Today we are concluding our conversation about complete worship. If you have missed any piece of the discussion you can go back to

https://josephelonlillie.com/2015/03/17/pastor-wrinkles-complete-worship-pt-4/

and work your way back through the links.

Today we leave off the public and private expression of worship in order to discuss the worshipper’s heart. In order for worship to be complete…

The act of publicly worshipping and privately worshipping must come out of a singular heart towards God. Lifting our hands, singing, shouting and dancing are indeed all forms of worship but if they are not done out of heart of worship to God they are nothing more than dead religion.

Matt Redman wrote these words about the danger of worship devoid of “the heart”,

When the music fades

 All is stripped away

 And I simply come

 Longin’ just to bring

 Something that’s of worth

 That will bless your heart

 I’ll bring You more than a song

 For a song in itself

 Is not what You have required

 You search much deeper within

 Through the ways things appear

 You’re looking into my heart

 I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship

 And it’s all about You

 It’s all about You, Jesus

 I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it

 When it’s all about You

 It’s all about You, Jesus

 Matt Redman – Heart Of Worship Lyrics | MetroLyrics

At the beginning of our time together I said “The Bible teaches us that the nature of worship is two-fold but that the heart of worship is singular.”

 I want us all to capture the heart of worship. That is a heart that has eyes only for Jesus. It is a heart that let’s go of every other care for the job, for the family, or for the bank account. It is the heart that knows Jesus will take care of all those things if we just make Him a priority. The heart of worship is the heart that believes Jesus when He says,

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? 

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Ma. 6:25-34

Maybe you have lost your ability to worship God because you have begun to worry about your life, your family, your provision, your health. Maybe your worry about those things has dampened your ability to worship privately or together with other Christians. Please all me to call you back to the heart of worship this morning. Allow me to ask you, with Jesus, to seek first the kingdom of God, to focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Doing that involves three steps:

 FIRST:  Admit the thing that is taking your focus away from Jesus.

SECOND:  Repent and decide that you are going to focus on Jesus and not that thing.

THIRD:  Practice focusing on and worshipping Jesus with the song below. Make some noise. Let Jesus consume your attention for the entire song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MEYWmUYD5E&t=10