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Worship or Worry?
by Rod Cooper
Text: Psalm 95
Topic: How to defeat worry with worship.
Big Idea: We Instead of worrying about our circumstances, God wants us to worship him for his faithfulness.
Keywords: Assurance; Attitudes; Circumstances and faith; Creator; Dependence on God; Faithfulness, divine; Fear; Help from God; God, faithfulness of; God, trustworthiness of; Hope; Joshua; Moses; Perspective; Presence of God; Promises; Security in God; Thankfulness; Trials; Trust; Victorious living; Worry; Worship
Introduction:
- There's an old Greek proverb that says, "The bow that is always bent will soon break."
- People are worried today.
- Illustration: Cooper recounts how he looked haunted houses as a child, and how being in haunted houses made him cautious, concerned, and worried.
- Many people are living their lives as if they've in a haunted house; every step is one of caution, concern, and worry.
- Psalm 95 offers a formula for dealing with worry.
God is in control.
- To avoid worry, we must have the proper focus, and focus comes through worship.
- We should "come before God with a ringing shout."
- Illustration: Just as sports fans celebrate wildly when their teams succeed, so should Christians worship God joyfully, because he is always victorious.
- We should worship and not worry is because God is in control.
- God knows every facet of his creation.
- Illustration: Cooper offers some staggering scientific statistics concerning the size of the universe to illustrated God's power in creation.
We are the sheep of the Great Shepherd.
- We are the sheep of the Great Shepherd.
- Just as God made the universe, he meticulously crafted each human being.
- Illustration: Cooper describes the intricate details of the human body.
- We are the people of God's pasture.
- The pasture is symbolic of provision.
- We are the sheep of his hand.
- The hand is the symbol for protection and guidance.
- Illustration: Cooper tells a childhood story about picking up a baby pig on his family farm; when the piglet squealed, several female pigs rushed to help it.
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- The heavenly Father is sensitive to the cries of his children.
God is saddened by our worry
- God is saddened when his children worry.
- The psalmist reminds the Hebrews of a time their ancestors failed to listen to God and he refused to give them rest.
- God wants his children to believe that he'll do what he promises.
- Exodus 17:7
- If we focus on our problems, we will wonder if God is doing anything at all.
- Illustration: The story of Israel's trust in Joshua 5 illustrates how God provides when his children act in faith.
Conclusion
- We can focus on the problem or the Problem Solver.
- Illustration: Cooper asks a dad, who is tossing his child up in the air and catching him, why the child remains so relaxed although he is out of control. The father says it's because they have a history: "We've played this game before, and I've never dropped him."
- God has never dropped you before, and he won't drop you now.
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