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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - Up With Worship (Part 1)

May 7, 2025 | 27:29

Robert Jeffress - Up With Worship (Part 1)
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#BodyofChrist #Church #Honor #Prayer #SeekGod #Praise #Religion #Jesus #Music #Focus #Dr.RobertJeffress #RobertJeffress #GlorifyGod #Worship #Temple

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - Up With Worship (Part 1) | May 7, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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  • Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome
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  • Again to "pathway to victory."
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  • Tragically, fewer and fewer christians today see the church
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  • As an essential component of their spiritual lives.
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  • Church attendance has become an option rather than a necessity.
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  • Well, over the next few days.
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  • I'm going to show you four ways that the church helps you
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  • Experience the power of the holy spirit, and today we'll begin
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  • With priority number 1, worship.
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  • My message is titled, "up with worship!"
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  • On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • Announcer: god never intended for the holy spirit to be a
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  • Mystery to believers.
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  • In fact, if you're a follower of jesus, then god's spirit is
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  • Dwelling inside of you, and he's waiting to unleash his
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  • Supernatural power in your life.
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  • In his bestselling book, "i want more," dr. robert jeffress
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  • Teaches what it means to be filled with the power of the
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  • Holy spirit.
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  • Looking to satisfy your spiritual cravings?
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  • Request the book, "i want more," when you give a generous gift to
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  • "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: dorothy sayers has written that "in god's effort to
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  • Rescue humanity, he has willingly undergone three
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  • Great humiliations.
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  • The first humiliation was the incarnation when god willingly
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  • Gave up his rights as god and came in human form to earth.
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  • God's second great humiliation was the crucifixion, in which
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  • God willingly allowed his son, the lord jesus christ, to be
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  • Tortured and executed by his own creatures."
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  • But sayers says the greatest humiliation god willingly has
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  • Undergone is the church.
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  • The church in which god has entrusted his reputation to
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  • Sinful human beings like you and i.
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  • Yes, the church is the body of christ.
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  • The church is god's representative here on earth,
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  • But the church is also a channel, a conduit through which
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  • The holy spirit pours his power into your life.
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  • You will never experience the power of god without first of
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  • All being connected to the people of god, the church, and
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  • That's the truth we're going to see in today's passage.
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  • If you have your bibles, turn to acts chapter 2.
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  • Acts chapter 2.
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  • In our series on sunday mornings, "unleashed," we're
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  • Discovering how to experience the power of the holy spirit in
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  • Our everyday lives, and we've seen that there are really four
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  • Channels, four conduits, through which the holy spirit's power is
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  • Generated into our life.
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  • First of all, through the word of god, that is the bible.
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  • Secondly, through conversation with god, that is
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  • Through prayer.
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  • And today and next time we're going to look at that third
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  • Channel through which the spirit's power flows into your
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  • Life, and that is through the people of god, that is
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  • The church.
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  • Without a vital connection to a local church, you're kind of
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  • Like a severed limb from a body.
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  • If you were to take my hand and separate it from the rest of my
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  • Body, this hand would quickly atrophy.
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  • It would wither and then it would die, and it is the same
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  • Way with members of the body of christ.
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  • You cannot exist as a christian apart from the connection to a
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  • Local body of believers.
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  • I'm gonna say it again so nobody misunderstands.
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  • You will never experience the power of god in your life unless
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  • You are vitally connected to the people of god that is
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  • The church.
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  • Now i know that runs contrary to people's thinking today.
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  • In our day, in our culture, of rugged american individualism,
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  • We get this idea that we don't need other people.
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  • We've got everything we need.
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  • It's the holy spirit and me and that's all i need to have a
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  • Relationship with god.
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  • In fact, george gallup surveyed christians and he found that 70%
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  • Of christians today believe that it is possible to have a vital
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  • Growing relationship with god apart from any involvement in a
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  • Local church, but that is not what the word of god says.
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  • The word of god says that we need the body of christ.
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  • You see, a lot of people look at the church just like they do any
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  • Other human institution.
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  • In fact, one person said, "now i see the church as not much
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  • Different than the government.
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  • Both are overpowering, they just build buildings and take
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  • Our money.
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  • The buildings and the foreign mission programs are nice, but
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  • The church has become a power broker."
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  • And yet, in spite of its flaws and potential pitfalls, the
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  • Bible says god created the local church to carry out his purpose
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  • In the world, but he also created the church through which
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  • To pour his power into your life.
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  • How does god pour his power into our life through the church?
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  • Well, look at acts chapter 2.
