Welcome to God's house where we have gathered to worship Him.  St. Paul said, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Friends, that's worship!  If I just stopped right here and had us memorize those words, you'd know more about worship than when you came.

          Worship is the first and greatest purpose of the church.  Some say service is more important, or education, or evangelism, but I believe it's worship.  When God's people gather to recall His love and then praise Him for it, that's basic worship.  And it's the most important thing people can do.  We gather and "...let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God."  That's real worship, but it's not the only kind.  We worship Him other ways too.

          God has given us everything.  Do you agree?  Then let's live like it!  There's nothing we have God hasn't given us.  Worship means giving God His due, His worth in our lives.  "Worship" is a form of the old English word, "worth-ship," telling God He's worth everything to us.  If He's given us everything, then we owe Him everything.  Or at least we owe Him our thanks and praise.

          People today have become so fixated on our own worlds that most Americans, even the Christian ones, think what they have is all theirs, because they earned it.  But the thinking person knows what we have didn't just fall from the sky.  It didn't come to us because we're so smart.  Someone is behind the doings of this world.  Some call it luck and others say it's all a result of human effort.  If you read the comments of Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, you know he thinks it's certainly not religion.  To him it's all human cleverness, though he doesn't display much of that himself.

          What we have is all from God, and so we praise and worship Him for it, and we sing our "hymns and psalms and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God."  In a broader sense, worship is all the Christian does in life out of gratitude to God.  The Orthodox Jew believes all of life is worship, and since the Old Testament commands a man's head be covered during worship, Jewish men wear yarmulke, a head covering that they rarely take off.  It's a reminder that life is worship.  Too bad Christians don't have something like that to remind us the same.

          When you worship God, you have to be ready.  Psalm 24 says, "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?  Who may stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart..."  Worship means we're ready for God and acknowledge His presence.  I believe we should take time to get ready for worship before coming.

          A man came to a midweek church service at 6:15.  The service didn't start until 7:00, but he just sat there and drank in the silence.  He later said, "My life is so filled with talk and noise all day I just need to be quiet and alone with God."

          That man's doing his worship.  And so is the young woman raising her hands in praise to God, singing a chorus for the fourth time.  And so is the middle aged man singing the fifth verse to a favorite hymn.  And so is the small boy singing, "Jesus Loves Me," terribly off key.  Worship is giving God his due, His worth.

          I believe we need to be ready for God by doing a little housecleaning.  With all the lovely fall weather I was recently tempted to do a little fall house cleaning.  Now understand I don't normally do this, and that Carol is a fine and wonderful housekeeper, but there is one closet I usually clean twice a year, and Carol is happy to let me do it.  It's the linen closet.  It's not that it's so junky, it's just that other things start creeping in there, mostly shopping bags from the store.  And after awhile there's so many they start jumping out at you, rather like Fibber McGee's closet.  And if you aren't sure about Fibber McGee's closet, ask someone over 50.  They'll know.

          God wants us to clean house so we're ready to worship Him.  Look at the earlier verses in this third chapter of Colossians:  "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self...  [But] clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

          Aren't those great words from God?  If you want to worship Him, clean house a little!  Get rid of the junk!  Have a yard sale -- but don't then go around and get more junk from the neighbors' yard sales!  Clean house in repentance to God, and your worship will mean so much more.

          We're studying "Reconciliation" in our Thursday Bible Class - it's a great topic mostly because it is so practical.  So long as we live with resentment or grudges, our life is miserable, out of joint.

          I'm having a Divorce Recovery Workshop this month and it reminds me of a few years back when I spoke with a young man whose wife had divorced him in 1994.  I encouraged him to come to my Divorce Recovery Workshop.  "Oh I don't need that, I'm fine," he said.  "Are you sure?" I asked.  "I'm over it fine, years ago."  I told him we'd spend time on learning to forgive.  The young man snapped, "She doesn't deserve to be forgiven!"  That young man had some junk in the way.

          Jesus had to deal with a lot of junk thrown at Him.  Think of it -- He was the Son of God on earth and people rejected Him.  He who wanted to make people friends of God was abandoned by His friends.  He who brought gifts to weddings was accused of being a drunkard.  He who spoke kindly to the sick and outcasts was condemned for His kindness.  He did nothing wrong, yet He was tortured and executed.  He who taught God's love and faithfulness was hated by representatives of His church.

          Even on the cross, as He forgave His captors, people mocked and ridiculed Him.  Even His own Father abandoned Him -- but all for a purpose.  The Bible says, "He was wounded for transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,... and with His stripes we are healed."  The wonder of Jesus Christ is not that He did these things, but that He did them all for you and me.  And not just for you and me only, but for all people of the world, even the most unfortunate, poor miserable ones.

          So how can we clean house and get ready for worship?  Only with the help of the Spirit.  People often ask, "How can I stop being so angry?  How can I forgive that person?  How can I stop that bad habit?  How can my wife and I strengthen our marriage?  How can I be a better parent?  How can I stop mouthing off to my Mom and Dad?  How can I stop my filthy talk?  How can I get rid of this bitterness?"

          Only with the help of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the forgotten power of God.  He is so underworked and neglected.  His primary purpose is to turn our hearts to Jesus, but He'll also help clean up our act if we ask Him.  Give your life completely to Jesus, and watch what happens!  The Spirit will make all things new.

          Jesus gave His life for all, even the most unfortunate, poor miserable ones.  There is a place in New York City called Covenant House.  It's one of the many, yet too few, places where they will take in anyone who comes for help.  Near an old bridge, a Covenant House worker met a young man, perhaps 15 years old.  "My name is Eric," he said, "Do you know where my Dad is? -- he's coming back to get me."  Eric was one of those unfortunate ones, homeless ones, mentally handicapped ones, and he was very cold and very dirty.  "What's your last name, Eric?"  "Just Eric, that's all."  "Where do you live, Eric?"  "I don't know, in a house, but my Dad's coming back to get me.  Have you seen my Dad?"  "Where do you sleep, Eric?"  "In my pipe.  It gets cold in my pipe.  I wish I had my blanket so I wouldn't get so cold."  And walking back under the bridge, behind some large weeds, he showed the worker a large cement drain pipe where he slept.  "But my Dad's coming to get me soon, isn't he?  I've been waiting for him a long time."

          Eric had been abandoned by his father.  A lot of people are abandoning children these days -- in varied ways.  Eric was taken to the shelter and cleaned up, and he never slept another night in that cold pipe.  And later when he was adopted, they gave him a bed and blanket and his own room.

          If anyone had a closet full of junk, it was Eric.  But all he wanted was someone to love him.  God loves us in Jesus.  He takes us in, cleans us up and gives us heaven.  So we worship Him, thank and praise Him, serve and obey Him.  Praise God for Jesus!

          Let's Pray:  Dear Father, You left Your Son Jesus on the cross to die.  That scares us.  Maybe You will abandon us!  But we know You have said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."  And we know You keep Your word!  Thank You for loving us enough to hold us close.  Help us worship You in everything we do.  Hear us for Jesus' sake.  Amen!

Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.