Part Three: Worship
Pastor Aaron Batchelor Preached on 5/27/2026
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50:06
Summary
Pastor Aaron Batchelor explores Psalm 122 to show how worship serves as a vital step in the disciple's climb, shifting our desires toward God, reminding us of our belonging in the Body of Christ, and recalibrating our priorities toward the Kingdom.
Key points
- •Worship changes our desires by cultivating a spiritual appetite for holiness and the presence of God rather than worldly comforts.
- •Discipleship is personal but never private; we belong to the Body of Christ and isolation makes us vulnerable to the enemy.
- •True worship reorders our priorities, moving us from self-centeredness to kingdom-mindedness, forgiveness, and service.
- •Psalm 122 calls believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, recognizing God's enduring heart for His people and the Messiah's return to the Mount of Olives.
- •Worship acts as a recalibration for the soul, clearing the mind and lifting heavy burdens that we were never meant to carry alone.
Scripture
Worship
Discipleship
Community
Purpose
Spiritual Growth
Life application
Evaluate your spiritual 'appetite' this week by noticing what excites you most. If your desire for God has waned, spend time in corporate or private worship to recalibrate your priorities and ask God to restore the joy of your salvation.
Reflection questions
- Are there areas of your life where you have chosen isolation over community, and how has that impacted your spiritual heat?
- When you think about going to the house of the Lord, is your heart characterized more by 'gladness' or 'obligation'?
- How can you practically 'seek the good' of your church family this week through service or encouragement?
- What 'sacred cows' or personal priorities do you need to place on the altar to better align with God's Kingdom?
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Full transcript
0:00soon coming [music] of Jesus.
0:00Hallelujah.
0:04Thank you, Lord. Praise God.
0:08Praise God. This is our hope. Turn to
0:10somebody. Say, "He's coming soon."
0:12Praise God. The Bible says to encourage
0:15one another with these words. Praise
0:18God. This is our hope. If you've been a
0:20little [music] tired, if you've been a
0:22little worn out, if you had a little bit
0:23of trouble, I must not be anybody in
0:26here cuz everybody seems to be like
0:29looking at me like a deer in the
0:30headlights, like, I don't know what
0:31you're talking about, pastor.
0:31Everything's been great. But if you had
0:33trouble, if you had a problem, if you've
0:35been sick in your body, I want you to
0:37just be reminded tonight that we've got
0:39a place called heaven. That Jesus said,
0:41"Where I am, you may be also." And if
0:44nothing in this world lights your fire,
0:47you ought to remember that Jesus said,
0:49"I'm coming again soon." And that ought
0:52to restore the joy, restore the hope,
0:54cuz we're on a journey. Would you just
0:57give him praise on this midweek service
0:59and give him [music] thanks tonight?
1:04>> [music]
1:10>> Praise God. Thank you sages for leading
1:13us into the presence of the Lord
1:15tonight. Aren't you thankful for a
1:17multi-generational church?
1:21Praise God. Praise God. Hallelujah.
1:24Amen. Well, we are on a journey and
1:27that's what this this series is about.
1:30Keep climbing. Somebody say, "Keep
1:32climbing." Got to keep climbing. Amen.
1:34Cuz we're going somewhere. We've got a
1:36direction that we're headed. And uh if
1:38you have your Bibles, you can turn to
1:40Psalm 122. These are the songs of
1:42ascent. This is the third one. Psalm 120
1:45through 134. And just to catch you up if
1:47you've not been with us, these songs
1:50were sung by Jewish pilgrims that were
1:52climbing the road toward Jerusalem for
1:55worship at the temple. But these songs
1:57are more than just a mixtape. More than
1:59just travel songs. This is disciplehip
2:03songs. One man described these songs as
2:05a picture of the journey of a disciple
2:08from the first awakening of spiritual
2:11hunger all the way to mature faith and
2:13worship. So that's what we're covering
2:15through this series. Psalm 120 a few
2:18weeks ago began with repentance. That's
2:20the first step. When a disciple
2:22realizes, I can't stay where I am. Psalm
2:27121 we covered last week was we moved
2:29into the providence of God because a
2:32disciple learns that I'm not on this
2:34journey alone but God is my help. I look
2:37unto the hills from when it's cometh my
2:38help. My help comes from the Lord. And
2:42now Psalm 122 brings us to worship.