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  • The setting in acts 2 is just days
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  • After christ's ascension back into heaven.
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  • And remember, as soon as that occurred, a few days later, god
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  • Sent his holy spirit to baptize every believer into the body of
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  • Christ, "for with one spirit we have all been baptized into one
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  • Body," and the result of the baptism with the holy spirit is
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  • Christians were not only joined together with the head of the
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  • Body, jesus christ, but we are also joined together with other
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  • Believers in the body.
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  • And it is through those other believers as well as the head,
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  • That god pours his life, his energy, into our life.
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  • I want you to notice the energy that was in this 1st
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  • Century church.
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  • Look at acts 2, beginning with verse 42.
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  • Talking about these christians, luke says, "and they were
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  • Continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to
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  • Fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
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  • And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many and
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  • Wonders and signs were taking place throughout the apostles.
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  • And all those who had believed were together and had all things
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  • In common."
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  • Now look at verse 46: "day by day continuing with one mind in
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  • The temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were
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  • Taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
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  • Praising god and having favor with all the people."
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  • The result, look at verse 47: "and the lord was adding to
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  • Their number day by day those who were being saved."
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  • Now, as i look at what the early church did, i find four
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  • Activities, four priorities that the early church had, through
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  • Which god poured his energy into the lives of other believers.
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  • And today and next time i want to share with you four
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  • Ingredients of a successful church, four priorities that
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  • Every church should have if the individual members want to
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  • Experience the power of the holy spirit of god.
  • 00:07:32.308 --> 00:07:35.945
  • What did that early church do?
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  • First of all, notice, they were focused on worship.
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  • Verse 47 says they were praising god and having favor with
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  • All men.
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  • Now what is worship?
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  • When we talk about worshiping god, what are we talking about?
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  • Today it's been popular in many churches to use worship as a
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  • Synonym for music.
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  • Some churches call their minister of music the minister
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  • Of worship, and it's very easy in our thinking to limit worship
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  • To music, you know, we talk about the worship portion of
  • 00:08:09.312 --> 00:08:13.149
  • The service.
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  • And we talk about the wonderful choir and orchestra.
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  • "didn't we have a great time of worship?"
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  • We have the great time of worship and then we separate
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  • That from the preaching, which may or may not have been so
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  • Wonderful, you know, and we separate that in our mind, but
  • 00:08:25.628 --> 00:08:29.398
  • The bible never makes that separation.
  • 00:08:29.398 --> 00:08:32.201
  • Music is an essential component of worship, but it's not the
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  • Only component of worship.
  • 00:08:36.572 --> 00:08:39.208
  • What does it really mean to worship god?
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  • Donald mccullough writes about an experience he and his wife
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  • Had when they went to hear the famed tenor, luciano pavarotti.
  • 00:08:45.715 --> 00:08:50.386
  • Listen what was their response to that concert.
  • 00:08:50.386 --> 00:08:53.789
  • Donald mccullough writes: "pavarotti held nothing back
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  • It seemed.
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  • Every single note was filled with boundless passion and
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  • Glorious beauty.
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  • We had to respond.
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  • We jumped to our feet and we clapped and hooted and whistled.
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  • We did not stop.
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  • We could not stop for a long time.
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  • Wave after wave of grateful applause was sent up to the
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  • Platform calling forth encore after encore.
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  • In the midst of this mayhem of gratitude when my hands were
  • 00:09:22.551 --> 00:09:26.422
  • Beginning to ache from all the pounding, i thought to myself,
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  • This is deeply satisfying, a profound joy.
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  • It felt right to offer praise in response to such excellence."
  • 00:09:34.830 --> 00:09:42.705
  • Now folks, that is what worship is.
  • 00:09:42.705 --> 00:09:46.042
  • Worship is expressing our praise, our admiration, to god,
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  • For who he is, and for all he has done in our life.
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  • Worship is expressing our admiration, our appreciation
  • 00:09:55.818 --> 00:10:00.690
  • To god.
  • 00:10:00.690 --> 00:10:02.024
  • Isn't that what the psalmist said in psalm 34, verse 3?
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  • We read it just a moment ago.
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  • The psalmist said, "oh, magnify the lord with me.
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  • Let us exalt his name together.
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  • Oh, magnify the lord with me."
  • 00:10:16.505 --> 00:10:20.443
  • What does it mean to magnify the lord?
  • 00:10:20.443 --> 00:10:23.679
  • Now you understand that word "magnify."
  • 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.315
  • If you take an object and you place it under a magnifying
  • 00:10:26.315 --> 00:10:30.352
  • Glass, what does that magnifying glass do to the object?
