who was sold out for Jesus. The Bible shows us that David sinned greatly. I can be sold out for Jesus and still fall short. Can I get an amen? It is an encouraging reminder today. In Psalm 51 we see as David was called out for the great sins in his life, we see this moment of worship as David, his praying and worshiping that says God have mercy on me. Sometimes our praise and worship is repentance. And then in Psalm 57 we see David, it's important that we understand the context of this moment of worship. David isn't just in danger, David isn't deep distress, David is being hunted by Saul and his army, they are looking to kill David. David has had to run away, he's hiding in caves, David was called to be king, David is now in trouble, in fear and darkness. And this is what David says in Psalm 57. My heart is steadfast, oh God.

Think about this. In the middle of a dark cave. He's wondering, will he survive the night, will he survive the next day? Will the promises of God of being king happen? They don't look like they will. And David says in his despair, my heart is steadfast, oh God, he says it again, my heart is steadfast. David reminds himself how faithful God is and he matches his heart to the faithfulness of God. God, my heart is steadfast after you. And then David says in a dark cave, I will sing and make melody. When my life is in danger and it seems like I've lost everything, I don't particularly feel like singing and melody. And yet David shows me, oh the most important thing I can do is worship. And then David says in verse 8, awake, my glory, my glory, we're going to talk about this today, awake, oh harp and lyre, I will awake the dawn. David says in the middle of this dark cave, even though things don't look good, don't feel good, I'm going to start this day with praise. I'm going to start this new day that I know has new mercy with worship. Verse 9, he says, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to you among- every tongue will bow and sing and worship in the name of Jesus. Verse 10 for your steadfast love is great to the heavens. David is worshiping and reminding himself the love of God is far more than he could ever comprehend. God is with him. He says your faithfulness to the clouds. God's faithfulness, I can't reach. I can't begin to reach the magnitude of the faithfulness of God. Why don't we pray? Holy Spirit of God, we thank you for who you are. We thank you that you meet us here, God. We're here to meet with you. We hunger and thirst for your righteousness. We thank you that as your church family, you meet us here that you know every heart in this room, you look past the surface and you look into each heart,

each heart that you love, that you've died for, that you've forgiven. Holy Spirit, speak to us today. God, as I prayed this morning, this week helped me to preach your Word. I need your grace, your power, your authority, your anointing. God, I know that I cannot do this without you. And everybody said, amen. Thank you, sir. My first job was in concrete, not in church. I don't know if you've seen the Taco Bell at Town Center, but I poured that slab. And occasionally, I go through that drive through and order me a Crunchwrap Supreme that I immediately regret. And when I receive my Crunchwrap Supreme, I just look at them in the window. I say, you're welcome. I remember one day in particular working this job. It was actually working for Atlantic Foundation's an amazing company. The boss is amazing king of businessman. It's the hardest working man I've ever seen with my own two eyes. And I remember one day in particular I was working a job in the middle of the summer, and my job was to hammer stakes in the ground as we dug a footing in the ground before you could pour the concrete, before you could build a foundation, before you could build a house, you've got to dig a footing, you've got to hammer these stakes in the ground. And that's all that I could explain to you, because it didn't make sense to me. And I was asked to hammer the stakes, and I was doing good. I was keeping up. I needed to keep up so that we could keep moving and digging the footing. But there was one swing of the hammer. I was hammering these stakes into the ground. There was one swing of the hammer. I don't know how it happened, but I missed the stake. And somehow that hammer hit the center of my kneecap. And thankfully I was wearing sunglasses, because I did not want my concrete brothers to see me crying on the job. I remember I had to compose myself because it hurt. And my boss and his boss were trying to continue to dig the footing way to job to do. And they did not know because I did not tell them that I was crying and paying. And so they set out to me, Josh, what are you doing? Do your job. We can't dig this footing unless you first hammer the stake. Josh, you need to do your job. We can't build this foundation. We can't build this house unless you first do your job. And church, we have to be careful not to try and build our lives and build this church without first building its foundation. Could it be we have been trying to build churches without first hammering the stake? Could it be we have forgotten our primary function as the church that we have skipped the first step in God's instruction? And I believe God is calling his church today, wave church. It's time to do your job. This is first. The job I'm talking about is the first job. If we don't do this job,