2:46Everybody say worship. Because
2:48disciplehip is not just leaving some
2:51things behind. It is learning where to
2:53direct your affections, your attention.
2:57So our life is not merely about leaving
2:59sin and escaping chaos or surviving the
3:03journey. Our goal of the climb is the
3:07presence of God.
3:10>> And I think that we could agree and say
3:12tonight that a disciple is not truly
3:15climbing if worship is absent from our
3:19lives. And David opens up Psalm 122 with
3:22one of the most famous worship
3:24statements in all of scripture. We read
3:27it at the beginning of service. I was
3:29glad when they said unto me, [music] let
3:32us go into the house of the Lord. Our
3:35feet shall stand within thy gates, oh
3:38Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a
3:40city that is compact together. Whether
3:43the tribes go up, the tribes of the
3:45Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to
3:47give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
3:49For there are set thrones of judgment,
3:52the thrones of the house of David. Pray
3:55for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall
3:58prosper that love thee. Peace be within
4:01thy walls, and prosperity within thy
4:04palaces. For my brethren and companions
4:06sake, I will now say, peace be within
4:09thee. Because of the house of the Lord
4:11our God, I will seek thy good. Heavenly
4:15Father, thank you so much for your
4:17presence being with us tonight. Thank
4:19you for your word, unadulterated,
4:20[music] forever settled word of God. We
4:23humble oursel now and ask that [music]
4:25you would give us understanding and
4:27revelation. Help us not to just be
4:28hearers of the word, but doers, Lord, so
4:31that we can please you and we can
4:33[music] grow. Lord, we give you the
4:34praise and the glory for it tonight as
4:36we're on this journey. And we [music] do
4:38seek to worship you in spirit and in
4:40truth. In Jesus name we pray. And
4:42everybody said, "Amen." The Lord bless
4:44you. You may be seated in the presence
4:46of the Lord tonight.
4:51Praise God. [snorts]
4:54Psalm 122, our word, our theme is
4:58worship.
5:00Worship. There's three things that this
5:02chapter reveals to us about worship that
5:04I want to cover tonight. The first thing
5:07that the Bible tells us worship does is
5:09worship changes what I desire.
5:13It changes what I desire. David didn't
5:16say, "I was obligated. I was pressured.
5:19I was guilty. I was forced." He said, "I
5:23was glad."
5:25>> Cuz there's joy in the pursuit of God's
5:29presence.
5:30>> I know some Christians don't look like
5:32it because they look like they've been
5:33dipped in sour juice, but
5:37there's joy.
5:39>> Hey, I've been there myself. That's the
5:40only reason I can say it. I can walk
5:41around and the Lord's had to say, "Fix
5:43your face." So I fix my face cuz there's
5:46joy in the pursuit of his presence. In
5:49his presence, there is fullness of joy.
5:53>> You will know you're a growing disciple
5:55that you're stepping in the right
5:57direction when you begin to develop new
6:00appetites.
6:02>> I remember seven about seven years ago
6:04cuz they say seven to 10 years that your
6:06taste buds change is what I've heard. It
6:08happened. I don't know what exact day
6:10that it happened, but all of a sudden, I
6:12went from just loving sweet pickles cuz
6:14mom would always put them out for me.
6:16Whatever meal was happening,
6:17Thanksgiving Christmas birthday uh
6:19special occasions, regular dinners, put
6:22those sweet pickles out for me. But
6:23something's changed in my life, mama.
6:26>> I'm a dill pickle man now.
6:29>> I don't know. I don't know how it
6:30happened. I don't know how the sweet
6:32crunch and the cold taste of a good dill
6:35pickle happened to change my life.
6:39All I can All I can say is, Brother
6:42Tyler, I'm a growing boy.
6:44>> I've grown up.
