The speaker emphasizes the importance of being thankful as taught throughout the Bible and explores various definitions of worship, including its significance beyond music and the nature of true worship.

Thankfulness and Worship in the Bible

Contrasting human wisdom that leads to disappointment with divine wisdom, the speaker discusses how everyone worships something and reflects on the dangers of false worship, emphasizing the importance of giving thanks to God.

Human and Divine Wisdom in Worship

Introduction to Isaiah's prophecies, including the fall of Samaria and God's judgment on Jerusalem, alongside the significance of understanding history in relation to biblical prophecies.

Prophecy and Historical Context

Encouragement for believers to trust in God's promises amidst challenges and a call to study the Word of God, distinguishing between genuine worship and mere tradition.

Trusting God's Promises and Understanding Scripture

Emphasis on Christianity as a relationship with Jesus, comparing God's wisdom with human wisdom and discussing the folly of ignoring God.

The Relationship with God and Wisdom

A message of hope regarding God's restoration and the importance of worshiping the true God, discussing the inherent nature of humans to worship.

Hope for the Future and Worship

Highlighting the need to read the Bible to understand and worship the true God, contrasting the outcomes of false worship versus true worship, and a prayer for renewal.

The Importance of Scripture and True Worship

# Thanksgiving and the Power of Worship

## Embracing Gratitude

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the importance of gratitude, a theme echoed throughout the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, we are continually reminded to be thankful. Recently, I had the joy of celebrating with my family, which brought to mind the many blessings in our lives. It’s interesting how often our gratitude is centered around the people we love. 

### The Challenge of Thankfulness

It’s hard to feel gratitude and negativity simultaneously. Practicing thankfulness can enhance our daily lives and relationships. This week, we’ll explore the essence of worship, a vital aspect of the Christian faith.

## Understanding Worship

To gain insights into what worship means to different people, I enlisted the help of my assistant Shama. Here are some of the definitions she gathered:

- **God-Centric:** Worship is fundamentally about God.
- **Adoration:** To adore something or someone.
- **Obsession:** A deep admiration or praise for someone or something.
- **Expression:** Sharing thoughts about God through actions, such as singing or evangelizing.

### A Broader Perspective on Worship

In Romans 12, we read:

> "Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."

This passage expands our understanding of worship beyond the typical confines of music or communal gatherings. It emphasizes that our entire lives—what we think, say, and do—can be acts of worship.

## The Impact of True Worship

When we truly worship God, it results in joy and a thankful heart. Everyone worships something, whether it’s God, a person, or even ourselves. The question is, what or who are we lifting up in our lives?

### Romans 1: A Cautionary Tale

In Romans 1, we see a stark contrast between true worship and false worship:

> "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks."

This passage warns us against the dangers of worshiping created things instead of the Creator. It reminds us that true worship leads to clarity and understanding, while false worship can lead to confusion and darkness.

## Insights from Isaiah

As we dive into the prophetic words of Isaiah, we discover the consequences of misplaced worship. The Israelites celebrated their feasts, but their hearts were far from God. This serves as a poignant reminder that worship must come from a genuine place, not merely through tradition.

### Prophetic Promises

Isaiah prophesies about the future, foretelling both judgment and deliverance. In moments of crisis, the people of Jerusalem chose to trust in God’s promises, leading to miraculous outcomes.

## The Call to Study Scripture

Isaiah challenges us to engage deeply with God’s word. We have the privilege of accessing the Bible, yet many of us struggle to study it diligently. 

- **No Excuses:** It’s essential to overcome barriers to understanding and engage with Scripture actively.
- **Relationship Over Religion:** Remember that Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus, not merely following rules.

## The Wisdom of God vs. Human Wisdom

In Isaiah, we see the folly of human wisdom:

> "What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord."

This serves as a reminder that true wisdom comes from God and that the wisdom of the world often leads us astray. 

### A Hopeful Future

Isaiah also speaks of a coming day of hope:

> "In that day, the deaf will hear words read from a book. The blind will see through the gloom in the darkness."

As we navigate the challenges of life, we can hold onto the hope that Christ brings, knowing that He will ultimately restore and renew all things.

## The Essence of Worship

As we reflect on our purpose, we are reminded that we are created to worship. The Lord, who redeemed Abraham, assures us that His people will no longer be ashamed or fearful. When we recognize the holiness of God, we are filled with awe and understanding. 

