Sermon: Attitudes for Worship Summary: To worship in a way that is pleasing to God, we must extend to him love and honor above all else. Know: God must be first in all our lives in order to worship God Feel: The desire to place God first Do: Reflect on what place God has in our lives, and what in our lives would need to change to put God first. Texts: Heb 11:6 Scripture Reading: Heb 11:6 Intro: 1. Man who always had a sour attitude a. His brother told him about a hunting God he paid 5000 dollars for b. You idiot, you got robbed, no dog is worth that much c. Brother demonstrated - Dog flushed a couple of birds from the field - Shot them, dog walked across the water and brought them - What do you think? d. I told you so! Your Dog can't swim!!! 2. Attitude makes all the difference in the world a. It makes all the difference in our worship b. You can worship in the right form, but without right attitude, meaningless 3. Last week looked at the God we worship 4. This morning will look at some high points in Genesis a. Will focus on three acts of worship b. Genesis was before Sinai, Israel, and the system of Worship in Torah c. Can see the most basic ingredients of worship d. Attitudes for Worship I. We must seek God above all else (Gen 4:1-7) A. Cain and Abel perform first act of worship in the Bible B. They brought offerings from their professions 1. God "gazed at" (sha'ah) Abel's offering, but not Cain's a. Doesn't say God accepted one and rejected the other b. God really liked, or was really please with Abel's. c. ILL: I used to like classic car shows - Walk through and look - Stop and gaze at classic mustangs. I like them - That is sort of what God did 2. Why was God really pleased with Abel's offering and not Cain's? a. Was it because Abel offering up a blood sacrifice? - No, this was before the covenant at Sinai - Even with the covenant, God accepts meal and grain offerings. b. Text no explicit on why, but gives hints - "If you do well…" - Implies that Cain did not do well. How? c. Any difference in their offerings? - Abel brought firstlings, Cain just brought an offering b. (Heb 11:4) - Gives us an interpretation of Cain and Abel - Abel's a better sacrifice "by faith." What that mean? - Heb 11:6 - Cannot please God without faith - Must believe he a reward of those who "seek him" 3. Abel was a God seeker a. God regarded Abel's offering because Abel regarded God b. Abel just didn't go through the motions, it was sincere C. ILL: Renee, a 7 year old girl 1. Renee, one of her grandchildren was having a birthday 2. Renne wondered what Grandma MoMo would give her 3. Birthday came, receive a box of used clothes and toys a. Many of them stained b. Strange, because Grandma was loaded with money c. Grandma had all kinds of nice things 4. Reflected something about Grandma a. Didn't think much of Renee b. Kept all the nice stuff for herself D. That is what happens when we don't seek God first II. We must thank God above all else (Gen 8:20-22) A. God brought the great flood 1. Noah in Ark for 365 days, then came out 2. What first thing you do? He didn't kiss the land 3. He worshipped God B. Noah offered burnt offerings 1. Most self-denying of offerings a. In many offerings, you burn a portion and keep the rest b. In a burnt offering, you burn all of it, nothing is left 2. Consider Noah's new setting as he does this a. Animals are now scarce b. Not a whole lot for wool, hides, or food c. Notice what Noah does - Took of "every" clean animal and bird - Offered them up as burnt offerings - Nothing left 3. God smells the soothing aroma, and then makes decision a. God would never destroy earth again in this way b. Evidently, God is please by Noah's offerings 4. Why is God pleased? (Ps 50:8-14) a. God needs nothing, it is all his to begin with - "If" God did need food, he not need us to feed him b. Says to offer up thank offerings c. God is interested in us, not in our things - Noah wasn't like Cain, didn't just go through the motions - Like Abel, Noah offered up a good offering C. ILL: Mike and Nancy Russell, new Christians 1. Had only a 20 dollar bill left till next paycheck a. On way to church, going to break it for offering b. Forgot to do that c. Offering plate came around. What to do 2. They decided to put the whole 20 in a. Need to understand - We to the point they had to decide whether to buy milk or bread b. Now they couldn't buy either c. They wanted to please God 3. They already understood something about worship a. They were truly thankful that God redeemed them b. They were thankful to be in the family c. They wanted to express that in offering 4. After church, they got an anonymous envelope a. $100 bill in it b. Someone had heard their financial difficulty - They didn't make big deal of it c. Afterwards, had to share how God provided for them in this way! D. Thanks to God must be a way of life 1. We owe our very existence to God 2. Our redemption is because of God 3. We need to seek him and thank him III. We must fear/honor God above all else - Gen 22 A. This is the longest account of sacrifice in Genesis 1. Look at the story a. (v1-2) - God emphasizes that this is his only son - Son whom he loved - Yitzak - "laughter" b. (v3-8) - Imagine how long that walk must have been - How would he answer his son? c. (v9-10) - Jews call this story the "Akedah" - "binding" - Abraham was going to go through with it! d. (v11-18) - God was pleased 2. Abraham did not argue or question God a. Not like Gen 18 when he bargained for Sodom b. Isaac a gift from God, and has right to ask for him 3. Abraham willing to give up what is most dear to him a. God said, "Now I KNOW you fear God b. Not that Abraham was terrified or afraid c. Godly fear, reverence, or honor 4. If you don't give your all to God, then you can't really worship a. Greatest Command Mt 22:37 b. Offer bodies as living sacrifice Rom 12:1 c. Have to lay self on the altar first B. Where was God in Abraham's life? Right there with him 1. This was before the temple, before the Torah, before Sinai 2. Some people prefer Old Testament worship, & still try it a. Mistakingly think that God is confined to a place b. Want to keep God confined to a day of the week c. More comfortable, he wont interfere with anything else d. That is stupidity - Prov 9:10 -Fear Lord beginning wisdom 3. That is not fear of God, treats him more like an object C. ILL: When I growing up, I had a healthy fear of my Dad 1. I didn't come up to him and say, "Yo whats up dude!" a. I didn't say, "Hey, I want….." b. I always called him Dad, and didn't disrespect him c. He had a leather belt that was effective for correction 2. One time, he scolded me, then grounded me a. I got mad when he left room, and shoved over my bookcase b. He reappeared at the door, used that belt c. Then he ordered me to clean up my mess 3. I learned not to just honor him at certain times, but all times 4. Likewise, we need to honor God with our whole life D. All of our life is worship - Fear God and serve God at all times 1. God is not just here on Sunday, but with you wherever you go 2. Do you realize he has honored you? a. Gave you the very best he can give b. He has showered his blessings on you 3. Q: Will you honor him above all else, or try to leave him here in the building? 4. If you don't honor him at all times, you don't honor him at all Concl: 1. God has honored you, what will you do with it? (Invitation) 2. When we worship, God has to be first in our lives 3. If God is not first, we cannot worship God a. It would be like bringing stained, left overs to him b. It would be like being two faced 4. All of life is to be worship to him - Honor him above all else.