  • 00:10:30.352 --> 00:10:33.823
  • It enlarges it, it makes it larger, and the psalmist said,
  • 00:10:33.823 --> 00:10:38.394
  • "what worship is, it's coming together to magnify the lord, to
  • 00:10:38.394 --> 00:10:43.332
  • Make him larger."
  • 00:10:43.332 --> 00:10:44.834
  • You say, "no, wait just a moment, pastor.
  • 00:10:44.834 --> 00:10:47.169
  • When you magnify something, aren't you really
  • 00:10:47.169 --> 00:10:49.071
  • Distorting reality?
  • 00:10:49.071 --> 00:10:50.406
  • Aren't you making it appear different than it is?"
  • 00:10:50.406 --> 00:10:54.777
  • Well, you know, vision is really a matter of perspective when you
  • 00:10:54.777 --> 00:10:58.247
  • Think about it.
  • 00:10:58.247 --> 00:10:59.615
  • For example, you know, i can look up at the sun.
  • 00:10:59.615 --> 00:11:02.384
  • Not for very long if i want to keep my eyesight.
  • 00:11:02.384 --> 00:11:04.920
  • If i look up at the sun, i mean, it seems distant.
  • 00:11:04.920 --> 00:11:07.923
  • That sun is huge, but interestingly, as large as the
  • 00:11:07.923 --> 00:11:10.993
  • Sun is, i can take 2 nickels out of my pocket, put them in front
  • 00:11:10.993 --> 00:11:14.630
  • Of each eyeball, and i can completely block out the sun,
  • 00:11:14.630 --> 00:11:18.734
  • Even though the sun is billions of times larger than
  • 00:11:18.734 --> 00:11:21.570
  • Those nickels.
  • 00:11:21.570 --> 00:11:23.005
  • How is that possible?
  • 00:11:23.005 --> 00:11:24.406
  • How can something as small as a nickel block out something as
  • 00:11:24.406 --> 00:11:28.210
  • Large as the sun?
  • 00:11:28.210 --> 00:11:29.712
  • Well, it's very easy.
  • 00:11:29.712 --> 00:11:31.046
  • That nickel is what is up close.
  • 00:11:31.046 --> 00:11:33.082
  • It's what is in front of me.
  • 00:11:33.082 --> 00:11:35.117
  • Vision is a matter of perspective and it's the same
  • 00:11:35.117 --> 00:11:39.288
  • Way with god.
  • 00:11:39.288 --> 00:11:41.190
  • You see, the fact is every day you and i have our problems up
  • 00:11:41.190 --> 00:11:45.628
  • Close and personal to us.
  • 00:11:45.628 --> 00:11:47.263
  • Every day we're focusing on what?
  • 00:11:47.263 --> 00:11:49.431
  • Our jobs, problems we have with our families, maybe difficulties
  • 00:11:49.431 --> 00:11:53.402
  • In relationships, health problems.
  • 00:11:53.402 --> 00:11:55.704
  • Those are the nickels, so to speak, that block out god from
  • 00:11:55.704 --> 00:11:59.308
  • Our view, and we are focused on those problems.
  • 00:11:59.308 --> 00:12:02.711
  • The fact is they seem much larger than they really are
  • 00:12:02.711 --> 00:12:05.748
  • Because they're what we're dealing with every day.
  • 00:12:05.748 --> 00:12:08.150
  • And when you spend all of your time focusing on your problems,
  • 00:12:08.150 --> 00:12:11.353
  • You know what the result is?
  • 00:12:11.353 --> 00:12:12.755
  • Unnecessary stress, unrelieved anxiety.
  • 00:12:12.755 --> 00:12:17.092
  • There needs to be a time every week, the psalmist says, when we
  • 00:12:17.092 --> 00:12:20.996
  • Shift our focus.
  • 00:12:20.996 --> 00:12:22.565
  • Instead of looking at those up close and personal problems,
  • 00:12:22.565 --> 00:12:25.968
  • We need to look away from them and let god regain his proper
  • 00:12:25.968 --> 00:12:30.706
  • Perspective in our life.
  • 00:12:30.706 --> 00:12:32.441
  • See god for who he really is, and that what--that's what
  • 00:12:32.441 --> 00:12:36.212
  • Worship does for us.
  • 00:12:36.212 --> 00:12:37.580
  • When we worship god, we are focusing on god rather than
  • 00:12:37.580 --> 00:12:41.483
  • Our problems.