6:46>> I now like dill pickles. I was walking
6:48on that beautiful New River Gorge Bridge
6:51in West Virginia and a man was selling
6:54just buckets of pickles, all kinds of
6:56different flavored pickles. And I
6:58couldn't believe as I stopped there and
7:00I ordered pickles for myself and I ate
7:02them and not one of them was sweet. They
7:04were delicious. Something has changed in
7:06me. That's what happens when you're a
7:08growing disciple. You'll realize that
7:10your appetites aren't the same as
7:12whenever you first started out.
7:14[applause]
7:16>> Suddenly, there's a new taste in my
7:17spirit, a new desire for something
7:19that's holy, something that's good,
7:21something that's lovely, something
7:22that's true, something that's honest,
7:25something that is of God. Before
7:27salvation, we ran towards sin. We ran
7:31towards comfort. We pursued
7:33entertainment as the comfort. We we
7:36pursued things of the self, of the
7:38flesh, to try to satisfy every desire of
7:42our pursued pleasure. We pursued the
7:44love of money. But worship changes
7:48desire.
7:49>> And you know what I've learned is that
7:51you don't have to beg hungry people to
7:53eat.
7:56>> When somebody's hungry, listen. When
7:59they say it's dinner time, boy, you
8:01better get out of my way. I'm ready.
8:03When they say it's lunchtime, when they
8:04say the breakfast is ready, when they
8:06say it's snack time, if you're really
8:08hungry, you don't have to beg the kids,
8:10you don't have to beg your spouse, you
8:12don't have to beg your friends to go eat
8:14cuz something within you says, "I'm
8:16hungry." So, let me tell you what my
8:18mama told me that we tell our kids now.
8:21Don't spoil your appetite.
8:25>> Oh, I'm going to say that again on this
8:26side of the Don't spoil your appetite.
8:31When our appetite for God begins to wne,
8:33it is perhaps not because God has become
8:35less worthy or less holy, but because
8:37something else has begun to replace our
8:40desires and we start to pursue things
8:42that are temporary and selfish and fade
8:45away with life, thieves come in and
8:47steal. Moth and rust corrupts. But
8:49whenever you get close to God and you
8:51get the real thing. I'm talking about
8:52the real thing. I'm talking about
8:54whenever you come and step into his
8:56presence, there's something within you
8:58that says, "One drink, one service, one
9:00prayer, one moment is not enough. I need
9:03more."
9:06[applause]
9:06>> The closer you get to God, the more you
9:09long for his presence.
9:11>> You long for his people, his house, his
9:13voice.
9:16The health of a disciple is often
9:18revealed by what excites them.
9:23Amen.
9:24>> When worship becomes boring,
9:27something else has captured our
9:29appetites.
9:31>> And we may need to pray what David
9:33prayed in Psalm 51 and verse 12. He
9:35said, "Restore unto me."
9:38>> Oh God, I've been coming for 20 years,
9:41but you got to restore the joy of thy
9:45salvation. I got to get back to the well
9:47cuz I've been through some things. It's
9:48not that I just stopped loving God.
9:50Maybe life got hard. Maybe things that
9:52were unexpected I didn't plan on, I
9:54didn't ask for, but they happened. And
9:56God, for whatever reason, his infinite
9:57wisdom allowed it to happen to my life.
9:59And so, I've got to come back to him and
10:01say, "God, restore unto me the joy of
10:04thy salvation." Maybe I got myself into
10:06sin and I made some mistakes and I did
10:08things that displeased God. I knew they
10:10were wrong, but I did it. And I got to
10:12come back and pray, "Restore unto me the
10:14joy of thy salvation. Put the hunger.
10:17Give me the desire. bring it back into
10:20my life so that I will stop thirsting
10:22for the things that are behind me and
10:24I'll press toward the things that are
10:25before me. Help me to have the right
10:28kind of hunger. Worship changes your
10:31desires.
10:33>> That's how you know you're growing.
10:35That's how you know I'm following after
10:37Jesus. Whenever my desires, my
10:39appetites, my spiritual hunger,
10:42>> it's changed.
10:44>> Here's the second thing that we learn in
10:45Psalm 122. Worship not only changes our
10:48desires, but worship reminds me that I
10:51belong.