### The Call to True Worship

Worship is not just an act; it’s a state of being. We must be careful not to carve our own image of God based on our preferences or desires. Instead, we should immerse ourselves in Scripture to understand who God truly is. 

- **Avoid Misplaced Worship:** Reading only those books that align with our own thoughts can lead us astray. 
- **Stay Grounded in the Word:** Regular engagement with the Bible serves as our plumb line, keeping us aligned with the truth of who God is.

## Conclusion

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s commit to cultivating a heart of gratitude and genuine worship. By focusing on our relationship with God and embracing His word, we can experience true joy and fulfillment in our lives. 

Let’s look forward to the promises of God, trusting in His goodness and grace as we worship Him in spirit and truth. 

Let us ask ourselves today: Who are we truly worshiping? Is it the true God or a false one? Let’s pray for clarity and a renewed spirit of worship in our lives.

"Embrace Gratitude: Discover the True Essence of Worship This Thanksgiving"

- The Bible emphasizes the importance of being thankful throughout its text.
- Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reflect on gratitude, often for people in our lives.
- Practicing thankfulness can improve our overall outlook on life.
- Worship is a key aspect of the Christian life, with various definitions gathered from a survey.
- Worship can involve adoration, praise, and living in a way that honors God.
- Romans 12 highlights that true worship involves offering our whole selves to God.
- Human wisdom can lead to false worship and disappointment, while divine wisdom leads to true worship and joy.
- Everyone worships something, whether it's God, others, or oneself.
- Romans 1 warns against worshiping created things instead of the Creator.
- The discussion will continue with insights from Isaiah’s prophecy, exploring the concept of prophecy in a Christian context.

- The speaker discusses the role of prophets in predicting future events, emphasizing God's foreknowledge.
- Isaiah prophesied the fall of Samaria before it occurred in 722 BC, with historical confirmation from Josephus.
- In 701 BC, King Sennacherib of Assyria surrounded Jerusalem, taunting King Hezekiah.
- Isaiah 29 foretells disaster for Jerusalem but also promises deliverance from enemies.
- God intervened, causing the death of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, leading to Jerusalem's salvation.
- The people of Jerusalem, despite previous mistakes, ultimately trusted in God's prophecies and their leader, Hezekiah.
- The speaker draws a parallel to modern Christian belief in biblical prophecies regarding future judgment and encourages faithfulness to scripture.

- The Lord has caused a spiritual blindness among the people, preventing understanding of His word.
- Many make excuses for not studying the Bible, citing difficulty or lack of understanding.
- Personal example of a child learning passionately about a subject illustrates the importance of interest in studying.
- Emphasizes the significance of God's word as a guide for life and relationship with Him.
- Critiques the reliance on tradition over genuine understanding and relationship with God.
- Jesus condemned hypocrisy and man-made rules in worship, emphasizing true devotion.
- Human wisdom is seen as foolishness compared to God's wisdom; the gospel is the true power of God.
- Warns against the folly of believing God is unaware of our actions or existence.
- Prophesies a future hope where the brokenness of the world will be restored and justice will prevail through Christ.

- Isaiah's prophecy gives hope to Israel, promising no shame or fear for God's people.
- True worship acknowledges the holiness of God and is an innate human response.
- Personal story of a pilot illustrates the challenge of worshiping God amidst life's struggles.
- Without regular engagement with the Bible, people risk creating their own version of God.
- Reading Scripture is essential to understanding and worshiping the true Creator.
- Human wisdom can lead to false worship and disappointment, while divine worship brings joy and gratitude.
- The challenge posed: Are we worshiping the true God or a false god?
- A prayer for renewed hope and focus on Jesus as the center of worship.

- The Bible stresses the importance of gratitude and thankfulness.
- Thanksgiving encourages reflection on relationships and overall outlook.
- Worship is central to Christianity, involving adoration and living for God.
- True worship requires total commitment to God, as noted in Romans 12.
- Human wisdom can mislead, while divine wisdom brings joy and true worship.
- Worship can be directed towards God, others, or oneself; Romans 1 warns against idolizing creation.
- Insights from Isaiah's prophecies highlight God's foreknowledge and the role of prophets.
- Historical events, like the fall of Samaria and the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, confirm Isaiah's prophecies.
- God delivered Jerusalem from Assyrians, reinforcing faith in His promises.
- Spiritual blindness hinders understanding of God's word; excuses for not studying the Bible are common.
- Genuine interest in scripture is vital for a relationship with God.
- Critique of reliance on tradition over true understanding; Jesus condemned hypocrisy in worship.
- Human wisdom is foolish compared to God's; the gospel is God's true power.
- Future hope is prophesied, promising restoration and justice through Christ.
- True worship recognizes God's holiness and is a natural human response.
- Regular engagement with the Bible is essential to avoid creating a false image of God.
- The challenge remains: Are we worshiping the true God or a false one?
- A prayer for renewed focus on Jesus is encouraged.