nothing else really works the way it's supposed to. Could it be that we have forgotten our first and primary function of the church? If I were to ask you, what do you think is the first job of the church, you might respond and say, well, it's reaching the lost to which I would say that is an important job of the church, but it is not the first job of the church. You might say it's to help the poor and needy and widows and orphans, and I would say that is an important job of the church, but it is not the first job of the church. You might say it's making disciples and I would say that is an important job of the church, but it is not the first job of the church. What is the primary job of the church? Write this down if you're taking notes. It is to worship. Worship what? Worship God. That is the primary function of the church. May it remind us we all worship something. I love what Gabe Finochio says. He says I could by worshiping the world. What is worship? A definition I like by Old Testament scholar Daniel Block is this, it should be on the screen for you. Reverrential human acts of submission and homage before the divine sovereign in response to his gracious revelation of himself and it accorded with his will. What is worship? Jesus says at the woman of the world that we worship in spirit and truth. Something happens when I worship in spirit, the Holy Spirit within me and I experience the fire of God. Something happens when I worship in truth. The truth of who God is. When I understand his holiness and his righteousness, I worship God because in his grace, he has revealed his holiness to me. How amazing that God has revealed himself,

revealed his holiness, revealed his excellence to you and to me. So if I've really encountered the key of kings for who he is, there's only one response that we see throughout scripture. Wow. The Westminster Catechism reads, what is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is the glorified God and enjoy him forever. Why do we worship? Because he's worthy. Jesus is king and he loves you and he doesn't make us love him. He gives us the ability to choose to worship and love him back. Here's an important question. How do we worship? As a church, how do we worship? Yes, worship is a lifestyle. In fact, the weight of our worship in church is reflected in our life following Jesus. But more specifically, how do we worship in church? How do we worship? Thankfully, there is order. We see order in scripture. That's why there's not 47 flags down the front during worship or a show far off key. Thankfully, there's order. I'm not against flags, I'm not against a show far, but God can see your flag in the back

just as good as you can see it down here. Can I get any minute? I love that we have a worship team that uses their gifts and submits them into the house of God. It is within order. It sounds good, can I get any minute? What am I trying to say? God gives us instruction and he has a preference that he reveals in scripture. There is worship, God accepts, and there is worship, God does not accept. The writer and Hebrews instructs us. We read it earlier, let us offer to God acceptable worship. If you're taking notes, write this down. How do we worship in God's house? We worship in reverence in all. Many of us miss the power of worship because we have no reverence. We hold no all. We don't really know how great our God is. But when I've opened my heart and soul to God, I begin to see him. I begin to see his glory. I love this moment in scripture where Isaiah says in a moment of prayer and worship, he says, I see him. It's what happens when we worship, I see him. High and lifted up and his response was all in reverence. His response, all he could say, was holy, holy, holy.

I wonder today, church, have you seen him? Wow, God, you are holy. You are worthy of my praise and my worship that I can approach the throne of grace with confidence because you have forgiven me. I worship with all in reverence. Second way we worship in God's house is with our hands. With our hands. Psalm 141, we see hands being lifted all throughout scripture. I just wanna show you one in Psalm 141. Psalmist writes, let my prayer be counted as incense before you and the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice. [BLANK_AUDIO] Why have Christians lifted their hands since the beginning of time? Not only is it a physical human sign of surrender, but God prefers it. David reminds us how we worship. We lift our hands in surrender as a sacrifice before our Savior. David is speaking of an Old Testament sacrifice of a lamb that happened every morning and every evening unto God and David takes it a step further. He says, "God, I offer myself. I offer my hands. I offer my voice. I offer my worship as a sacrifice before you. The least that I can do is stretch my hands towards you. In charge, we can get funny. We take things out of context. We can get legalistic and we can wonder when I lift my hands, is there like a special weight that I'm supposed to lift my hands? Am I here? Am I here? Am I here? Friends, it's the posture of the heart that lifting our hands represents. I wonder today, does God have your hands? Does God have your hands? Some of us refuse to raise our hands in worship, but we have no problem lifting them when our team scores." I love the story of an ABC on our church years ago. I'm so thankful for our operators and our community. If you see what's in our church many years ago, I had a conversation with Pastor Steve. I love church. I love worship. I love God, but I'm struggling to lift my hands in worship. I don't know why. Pastor Steve said, "That's easy." So tell me. He said, "You are wired and you were trained to never surrender, to never lift your hands and surrender." But there is one king that you surrender to, that in fact, when you surrender, you find life. And I love the story and unlock something. He said, "I get it." That next Sunday in church that Navy still looked over Pastor Steve with both his hands lifted high in full surrender worship in King Jesus.