10:54>> Listen to what the psalmist said. Listen
10:55to the blessed assurance. Listen to the
10:57confidence the psalmist has. He says,
10:59"Our feet shall stand within thy gates,
11:03oh Jerusalem.
11:06Jerusalem,
11:08this fortified city on a hill. David
11:11conquered. David planted his throne by
11:14the grace and help of Almighty God.
11:16There was Jerusalem, the place where the
11:18people traveled to, where they came to,
11:20where they came from all around up to
11:22Jerusalem. It represented their
11:24identity. It represented covenant. It
11:28represented community. It represented
11:30worship. It represented belonging. In
11:32fact, Israel almost got into a civil
11:34war. back in ancient Israel whenever the
11:37promised land was beginning to be
11:39conquered and they set up that tent of
11:41meeting and the priests were there and
11:43the sacrifices were there and the feast
11:45and the festivals were held in that
11:47location. Then on the other side of the
11:49river back near
11:52the wilderness where the two and a half
11:54tribes were. They set up they also set
11:56up what appeared to look like another
11:58altar, another place to worship God. And
12:00the other tribes got mad at them. The
12:02other tribes got furious at him and sent
12:04messengers and said, "We're coming to
12:05war with you cuz you're going to bring
12:07the judgment of God on our lives because
12:09there's only one place that he's decided
12:10to put his name." Only one place that
12:13all of us gather that we come together
12:15and you're committing idolatry and we
12:17refuse to allow you to do that and bring
12:18judgment on us like what happened in the
12:20wilderness. We refuse for that to
12:21happen. They sent those messengers.
12:23Well, those two and a half tribes, they
12:24sent their own messengers as quick as
12:26they could because they sent messengers
12:28that told them and said, "Listen, we are
12:30not here and God be a witness between
12:32you and I. We are not here to build
12:34another altar, to build another tent of
12:36meeting, to make this the place of
12:38worship. We're going to come. We're
12:39going to travel together with all of
12:41God's people. You are our brothers. We
12:44are together in this." But what we are
12:46doing is setting up a remembrance here
12:49that what is important so that our
12:50children and grandchildren will remember
12:52what is important that we serve the one
12:54true God. And there was peace and civil
12:57war was averted cuz they recognized that
13:00this place where God dwelt was
13:02important. It was a gathering. It was
13:04identity. This is where the people got
13:06together. Those pilgrims were not
13:08climbing alone. They were doing it
13:11together. That was important to them.
13:13Which is why whenever Mary and Joseph
13:15lost Jesus for three days, when you and
13:17I read that, that sounds like bad
13:18parenting.
13:22>> Some of us, we lose our kids for 30
13:24minutes, we're going to lose our mind 3
13:26days.
13:28But back in their culture, they traveled
13:30together. They traveled in company. It
13:33was safer that way. It was better that
13:35way. They were in community with one
13:37another. They traveled with family. They
13:38traveled with friends. And so they knew
13:40their kids were going to be safe. They
13:41were going to eat. They were going to
13:42find a place to sleep and stay with
13:44cousins and friends and people of the
13:46community. They trusted one another. And
13:48so after three days when Mary and Joseph
13:50realized he wasn't in the company, he
13:52wasn't in the group, that's when they
13:53began to worry because these pilgrims
13:56traveled together. And so in like manner
13:58for our lives, disciplehip is personal,
14:01but it is not private.
14:05>> It's not private. You will never become
14:08who God has called you to be on your
14:10own.
14:13You will do it in the company of
14:16believers. You'll have your private time
14:18in your secret place with God, but you
14:20will also do it with the body of Christ.
14:22Cuz we are incomplete without each
14:25other. I don't care how much you don't
14:26like their personality or how much they
14:28get on your nerves. God placed them in
14:30the body by the same grace that brought
14:32you and I up out of the pit of despair.
14:34And he placed us together. So, we better
14:36find a way to walk together.
