'Finding GOD in your iPod' - iWorship

This artist’s name is Matisyahu. Matt is the one who introduced me to this guy, he said, “Have you heard all the underground buzz, it’s like this jewish orthodox reggae rap, have you heard of it?” I was like, “ofcourse, I’m always on the cutting edge of jewish orthodox reggae rap, c’mon”
No - I’ve never heard of him.
We started listening to it in the car and basically what this guy has done is he’s gone back to the Torah w/ this reggae fusion rap thing w/ these phat rhymes - it began underground,
but when CD hit - it broke out on the charts and soared to 4.
then live CD moved to 36.
Pretty interesting life story - He grew up in white plains, NY - parents sent him to Hebrew school - he didn’t like it - caused problems - almost kicked out - he went beyond the typical teenage rebellion stage - started experimenting in different ways.
Thru all this he said he felt a void in life - so he went to Colorado on a life quest, so to speak - it was there and that time when he came to realization that there is a God.
He began to explore his roots - went to Israel - once back in US he met a Rabbi who spoke into his life and that’s where he (Matthew Miller) became ‘Matisyahu’ - which is basically the Yiddish pronounciation of Matthew - he is fully devoted in the Jewish orthodox lifestyle and is all over the billboard charts.

“All of my songs are influenced and inspired by the teachings that
inspire me. I want my music to have meaning, to be able to touch
people and make them think…Breaking out of slavery is definitely
a theme in my music: You're a slave to yourself and you don't even
know…I think this is a concept many people don't recognize. We
think of slavery as someone else enslaving us, but in truth, we are
often the ones enslaving ourselves. We are so busy being influenced
by money, by society, by external pressures, that our true identity
and abilities can be hidden.” - Matisyahu, Interview at Chabad.org

check out some of these lyrics:
Chorus:
What's this feeling?
My love will rip a hole in the ceiling
Givin' myself to you from the essence of my being
Sing to my God all these songs of love and healing
I Want Moshiach (messiah) now so it's time we start revealing
You're all that I have and you're all that I need
Each and every day I pray to get to know you please
I want to be close to you, yes I'm so hungry
You're like water for my soul when it gets thirsty
Without you there's no me
You're the air that I breathe …
Said, thank you to my God, now I finally got it right
And I'll fight with all of my heart, and all a' my soul, and all a' my might
Bridge:
Me no want no sinsemilla.(don’t know what that is, that’s probably a good thing - it’s a highly potent kind of pot)
That would only bring me down
Burn away my brain no way my brain is to compound
Torah food for my brain let it rain till I drown
Thunder!
Let the blessings come down
Strip away the layers and reveal your soul
Got to give yourself up and then you become whole

So what’s this about - it’s about getting your eyes off yourself and focusing on something or someone bigger than you.
To attach my life to a higher level of meaning and value.
To sum up this song in one word it would be iWorship.

Now I know when i say the word worship and you saw when you came in that today is about worship - immediately our thoughts go to this churchified mindset, primarily religious connotations. I wonder what’s the 1st word that pops into your mind?
Tendency to lean towards formal religious kind of stuff - singing, prayer, church service... maybe something like this
(video - Mr. Bean goes to church)

Some people quite comfortable w/ that - they understand it, grew up in it
For others it’s a very Mr. Bean type scenario that’s foreign and uncomfortable and maybe disconnect. Worship, “That’s not me, that’s not about everyday life, it’s maybe something I can squeeze in an hour on the weekend.”

What I’m not going to talk about is adding more spiritual activity -
ultimately I don’t believe that’s the primary goal of worship.
Singing and prayer and other activities are an important component of worship but it’s a very small portion of it - Worship is much more than religious or spiritual activities.
You see worship can include a vast # of act. you’re already doing day after day -

Worship all depends on mindset and heart attitude.
Instead of defining it as activity, what if worship meant being a better employee, boss, spouse, parent, friend, butcher, baker, candlestick maker - what if worship meant everything we do, even the mundane, mow the lawn, do the laundry,
answer email, meet deadlines.
What would happen if worship could enter into my everyday life and change my life?
Worship is way of Life

Now worship is primarily for God and we give it to God, not to get anything back, but b/c He is worthy and b/c God is sooo good and in that it changes us. Thru worship our hearts are filled w/ joy, we become grateful for what we have, we become more confident b/c we are loved just as we are and assured of that. In worship I remember I am not alone, God is w/ me and that creates new levels of peace, comfort and security. I am humbled in God’s greatness, I realize it’s not all about me - remember, I’m not talking about just singing here, it’s a way of life - here’s what i noticed - when I don’t worship I get attitude problems, I become anxious about tomorrow and other stuff, I envy other people and what they have, I get this sense of entitlement that destroys gratitude and I think you get the picture - you see we were made to worship - it’s like Matisyahu said, “it’s like water to my soul, like the air that I breath” and it’s alot bigger than maybe we thought it was.
We’re going to unpack 1 scripture that’s really going expand the traditional mindset we have of worship - Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, (like Matisyahu said, got to give yourself up to make you whole) holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.”
I love the Message tranalation - “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life
and place it before God as an offering. Romans 12:1 (MSG)
That is worship.
That tells me worship is a way of life, it means I get up in the morning, worship is when I eat breakfast, and going to work, laughing w/ friends, playing w/ my kids, and dealing w/ difficult situations, it’s way of life. (gona come back to that)
That’s the summary of what Paul is saying in Romans 12:1
Now he breaks it down w/ 2 ideas - here’s the 1st one

