Mar. 31 | Finding Joy in His Presence

Series | The Life of Prayer and Heart of Worship

Scripture | Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Lesson 31 | Finding Joy in His Presence

What are some of the things you like to do in your free time?  Some people like to read books, others like to have outdoor adventures, others like spending time with their close friends and family, some play or watch sports… why?  All of us are longing for joy and pleasure in this life.

Some people become addicted to harmful things like drugs, money, sex, power, and adrenaline because what they find in this world is never enough to satisfy their inner hunger for pleasure.  Still others become depressed and self- destructive because they see life as an endless cycle of pain and let downs not worth the energy it takes to find an ounce of joy because it seems to evaporate quicker than its found.

Have you ever noticed how easily we as humans become bored nowadays?  Children in the 50’s used to listen to the radio and play with cowboys and Indians and were fully engaged.  However, today’s teens because of technology have the ability to learn more about the world than all the past printed encyclopedias, have better game play then the flight simulators the astronauts practiced with for the moon landing, and more connections to more people instantly around the world, however, it never is enough- kids today still are bored… why?

The answer to the bored teenager is the same as the burned out businessman who has all the toys money can buy but is still empty… we were made to be satisfied only in God’s presence.  Someone once said we all have a God shaped hole in all of us that only God fill. 

David knew this reality in his time because he witnessed the fleeting of earthly pleasures.  He was a powerful king, a great warrior, and a handsome man- however, he wrote in the above passage that only God could give him the path to life, fill him with joy unending, and give him eternal pleasures.  And he said all those great things came from God’s presence.  David then discovered that the best way to encounter God’s presence was with praise and worship, hence his passion to write and sing songs to God.

In response to God’s greatness and man’s emptiness everyone needs to worship God.  When you worship God with the right motives and heart, He will reward you and bless you in ways this world cannot compare with it!  

Start today to find your joy and the fullness of pleasure in the presence of God!

Reflection | Are you passionate about the presence of God?   

Action | (1) Repent of any things that distract you from being in God’s presence. (2) Make time everyday to be in God’s presence through worship.  (3) Lastly, daily enjoy the presence of God.

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20, Luke 9:7-27, Psalm 72:1-20, & Proverbs 12:8-9. Click here to read online.

Mar. 30 | Worshipping in Heaven

Series | The Life of Prayer and Heart of Worship

Scripture | Revelation 4:10-11, “…the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Lesson 30 | Worshipping in Heaven

Take a few moments if you can to close your eyes and imagine the scene that John is depicting in the verses noted above…  John is describing what heaven looks like right now!  There are angels worshipping God along with the 24 elders and the saints of past and present.

They are all focused on the throne and giving praise and worship to God.  At some point John records that this will stop as Jesus comes to judge the earth and set up His eternal Kingdom in Jerusalem.  However, once the Kingdom is fully established upon the earth His throne will still be the center of praise and worship as the Holy Spirit flows like a mighty river from the midst of it, Revelation 21-22.

Therefore, from eternity past, now in the present, and eternity in the future to come everything around the throne is worshipping God.  Do you want to join with them now?  You can!  As we started this series with John 4 Jesus taught that God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth- these are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.  As a result, you don’t have to be on a quest looking for God or try to catch a comet to heaven.  Just stop whatever you are doing right now and start worshiping God as described in this series and God will come to you!

And one day when you take off the tent of your earthly body and put on the body of immortality you will forever worship God in His presence with pleasures forever more, Psalm 16:11.  Remember, everyone will eventually worship Jesus, some even damned to hell, however, the blessing of God’s eternal joy is only for those who willing do it now!

Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, join with all of heaven, and give Him the Glory His deserves!  Worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! 

Reflection | Do you want to join with heaven and worship God?   

Action | (1) Find your joy and pleasure in worshipping God. (2) Try to make time everyday worshipping God.  (3) Lastly, remember to think about heaven and one day being with God face to face forever more.

