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Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus
Beyond The Song: A life of worship Part 3
Take your everyday, ordinary life, and place it before the Lord as an offering.
Today we are continuing in our 4-part teaching series called Beyond the Song: A life of worship.
Throughout this series, we want to be challenged to re-frame our thinking on worship. That we would not only think of worship as somewhere we go on Sunday mornings, or a certain song we sing, but that we would see all of our lives as an opportunity to worship the Lord.
Today we are going to focus in on the idea that worship is all about offering or giving our very Best to the Lord.
According to Romans 12, Worship is all about giving.
Giving your life, you might sing songs to him, you might give your time to serve at the church or in the community, you give your talents to help provide for others, you give of yourself, to comfort loved ones and support them.
John 12:1-3
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Mary’s worship through giving was motivated by love. This act of worship was an act of love and adoration for Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:3 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
We also see that Mary’s worship was intentional. Mary planned to worship. She planned to give her best. She gave careful and intentional consideration of how she would worship the Lord.
Mary worshipped without reservations.
She gave her best and she gave all of it.
Jesus doesn’t uphold Mary’s gift as an example for future generations. No, he upholds her example of worship for future generations.
To show future generations what true worship looks like. A life of worship is giving your best and giving all of yourself to the Lord.
That’s worship beyond the song, that’s a life of worship.
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Then this poor widow comes in, drops in two of the smallest known coins in the money system. And Jesus sees her.
He is moved by her worship. Not because she gave a lot, but she gave her best, she gave her all.
He turns round and says to his disciples- Boys, this right here is how it’s done. This is how you worship.
You might be here today and following along feeling like you are left out because you don’t have much money to give, or a nice car to donate, or whatever.
Look, it’s not about that. This is not even a message about our money, it’s about worship. You already have your best, and you are already giving it to something or someone.
What we are desiring to see today is that true worship, our true response in loving and serving Jesus is that HE gets our best.
Will you give the Lord your best?