There's lots and lots of times in the Bible where it tells us to be thankful.

If you guys could just click the screen on at the back here, it would be helpful for me.

If you could just turn on that TV, that would be great, thanks.

So in like right through from the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible, we are told over and over again, be thankful.

And so when we get to Thanksgiving, it's like, yes, this is great.

We, Katie and I had a chance to celebrate with our family yesterday.

I head off to the other side of the world a little later today.

So we got to celebrate on Saturday, and it was great.

It was very fun to be together with everyone and to actually think of things that we are thankful for.

It's amazing how often it is people in our lives that are actually the things that we are the most thankful for.

It's also, as we have often shared, it is really hard to be thankful and to be grumpy at the same time.

So if we can practice being thankful, it will help us all in terms of just how we do life.

We are going to be looking today at what worship is all about, which is an integral part of the Christian life.

Now, I hired 1 of my able assistants to do a survey for me.

And I asked her to call up some people, talk to some people, and just ask them, what does worship mean?

Now you're all thinking this is Katie, But it isn't.

It was actually Shama that did this for me.

And so I asked her to talk to some people and ask them, what does this mean?

When you say worship, what comes to mind?

And these are some of the definitions that she got back.

The first thing that comes to mind is God.

If you want the specific definition, I would have to Google it.

And on the way to school, 1 of the first days this year, Tristan was explaining to me as we were going along to school, how school is a relic of a pre-internet era when, in fact, you needed that sort of thing.

It's continuing on today just because old people need jobs.

And he basically was explaining to me at age 16 that he knows pretty much everything.

And if there's anything that he doesn't know, he can Google it.

Very interesting there because in that answer, it's not specifically talking about God and I think that's a very good definition just to adore something because we use worship in a context not always to do with God.

Oftentimes we can talk about someone else that we worship.

I have another granddaughter who is very proud of her Portuguese heritage.

And if she had been here today, I would probably have called her up on the stage because if I just say to her, you caught that, Portuguese heritage, if I just say to her, Rinaldo, you see this grin come on her face right away.

And that's just, yes, that's something that she does.

So worship can be used in lots of different meanings.

And this 1, to think and to say what I think about God.

As Christians, it can be singing or sharing the gospel.

Is a quote from someone right here in the audience, but I will not, I will not, you know, I will, I will guard my sources.

Now here's an interesting thought from Romans chapter 12.

Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of what He has done, of all he has done for you.

Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Then you will know, you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

See, for many of us, we would say, if we said, sort of, what is worship?

We might say, well, it's the first sort of 20 minutes of the family Bible hour, when we come together and we worship.

And that is a part of it, and it's an amazing part of it.

Katie and I feel like we have kind of rediscovered worship just in the last maybe 6 months where we now when we've got a quiet evening together we like to if we're going to play a board game or we're going to just do something we will put on worship music And we just find it's amazing.

It gets your mind just thinking of the Lord and thinking about worshiping him and the lyrics just get into your mind and it's just, it's really good.

Music has a, it affects our thinking, either for good or for bad.

But here, in Paul in Romans 12, he tells us that actually, offering up our bodies Who we really are, what we do, what we think, how we live.

Offering that to God is in fact an act of worship.

And so it kind of broadens our understanding, it broadens our thinking as to what this worship is.

But of course when you think about it, if we truly love and follow Jesus, then it will impact, it will affect how we actually live life.

So today, I'm going to suggest that human wisdom leads to false worship of created things and ultimately to disappointment.

Divine wisdom leads to true worship of the creator and ultimately abundance and joy and a thankful heart.

So tying back to thanksgiving, I'm going to suggest that in fact, if we truly worship God, it is going to result in us being joyful.

Now I don't think anybody could legit say here today not me, I don't worship anything.

I think you will actually find that we all worship either God or someone else or perhaps ourselves.

But I think there's a worship that is going on.

There's somebody that we are lifting up high that we are, or something, and that we are adoring it.