Church, when we worship, we lift our hands. God, you have my hands in worship. You have my hands in worship and you have my hands on Monday morning. God, you have my hands at work. You have my hands in my marriage. You have my hands as I lead my family. God, you have my hands as I run my business. God, you have my hands as I go to work. God, you have my hands as I vote. God, you have my hands as I walk into the house of God. I will lift them and worship you. If we have time, we're going to take a moment at the end of the service to worship. And some of us today, the spiritual breakthrough we need is simply humbling ourselves and lifting our hands. I teach my kids a lot of things. I teach them sports. I say I teach them a lot of things. I'm trying to think of other things. There's not many things I teach them. It's going to say I teach them to fix things, but I can't fix things. I teach them how to love Jesus. Teach them as for me in my house. We will serve the Lord. I teach them how to honor their mom. I teach them sometimes how to do their homework. But one thing I want to make sure I teach my kids is how to lift their hands in the house of God, how to praise, how to worship around them on the mountaintop, or I'm in the dark cave. Mom and dads, particularly dads. Are we teaching our kids how to worship? Number three, the band can come back on up. How do we worship? Write this down. We worship with our glory. Another way of saying this is we worship with our whole being. Psalm 57. We're going to read it again. David says, "Awake my glory, my harp and liar." Normally, church normally we are used to talking about God's glory. But here we see David refer to his own glory. The glory that God has given him. Did you know that God has put glory in you? What is David's glory? It's his ability and gift to play and make music. This word, it means weight to carry weight, to carry distinction and importance. Another way of saying it, it is my whole being. David is saying to God in worship,

I awaken the best part of me. Who I am to you and for you. I give you my very best. When I come into the house of God and it's time to praise and it's time to worship, God, I give you my very best. My whole being, I'm fully present. I give you my energy, my focus and my gift. You ever been in worship and you lift your hands and close your eyes and you catch yourself thinking about something you can't believe you're thinking about in worship? (audience laughing) Happened to me today, I'm in worship. I find myself thinking about the referee in Alabama game last night. (audience applauding) (soft piano music) Church is singing how many times I've found myself in worship, but I'm not really in worship. I'm here, but I'm not really here. I'm reminded of the scripture, Jesus says they honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. It's cheap praise, unacceptable worship. And David reminds us of a great truth. One of the greatest gifts we can give people is by being fully present. Giving our whole being, giving full attention and full focus to someone,

which if you have not noticed is rare these days. When you sit down on a date night with your wife or family, you put your phone down, hey, it's just you and me. You have my best attention, my best focus, my best energy. You have the best part of me. And David reminds us and shows us this aspect of worship is to be fully present, giving our energy and focus to God. I awaken my glory to you, God. God, I give you my very best, my whole being, my full attention and focus. God, I'm not just going to drift through the motions. God, it's just you and me. I put my phone down. I fixate my thoughts. I am here to worship you and you alone. In church, here it is, here it is. When we worship in reverence and when we lift our hands and when we give God our glory, we get God's glory in return. We get His presence. The Bible says we're two or more gathered in my name. There I am. The Bible says He inhabits the praises of His people. We get in return, the manifestation, the tangible presence of God. Sometimes we're in church, we wonder where is God. I wonder, are we really praising? I think we have gotten over familiar

with the power of His presence. I know what it is to worship casually. I know what it is to go through the motions and let my attention slumber before God and worship. And I know what it is to worship in all. I know what it is to lift my hands and give God my full attention and experience His glory and His splendor, the perfect presence of God that brings healing to my soul, strength to my weakness as I worship peace to my anxious mind, purpose to my life. There is nothing like the presence of our almighty God where God speaks to me in worship and I forget where I am. So lost to His presence. Came to remind us and declare, if you call Wave Church your home, we will not be a church that forgets our primary function. We will not be a church that just gets through the music part. We will not be a church that gives one rocket opportunity to cry out because we failed to praise our King. We are the church and we worship. We worship, we lift our hands, we lift our voice. and a matter of the sound system works, and a matter of the microphone turns off, and no matter if I'm off key, I worship. (inspirational music) We worship. And if anybody walks into this place and they don't know Jesus, the first thing they encounter is a humble people worshiping Jesus. And we get to experience his glory.

Some of us need to go back and learn how to worship again. We must return to our first job, our primary function. Our first function, as priests, not as consumers. Can I get an amen?