October 11-12, 1997 Sermon

October 11-12, 1997

Mike Slaughter

Life From The Big Picture Perspective
You know, it is hard to maintain a big picture perspective. It’s hard to see life from God’s point of view. It seems like we’re always getting sucked in by the daily tyranny of the urgent. If you knew that you were going to die in three months, that you had less than three months to live, how would your "to do" list change? It would change to focus on the important, not the urgent. That is why worship is the single most important act in the human life. You see, it is about focus. It’s about seeing things from God’s perspective. When I see God, I understand me. The Bible says that life is a spirited dance; it says that in I Thessalonians.
Isn’t that a neat expression? Life is a spirited dance, and guess who is playing the music? God is playing the music! But somehow during the week, I get out of step. Am I talking to the right folks? It is easy during the week to miss God’s music and get out of step. Worship is about getting in the rhythm of God’s music. It’s about focusing and getting into harmony with Dad.

Psalm 122:1-2
1: I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."
2: Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

Psalm 122 is about worship. Psalm 122 is out of what is called the Song of Ascent. It’s the song that the Jewish people sang three times each year as they traveled to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built on a mountain. They would travel to Jerusalem to worship and as they were ascending up the mountain they would sing this song, this Song of Ascent. They would have sung it this past weekend which was Yom Kippur, the High Holy days for the Jewish people. This would be a song that they would sing during that celebration.

I. The Want To
Verse one says, "I was glad when they said unto me." Why were they glad? They were glad because worship is the single most important act of human existence and they were getting to participate. "I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord! Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem." Now notice that they are talking about the people of God worshipping because they want to. "I was glad when they said unto me..."

Anticipation
Anticipation. This is a song of anticipation. We can’t wait until we get there! On a holiday when you knew you were going to have a great meal did you experience anticipation? You can say about your mother’s cooking...I can almost taste it now.Last month my family called and said, "We are going to take you and Carolyn for your 25th anniversary to a special restaurant in Cincinnati. We know you love steak and we’re going to take you to The Precinct because they are known for their steaks. They take meat and age it for five weeks." I love steak so that sounded good! My sister was describing the way they make this steak and how I have never tasted steak as good as I was going to have at The Precinct. So for over a week after I found out about this, I anticipated going and having this steak. On the day when we were going to go, I arranged my whole day around it. I didn’t do lunch that day. No, this bill’s not on me so I’m saving myself! I’m going to do dessert, I’m going to do the whole deal, you know what I mean?
Anticipation!!! I thought about the inconvenience. It was going to be inconvenient driving down I-75 during the rush hour and going through downtown Cincinnati. We would get back late on a work night and I would be tired the next day, but the inconvenience was worth the investment. "I was glad when they said unto me." You see, anticipation. The people of God worship because we want to. You know, this worship experience is the highlight of my week.
We, the Worship Team, do this five times. The band you saw up here, does this five times. How many songs did we sing tonight? Six songs tonight, that’s five times six is what, 30? We’ll do it 30 times. Can you believe that? Sometimes you all say that we didn’t sing enough, we only did three songs. That’s 15 songs for us. THAT’S WORSHIP! We’ll go home at 9 o’clock tonight, we’ll be back here at 7:30 tomorrow morning, and we’ll go home at 1 o’clock tomorrow afternoon. It is the highlight of our week. My whole week kind of ascends up to this; it doesn’t get any better than this. We do it because we want to. I know some of you were concerned when we added another service on Saturday night. You said, "Well, how is Mike going to do this? How is he holding up presenting five services?" I do it, Church, because I want to. Notice I said, "I WANT TO." I didn’t say I always feel like it.

