How do we participate with the Spirit to become like the Son?

How do we participate with the Spirit to become like the Son? RHYTHMS! spiritual disciplines, holy habits participating, not performing // training, not trying

RHYTHMS Engage: - Prayer - Word - Worship - Confession - Service Unplug: - Fasting - Simplicity - Solitude - Silence - Sabbath

WORSHIP

When I was little we used to play church. We d get the chairs into rows, fight over who d be preacher, vigorously lead the hymn singing, and generally have a great carnal time. The aggressive kids naturally wanted to be up front, directing or preaching. The quieter ones were content to sit and be entertained by the up-fronters. Occasionally we d get mesmerized by a true sensationalistic crowd-swayer like the girl who said

Boo! I m the Holy Ghost! but in general, if the up-fronters were pretty good, they could hold their audience for quite a while. If they weren t so good, eventually the kids would drift off to play something else like jump rope or jacks. Now that generation has grown up, but most of them haven t changed too much. Every Sunday they still play church. They line up in rows for the entertainment. If it s pretty good, their church may grow. If it s not too hot, eventually they ll drift off to play something else - Anne Ortlund -

We worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.

When I first began to draw near to the belief in God and even for some time after it had been given to me, I found a stumbling block in the demand so clamorously made by all religious people that we should praise God; still more in the suggestion that God Himself demanded it. We all despise the man who demands continued assurance of his own virtue, intelligence or delightfulness; we despise still more the crowd of people round every dictator, every millionaire, every celebrity, who gratify that demand. Thus a picture, at once ludicrous and horrible, both of God and of His worshipers, threatened to appear in my mind. The Psalms were especially troublesome in this way Praise the Lord, O Praise the Lord with me, Praise Him

...It was hideously like saying, What I most want to be told that I am good and great And mere quantity of praise seemed to count; Seven times a day do I praise Thee (Psalm 119:164). It was extremely distressing. It made one think what one least wanted to think. Gratitude to God, reverence to Him, obedience to Him, I thought I could understand; not this perpetual eulogy; nor were matters mended by a modern author who talked of God s right to be praised. I did not see that it is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to men Even in Judaism the essence of the sacrifice was not really that men gave bulls and goats to God, but that by their so doing God gave Himself to men. - C.S. Lewis -

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus.

The Presence of God is the concentration of the soul s attention on God, remembering that He is always present. - Brother Lawrence -

Worship doesn't occur in a vacuum, nor is it stimulated by artificial gimmickry. If you have to be in a church building or hear a certain kind of mood music to worship, what you're doing isn't worship. You should be able to worship God on the freeway during rush hour. But to do so, your heart must be right

...You see, when we come together in the assembly of the saints to worship God, if it isn't an extension of a worshiping life, true worship won't occur. That is why Hebrew 13:15-16 tells us to assemble collectively to Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But we don't forget to do good and to share as a way of life, or we'll never generate any worship on Sunday. Worship must be a way of life! - John Macarthur -

So I ve got to tell you that if you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him on one day a week. There is no such thing known in heaven as Sunday worship (or Saturday) unless it is accompanied by Monday worship and Tuesday worship and so on We come into God s house and say, The Lord is in His holy temple, let us all kneel before Him. Very nice. I think it s nice to start a service that way once in a while

But when any of you men enter your office Monday morning at 9 o clock, if you can t walk into that office and say, The Lord is in my office, let all the world be silent before Him, then you are not worshiping the Lord on Sunday. If you can t worship Him on Monday you didn t worship Him on Sunday. If you don t worship Him on Saturday you are not in very good shape to worship Him on Sunday." - A.W. Tozer -

Shachah to prostrate oneself, bow down, fall down, or stoop. Meaning of the word worship? Abad to be enslaved, to serve. Latreuo to revere, adore, to serve, pay homage, give honor. Proskuneo to kiss, to bow down, to adore.

Worship is more life than event. Worship is a lifestyle.

PRAYER WITNESS CHRIST FELLOWSHIP Balanced Christian Life THE WORD

a progressive work of God that sets apart or Sanctification separates us unto God in position (passive) and condition (active) from that which is unholy (whether people or things).

- Positional Sanctification // set apart from the world and unto God - Experiential Sanctification // set apart by Three Aspects of Sanctification a) yieldedness to God b) victory over sin c) growth in christian maturity - Ultimate Sanctification // set apart by glorification

Characterized by Four Sacrifices of a Believer Priest (I Peter 2:5; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16) Four Sacrifices of a Believer Priest 1 Peter 2:5 NIV you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Characterized by Four Sacrifices of a Believer Priest (I Peter 2:5; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16) Four Sacrifices of a Believer Priest Romans 12:1 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your true and proper worship.

Characterized by Four Sacrifices of a Believer Priest (I Peter 2:5; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16) Experiential Aspect of Sanctification Hebrews 13:15 16 NIV Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

1. BODY Romans 12:1 (offer your body as a living sacrifice) 2. PRAISE Hebrews 13:15 (sacrifice of praise) a. Personal (private) b. Collective or corporate (shared) 3. SERVICE Hebrew 13:16 (do not forget to do good) 4. STEWARDSHIP Hebrews 13:16 (share with others)

As Christians, we must be set apart by the depth of our worship.

John 4:23-24 (NIV) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 T H E S S A L O N I A N S 5 : 2 3-2 4 E S V