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalm 71:1-24 & Proverbs 12:5-7. Click here to read online.

Mar. 29 | Worshipping the Holy Spirit

Series | The Life of Prayer and Heart of Worship

Scripture | Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Lesson 29 | Worshipping the Holy Spirit

The Bible makes it very clear from beginning to end that the Holy Spirit is not just a force or a projection of the Father and Son, but rather is an individual person with a unique personality (Acts 5:3) and is in very nature divine, 2 Corinthians 3:17. 

David declared in Psalm 139:7-20 that the Holy Spirit has the divine attribute of being ever-present.  The Holy Sprit is attributed as being all-knowing by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11.  He is also seen as being all-powerful because He is the creative power behind such things as the creation of the universe (Gen. 1:2) and the virgin birth of Jesus, Luke 1:35. 

The writer of Hebrews declares Him to be eternal in Hebrews 9:14, which means He has no beginning or end.  Lastly, He is continually referred to in the beginning and ending of the epistles with the same status as the Father and the Son.  For example Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

David declares in Psalm 18:3 that the Lord (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit according to Matthew 28:19) is worthy of worship.  Therefore, since the Holy Spirit is considered to be our Lord and have the same divine attributes as the Father and the Son (all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful, eternal, etc.) He is also worthy of our worship.

Therefore, worship the Holy Spirit with the same kind of worship you would give the Father and Son but remember like with the Father, the Holy Spirit draws all people to glory in the person of Christ.  For Jesus said in John 16:14, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”  Thus, the best way to worship the Holy Spirit is to worship Jesus by His leading and guidance.

Reflection | Do you believe the Holy Spirit is a person, equal to the Father and Son?   

Action | (1) Repent of any false understandings of the Holy Spirit you may have had.  (2) Worship the Holy Spirit with the different kinds of praise.  (3) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself more to you each day.   

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32, Luke 8:22-39, Psalm 70:1-5, & Proverbs 12:4. Click here to read online.

Mar. 28 | Worshipping the Son

Series | The Life of Prayer and Heart of Worship

Scripture | Revelation 5:13, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Lesson 28 | Worshipping the Son

One of the main reasons the Jews wanted to crucify Jesus was because He made Himself equal to God, John 5:18.  However, John stated in his introduction to his gospel that Jesus wasn’t a man trying to become a god, but rather Jesus was God who became a man.  Jesus had eternally existed as the eternal Word- being in His very nature God and He came in the flesh so that He might save mankind by His willing sacrifice on the cross, John 1:1,14,18.

Therefore, when He walked the earth as a man, He being in the very nature God, still was worthy of worship and adoration.  People fell at His feet and declared Him their God (John 20:28), He performed deeds that only God could do- such as forgive men’s sins (Luke 5:23-24), and He called Himself by a title reserved only for God, “I am,” John 8:58. 

Paul said of Jesus that He is the “very image of God” (Col. 1:15), “possessing full deity” (Col. 1:19), and is our “great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).  However, Jesus is not only found receiving worship in the New Covenant, but also in the Old Covenant by such people as Abraham on the plains of Mamre in Genesis 18 by being identified as the “Lord,” by Daniel in Daniel 7:14 as the “Son of Man” receiving worship from every tribe and tongue, and even by Moses at the burning bush appearing as the “Angel (Messenger) of the Lord,” Exodus 3:2.  

Therefore, it is no surprise to read in the above passage after John sees the throne of God in heaven that the Lamb (Jesus) is also receiving the same worship and adoration as the Father. 

Make time each day to give Jesus worship and honor for who He is (God) and for all He has done (Savior).

Reflection | Do you worship Jesus as your God?   

Action | (1) Be certain that you have the right doctrines and beliefs concerning Jesus- He is not merely a man or a prophet- He is God in the flesh. (2) Worship Jesus with all the different kinds of praise. 

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22, Luke 8:4-21, Psalm 69:19-36, & Proverbs 12:2-3. Click here to read online.