Not Because I "Feel" Like It
Did you know ‘want to’ and ‘feel like it’ are not the same? It doesn’t matter that I don’t always feel like it because feelings can be great liars. You see, the people of God act out of ‘want to.’ We act out of strategic focus. We do it because of decisions we’ve made. We don’t do it by feelings. Animals act because of feelings. I love what it says here in verse 2: "Our feet are standing within your gate." You’re here tonight because you made a decision. Some of you didn’t feel like being here but you’re living out of a strategic focus. Did you know that there were some people tonight that wanted to be here but they are not here? Guess why? They are living out of their feelings. Come 4:30 this afternoon they went, "Well, Honey, I’m kind of...I feel tired tonight."
Animals live out of their feelings. Look at your dog. Your dog follows its nose and look where it puts it’s nose! You don’t want to go there! I mean, a dog just kind of does what ever it feels like. Carolyn loves our dog, Toby. I think she believes he will go to heaven with us. I tell her, "Look at Toby lying over there on the couch licking himself! That’s as close to heaven as he’s ever going to get!"
You see, my brothers and sisters, I don’t live what I feel, I live what I decide. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord." I do it because I want to. I live out of a strategic focus. It’s about character.
I’ve got a great definition for character. Look at this definition for character, I love it: The ability to carry out choices I have made long after the mood in which I made them is over.
Carolyn and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary. You see, it’s not about living out of my feelings, it’s about living out of a strategic focus, out of decisions that I have made. Sometimes people come to me and you know we find out all kind of things. You know, this is a church of sinners, believe me. This is not a museum for saints! This week I was talking to someone in the church who is addicted to crack cocaine and someone else had got it for soliciting a prostitute.
We’re a lot of hurting people and so someone said to me this week, ‘Mike, are you ever tempted to not do God’s thing?’ And I said, ‘Well, yes, sometimes I’m tempted not do God’s thing but, what in hell do I want?’ You see, hell has nothing to offer me, my brothers and sisters. I’ve been there, done that. It’s not worth it. Can’t nobody do me like Jesus, Church. Hell has nothing to offer me.

II. The Why (Wholeness)
Why worship? We worship because it’s in the act of worship that we discover the rhythm, the flow of wholeness. Now I love this verse, are you looking with me?

Peace
Psalm 122:6-7
6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure.
7: May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."

Look at verse 6 and 7 with me if you have your Bible open. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (this is what we do in the house of the Lord). Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you, peace be within your walls and security within your towers." Now this biblical word ‘peace’ is an incredible word. It means a whole lot more than the English word ‘peace.’

Bound Firmly Together
Psalm 122:3
3: Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

Here’s what it means. Peace means experiencing all the aspects of wholeness that result from God’s wellbeing completed in us. All of the aspects of wholeness that result from aligning ourselves with God’s will. Now look at verse 3 with me. Are you with me? Jerusalem represents the people of God in the center of God’s presence...the people of God in the center of God’s presence. Jerusalem (the people who are in the center of God’s presence) is built like a city that is bound firmly together. Now what does that mean?
When we worship God all of the pieces are there. Do you know a person that is kind of an integrated person--a person you look at and say, "Man, that person is together." Right? They really have it put together. All the pieces are there. You see, it’s in worship that I find the working structure for my life. Now you are a vertebrate. Know what a vertebrate is? It means you have a bone structure. If you weren’t you would just kind of be a blob. Well, your bone structure enables you to stand up. It is this structure upon which your body is built.
Worship is the structure for the soul. You see, it is in worship that all the pieces are there. Worship enables me to be a "put-together" husband. You know, I do a lot of things less than right but I am a pretty put-together husband. Do you know why? Worship. "I was glad when they said let’s go to the house of the Lord" because it’s in worship that I find the structure for my soul. I’m a pretty put-together dad. Why? Because it is in worship that I find the working structure for my life. It’s in worship.
Last week I sent the manuscript of my book to Nashville. The publishers had to have the final manuscript this week. So Debra said, "I’ll work Monday." Debra normally works on Saturday and Sunday, and Monday is her day off. We were in the act of worship last week and I turned to Debra and I said, "Debra, even if my book is late, you can’t work Monday because you can’t violate the Sabbath principal." You see, it’s in worship that I become a "put-together" boss. Because worship, my brothers and sisters, is the structure, the working structure for our soul.
You know, worship is not a by-yourself kind of proposition. Sometimes people think, "I don’t need to worship, I can just stay home." Do you know your health affects my health? And my health affects your health. If I had skipped worship last week I’d say, "Debra, you have to work Monday to get my book in." Look at what verse 9 says.

