Sermon Archives
The Discipleship Pathway: Life of Worship
Romans 12:1-2Discipleship Pathway
J. Josh Smith
January 24, 2016
Description:
Growing in Christ-likeness begins with a life of worship. We typically think of worship as what we do on Sundays when we sing together, but the biblical definition of worship is much broader than this. At its core, worship is a response to revelation. Worship is a life that is yielded to God in response to seeing God. As God reveals truths about His character, His work, or even truths about you, worship is responding to that revelation with your entire being. So, worship is not merely something you do on Sundays, as if God’s great desire is to get you to do stuff for Him; worship flows out of whom you are. Worship is a life you live whereby Christ is center of every aspect of your life—mind, emotions, and will—because you have seen Him clearly. A life of worship is the fuel for discipleship.
Take time this week to consider how this definition of worship should change the way you approach your personal time with God, your family worship, and corporate worship. The goal is not to check the box off your Bible reading plan or to finish your family devotional by bedtime. The goal of Sundays is not merely to sing songs and listen to a sermon so that we can say that we did church. The goal in all of this is to encounter the presence of God—to see and hear from Him—and then to respond with your entire self. These personal, family, and corporate encounters with God are then meant to propel you into a life of communion with God where you hear from Him and give Him first place in every area of life. You can read your Bible, do family devotionals, sing songs on Sunday, and hear great sermons and never actually engage in worship. Don’t let this be the case for you. Make sure you are living a life of worship. It is the fuel of discipleship, without which you cannot grow into the image of Jesus Christ.
Keywords:
Discipleship, Relationship, Worship