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Transformation How's everyone doing? I think I asked you that already. Let's start. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly Father, I just praise you Lord for today. I praise you for the Sa ath. I praise you for an opportunity to !o"e to you. I pray that you guide us as we've een going through this series, these s"all groups. I pray for the ones that have een in the groups that they re!eive a tre"endous lessing fro" their e#perien!e and also as we hear the series, help us all to see our role, our part as it relates to your will, your plan, your plan for this !hur!h, your plans for ea!h one of our lives individually. Help us to see what it "eans to fully give "ore to your Lord. $hank you Father. %s we open your word e with us your Spirit leads and tou!h our hearts. &e praise these things in 'esus' na"e. %"en( It's our last ser"on on this series and I know that the s"all group that we were in, usually our group is pretty ig, ut for whatever reason, last Sa ath we had a s"all group and we were sharing our story, our spiritual journeys and it was so profound and so deep as we were going through people's lives and how they had !o"e to know 'esus and where they stand. %n interesting )uestion was, !ould you show the differen!e, is there a differen!e in when you "ay e was apti*ed into the !hur!h or when you gave your life to 'esus, or were they si"ilar or the sa"e e#perien!e? %nd I would ask that of ourselves. $hink a out that, refle!t on your e#perien!e with 'esus, when you gave your live to hi" and refle!t on when you had an e#perien!e with +od's truth and the "essage of the Seventh Day %dventist !hur!h and how is that different and uni)ue. It's interesting this week. I heard the statisti!s twi!e. +eorge ,arna, he does surveys, he does resear!h on -hristian !ulture and su!h. .ot just -hristian !ulture, ut all !ultures. ,ut he "ade this very interesting statisti!. He said, /01 of all those that professed to e -hristians are not -hristians. I don't know how that resear!h was done, ut it "ade "e think, "ay e in this roo" one and a half of us are -hristians and whi!h one is it. %nd it "ade "e rethink of "y own refle!tion, of "y own walk with +od. 2 viously, whatever 'esus had !alled us out to e, and his dis!iples, we have a -hristian !ulture where it's our !ulture to !o"e to !hur!h during the weekend and so on, ut where are we fully in our own !o""it"ent as we follow 'esus? &hen you read this ook you reali*e, the Big Four, the !o""it"ent of truly eing a !hur!h, a thriving !hur!h, it shows that in the end, ulti"ately it's a out us and our !o""it"ent with +od. 'ust kind of refle!t. I'" gonna go a!k to what is the ,ig Four. 3ou hear the word the ,ig Four, what is that? It's not the defensive line of the 4itts urgh Steelers in the '56s. 2ne is it's e"powering leadership. Living a life where we are servants to others. &e don't live for ourselves. $hat we !are a out the people around us. $he other, that we are passionate and authenti! spiritually. $hat we are seekers. &e are striving to know +od's word, so"ething that happens a lot when people get i le studies for aptis". $here is this sense that we're going through the tenets of our faith and we study this and then we study that and then we study that and then we graduate and therefore we !an get apti*ed and in our "inds, it's like, are we finished with that? Is that enough? It's not. &e need to !ontinue to seek "ore of +od's will, +od's word.