  • 00:12:41.483 --> 00:12:42.852
  • We're thinking about his bigness, his power, his wisdom,
  • 00:12:42.852 --> 00:12:46.522
  • His forgiveness, and here's the interesting phenomenon, the
  • 00:12:46.522 --> 00:12:50.125
  • Larger god is, the smaller our problems become.
  • 00:12:50.125 --> 00:12:54.263
  • And that's why worship is so vital.
  • 00:12:54.263 --> 00:12:57.132
  • It is a time for us to come and focus on the greatness of god.
  • 00:12:57.132 --> 00:13:02.538
  • What is genuine worship?
  • 00:13:02.538 --> 00:13:04.206
  • What does it mean to truly worship god?
  • 00:13:04.206 --> 00:13:07.376
  • Let me share with you three characteristics of
  • 00:13:07.376 --> 00:13:09.745
  • Genuine worship.
  • 00:13:09.745 --> 00:13:11.780
  • There's a lot of things in churches today that are passed
  • 00:13:11.780 --> 00:13:14.016
  • Off as worship that are not worship.
  • 00:13:14.016 --> 00:13:16.752
  • What does it mean to really worship god?
  • 00:13:16.752 --> 00:13:18.687
  • First of all, genuine worship centers on god, not on us.
  • 00:13:18.687 --> 00:13:23.859
  • Genuine worship centers on god, not on us.
  • 00:13:23.859 --> 00:13:27.329
  • Now there are a lot of benefits that accrue to us when we
  • 00:13:27.329 --> 00:13:30.866
  • Worship god.
  • 00:13:30.866 --> 00:13:32.334
  • An exhilaration of spirit, a regaining of our joy, a fresh
  • 00:13:32.334 --> 00:13:36.272
  • Perspective on our problems.
  • 00:13:36.272 --> 00:13:37.806
  • Those are all benefits of worship, but they are not the
  • 00:13:37.806 --> 00:13:41.610
  • Purpose of worship.
  • 00:13:41.610 --> 00:13:43.212
  • Remember, the purpose of genuine worship is to express to god how
  • 00:13:43.212 --> 00:13:48.150
  • Much we appreciate him, how indebted we are to him.
  • 00:13:48.150 --> 00:13:52.321
  • It's expressing to him our commitment to following him, and
  • 00:13:52.321 --> 00:13:55.824
  • That means every song, every message, every prayer that is
  • 00:13:55.824 --> 00:14:00.296
  • Uttered, should magnify god, not the person delivering them.
  • 00:14:00.296 --> 00:14:06.769
  • Genuine worship does not center on man, it always centers
  • 00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:11.807
  • On god.
  • 00:14:11.807 --> 00:14:14.043
  • You see, in prayer, the audience is not other human beings.
  • 00:14:14.043 --> 00:14:18.647
  • In genuine prayer, god is the audience.
  • 00:14:18.647 --> 00:14:22.318
  • When we pray out loud, we're not trying to show anybody
  • 00:14:22.318 --> 00:14:24.787
  • Else anything.
  • 00:14:24.787 --> 00:14:26.155
  • We're trying to express to god how great he is.
  • 00:14:26.155 --> 00:14:29.291
  • We're confessing our sins before him, we're asking for
  • 00:14:29.291 --> 00:14:32.394
  • His blessing.
  • 00:14:32.394 --> 00:14:33.929
  • And that's true of all of worship.
  • 00:14:33.929 --> 00:14:36.498
  • Worship is not for the benefit of other people.
  • 00:14:36.498 --> 00:14:39.668
  • All worship, true worship, is centered on god.
  • 00:14:39.668 --> 00:14:43.205
  • The psalmist said it this way: "ascribe to the lord the glory
  • 00:14:43.205 --> 00:14:46.442
  • Due his name; worship the lord in the splendor of
  • 00:14:46.442 --> 00:14:50.813
  • His holiness."
  • 00:14:50.813 --> 00:14:52.181
  • To worship god is to ascribe to him the glory that is truly
  • 00:14:52.181 --> 00:14:57.086
  • Due him.
  • 00:14:57.086 --> 00:14:58.454
  • Secondly, genuine worship is corporate, not only individual.
  • 00:14:58.454 --> 00:15:03.592
  • True worship is corporate, not only individual.
  • 00:15:03.592 --> 00:15:07.062
  • Sometimes people will say to me, "well, pastor, i don't need the
  • 00:15:07.062 --> 00:15:09.465
  • Church to worship god.
  • 00:15:09.465 --> 00:15:11.100
  • I can worship god in my car.
