WEBVTT 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:14.880 Mark chapter 14, verse number four says, And there were some that had indignation within themselves and said, Why was this waste of ointment made? 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:16.800 Why was this wasted? 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:21.039 And today I want to preach to you for a few minutes, worship is never wasted. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:33.200 In the name of Jesus, let your work be done. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:35.280 Everybody say amen. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:36.799 You may be seated. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:42.799 I think we can all agree that God does so much more than we recognize. 00:00:43.119 --> 00:01:14.959 And one of the joys of studying the scriptures is, you know, we get to look back and we see how many of the pieces of scripture fit together, where God somehow takes uh the numerous little details and coincidences and all the things that we might we might think were happened by accident, and somehow God weaves those together and and they and they follow the path of the scripture and and and follow the prophecies, follow the promises, follow the principles of the scripture. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:26.799 And when we look back on our lives, we can also see that God has directed our steps and positioned us in the place where God wants us to be, uh oftentimes without us even being aware of that. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:35.359 So I think we can all agree that God does a lot of things we don't really understand or see going on in our lives. 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:40.480 In Mark chapter 14, a familiar verse of scripture or passage of scripture to you. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:51.519 Uh, I'm not going to read the whole passage beginning at verse number one, but I want to just kind of jump down a little bit and start with a story that I want to talk about for just a moment this morning. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:02:12.400 And so the Jesus and others had gathered together, and they were in Bethany, the house of Simon the leper, and he were having a meal together, and the Bible says, There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spike and very precious, and she broke the box and poured it on Jesus' head. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:17.840 And there were some in the crowd that had indignation, King James. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:27.520 They got angry, they got upset, they were bothered within themselves, and they said, Why was this waste of ointment made? 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.719 Why was this expensive ointment made? 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:35.680 For it could have been sold for more than 300 pence and given to the poor. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:42.159 And they, again, another wonderful King James word I like, and they murmured against her. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.280 They murmured against her, I'm sure you've never murmured. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:49.759 But your children probably did when you told them to do something they didn't want to do. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:50.879 Murmured. 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:58.240 They were grumbling sort of under their breath and not really expressing it loud to everybody, but there was this sort of turmoil going on. 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.960 Why was all of this wasted? 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:04.000 That woman came with a heart of worship. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:08.000 She came with an appreciation to Jesus. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:22.319 And she took this opportunity to make this beautiful expression, and others saw the expression, and they spoke about the waste of the expensive perfumed oil that was poured upon Jesus. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:34.879 But the woman with all the extravagance that she could muster and bring together, she poured out her praise, her worship, her honor to Jesus by pouring this oil upon him. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:38.000 And what a beautiful scene of worship. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:39.439 Amen. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:49.039 And the people that were there, I will say this, the people that were there and murmuring, they did not understand that the extravagance of the gift was part of the gift. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:52.719 That it was over the top was part of the gift. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.759 That it was expensive was part of the gift. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:02.639 She intended to give something valuable in worship to Jesus in this moment. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:10.319 And Jesus responded to the critics and said, Let her alone, why trouble her? 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:13.759 For she has wrought a good work on me. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:23.439 You have the poor with you always, and whensoever you will do good to them, uh, and whensoever you may do good to them, but me you have not always. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:31.759 And she has done that which she could, and came aforehand to anoint my body for bearing. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:37.839 What I want you to notice here, what I want you to see here, is the woman came with a heart of worship. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:45.360 She came to worship Jesus, she came to offer her gift, and she came in sincere worship. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.079 She in her mind was just worshiping Jesus. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:53.040 She in her heart was just worshiping Jesus. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:02.560 But when the murmurers started complaining, then Jesus revealed something that no one else knew, not even the woman who was worshiping. 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:06.240 He revealed something that nobody else in the room understood. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.279 Nobody else could fathom, nobody else could see. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:24.079 He revealed something in that moment that was powerful, that even the worshiper had no idea what was happening when he said, She has done something good because she has anointed me for my burial. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:27.279 I doubt they understood it even in the moment. 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:30.720 I doubt they comprehended it even in the moment. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.680 But worship is never wasted. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:41.040 She had done a spiritual work of preparation for Jesus. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:52.000 Now it's important for you to know that the anointing of the body, the anointing of a body of someone who had recently died, was considered an act of honor, respect, compassion. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.480 It was a big deal in their culture. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:06:05.839 And uh and and and there were some practical reasons for it, but the main purpose was to clean, perfume the body, and then to carefully wrap it in preparation for burial. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:14.319 Now you may recall maybe an interesting side uh note, in case it's not, I don't think it's really a side note, but I'm gonna throw it in here as if it is. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.600 Uh, a little note about what happened to Jesus. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:29.600 You may recall that Jesus was crucified and it was a high Sabbath, and so they had to put him in the tomb quickly, and so they just wrapped his body and put him in the tomb. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:34.240 They didn't do the normal process because they didn't have enough time to do it. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:43.279 So he didn't get that normal anointing that most bodies received when they died. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:50.399 But we read we read on the third day that the ladies came. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.920 The women were coming to the tomb, and why were they coming? 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:58.480 They were coming to anoint his body, they were coming to do this process. 00:06:58.639 --> 00:06:59.759 It was important to do. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:08.000 They were coming to do it, not remembering and not recognizing that Jesus' body had already been anointed. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:22.639 His body was anointed alive, not dead, because he wasn't gonna stay in that grave, he wasn't gonna stay buried there, he didn't need some perfume to cover up the stench of decaying flesh, because he wasn't gonna stay in the grave to begin with. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:32.879 And they had no idea what was happening, but God saw even when this woman uh was in this place of worship, God saw what she was doing. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:40.959 Again, I don't have time to spend any more time on the lady herself, but just to know that worship is never wasted. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.680 Let me talk about worship for just a moment. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:50.879 I feel like I need to take the time for this because not everyone really understands what we're talking about when we're talking about worship. 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.839 So let me just tell you a couple of things, three things about worship. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.360 First of all, worship is a gift from the worshiper. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:04.639 Hebrews 13, 15 says, By him therefore let us offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually. 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.000 That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:12.240 And that word sacrifice doesn't mean sacrifice like it does in modern English. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:23.600 It's not talking about being burdensome, it's not talking about being difficult, it's not talking about being hard in some way, but in the sense of bringing a gift. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.959 They would have understood this in the context of their worship. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:31.279 That when they came to worship, they always brought a gift to worship. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:37.200 They always brought a sacrifice of an animal, they always brought some kind of gift, big or small. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.600 They never came to worship empty-handed. 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:42.639 They always brought something to worship. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:49.039 And so the the imagery sometimes we lose because our modern English has a little different language to it. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:54.000 Yes, you do give something in worship, but it's not burdensome and it's difficult. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:09:00.080 You're giving it out of love, out of out of appreciation, out of respect, out of honor. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:05.120 And so when we when we come to worship, it's our gift to God. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:12.559 You know, we don't wrap them up and put bows on them and all the stuff like we do in our culture, but we give our gift to God. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:15.919 And even this scripture said, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to God. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:21.840 It's actually our voices giving praise to God, giving thanksgiving to God. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.720 That's when we're giving that worship to the Lord. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:33.440 Another important thing to understand is that worship comes from the heart of the individual. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:43.279 Worship may be done in a crowd and with a crowd, but worship is in the heart of the individual. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:46.080 It must come from the individual. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:50.159 You can be in a crowd that's worshiping and never worship. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:55.440 You can sing with a crowd that's singing praise and never praise God. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:02.960 Because it's not the crowd that praises God, it's not the crowd that worships God, it's the individuals that worship God. 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.440 Worship is an individual thing, it's got to come from your heart. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:13.360 Now, I've heard good Pentecostal people and I've heard it said, oh, I'm just blessed by their worship. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:17.360 Well, thank you, and that's nice of you, but that doesn't replace your worship. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.879 Every one of us individually give our worship to God. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.720 It comes from the individual heart as we worship God. 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:37.279 And even in the in the uh instructions about the uh the end where they're gathered around the throne worshiping God, it's coming from individuals that are worshiping God. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:44.960 It's the thousands that are there, but it's not just a crowd thing, it's individuals worshiping and magnifying the Lord. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:51.759 The third thing I want to say to you about worship is that worship requires expression. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:11:00.799 The expression of worship may vary depending on the person and the circumstances, but there must be an expression. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:04.960 There must be some expression of it. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:24.399 It may be loud in excitement, it may be quiet in reverence, it may be emotionally moving, it may be less emotional moving, it may be planned and orchestrated, or it may be impromptu and spontaneous, but it requires something to express. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:30.799 It requires some way to express it, to get it out, to put it forward, to say it. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:36.559 Something has to happen for us to worship God. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:38.879 There has to be some kind of action. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:40.879 There has to be some kind of action. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:47.200 If you sit there with no action and nothing's happening and you're not thanking God and you're not praising God, you're not worshiping God. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:54.320 I don't care how sacred you feel the moment is, you're not worshiping until you do something to express that worship. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.840 You need to do something to express it, to say it. