I want to talk to you about acceptable worship. What is worship that pleases God?

• If I were cooking for a guest, and they hated Mexican food, would I cook a Mexican meal for them? 
• God has perspectives on the types of worship that please him
  • Psalms 51 - He’d rather a broken and contrite heart more than burnt offerings
  • 1 Samuel 15 - He’d rather obedience than a sacrifice 
  • Amos 5 - He’d rather justice and righteous living than offerings and hymns of praise

Worship styles have always intrigued me:

• Song worship
  • Keyboard on stage... do a few samples
  • Amazing Grace
  • I Surrender All
  • 1-7 
  • Messianic Jewish praise 
  • Worship Anthems
  • Gospel Praise
• I like it all
• But Old Covenant was blood sacrifice and around David’s era came song worship
• New Testament Christians didn’t know what to offer because Christ was the fulfillment of all the sacrificial system

To the text:

Hebrews 13:13–16 (NIV) — 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Sacrifice Etymology:

• English - Sacrifice - A sacred action
• Hebrew - kah-RAHV - To Draw Near
• Greek - thoo-SEE-ah - To Kill or Slaughter

4 Sacrifices that are pleasing to God:

1. Sacrifice of Praise to God
   1. A sacrifice through Jesus
      1. He is the WAY
      2. All worship to the Father must be in acknowledgment of Him
      3. Old Testament, no one approached God directly, the priest did. 
      4. New Testament, we still approach the priest, and His name is Jesus. 
   2. A CONTINUAL sacrifice. 
      1. Imagery of the fire that never goes out in the temple. 
      2. Always looking for an opportunity to give God credit and glory. 
      3. Atmosphere of praise. 
   3. Either you acknowledge or you’re entitled. It’s best said acknowledgment or entitlement. Like a kid receiving something for Christmas. If they acknowledge the gift, then they adequately understand.
   4. God would prefer praise over silence 
2. Sacrifice of Allegiance
   1. The fruit of lips
      1. This is song or poetry coming from a heart of love. 
   2. Cultural context
      1. Jewish Christians getting ostracized by their own people
      2. Christians in the Roman empire had to deny emperor worship.
   3. It’s a sacrifice to God that is well pleasing when you gladly stand with Him in public spaces. Many want you to tame down your faith. Jesus wants you to boldly stand with Him and for Him. 
   4. God would prefer boldness over shyness. 
3. Sacrifice of Doing Good
   1. God is pleased when we live righteously.
   2. As mentioned before, He has preferences. 
   3. He wants lives of:
      1. Integrity
      2. Holiness
      3. Love
   4. Jesus and the Pharisees
      1. Their insistence of giving the tithe of the herbs, and his desire for them to remember Justice. 
         1. Matthew 23:23 (NIV) — 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
      2. Their insistence that people give to the temple and ignore their parents, and his desire for them to understand proper priorities. 
         1. Mark 7:9–13 - Another example of them ignoring their parents to give to the temple. 
   5. God would prefer righteously more than religious. 
4. Sacrifice of Sharing 
   1. We come to the crux of New Testament ideology on generosity: Sharing
   2. We see this ideology in its infant form in the early church.
   3. Cornelius in Acts 10 
      1. Acts 10:3–4 (NIV) — 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
   4. When we give, it is a holy act that rises before the Lord. 
   5. God would prefer generosity over accumulation.