  • 00:15:11.100 --> 00:15:12.835
  • I can worship him on the golf course.
  • 00:15:12.835 --> 00:15:15.037
  • I can worship him while fishing in my boat.
  • 00:15:15.037 --> 00:15:17.439
  • I don't have to go to church to worship god," to which i say,
  • 00:15:17.439 --> 00:15:21.243
  • "i agree 100%."
  • 00:15:21.243 --> 00:15:23.712
  • You can worship god anywhere.
  • 00:15:23.712 --> 00:15:25.581
  • Fact is, if you're a christian, you're in-dwelt with the holy
  • 00:15:25.581 --> 00:15:28.117
  • Spirit of god.
  • 00:15:28.117 --> 00:15:29.485
  • That means you're your own private tabernacle, so to speak.
  • 00:15:29.485 --> 00:15:32.421
  • You can just move from place to place and place and wherever you
  • 00:15:32.421 --> 00:15:35.357
  • Are, you can talk to the lord, you can worship god.
  • 00:15:35.357 --> 00:15:39.161
  • But just because we worship god individually doesn't mean there
  • 00:15:39.161 --> 00:15:44.033
  • Isn't a time once a week when we need to come and worship
  • 00:15:44.033 --> 00:15:47.903
  • Him corporately.
  • 00:15:47.903 --> 00:15:49.505
  • It's like somebody said, we christians, we're like a
  • 00:15:49.505 --> 00:15:51.907
  • Little--a bunch of little lights scattered throughout the
  • 00:15:51.907 --> 00:15:54.643
  • Community, illuminating the gospel of jesus christ.
  • 00:15:54.643 --> 00:15:58.280
  • But there comes a time when all the little lights need to come
  • 00:15:58.280 --> 00:16:01.250
  • Together to form one giant floodlight, illuminating the
  • 00:16:01.250 --> 00:16:05.854
  • Greatness, the glory of our god.
  • 00:16:05.854 --> 00:16:08.824
  • That's always been god's pattern, by the way.
  • 00:16:08.824 --> 00:16:11.627
  • It's always been god's will for all believers to come together
  • 00:16:11.627 --> 00:16:15.597
  • In a central place to worship.
  • 00:16:15.597 --> 00:16:18.667
  • You see that in the old testament before the tabernacle
  • 00:16:18.667 --> 00:16:22.271
  • And later the temple, god established worship centers in
  • 00:16:22.271 --> 00:16:26.508
  • Bethel and shechem and shiloh for the people to come together,
  • 00:16:26.508 --> 00:16:30.312
  • Congregate together, to worship.
  • 00:16:30.312 --> 00:16:32.047
  • Later he ordered the construction of the tabernacle,
  • 00:16:32.047 --> 00:16:34.550
  • A central worship place.
  • 00:16:34.550 --> 00:16:36.251
  • Later the temple.
  • 00:16:36.251 --> 00:16:37.619
  • And when we come to acts 2 here, even though the holy spirit has
  • 00:16:37.619 --> 00:16:40.622
  • Come, the new testament is in effect, the apostles are still
  • 00:16:40.622 --> 00:16:45.094
  • Going to the temple to worship god.
  • 00:16:45.094 --> 00:16:47.529
  • And the pattern continues today.
  • 00:16:47.529 --> 00:16:49.465
  • In hebrews 10, verse 25, the writer said, "do not forsake,"
  • 00:16:49.465 --> 00:16:54.770
  • The what?
  • 00:16:54.770 --> 00:16:56.105
  • "the assembling together of yourselves."
  • 00:16:56.105 --> 00:16:59.241
  • Remember psalm 34 and verse 3? "oh, magnify the lord with me.
  • 00:16:59.241 --> 00:17:04.713
  • Let us exalt his name," how?
  • 00:17:04.713 --> 00:17:08.317
  • "together," together.
  • 00:17:08.317 --> 00:17:10.819
  • Worship can be done individually, but it is also
  • 00:17:10.819 --> 00:17:14.256
  • Something that is to be done together.
  • 00:17:14.256 --> 00:17:17.693
  • By the way, not only does that benefit god, it benefits us as
  • 00:17:17.693 --> 00:17:22.297
  • Well when we come together.
  • 00:17:22.297 --> 00:17:24.700
  • Pastor leith anderson expresses our need for corporate worship
  • 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:27.703
  • This way.