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:04.080 Now I realize that we're all different, and so we do that in different ways, but we all have to make an expression. 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.039 So I want to make it clear. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:16.799 We don't worship to manipulate God or to try to flatter God into giving us something or showing us some kind of favor in our lives. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:23.679 It is our free gift to God in appreciation and love and submission and honor to God. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.039 It's our free gift to God that we give to God freely. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:37.919 But that being said, the Bible makes it clear that when we respond in worship, God responds, often in ways we don't see. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:49.279 And like the woman with the alabaster box, your worship is accomplishing more than you know, more than you can see, more than you will understand, and more than you will ever understand. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:55.200 Your worship is doing something greater than you can fathom as God is working through you. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:59.039 You see the moment, but God sees the mission He's trying to accomplish. 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:02.000 You see the act, but God sees the outcome. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:08.960 You see the perfume, but God sees the prophecy and the work that's being done in the perfume. 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:12.559 Worship is never wasted. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:15.840 Worship is never small. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.440 Worship is never unnoticed by God. 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:25.840 Worship works behind the scenes. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:29.279 And there are so many examples of it. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:33.120 I'm I'm struggling of which ones to share with you today. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.799 Because I don't have time to go through all that are on my list. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:40.720 But I will share one that you are very familiar with. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.440 Many of you at least, in Acts chapter 16. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:52.799 Paul and Silas were apprehended and they were beaten. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:59.519 And the Bible says, when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison and charged the jailer to keep them safely. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:11.840 Who, the jailer, having received such a charge, his best plan was to thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast or secured in stocks. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:20.240 But the Bible says, and at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:29.360 At midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and to praise and to sing and to worship God. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:32.320 They didn't worship God because they knew what would happen. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.639 I know you theologians that know the rest of the verses, you know what else happened. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:39.840 They didn't go expecting an earthquake. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.080 They went praising God. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:44.240 They went worshiping God. 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:48.799 They weren't demanding God to do something, they weren't leveraging God to do something. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.399 They just were in this moment and they said, What else do we do? 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:54.000 Well, let's just worship God. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:15:02.399 And they began to pray and they began to praise, they began to sing, and and and they weren't intimidated. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:12.559 They weren't bothered by everybody else because the Bible says the other prisoners were hearing them as they praise God, as they worship God. 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:15.919 They're in the middle of the prison, they're in the most secure place. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:17.039 They're in the middle of everything. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:18.720 All the other prisoners are around them. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:22.240 They know that the most secure place is in the middle of the prison. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:23.919 And here's the worst criminals. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:33.440 They're in the middle of the prison and they're praising God and they're worshiping God and they're singing to the Lord and they're just honoring God and giving praise to God. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:40.879 And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:44.000 But worship is never wasted. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:54.720 And so what happened was the Bible says, and suddenly there was a great earthquake. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:58.559 So that the foundations of the prison were shaken. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:04.799 And suddenly, that's like a lot of other suddenlies in the scripture. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:09.200 Suddenly you saw it, but God's been working already behind the scenes. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:14.080 Suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the foundation of the prison. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:17.440 I don't know if it shook anywhere else, but it shook the prison. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:24.240 Now you can shake the prison all day long, but that doesn't unlock the lock. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:32.799 The prison can tumble down, break apart, fall to pieces. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:39.360 Maybe a door is open because of that, but that doesn't unlock the bonds that's strapped to your, that your legs are strapped to. 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.320 It doesn't insert the key and unlock the lock. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:57.840 But something happened when God caused the earthquake to happen that they were completely loosed from the locks and the chains and the doors swung open, not just for them, but everybody in the entire prison was able to go free. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:01.360 Everybody in the entire prison had an open door. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:08.960 And the jailer, knowing that he was in trouble, was ready to commit suicide. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:15.200 And the reason why he was ready to commit suicide, because they're going to execute him for losing prisoners. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.839 Not only was he going to be ashamed, but they're going to execute him. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:20.960 That's what happens. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:40.240 But Paul and Silas witnessed to him and talked to him, and because of what God had done, not only did they experience this great miracle, but the jailer himself was saved on that night. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.440 He believed and was baptized. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:46.480 I mean, it wasn't just a two-minute sort of, no, no. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.359 I mean, they went through the process, they baptized him. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:56.079 All the prisoners are so engaged with what had happened and what was going on in Paul and Silas, they didn't even try to leave. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.319 They're all in the courtyard of the prison having church. 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:13.039 Because Paul and Silas decided that even though the situation is dire and even though it's midnight, we can still praise God, and your worship is never wasted. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:18.799 It'll shake prisons, it'll open doors, it will loose chains, it will save a jailer. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:23.839 And when it's all said and done, a church was planted in Philippi because of it. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:39.759 Your worship in dark moments may shake the foundations of the things that are holding you captive and break the chains of the things that you don't even know existed, and open opportunities for others to receive what God wants to give them. 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:47.599 In 2 Chronicles chapter number 5, the Bible tells a story about the temple being dedicated. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:51.920 They had a great celebration to open the doors of the temple. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:55.920 And they gathered together and they sang and they worshiped God. 00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:00.319 And as they sang and worshiped God, if you read the story, there's a great move of God. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:02.160 A cloud fills the house. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:10.640 The glory of God comes down and fills the house so much that the priests that were offering sacrifices couldn't even offer the sacrifices anymore. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:13.839 The worship was so strong the preachers couldn't preach. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:18.559 The worship was so great that it stopped everything else going on. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:26.720 And established that this was God's place to meet with his people because they worshiped him and they honored him. 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:33.599 They thought they were just singing, dedicating a temple, going through the traditional things, but worship is never wasted. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:43.279 And God's visible glory filled the house and it became a spiritual place that God met with them and God ministered to them and established a heritage for them. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:47.039 When you worship God, let me tell you, it establishes a heritage. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:55.039 It established a place to meet God, it establishes a way that you can interact with God and experience the power of God. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:06.559 John chapter 6 tells us about a young man who came and he had five barley loaves and two fishes. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:13.279 And he gave what he had to Jesus in expecting to lose his lunch. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:17.599 But you know the story. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.640 When you give something to Jesus, it's never wasted. 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:24.559 When you give your gift to Jesus, it's never lost. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.880 He knows how to take it in his hands and do what only he can do. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:32.799 And the boy was without a lunch temporarily. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.319 Temporarily, he was without a lunch. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:43.119 But Jesus took his lunch and fed the 5,000 because worship is never wasted. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.960 Jesus multiplied it. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:53.039 He multiplied the lunch, he fed the 5,000, and there were 12 baskets full for the young man to take home with him, or whoever took it home with him. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:57.680 We don't really know, but there were 12 baskets left when it was all said and done. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.480 You think that little boy knew any of that? 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:03.519 No, he just gave his lunch to Jesus. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:11.920 He just gave his gift, he just offered his gift of his lunch, of what he had, simple as it is. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:13.839 That's what happens when we worship. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.000 We don't necessarily know what's happening. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:22.559 We just give our gift to God and God multiplies it in his hands because that worship is never wasted. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.319 And let me tell you, Jesus did more than feed 5,000 that day. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.240 Jesus revealed to them who he was and the power that he had. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:33.839 They got a revelation of Jesus that they hadn't had before. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:45.759 It wasn't just a miracle for one or a healing for one, but it was a feeding of 5,000 with so many baskets left over, 12 for so many other families that may have needed it. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:52.960 God provided for them because somebody gave something in worship, and worship is never wasted. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.759 Cornelius, the Bible says in Acts chapter 10, was a devout man. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.759 He feared God with all of his house, and he gave much alms to the people, and he prayed to God always. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:06.960 This is his story. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:08.240 This is what he's done. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.559 He's consistently pursuing God. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.880 He's consistently seeking after God. 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:16.319 He's he's he he just wants more of God. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.079 His heart is open to God. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:24.720 And to him, he just thought he was honoring God and giving God what he could in his gifts of worship. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:26.559 But worship is never wasted. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.640 And something happened as he did that. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:30.640 It began to build a memorial to God. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:46.160 It began to stir something and move something that Cornelius could not see and he could not understand and could not fathom until one day an angel appeared to Cornelius and said, You need to go get Peter so you'll know what to do. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:56.559 And so he sent his servants to Peter's house, and Peter came and preached the gospel to him. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:06.240 And when Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius in his house, while Peter was preaching, they received the Holy Ghost, and afterwards they were baptized in the name of Jesus. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:13.039 And that is fantastic and that is powerful that that happened in Cornelius' life and Cornelius' family. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:17.200 I want to tell you, your worship is never lost, it's never wasted. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:18.880 You just keep worshiping God. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:27.440 You're building a memorial in your house, you're building a place in your house, a place in your family, a place where God can meet with them and God can do miracles. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:47.839 But it wasn't just Cornelius and his household that was saved that day, but a whole new door opened for what God wanted to do through the household of Cornelius because the entire Gentiles was welcomed in through the door that was open because somebody said, I'm gonna worship God, every day I'm gonna give to God, every day I'm gonna pray and seek God. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:24:05.839 His worship was not wasted, his worship was not just spent and gone, but God was doing something miraculous, and his private worship changed the entire trajectory of Christians around the world, and God produced something eternal. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:11.680 And the stories are too numerous, the stories are too much to tell today. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:15.519 But I just want to remind you today that your worship is never wasted. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:18.079 Your heart is filled with love. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:27.440 You come, you bow at the feet of Jesus, you pour out that sweet aroma of praise and worship to him, and you're giving your heart to him and worship. 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:32.000 And in that moment, it's just you and him, and you're worshiping him. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:35.039 But let me tell you, it's a lot more than you and him. 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.440 There's something else happening you don't see. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:40.160 There's something else he's doing when you don't fathom it. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:42.880 There's something else you can't comprehend that he's doing. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:48.799 While you're pouring out your oil of worship, he's doing something great and powerful in your life. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:51.519 Don't ever miss the opportunity to worship. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:54.079 Don't ever miss the opportunity to praise God. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:59.200 Don't ever miss the opportunity to give your heart to God and honor and praise to him. 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:05.039 Because in those moments, God is doing something that you cannot see and you cannot know today. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:10.160 But God is doing something powerful in your life and in the lives of others. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:17.359 While the enemy may be threatening and the situation may look dire, and you may be bound up in the middle of your situation. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:27.759 Begin to sing and to praise God even when it's midnight hour, and God can set you free, and God can set the people around you free, and God can work in the lives of those around you. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:34.400 Enter and to his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:38.079 Be thankful unto him and bless his name. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:45.599 You never know what door will open when you will come in the door with worship and honor and praise to God. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:56.079 You never know what God is doing and the door he will open in your life and the way he will make in your life, and the infilling of his spirit, his power and anointing. 00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:01.279 If you will come in the door with worship and praise and honor to him. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:12.000 Your small gift may seem like it's not much, but when it's worship, it's never wasted, it's never lost, it's never forgotten. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:21.279 It becomes a memorial to God and a reminder of your love and your passion and your appreciation for what God has done in your life. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:30.160 So keep on worshiping, keep on worshiping, keep on building that memorial to God, keep on magnifying the Lord. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:49.519 You never know what God is doing, you never know what God is doing in your family, you never know how God is talking to your neighbor, your friend, your coworker, because you kept on worshiping and you kept on magnifying the Lord and you kept on giving praise to Him, and God kept working even when you couldn't see it. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:27:02.400 And you've already worshiped today, but I'm just inviting you to understand the power of the worship that you've been giving to God and the gift that you've been giving. 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:06.160 We don't do it to get the gift, we do it because we love God. 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:12.799 But when we offer our praise and honor to God, there's something glorious and powerful that happens. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.599 Would you stand with me? 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:18.160 I gotta get you standing so I can stop. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:24.640 I just don't. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:33.200 I know I've I've been around church all my life, but I just can't quite understand when somebody refuses to worship God. 00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:41.440 I just can't quite understand that. 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:46.400 I can understand when you don't understand, I can understand when people don't know why. 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:48.720 I can understand when people don't know how. 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:57.279 I can understand all those things, but I can't quite understand when people refuse to worship God. 00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:00.799 And quite frankly, I don't want to understand it. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:04.240 I don't want to condemn anybody. 00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:09.119 I don't want to, you know, shoot them and say you're terrible and horrible and you know, shoot them down. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:10.640 I I'm not saying that today. 00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:19.759 What I'm saying is I can understand when God's been so good to us, why we can't just open our hearts and worship God and magnify God. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:24.400 When God has blessed us so much of any place here in America, God has blessed us so much. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:33.920 We should be able to see the blessings and see the love that God has shown to us, see the praise that's due to his name for his blessings in our lives. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:41.759 Oh, we all have our human difficulties, we all have our challenges, but something happens when we begin to worship God with all of our heart. 00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:49.200 It's more than just us worshiping God, but God works in our lives in miraculous ways and powerful ways. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:54.559 He fills us, he ministers to us, he touches us. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:57.920 And I just want to give you a moment today before you leave this house. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:02.079 I want to give you a moment one more time just to offer a worship to the Lord. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:06.079 Offer a thanksgiving to God, offer a praise to God.