2ne of the "ore !lassi! e#a"ples is the dis!iples asking, and I prea!hed this efore, the dis!iples see 'esus and asked hi", how do you pray, how do you pray? %nd it see"s like su!h a asi! !on!ept to pray, ut here are these "en who have een following +od all their lives, thinking, we need just the si"plest things we need to e re"inded of or to know "ore, a deeper e#perien!e with +od. $he ne#t thing is !o""itted and a!tive laity. $hat's on you guys. It's on "an. 'ust asi!ally showing your !are and !on!ern for this world, for +od's !hur!h, understanding that you are !alled. 4art of this is going through spiritual gifts. ,asi!ally spiritual gifts are given to you y the Holy Spirit. %nd for you to get the Holy Spirit, ask and you shall re!eive. $o e led y the Holy Spirit, truly and ye shall re!eive and so "y )uestion for all of us is, are we living our lives eing led y the Holy Spirit. $he last one is what we're gonna talk a out today. It's +od e#alting worship. -o"ing to +od, having a presen!e, an e#perien!e with +od. &hat is worship, what is worship? &orship is an a!tive response to +od where y we de!lare his worth, "eans worship. Here's an e#a"ple of the songs here. Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord all the earth Sing to the Lord, praise His na"e, pro!lai" His salvation day after day De!lare His glory a"ong the nations His "arvelous deeds a"ong all people For great is the Lord and "ost worthy of praise He is to e feared a out all gods, for all the gods of the nation are idols ,ut the Lord "ade the heavens, splendor and "ajesty efore hi" Strength and glory are His san!tuary %s!ri e to the Lord all your fa"ilies of nations %s!ri e to the Lord glory and strength %s!ri e to the Lord the glory due to his na"e ,ring an offering and !o"e into His !ourts &orship the Lord in splendor of His holiness $re" le efore Hi" all the earth He is worthy of our worship $he ook talks a out how "ay e so"e people worship "oney, or worship their !hildren, where their !hildren is all to the", or their "oney is all to the". So the )uestion here is, is +od aweso"e, is he truly worthy of our worship? 3ou ask that )uestion and that's a fair )uestion to ask of +od. I don't "ean that like we should just say oh yeah, he's o viously worthy of our worship. He is +od the al"ighty. &e just say that. &e just know that he is +od the al"ighty. &e know that intelle!tually or e"otionally, ut spiritually, is +od truly worthy of your worship. How is he worthy of worship? &hy is he worthy of our worship? Is it just e!ause he is +od and he !reated us or without hi" we wouldn't e alive? $hat's one reason why he is worthy of our worship. &e wouldn't e#ist without hi". 2r do you elieve he is truly leading in your life and guiding you and helping you through all the pro le"s you're having in your life? Is he worthy in that way? He is if you are allowing hi" to e that, ut for so"e of us "ay e we're not truly allowing +od to take !are of the pro le"s that we have, so he is not really worthy of your worship or "y worship, if there are things that are holding you a!k fro" worshiping hi". Do

you hear what I'" saying? 2r again, are there things in our lives that are igger, that fulfill us "ore than +od. 7ay e it's a !ertain addi!tion that we have, or "ay e it's !ertain pleasures that we have or !ertain people in our lives that are just "ore i"portant than +od. $hen he is not worthy of our worship, so we !o"e here all frag"ented and dis!onne!ted and not a le to truly fo!us on worship, e!ause for so"e reason, +od is not worthy for us to just e here and let our hearts and our "inds e !o"pletely i"pressed y the Holy Spirit. &hen we are here in allowing our "inds and our hearts to e !o"pletely i"pressed y the Holy Spirit, then he is truly worthy of our worship. It's on hi" to reveal that to us and it's for us to hu" le ourselves and to a!!ept that. $ruly +od is worthy of our worship, so I ask you right now, is +od worthy of our worship? So that's the )uestion. .ow, in the ook, it talks a out how to !reate worship e#perien!es. &hat are the essential )ualities of our worship e#perien!e? %gain, we talk a out it in the sense of the ig pi!ture. $his is the !hur!h. If the !hur!h is doing this, we're having a worship environ"ent. $he !hallenge for you is to "ake that worship environ"ent personal, a out you. &here do you !o"e in, how do you e#perien!e worship. I'll e#plain in se!ond. First, it's !o"ing to +od, e#perien!ing +od's presen!e. Hopefully, in !hur!h you walk in and you feel the presen!e of +od. $hat is where ulti"ately people are seeking the need that you !o"e in and you're e#perien!ing the presen!e of +od. 3ou sing in praise the "usi!. Do you e#perien!e the presen!e of +od as you're singing the "usi!? $oday 8 one of the songs 8 I !o"pletely !onne!ted to every word that was said there that I was singing. I don't always in every song, ut this one was like, "an, I just so needed these words. I a" worshiping at this e#perien!e. -o"ing here, e#perien!ing the presen!e of +od. 9: ;#perien!ing the gra!e of +od. &e all need forgiveness to e forgiven. 