  • 00:17:27.703 --> 00:17:29.037
  • He said, "it is easy in this life to lose hope, to become
  • 00:17:29.037 --> 00:17:31.940
  • Pessimistic, to convince ourselves of defeat, but as
  • 00:17:31.940 --> 00:17:35.811
  • Christians, we must open our eyes to see the view from where
  • 00:17:35.811 --> 00:17:38.881
  • Jesus sits.
  • 00:17:38.881 --> 00:17:40.349
  • When i'm discouraged and my hope runs thin, i remember that i'm a
  • 00:17:40.349 --> 00:17:45.454
  • Part of something much bigger than i am."
  • 00:17:45.454 --> 00:17:49.324
  • Coming together every sunday as a church is a way of reminding
  • 00:17:49.324 --> 00:17:53.395
  • Ourselves that we're a part of something much bigger than
  • 00:17:53.395 --> 00:17:56.498
  • We are.
  • 00:17:56.498 --> 00:17:57.833
  • There's encouragement, there is power in that.
  • 00:17:57.833 --> 00:18:00.802
  • Genuine worship is corporate as well as individual.
  • 00:18:00.802 --> 00:18:05.841
  • A third characteristic of genuine worship, write it down:
  • 00:18:05.841 --> 00:18:08.744
  • Genuine worship is active, not passive.
  • 00:18:08.744 --> 00:18:12.948
  • It's active, not passive.
  • 00:18:12.948 --> 00:18:15.717
  • A few years ago, william hendrix wrote a book entitled,
  • 00:18:15.717 --> 00:18:18.754
  • "exit interviews."
  • 00:18:18.754 --> 00:18:20.722
  • He tried to figure out why people were leaving the church
  • 00:18:20.722 --> 00:18:24.059
  • In droves and so he interviewed people who had left good sound
  • 00:18:24.059 --> 00:18:28.163
  • Evangelical churches to find out, "why did you quit going
  • 00:18:28.163 --> 00:18:32.034
  • To church?"
  • 00:18:32.034 --> 00:18:33.368
  • You know what the number one reason people gave was?
  • 00:18:33.368 --> 00:18:36.271
  • Boredom.
  • 00:18:36.271 --> 00:18:39.374
  • But hendrix was quick to point out when he probed further, what
  • 00:18:37.973 --> 00:18:42.778
  • He found was they weren't looking for more entertainment.
  • 00:18:42.778 --> 00:18:46.615
  • They were looking for participation.
  • 00:18:46.615 --> 00:18:50.118
  • They wanted to be involved in what was going on in the church.
  • 00:18:50.118 --> 00:18:54.423
  • That's the way the first century church is, the one that we're
  • 00:18:54.423 --> 00:18:56.792
  • Reading about now.
  • 00:18:56.792 --> 00:18:58.160
  • They were not passive, they were active in worship.
  • 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.196
  • In fact, if you wanna know what a first century worship service
  • 00:19:01.196 --> 00:19:04.032
  • Was like, we get a clue in 1 corinthians.
  • 00:19:04.032 --> 00:19:06.668
  • In the first century church, this may surprise some of you,
  • 00:19:06.668 --> 00:19:09.504
  • People did not sit in pews staring at the backs of one
  • 00:19:09.504 --> 00:19:12.874
  • Another's heads, okay?
  • 00:19:12.874 --> 00:19:14.610
  • That's not how first century worship happened.
  • 00:19:14.610 --> 00:19:17.112
  • They just didn't sit there and watch the paid professionals do
  • 00:19:17.112 --> 00:19:20.582
  • Their thing.
  • 00:19:20.582 --> 00:19:21.950
  • Instead, we find a glimpse of what the early church was like.
  • 00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:25.153
  • Paul says, "what is the outcome?
  • 00:19:25.153 --> 00:19:27.356
  • When you assemble, each one has a psalm, each one has a teaching
  • 00:19:27.356 --> 00:19:32.194
  • Or a revelation or a tongue or an interpretation.
  • 00:19:32.194 --> 00:19:35.397
  • Let all things be done for edification."
  • 00:19:35.397 --> 00:19:39.735
  • In the early church, everyone participated.
  • 00:19:39.735 --> 00:19:43.138
  • Now remember, this was in the days before there was a new
  • 00:19:43.138 --> 00:19:45.774
  • Testament, okay?
  • 00:19:45.774 --> 00:19:47.175
  • There was no new testament to preach or teach from, so the
  • 00:19:47.175 --> 00:19:50.979
  • Apostles would teach, yes, but also the members
  • 00:19:50.979 --> 00:19:54.549
  • Would participate.
  • 00:19:54.549 --> 00:19:56.451
  • Don't let the words "revelation" and "tongue" throw you off.