We are giving it, or that person, our time, our attention, and it's affecting how we live.

In Romans 1, it's interesting the weave here between worshiping and giving thanks and the true and the false.

Listen to this sort of extract from Romans 1.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks.

And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.

As a result, their minds became dark and confusing.

Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

Instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mare people, birds, animals, reptiles.

They worshiped and served the things God created instead of the creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise.

I'll try to break that down a little bit as we go and look at our actual core chapter which is from back in Isaiah.

But it's fascinating how we either worship God, we get to know him and we worship him, or else we end up kind of carving something or making something that we are actually going to then worship.

And we'll see the difference as we go along there.

Okay, so let's go back to Isaiah's prophecy that we're going to look at today.

So a prophecy is when someone says something about the future that hasn't happened yet.

And there's lots of people down through history that have claimed to have that gift or to have had that revealed to them.

And they will tell us this is what is going to happen.

Sometimes your mother, as you were growing up, would tell you, if you don't wear a coat today and you go out, you are going to get a cold.

Well, in a certain sense, she is prophesying.

But there's some good logic to that prophecy.

And it is very likely that it will come true.

We have varying degrees in the Christian community as to other types of prophecy.

Where someone might say to you, I believe that God has shown me something about you, or God has shown me something.

And I won't go there today, because that could just be a little bit controversial.

But what I will talk about is prophets that God raised up, because he did.

Down through history, he has raised up specific prophets, and they have told what is going to happen.

And it is amazing to actually see those and to see that God knows what's gonna happen.

He knows the future before it comes to be.

So long before 722 BC, the Isaiah prophesies in the chapter we're going to read and in the previous 1 that Samaria would fall and that in, in fact Jerusalem would almost fall.

And in 722, the 10 tribes, the northern kingdom, where the, the, the capital of that was in Samaria, it fell.

And according to Josephus, the fall of Samaria was, and he gives you the exact time to the day.

Josephus is 1 of the historians that writes all about this time.

I actually had trouble preparing this message because I kept getting into some stuff that Josephus had written and then I ended up reading and reading and reading and all of a sudden you're like, oh my goodness, ours has gone by and I haven't actually.

So it's fun to actually read his history.

But he pinpoints to the day that when exactly this happened.

It's a very clear historical fact, and it's recorded in scripture as well in Second kings.

In 701 BC, so that's like 21 years later, remember the way because this is before Christ, the numbers actually go down as the years go forward.

So you got to sort of remember that in your head instead of it going like 2024 and then 2025, 2026 for us now.

Back then it's actually going down the other, the other way because it's before Christ.

So in 21 years later, Sinakher of the King of Assyria has surrounded, He's wiped out, he's taken captive, he's destroyed all sorts of the towns and villages in the southern kingdom, which is where Jude and Benjamin were, the 2 tribes, and their capital was Jerusalem.

And he's now surrounded Jerusalem, and he's taunting Hezekiah, And he's, he's, he's convinced that he is in fact going to, to capture Jerusalem any time and, but what happens is prophesied here in Isaiah 29.

So we're gonna read about it and then we'll actually talk about what went on there exactly.

Here's what it, here's what the first part of our chapter says.

What sorrow awaits Ariel, the city of David?

Year after year you celebrate your feasts, yet I will bring disaster upon you and there will be much weeping and sorrow.

For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means, an altar covered with blood.

I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls.

I will build siege towers and destroy it.

From low in the dust your words will come.

Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave.

Verse 5, but suddenly Your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust.

Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind.

Suddenly in an instant, I, the Lord of Heaven's armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire.

All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream.

Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night.

A hungry person dreams of eating but wakes up still hungry.

A thirsty person dreams of drinking but is still faint from thirst when morning comes.

So it will be with your enemies, with those who attack Mount Zion." You, as you read this, you see this instance of where God turns and there is victory, there is deliverance for Jerusalem.

Notice that the setting in verse 1, year after year you celebrate your feasts yet I will bring disaster upon you.

That's really key to what we're going to look at in terms of false worship and true worship because they were worshipping.

They were keeping the feast, but there was a problem in their hearts.

But then in his mercy, at the last minute, what we find out from history, this is what is so cool because this is a prophecy, something that Isaiah was given to tell Israel in advance.

They, God in an, as, as the 185, 000 soldiers were around Jerusalem.

And God struck them with some sort of a plague and they died in 1 night.