14:40Oh, praise God. Cuz disciplehip is not
14:44private. And here's what the enemy loves
14:46to do. He loves loves isolation
14:50>> because isolated people become
14:52vulnerable people. You watch on YouTube,
14:54watch the National Geographic stories of
14:57how those wolves or how those lionists,
14:59how they will go after a herd, but
15:01they'll try to separate the weak ones.
15:02They'll try to isolate some of the fat
15:05ones and try to get them alone so that
15:07they can conquer them, so they can
15:08destroy them. The enemy does the same
15:10thing in the church. We ought to wake up
15:12and look at what nature is trying to
15:13show us through the wisdom of God is
15:15that it is not good for man to be alone.
15:18It is not good for us to isolate
15:21ourselves and do the work by ourselves.
15:23We've got to come together. That's why
15:25whenever you're sitting in the company
15:27of believers, you're going to church,
15:29but you start feeling isolated, you
15:31start feeling fear, you start feeling
15:33anxiety and alone like nobody cares for
15:35you, that's not whenever you need to run
15:37away. That's when you need to get closer
15:39to the body of Christ and closer to God.
15:42I'm not waiting for you to call me. I
15:44recognize I need you now more than ever
15:47before cuz the enem is coming after my
15:49life to seek, kill, and destroy and he
15:51has no good thing for me. I need you to
15:54survive.
15:57>> I'm going to say it again cuz I'm not
15:58sure we believe it. Cuz yes, we need
16:00Jesus for our salvation, but I need you
16:02and I need you and I need you. I need
16:05everybody in here in the body of Christ
16:07that God has personally connected me to
16:09here at this location and even beyond. I
16:12need your prayers. I need your faith. I
16:14need your gifts. You need my prayers.
16:16You need my faith. You need my gifts. We
16:18are the [screaming] body.
16:20>> Not just the gifted. We are the body.
16:23Not just the talented. We are the body.
16:25Not just the strong. We are the body. We
16:28are the body of Christ. [cheering] Yes,
16:31sir.
16:32>> [applause]
16:32>> That's why church, we have to do this
16:34together. We got to look out for the
16:36people that are being isolated, that are
16:38feeling the separation, that are walking
16:40out. I know it may look like they're
16:41just weak right now. It may look like
16:43they're just struggling right now, but
16:45we can't afford to let them go their own
16:47way without us reaching out and doing
16:49whatever we can to get in their way and
16:50say, "I still love you." Anybody else
16:53beside me needed that at a time or two?
16:55I testified not too long ago at an
16:57overflow conference about how I got into
16:59a place where I felt depression and I
17:02felt like I was isolated, like nobody
17:03loved me and the devil is a liar. There
17:06are more for us.
17:09I said, "Oh, God, help us right now. I'm
17:10just going to help elevate somebody's
17:12faith in this house right now cuz there
17:14are more for us.
17:17There are more for you.
17:19Come on. There's more for you. may be by
17:21yourself in your home, but there's still
17:23more for you than be against you, the
17:26Bible says. So, lift up your eyes and
17:29look unto the Lord who is your help. Get
17:31in the body of Christ and recognize
17:33you're not the only one that's
17:34struggling and pressing and moving
17:37forward. But the same afflictions that
17:39are with you are the same afflictions
17:41other brothers and sisters have been
17:43through. But by faith, they are
17:45overcoming. By faith, they're still
17:47standing. And by faith, you're still
17:49going to make it. I wish you'd praise
17:51him like you believe the word tonight. I
17:54wish you'd thank him like you know
17:55you're not alone. Like God set you up to
17:58succeed and not to fail. I'm the head.
18:01I'm not the tail. I wish you praise him
18:03like you believe it tonight. [cheering]
18:08Thank you.
18:13>> Never alone.
18:15>> Tell somebody, I'm never alone.
18:17>> I'm never alone.
18:20Woo.
18:22>> I was at Memorial Day with my family. I
18:25was watching my brother as he was
18:26grilling and I and I watched those those
18:29charcoal that he was using to heat up
18:31the steaks and the pork steaks. Oh my
18:33lord. The chicken, everything. Just the
18:35hot dogs and BRZ.
18:38>> All the meat. I'll take all of it. All
18:40the meat. It's the only diet I need.