Psalm 122:9
9: For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

It says, "For the sake of the household of God I will seek your good." You see, that’s why worship is so important. It makes me healthy, which makes you healthy. And, your worship is so important because it makes you healthy, which enables me to be healthy.

III. The What
What is worship? Two important dimensions.

Praise
Psalm 122:4
4: That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.

First of all, it is praise. Look at verse 4: "To Jerusalem, to the house of God, the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel to give praise or thanks to the name of the Lord." Well, what is praise? It is the affirmation of my primary relationship, I mean this is number one. Lord God, you are my Creator. It doesn’t matter what you think, if you think I look kooky. I know I look kooky, but notice the glimmer in my eye. It’s Jesus. So it doesn’t matter what you think. It only matters what my Creator thinks. It is the affirmation of my primary relationship. God created me. God redeemed me.
You know, some of you look at me and you notice the wrinkles and warts, but you should have seen me before Jesus got hold of me. It’s amazing what God has done. It’s amazing what God is doing. You see, in praise is the recognition of God’s provision. All of the good gifts, guess where they come from? The hand of God.
My hand has not made this goodness. Praise really gives you a proper perspective on who you are. I’m just kind of getting used what to it means to be a big church. It was just announced in California that Ginghamsburg is one of the 25 fastest growing churches in North America. That’s out of over 400,000 churches. I was out there in March. I was invited with 20 pastors to consult on a Spielberg movie that’s going to come out next November called Moses, Prince of the Nile. So I was there, kind of mesmerized, sitting with five pastors one night in this big hotel. We were sitting up having cookies and Coke and talking to each other. They looked over at me and said, "Do you have an agent yet?" I said, "An agent? Why do I need an agent?" They said, "Well, an agent kind of watches out for you. They’ll promote you and represent you."
Promote me? I mean, isn’t that kind of like the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem looking around going, "WOW...wait until I tell mom... all these people are applauding me!" I mean, it wasn’t about promoting the donkey. They weren’t cheering the donkey. You know, it’s in the act of praise that we really get perspective on our own importance. Just a bunch of jackasses in the service of the Lord, right? Praise!

Prayer
Psalm 122:5
9: There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

Here’s the second dimension of worship. Prayer. Now look with me at verse 5: "For there the thrones of judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David." Well, what are thrones of judgment? It’s not God’s condemnation. That’s not a throne of judgment. Here’s what a throne of judgment is: the decisions and directions of God. That’s what comes from the thrones of judgment - decisions and directions of God, not condemnation. Jesus lived strategically. Amazingly, he was only 33 years old, approximately, when he died for you and me. Yet he was able to say to God, "I finished what you sent me to do, now what?" He lived strategically. This is what he said: "I only do what I see my Father doing."
You see, it is in worship, through the act of prayer, that we really ask God this question: Where do I want my life to go? It’s very important when we come together in worship that we listen. I don’t care who is standing up here. If it is a 19-year-old college student, Erica; me; or Steve Sjogren who was here this summer. God has touched these people to say something to us and we’re to listen. Be still and know that I am God. It’s not about the "donkey" who does the speaking. Be still and know that I’m God. We’re asking God the question, "What do you want me to do with my life?" And then I’m asking myself, "Are my activities strategic to that end?" Every week that’s what I do when I come back. I realign my activities to God’s strategic purpose.
Now all of us should have two lists. A "to do" list and a "don’t do" list. Last December was the last time I sat down with my "to do" list. The older I get, my "don’t do’ list is longer than my "to do" list. If I’m going to accomplish God’s strategic purpose, then what does that mean I’m going to eliminate? You must have a "don’t do" list! And be very specific. I can no longer do weddings. How can I preach all weekend long and do weddings? I’d never have a day or an evening off. I became very strategic about my "don’t do" list. Be still and listen. We have prayer to discern the decisions and directions of God for our lives.