And Israel never had to do 1 thing against them.

And Sennacherib, who was the leader, he ends up going back to his own country and he ends up actually being killed there by 2 of his sons.

This prophecy and a prophecy that you could find back in 2 Kings 19 actually spells out in advance what God was going to do.

And he did it exactly the way he had described it.

There's a Couple of things to just point out in this.

I, I just gotta bracket this to tell you.

Yesterday, at our family gathering, I'm talking to 1 of my grandchildren.

And I say to Katrina, Katrina, how's school going?

Okay, because clearly there is a history teacher that is not making history exciting.

Somehow this history teacher is making it boring and so this girl is growing up not liking history.

And of course, Papa, I'm trying to describe to her how important history is, and I'm not getting it, like, like she's not getting it, you know?

Like, I'm just not communicating this well.

But anyway, never bore anybody with history.

So, here in this scene, they're, the, the enemy is taunting the people of Israel in Jerusalem using their own language.

Okay, so they're speaking to them in the language of the people in Jerusalem.

The leaders in Jerusalem ask the enemies, can you please not taunt us in the language they understand?

But the, the, the Assyrians, they are like, no, no, we're saying it in their language that they can't, because they, obviously what they wanted was the people to revolt against Hezekiah and actually cave in to their enemies.

But the people believed the prophecies and ended up staying with their leader when there was high risk.

That as a result of doing that, disaster would come and that they would all die.

But they trusted, now they hadn't always, they caved in the first time.

They actually had stripped a lot of the gold out of the, out of the temple and they tried to appease their enemies, and they hadn't followed the Lord 100% at all.

But in this sort of ultimate moment of testing, they stayed true to their leader that was Hezekiah.

And I'm gonna stop right here and challenge us as Christians, because we carry around our Bibles, or we have them on our phones, and in that Bible it says that just like there was a flood that came and destroyed the world a long time ago, that there's going to be judgment coming on the world again.

And that those of us that know and follow Jesus should be recognizing that nothing here is lasting, nothing here is of value.

We are on our way to heaven and that the Lord Jesus is coming back and he's coming back soon.

Or do we think it's kind of a little weird, so we just sort of don't?

It's a very interesting question, because these people here, they believed the prophecies, and they went along with what their leader was believing, Hezekiah, in terms of not caving into the enemy.

I think there's a challenge there in history for us.

So in the ninth verse it says, are you amazed and incredulous?

For The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep.

He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.

All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them.

When you give it to those who can read, they will say, we can't read it because it's sealed.

When you give it to those who can't read, they will say, we don't know how to read.

Okay, so here's a direct question to each of us.

Why don't you study the word of God more?

I, you know, I don't really read that well.

I don't think anybody would say here that they're illiterate, but probably you would say, I don't really, I don't understand that well.

So Matt, during a lot of his schooling, he would tell me regularly, he couldn't understand.

He didn't just, nothing retained, nothing stuck.

Okay, and then 1 day I was talking to him about oddies, and he knew everything about oddies.

Okay, and I said to him, where do you learn this stuff?

All of a sudden his reading comprehension went up like crazy.

My brothers and sisters who know and follow Jesus, God's word is our guide.

It is what directs us, leads us, gives us wisdom for this life and the life to come.

We are responsible and it is our privilege.

Go through history, the folks that would have loved to have the word of God and they didn't have it.

Not I'm illiterate, not it's sealed, not I'm, you know, not really a reader, not, you know, do you have a YouTube on that we need to read the Word of God study it make it our own okay verse 13 so the Lord says these people say they are mine they honor me with their lips But their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders.

The wisdom of the wise will pass away and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.

Okay, so I'm just going to try to hit a couple of highlights.

In Mark chapter 7, it's also quoted in Matthew, Jesus quotes this specific passage and he says when the teachers of the Pharisees, the religious leaders then, they came to him and said, why don't your disciples follow our age-old traditions?

They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.

And Jesus replied in verse 6 that's up there, you hypocrites, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you for he wrote, these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship is a farce for their teaching, they're teaching manmade ideas as commandments from God.

For you ignore God's laws and substitute your own tradition.

So again, I would say to you, tradition is easier than studying the word of God.

Tradition is easier than really knowing what God says and actually doing what he says.

So back here in Isaiah the Lord explains to us why he was bringing judgment even though he spared them right at the end he was bringing judgment on the nation of Israel even though they were doing the feasts.

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10-13-2024