He says, “in view of God’s mercy”
Worship is a new perspective I view life from

If I could describe worship w/ 1 word it would be perspective.
We all know perspective can change everything.
I have a letter here from a young college girl writing to her parents: Dear Mom and Dad,
Just thought I'd drop you a note to clue you in on my plans. I've fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He quit high school after grade eleven to get married. About a year ago he got a divorce.
We've been going steady for two months and plan to get married in the fall. Until then, I've decided to move into his apartment (I think I might be pregnant).
At any rate, I dropped out of school last week, although I'd like to finish college sometime in the future.
Your loving daughter
P.S. Mom and Dad, I just want you to know that everything I've written so far in this letter is false. NONE of it is true. But,
I did flunk Chemistry - I just wanted you to keep it in
perspective.

Perspective can change everything.
Perspective changes the way we see something, when we see something differently it profoundly changes the way we react to it. (like glasses - w/out blurry, w/ clear)
We have all seen people face very similar circumstances that were difficult and one person got bitter about it while
another got better.
One person, “I’m the victim, everything’s going wrong, and nothing is good”, yet the other found a way to find hope in it.
To find opportunity in the challenge. What’s the difference -
Perspective
Worship is a new Perspective
Jesus didn’t come to give us a new religion, He came to create in us a new perspective, He said, “If you live according to my teachings, it’s like having a house that’s built on a firm foundation and it will withstand the storms.”
He helped change our perspective - that there is a loving
Father who longs to be w/ you - a relationship w/ you.
How does this happen? this new perspective -
“I have set the Lord continually before me.” - Psalm 16:8

That’s profound, that’s the goal. that’s the perspective of worship. That doesn’t mean I sit in lotus position all day chanting scripture and hymns.
It means thru all the activities of my day, I try to develop this way of bringing my mind back to God’s goodness, greatness, faithfulness - I become aware again and mindful again on purpose. (God compass)
Some may say, no way, can’t do it - we do it all the time - phone conversation w/ one person yet simultaneously you’re
thinking about another convo. or...
you walk in home from work, play w/ kids, yet not really there b/c mind is thinking about project needs to be done at work.
or... at work typing on computer, but not there, thinking about lunch.

We do this all the time, kinda 2 places at once. So instead of drifting, instead of wandering mindlessly into another place - like ever read a page or article get to bottom and not know what just read - ever sit in a room listening to someone speak then realize later you have no idea what they were saying, are you doing that now?
it’s like auto pilot, just drift - this mindlessness is totally fatal to my experience w/ God. find myself stressed, fatigued, tense
We are can purposely draw ourselves back to God. To keep Him continually b4 us - it’s a lifestyle of worship, we live and act and work and play from this God perspective. (ask Holy Spirit to keep us aligned)
Discussion Questions:
• Which part of the day do you find the hardest to share with God?
• What is one thing you can do to be intentional about keeping the flow of thoughts upward during that part of the day?

“in view of God’s mercy” getting a new view, perspective

“Take your everyday, ordinary life … and place it before God
as an offering.”
Worship is a lifestyle that includes every area of my life.

‘Take you everyday life’ - it’s a lifestyle and you place all it b4 God - he repeats this in - Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were
working for the Lord and not for people.
This is revolutionary stuff guys, look at ‘whatever’ underline that. That word in the greek, whatever, you know what it means... whatever.
You see he’s not saying, when you pray or when you do
religious activities - whatever you do - he says it again
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 whether you eat or drink (all the ordinary and mundane of life) or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Ethical boundaries - can’t say, I’m gonna hot wire a car for Your glory Lord”
The vast majority of the stuff we do can be an act of worship.

Think about your vocation for a minute, col. 3:23 - you get this and you’re headed down God’s path.
In life it’s not what you do that matters;
it is who you do it for.
God is not into what you do for a living, it doesn’t matter if you’re a truck driver, CPA, student, or Pro football player - His 1st concern is, “are you doing it for ME?”
Here’s a thought - If Jesus were to show up at your work dressed for the same job, would things go differently?

We can learn a thing or 2 from Jesus, even in the workplace.
When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the
synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked.
"What's this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter?” - Mark 6:2-3
Yes He was. That’s what most people knew Him as.

Remember at His baptism w/ John and the dove and the Voice from heaven, which was Father God saying, “this is my servant whom I am well pleased.”
Pleased w/ what? Not His preaching, He hadn’t started that yet - what was He talking about? He’s been in the carpentry shop for about 20 yrs. now making chairs, making tables - Father God was saying He’s just as much in my will there as He will be teaching and preaching.
How do you think Jesus was at work? Do you think He did shotty work? Do you think He was ever ticked at His boss, “Man, working for Joseph really sucks” Do you think He ever bad mouthed other employees? “James you’re a lousy bum!”
How do you think He did His work?
Jesus is our model. A christian is to be Christ-like.
So much so that Father God is pleased with us even on the job - not just on Sunday. God is not saying, “I sure am happy Joe goes to church every Sunday” - You know why?
B/c worship is a lifestyle that includes every area of my life.

review: worship is new pers/ lifestyle includes every area life
(rem. compass)

Discussion Questions:
• What can I do to take my everyday work and place it before God as an offering or worship?
• If Jesus were to show up in my workplace looking just like me,what would the execution of my job look like? What adjustments would He make? Where am I getting it right?