Psalm 122:8
8: For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you."

Now, the second part of prayer and worship is for others. See that in verse 8? "For the sake of my relatives and friends, I will say peace (all the wholeness that comes by aligning ourselves with God’s purpose), may peace be within you." Outside of worship during my week I can become very self-centered about my things, my needs, my wants. But in the course and activity of our worship experience together that center moves from me to others. It is no longer about what I need or I want or my preference or my desires. It’s about other people experiencing the wholeness of God.
Like today in prayer time. Folks, there is major famine in North Korea. We’d better be ready to respond to what that need is going to be as the winter comes upon us. My thought goes from me and mine to others. Do you know what’s amazing? God in a supernatural way works as you pray, works in the lives of others as you pray for others. Don’t stay at home. Someone might miss God’s miracle. My prayer is for the lives of others. When I discovered Jesus Christ’s amazing love and I quit running, I told my grandfather because I knew my grandfather would understand. My grandfather had told me how Jesus had changed his life. I said, "Granddaddy, I finally know what you are talking about. I’ve encountered Jesus and I’m going into ministry." You know what he said? "I prayed for you every day for 18 years."
Now my mom and dad use to argue with me, fight with me, get so frustrated that they would disown me periodically. But my grandfather, instead of fighting with me, just took me fishing and carried me to God in his prayers. See the difference? We argue with each other, beat each other up, judge each other. Well, when I told my parents that I was going into ministry, they went, "Oh no! We wanted you to make something of your life. Ministers never amount to anything. Just go to church and look at ours." I was an embarrassment, you know. When people asked them what I did I could tell they were embarrassed to say that I was studying to be a minister. My pastor allowed me to preach in church. He said, "Mike, come up here and preach." So the church let me do it for a summer when the pastor was on vacation. I was preaching and told people the only thing I knew--"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." I preached four weeks on "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." That’s the only message I had. Then I’d invite people to come up to the altar and respond to Jesus’ love and I’d go down and kneel there. One week, two weeks, three weeks, I got up there and shared the only thing I knew with the people and knelt down at the altar to pray.
Here was my prayer: "Lord, I’ve given my life to you, I’m going to be a minister. I don’t know why because no one will ever respond." I’d never seen a minister where I grew up that anybody did anything but sleep through, so I thought I was giving my life to a career where I put a lot of people to sleep. I said, "But Lord, here’s my only request." I said, "Would you allow my parents to discover your love through a relationship with Jesus Christ?" As I was kneeling there and praying this, I looked down the altar and guess who was kneeling down at the other end of the altar? My parents, who opened themselves to the unconditional love of God and Jesus Christ.
You know, after that day, they never once tried to discourage me. Now they just keep saying, "Are you being faithful? Are you being faithful? You know, there are a lot of temptations. Are you being faithful? Remember what God’s called you to do."
You know why you never want to act on your feelings and stay away from worship? Because someone else might miss God’s miracle because of it. You know what I’m going to ask us to do? I want us to pray here for a minute and then we’re going to stand up and worship the Lord. If someone needs to pray and come up here and talk to God, then do what you need to do. Let’s just open ourselves to the Spirit of God right now. Just listen to God’s love letter. Get into a position where you are receptive to the Spirit.
Jesus said, "Where two or more of you are gathered in my name, there I am right in the middle of you." What have you heard God say tonight? And what is your response? I just want to be where you are--dwelling daily in your presence.
If we tend to live our lives from our own very limited perspective, we’ll end up with equally small lives. Don’t settle for anything less than a view of the big picture, every single day. It’s a celebration!
Amen.