18:42Give me the meat.
18:44And I saw that one of those coals had
18:46gotten over to the side and he had to
18:49take it and had to scoop it back over
18:51into the pile because when a coal gets
18:54too far from the pile, it loses its
18:56heat.
19:00>> You lose your passion, lose your fire,
19:03you lose your get up and go, you lose
19:06your will to survive whenever you get
19:08too far from the body. But when you get
19:11back into the body and you get pushed in
19:13closer, then that heat starts to get on
19:15you. That that fire starts to rub up on
19:17you. That's where God meets. Whenever
19:19his people come together, which is why
19:21the Bible said all the more as you see
19:23the day approaching, don't stay away.
19:25You got to get in with the people of
19:27God. Get in where the fire's at. Get in
19:30where the praise is at. Get in where the
19:32love is at. [cheering]
19:35>> That climb gets dangerous when you walk
19:37it alone. You remember the story Jesus
19:39told of the good Samaritan? We all know
19:40the story and we know the point. We're
19:42all to be like the good Samaritan and
19:44love the person that's on the other side
19:45of the road that may be different than
19:46us, but they're hurting and they're
19:48lonely and they're broken that we're to
19:50love. We get the point. But I want you
19:51to recognize the beginning of that
19:53story. What happened to that man? The
19:55beginning of the story is that there was
19:56a man traveling alone from Jerusalem to
19:59Jericho.
20:01That's why thieves and robbers saw him
20:03as easy prey is because he was by
20:05himself. And when Jesus told that story
20:07to the audience that was there, they
20:09immediately recognized it. And in their
20:10minds, they probably thought, "Well,
20:12that man shouldn't have been traveling
20:13alone. No wonder he got attacked by
20:15thieves and robbers." And in the same
20:16way for us, we are not to do this by
20:19ourselves. Ecclesiastes 4:10, woe to him
20:23that is alone when he falls, for he does
20:25not have another to help him up. That's
20:29why gathering matters, corporate worship
20:31matters, church community matters, altar
20:34calls, prayer meetings, life groups,
20:37Bible studies, cause worship reminds us,
20:40I am part of something bigger than
20:42myself.
20:47>> And there is a modern antichrist spirit
20:50that is throughout the world today that
20:52says, "I love Jesus, but I don't need
20:54church.
20:56Come on now.
20:57>> Get me close enough to think I'm okay.
21:02>> But you're sick and you're dying
21:04>> and you're lost.
21:06>> Listen. If Jesus told us that he needed
21:09his church,
21:10>> if Jesus said, "I need my body. Go into
21:13all the world." If Jesus said, "I need
21:15the body to complete the image of what
21:18I'm trying to produce in the earth and
21:19bring my kingdom to pass." If Jesus
21:22needed the body, we're not greater than
21:24Jesus. You need the body.
21:28Oh, I don't hear anybody tonight. But
21:30you need the body. You need the body of
21:33Christ. And you got to remind yourself.
21:35You got to get yourself up. Sometimes
21:37you got to get grumpy people up and say,
21:39"Get up. Time to get dressed. Time to go
21:41to church." Cuz we need the body of
21:44Christ. We can't do this. Mom and dad
21:46can't do this on our own. I can't live
21:48this way on my own. I need the body.
21:54>> The people of God gathered because
21:56worship was never intended to be a solo
21:59journey.
22:01>> Never intended to be a solo journey.
22:03Just lift our hands and worship him
22:04together right now and thank him for the
22:07body of Christ. Lord, I want to thank
22:08you for every brother and sister here
22:09tonight. I want to thank you, Lord, that
22:12when I was low, it was the church that
22:13came, God, through your power, through
22:15your blood, and they helped rescue me,
22:17oh God, through your saving grace. They
22:19preached to me. They taught me. They
22:20loved me. They were merciful to me.
22:23Thank you for the body of Christ. Thank
22:24you for the gathering of your people.
22:26Thank you that you meet among us, God.
22:28We give you praise for that tonight.
22:31>> Hallelujah.
22:33>> Hallelujah.
22:35>> Hallelujah.
