series: Anchored in hope, rising in faith #
verse: Daniel 1:1-21 #
Main Idea: #
In order for us to regain true joy, we must first earnestly strive for the restoration of worship. Joy begins with proper worship.
How can we become proper worshipers of God? #
Proper worship begins with recognizing the risk of conformity. Daniel and his friends were forced to assimilate into Babylonian culture. They had to adapt to the Babylonian lifestyle, customs, etc. They even acquired new names against their desires. We live in a time of spiritual captivity, and we need to recognize this. We are constantly surrounded by influences. It could be in the shape of a “work focused grindset community”, or a friend group that makes racist remarks. Culture can so easily be focused on sin. We can’t worship God when we induldge in all of these sins and conform to the sinful culture that surrounds you. By recognizing the risk of the influence around us, we can rely on God and make changed to our lives.
Proper risk is about resolving with the righteous decisions #
Daniel trusted the words of Jeremiah the Prophet. Similarly to Daniel, we also live in Exile.We don’t belong to this country or this world. We belong to the Kingdom of God. We need to depend on God, and constantly be aware of God’s provisions, protection, and control. We can prosper only through the dependence on God. The word of God exists to convict us, not to make us feel good. Reap the rewards of faithfulness.
Call to action #
The steps to Proper Worship on Sundays Arrive to church on time Be mindful of misplacing our values. Our first priority should be to worship God. We are bound by cultural values. Prepare your heart in prayer before worship.
“God help me to worship you properly”
You will start to thrive and experience joy because you are worshipping God properly.