3ou guys "ade any "istakes this week? 4raise +od, +ustavo, why don't you !o"e finish this ser"on. So"e things you "ay have done, or the way you talk to your !hild, or the way you did !ertain things and you're like, I wish I had just never done that. &e are all fallen !reatures, sinful nature. &e all fall short of the glory of +od. &e all need gra!e and worship is !o"ing to a pla!e of gra!e. $he world is !ruel, it's harsh. 7ay e you've got your oss yelling at you all the ti"e or so"e ad things happening to you. 3ou !an !o"e to a pla!e of gra!e. &orship is gra!e. It's !o"ing to the san!tuary and saying I'" safe here and everything I've done, I !an e#perien!e forgiveness. 4raise +od for that and a !hur!h needs to e !o"ing fro" a gra!e< ased worship. .ot judging ea!h other for what they've done. &e need to e inspired with hope. &e have apo!alypti! views of the end of the world and you !ould fo!us on ti"es of trou le where there is gonna e hardships that are great, whi!h prophe!y shows these things will happen, ut in the end we have 'esus !o"ing to take us ho"e where there is no "ore death, there's no "ore "ourning, there's no "ore !rying, there's no "ore suffering. In that we have hope. &e have so"eone who is on their death ed, ut elieving in 'esus they know that they will have eternal life, that there is hope. 3ou have situations in your life that "ay see" insur"ounta le. 3ou !o"e here and hopefully this is the pla!e where no situation is insur"ounta le, e!ause nothing is i"possi le with 'esus and with hi" we are "ore than !on)uerors. $here is hope, there is always hope. So worship is e#perien!ing +od's presen!e. It's e#perien!ing +od's forgiveness and +od's gra!e and it's e#perien!ing hope that no "atter

what situation is, we have so"ething eyond this. &orship is feeling loved y the !o""unity of faith. I have a jo for you to do right now. I want you to look around and give people around you a ig s"ile. .ot a $= s"ile like "ine, like I'" trying to sell you a !ar, ut a s"ile. I want you to look around. 7ay e so"eone that you "ay haven't !onta!ted in "onths or weeks, I want you to just look at the" and eye to eye !onta!t and give a s"ile. &orship is when people !o"e here and they're feeling loved, they're feeling loved. $hey're feeling the war" e" ra!e of the fellowship of elievers that !are a out the". % pla!e where people are eing !ared for. &hen I was 96, living in this !ruel world, feeling like no one really !ared a out "e, I !o"e to this !hur!h. $here were a un!h of strange people just like you guys. 4eople I nor"ally wouldn't hang out with, just like you guys < no, I'" just joking. $hat's was e!ause I was !old, "y heart was !old and I saw people that had love in their hearts and that's what "ade the" strange. $hey rought "e in and I felt the war" e" ra!e. $hat's what !hur!h is. %nd now I'" strange. ;#a!tly( 4raise +od for that. ,e transfor"ed. $he ook talks a out ea!h servi!e having a gospel presentation to it, a !o"ing to 'esus and I've een thinking a out this now. &e have kind of a routine, a kind of e#pe!tation of what we're gonna e#perien!e ea!h Sa ath. &e're gonna get so"e great praise "usi! fro" the praise singers. % really uni)ue, aweso"e !hildren's story. So"e prayer. &e're gonna have a ser"on that's too long or so"ething and then so"eone's gonna ask for "oney. %nd then we're gonna pray and then we're gonna go ho"e. &e have this e#pe!tation. I want to enhan!e this e#pe!tation. I want us to !o"e to a point where we e#pe!t to truly seek 'esus and that there will e a !o""it"ent to 'esus. %ll of us are in different pla!es in our lives and "ay e so"e of you have never given your life to 'esus. 7ay e so"eone here says, hey, I've never given "y life to 'esus. I've een !o"ing here or een around -hristianity for a long ti"e, ut I've never truly given "y heart to 'esus and if you are that person, there is no greater ti"e than the present. $his is your ti"e to give your life to 'esus and if there's anyone here that fits that, I would like to raise your hand. $hat have never given your life to 'esus. How a out you, the person that says, "an, I have gone to !hur!h all "y life or I went away fro" !hur!h, I live a life or sin. ;ven though people around "e "ay not know it, ut I a" struggling with "y faith in su!h a "ajor way, I don't know if I !ontinue any"ore and I need 'esus in "y heart. I knew hi" in the past, ut I think I have forgotten who he is. I need hi" a!k in "y life. If there's anyone here that feels that way, raise your hand. +od less you guys. %nd if there's anyone here that's like yeah, I've a steady e#perien!e with "y faith and I'" a good !hur!h<going Seventh<Day %dventist, ut I need a deeper e#perien!e with 'esus, "y e#perien!e is not deep enough. $he world has !hanged "e "ore than "y faith, than "y +od has. If you fit that, just raise your hand. I'" going to pray with you right now. $his isn't !losing prayer, ut I'" just gonna pray with you right now. Dear heavenly Father, I just pray for ea!h person that raise their hands fro" one way or another. I pray Father for those that feel like they've just een away fro" their walk with you, ut they've gone astray and they need you desperately in their lives right now. %nd