22:36>> Hallelujah.
22:37>> Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We got
22:40a hope in you, God. [applause]
22:42>> We have a hope.
22:45>> We have a hope, God.
22:47Praise God. Now turn to somebody again.
22:49Just tell them, "Never alone."
22:51>> Never alone.
22:53[snorts]
22:54Worship changes our appetites, our
22:56desires. Worship reminds us that we
22:59belong. But here's the third and final
23:01thing is worship reorders my priorities.
23:06It reorders my priorities. What's
23:08important? What matters not just to me,
23:10but to God, to the one who created, to
23:12the one who made me. It reorders my
23:14priorities. Listen to what the psalmist
23:15said in Psalm 122. He said, "Pray for
23:18the peace of Jerusalem.
23:21>> They shall prosper
23:23>> that love thee."
23:25>> Now, in context, the psalmist is looking
23:27toward Jerusalem, where the temple is,
23:29where God chooses to dwell, where his
23:31people gather together, where the glory
23:32of God comes down in the temple, the ark
23:34of the covenant, the mercy seat is
23:36there. That's in context where it is.
23:38And I still believe that today, even for
23:40us as the people of God, that that
23:41command for us is still as evident as it
23:44was back then to pray
23:46for the peace of Jerusalem.
23:48>> He said, "For everyone," he said, "they
23:51shall prosper that love thee."
23:54>> hearkening back to what the God promised
23:56to Abraham, he said, "I will bless them
23:57that bless thee, and I will curse thee
23:59that curse them that curse thee." Yes.
24:01>> Yes.
24:03>> And we've got to make sure that we're
24:04careful not to get up into partisan
24:06politics, not to listen to the voices of
24:08the world that have so much hatred and
24:10vileeness and they come against Israel,
24:12they come against this or that. And now
24:13we we got to make sure that we don't
24:15fall in extremities, that we stay
24:17kingdom- minded, that we stay where God
24:18is, and that what he wants to do. And I
24:20can tell you this. Don't clap just for a
24:22second. Hold on just for a moment
24:23because I want to clarify and get you to
24:25understand what I'm saying here tonight.
24:26But God's heart is for his people,
24:28Israel. God's heart is for his children.
24:30Uh God planted the church. Acts chapter
24:322 we just celebrated begun. But God's
24:34heart is still for his people. Jesus is
24:37not coming back to plant his feet on
24:39Mount Kilimanjaro. He's not coming to
24:41plant his feet on Mount Everest. He is
24:43coming back to plant his feet on the
24:44Mount of Olives right smack dab where
24:47Jerusalem is. He's coming back. The same
24:49place that he left is the same place
24:51that he is coming back to again. And we
24:53got to make sure we got brothers and
24:54sisters in Pakistan. We got brothers and
24:56sisters in Iran. We got brothers and
24:58sisters in Afghanistan and we got
24:59brothers and sisters in Israel. And we
25:01need to pray for the peace of Israel. It
25:04was through Israel that the gospel came,
25:06the Messiah came, that the prophets
25:08came, that your Bible came. It was
25:10through them that God's grace was
25:12extended to us, and we were grafted into
25:14the vine. And while we don't agree with
25:16everything that Israel does because
25:18they're a man-made government right now
25:20and they don't believe that Jesus is the
25:21Messiah, although there is revival that
25:24is happening and things that are
25:25happening among the Jewish people, we
25:27need to pray for the peace of Israel.
25:30Pray for the peace cuz there's coming a
25:32time that God is going to bring his
25:34people back in. In fact, your Bible
25:36says, you better get back and read it,
25:37cuz the Bible says that God is using
25:39your faith and your experience and your
25:42transformation in order to make Israel
25:45jealous. And so, we ought not to be
25:46hateful and mean and spiteful just
25:49because they're doing things that may be
25:50against God's will for their nation and
25:52for their people. But we better pray for
25:54the peace of Jerusalem and say, "God,
25:56bring salvation and bring a light and
25:59bring wisdom and bring a covering and
26:01save those that need to be saved and get
26:04back on God's side."