  • 00:19:56.451 --> 00:19:59.921
  • The real point here is that worship was not just passive, it
  • 00:19:59.921 --> 00:20:04.760
  • Was active.
  • 00:20:04.760 --> 00:20:06.128
  • Now the question is, how do we pull that off today?
  • 00:20:06.128 --> 00:20:09.765
  • How do we make our worship active rather than passive?
  • 00:20:09.765 --> 00:20:15.103
  • We need to be careful here to avoid the extremes.
  • 00:20:15.103 --> 00:20:19.041
  • There are some churches that have decided to completely
  • 00:20:19.041 --> 00:20:21.877
  • Overhaul their worship services.
  • 00:20:21.877 --> 00:20:24.846
  • They've said, "we don't want to do just presentational worship
  • 00:20:24.846 --> 00:20:28.450
  • Where it's the pastor and the choir director and the choir
  • 00:20:28.450 --> 00:20:31.553
  • Doing everything, and everybody else just sits out there.
  • 00:20:31.553 --> 00:20:34.723
  • Instead of having presentational worship, we want to have
  • 00:20:34.723 --> 00:20:37.993
  • Participatory worship because after all, what if a layman has
  • 00:20:37.993 --> 00:20:42.030
  • A message he wants to stand up and give?
  • 00:20:42.030 --> 00:20:44.266
  • Isn't his message just as valid as the pastor's message?
  • 00:20:44.266 --> 00:20:47.703
  • Why not let everybody participate?
  • 00:20:47.703 --> 00:20:50.038
  • So they've gone away from presentational worship to
  • 00:20:50.038 --> 00:20:53.275
  • Participatory worship.
  • 00:20:53.275 --> 00:20:54.743
  • I think you'll find this interesting.
  • 00:20:54.743 --> 00:20:56.111
  • When our architects were planning our new worship center
  • 00:20:56.111 --> 00:20:58.780
  • And isn't it exciting to see how it's coming up so quickly
  • 00:20:58.780 --> 00:21:01.750
  • Out there?
  • 00:21:01.750 --> 00:21:03.085
  • But when our architects were planning our new worship center
  • 00:21:03.085 --> 00:21:05.287
  • Several years ago, they sat down with me and they said, "now
  • 00:21:05.287 --> 00:21:07.422
  • Pastor, we need to know before we design this thing.
  • 00:21:07.422 --> 00:21:10.592
  • Is your style in worship going to be presentational?
  • 00:21:10.592 --> 00:21:14.930
  • Or is it going to be participatory?
  • 00:21:14.930 --> 00:21:16.965
  • Because that affects how we design this auditorium."
  • 00:21:16.965 --> 00:21:20.535
  • You know, in the old days, church sanctuaries had what was
  • 00:21:20.535 --> 00:21:25.173
  • Called a shotgun style of architecture.
  • 00:21:25.173 --> 00:21:28.243
  • Imagine this sanctuary without anything on the sides, just
  • 00:21:28.243 --> 00:21:31.613
  • These two sections here, and you see a lot of churches like
  • 00:21:31.613 --> 00:21:35.183
  • This today.
  • 00:21:35.183 --> 00:21:36.551
  • It's a shotgun.
  • 00:21:36.551 --> 00:21:37.886
  • It's like you're looking down the barrel of a shotgun
  • 00:21:37.886 --> 00:21:39.254
  • At the pulpit and the choir.
  • 00:21:39.254 --> 00:21:40.989
  • Those are for highly presentational churches.
  • 00:21:40.989 --> 00:21:43.658
  • The focus is up here.
  • 00:21:43.658 --> 00:21:45.894
  • But notice in our church we have a little bit of room over here
  • 00:21:45.894 --> 00:21:49.197
  • We have a little bit of room over here, not just so you can
  • 00:21:49.197 --> 00:21:52.067
  • See me but you can see other people as well and there are
  • 00:21:52.067 --> 00:21:55.504
  • Churches that are more in the round to not only focus on the
  • 00:21:55.504 --> 00:21:59.074
  • Pulpit but to focus on one another as well.
  • 00:21:59.074 --> 00:22:02.210
  • Well, what should we be, presentational or participatory?
  • 00:22:02.210 --> 00:22:06.481
  • Well, the answer is both.
  • 00:22:06.481 --> 00:22:08.583
  • We're both.
  • 00:22:08.583 --> 00:22:09.918
  • There is a time once a week when we need to come and hear the
  • 00:22:09.918 --> 00:22:13.622
  • Word of god presented.