those that raised their hands, I pray for a lessed assuran!e to know that you are here, and you are with the" and they !an fully hold on to you. Help the" to have faith to know that you love the" and that you forgive the" of all the things that they've done and that you open your hearts and your ar"s wide. ;" ra!e the" a!k into this !o""unity and to you. %nd for others who just kind of go through the "otions, who do what is asked of the" to do, who Father, need a deeper e#perien!e, those that raised their hands, I pray Father that you e with the" that they e#perien!e a deeper power in their lives, that they understand that on their own, they're truly nothing, ut truly with the Holy Spirit, !apa le of e#perien!ing so "u!h "ore. $hat just the sa"e old, sa"e old, is not enough any"ore. &e need so"ething deeper. %nd Lord as you say, ask and ye shall re!eive, "ay they re!eive that right now. &e pray these things in 'esus' na"e. %"en. $he ne#t one is a !hallenge to serve. ;a!h worship e#perien!e should e life !hanging. Do you know that? 3our e#pe!tation of worship should e life !hanging. $hat it !o"pels you to e a etter person when it's all said and done, or it !o"pels you to serve +od and serve hu"anity in a deeper way, when it's all said and done. %nd then 5 < &orship should e a pla!e where we appre!iate the effort that people have done to e#perien!e worship> where we are en!ouraged whatever we do. &hen we give our lives to +od we give our est at what we do. % !hur!h that re!ogni*es that we're not here every Saturday just to do so"ething, we're here to worship +od al"ighty. %nd what that "eans? &e do it with all our hearts, all our "inds. $hese are the essential )ualities of +od's worship. $he last part of this is 'ohn 0?9@, 9A? 3et a ti"e is !o"ing and has now !o"e when the worshiper will worshiper the Father in spirit and in truth for they are the kind of worshipers that the Father seeks. +od is spirit and his worshipers "ust worship in spirit and in truth. $he part I want to fo!us on is, yet a ti"e is !o"ing and has now !o"e when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit. I should do this efore, ut i"agine ourselves in heaven and what does that worship look like. &hat does it "ean to e with +od, to dwell with hi", to sing to hi", to pray, to hear his voi!e? &hat is that like? &e are striving to e in heaven, so everything we do should e to strive for what it's like in heaven. Like our !hara!ter, the way we live our lives. 2ur !hara!ter is !hanging as we e#perien!e new understandings of who he is. 2ur !hara!ter is eing !hanged striving to e like it will e in heaven. 2ur worship too. ;verything we do, we should strive as if we were doing this in heaven. 3et a ti"e is !o"ing and has now !o"e that true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. &e !o"e to worship in spirit and truth. +od is spirit and worshipers "ust worship in spirit and in truth. 4raise +od. &orship is so essential. &e "ake it this BB o'!lo!k !hur!h e#perien!e. &e've got to go to !hur!h, ut this is the "ost i"portant thing we !an ever e doing, is !o"ing here and worship. It's life !hanging and our e#pe!tations need to fit that. 3ou've ever heard that !hur!h is oring? I don't get anything fro" the prea!her. 4eople around "e, they look at "e and they judge "e, whatever. It's not that i"portant to "e. I !an worship +od in "y ho"e. .o( It's essential for us all and pro a ly it hasn't een essential for us all and pro a ly it hasn't een essential for us all e!ause we haven't really understood why and what it's really all a out.

&here do we go fro" here? &e've gone through this entire ook and it has this ending !hapter of what now? &here do we go fro" here? %nd it has ten steps of what you !an do to "ake sure your !hur!h e!o"es a thriving !o""unity and I a" going to si"plify it ased on three things. 2ne is, we need to love +od with all our hearts. +od's people need to love +o with all their hearts. $hat's step one. Step 9, we need to love our !hur!h. Love +od's !hur!h. % lot of people have real issues for so"e reason a out a !hur!h and that's e!ause they're looking at it through the eyes of hu"anity. ,ut it's +od's !hur!h. +od loves his !hur!h and for that alone, we !an see the need to love his !hur!h. Love this !hur!h and the !o""it"ent and everything else will follow. .u" er three, love +od's people, +od's !hildren. It's not just the people here in this roo". ;veryone is +od's !hildren. $he devil worshiper around the !orner, or anyone in the street is +od's people. If we follow those three things, we will thrive as +od's !o""unity. Let us pray.

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