  • 00:22:13.622 --> 00:22:15.390
  • Ephesians 4 says: "god has given every church a pastor teacher
  • 00:22:15.390 --> 00:22:20.095
  • For the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the
  • 00:22:20.095 --> 00:22:23.231
  • Building up of the body of christ.
  • 00:22:23.231 --> 00:22:25.233
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:22:25.233 --> 00:22:30.272
  • Jeffress: worship is all about refocusing our perspective.
  • 00:22:30.338 --> 00:22:33.942
  • It shifts our attention from the problems that seem to overwhelm
  • 00:22:33.942 --> 00:22:37.279
  • Our daily lives to the greatness of our god.
  • 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:41.349
  • There's more i want to share with you on this topic, so
  • 00:22:41.349 --> 00:22:43.952
  • Please join me again next time.
  • 00:22:43.952 --> 00:22:46.354
  • But right now i want to thank those of you who faithfully
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  • Support "pathway to victory."
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  • 00:22:58.900 --> 00:23:02.971
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  • Jesus christ.
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  • Now, stay right there.
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  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
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  • Announcer: the bible promises that when we put our faith in
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  • Jesus christ, our lives will be changed from the inside out, and
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  • Yet many christians feel discouraged and defeated in
  • 00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:41.643
  • Their daily walk.
  • 00:23:41.643 --> 00:23:43.011
  • Jeffress: if you're longing for something more in your
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  • Relationship with god, you're not alone.
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  • At one time i felt dissatisfied and powerless to change it, but
  • 00:23:47.616 --> 00:23:52.120
  • By god's grace i discovered how to deploy the power of the holy
  • 00:23:52.120 --> 00:23:56.391
  • Spirit in my life.
  • 00:23:56.391 --> 00:23:58.059
  • And today i wanna help you discover that as well, in my
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  • Bestselling book, "i want more."
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  • Jeffress: god has granted to you everything you need to lead a
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  • Fulfilling existence while here on earth.
  • 00:24:37.132 --> 00:24:39.801
  • Everything he has given you is all wrapped up in the holy
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  • Spirit of god.
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  • Jeffress: worship is about so much more than just music.
  • 00:25:01.756 --> 00:25:04.859
  • It's about expressing our genuine admiration and
  • 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:08.296
  • Appreciation to god.
  • 00:25:08.296 --> 00:25:10.632
  • Today we began looking at the three characteristics of
  • 00:25:10.632 --> 00:25:13.501
  • Authentic worship, and next time i'm going to share with you two
  • 00:25:13.501 --> 00:25:17.305
  • Ways that you can actively participate in worship.
  • 00:25:17.305 --> 00:25:21.042
  • When you apply these two principles, i'm confident you'll
  • 00:25:21.042 --> 00:25:24.713
  • Begin to experience god's transforming power through
  • 00:25:24.713 --> 00:25:27.949
  • Worship in practical everyday ways.
  • 00:25:27.949 --> 00:25:31.386
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
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  • Series, "unleashed."
  • 00:25:34.155 --> 00:25:37.158
  • Jeffress: do you remember what jesus said in john 4:23?
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  • He was talking to the woman at the well.
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  • He said, "there is one thing god is actively looking for: god is
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  • Actively seeking those who will," what?
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  • "worship him."
  • 00:25:50.538 --> 00:25:53.375
  • God is looking right now for men and women, boys and girls, who
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  • Are so appreciative of him, who are so grateful for all he has
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  • Done in their lives, that their number one heart response is to
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  • Want to express that appreciation, that admiration,
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  • To god.
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  • Worship ought to be the priority of every one of us.
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  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for part 2 of the
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  • Message, "up with worship!"
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  • Here on "pathway to victory."
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  • Jeffress: each of us will leave a legacy.
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  • What will your legacy be?
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  • Your legacy giving can further the gospel and be an example to
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  • Your children about what matters most in life.
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  • The world my daughters and grandchildren are growing up in
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  • Is vastly different than the one you and i grew up in.
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  • The gospel of jesus christ is our only answer, and naming
  • 00:26:46.261 --> 00:26:51.132
  • "pathway to victory" as a beneficiary in your will helps
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  • Guarantee that there will be a trusted ministry that will
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  • Continue to be salt and light.
  • 00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:01.476
  • Like the ripples that emanate from a rock thrown into a pond,
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  • Your influence for christ can keep going on and on after you
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  • Die with a gift in your will.
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  • What will your legacy be?
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  • "only one life, will soon be past.
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  • Only what's done for christ will last."
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