26:06>> Well, amen, pastor. I'm on preacher,
26:08whether you believe it or not, cuz
26:09you've been listening to much of the
26:11world anyway. You've been listening to
26:12all the pundits and the politics and the
26:15podcast thinking you know what you
26:16believe, but you haven't picked up your
26:18Bible in a while. You need to get back
26:20in. Oh, God, help me right now cuz I'm
26:21really pastoring. If this isn't you,
26:23that's okay. Just tuck your feet up
26:25under. But you better get back to the
26:26word. [cheering]
26:29[applause]
26:30>> Yes, sir.
26:30>> This gospel is for everybody. Jesus is
26:33for everybody.
26:35>> But worship reorders my priorities. It
26:37keeps me kingdom- minded. Pray for the
26:39peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper
26:41that lovely love thee. And David moves
26:43from excitement about worship to concern
26:46for the city of God.
26:48>> Yes.
26:49>> I think I could say this because I've
26:50experienced this in my life. And God's
26:52had to help correct me. If worship only
26:54changes your emotions but not your
26:56priorities, it's incomplete worship.
27:01>> Real worship affects how you live.
27:06[applause]
27:07>> Real worship is not an emotional escape.
27:11It is a spiritual alignment.
27:15>> Real worship gets you back under the
27:17spout where the glory comes out. And
27:20real worship gets you back obedient to
27:22the word of God, saying, "God, this is
27:23what my priorities should be. This is
27:26what pleases you. This is what's
27:28important to you. When I really worship
27:30God, he corrects my thinking and my
27:33attitude and my words in my life." Let
27:35me tell you what happens to people who
27:37truly worship, their priorities suddenly
27:39shift. And here's what they look like.
27:41If you want to know what a true
27:42worshipper looks like, here's what it
27:44looks like when people truly worship.
27:46They forgive.
27:48Yeah.
27:49>> They're not going to hold on to grudges.
27:50They're not looking to repay evil for
27:52evil. They're they're not going to look
27:54for all of the things that they can do
27:55to push people's buttons. No, they're
27:57going to forgive. They're going to let
27:58it go. Love covers a multitude of
28:00transgressions. And when I worship God,
28:02he has now changed my priorities from
28:04holding on to a grudge to now giving so
28:06much mercy and so much grace that you're
28:08going to know. You can't help but know
28:10that you're loved. You can't help but
28:12know that I'm here for you. And and and
28:14and God's grace is here for you. That's
28:16what true worship is. True worshippers,
28:19they don't just forgive, but they serve.
28:21>> Whose feet can I wash? Who can I
28:24encourage? What can I do today? These
28:26hands are yours. These feet are yours.
28:28This tongue is yours. How can I serve?
28:30How can I help? People who truly
28:33worship, they give cuz they recognize
28:35what I have is not my own. Everything
28:37belongs to the father above. He owns the
28:39cattle on a thousand hills. He owns all
28:41the fish in the sea. He owns everything.
28:43He owns you and me purchased by his own
28:45precious blood. And so I can give. What
28:47can I give? Even if it's a little,
28:49whatever I have, I'm going to give. When
28:51people truly worship, they pray.
28:56>> Not just at the altar, they make
28:58everywhere an altar.
28:59>> They make their job an altar. They make
29:01their their living room an altar. They
29:03make their car an altar of prayer. Paul
29:06said, "Pray without ceasing." And so
29:08everywhere they walk, they're cognizant
29:10of the presence of God. Their ears are
29:12open to the voice of God. They're ready
29:14to hear what the spirit is going to say
29:16to the church. And so they're open. They
29:19pray.
29:20>> When people truly worship, they seek
29:22peace.
29:26>> Not about wars, not about fighting
29:28people.
29:30>> Not about division.
29:32>> We're for peace.
29:34>> Pray for peace.
29:36>> We're peace makers.
29:40Whatever we got to do, if we're going to
29:41be a witness, we're going to come in
29:43among people and we're going to try to
29:44help bring peace.
29:47My wife and I are trying to do that
29:48right now with a couple just trying to
29:51be peacemakers.
29:53Just trying to bring some peace. When
29:55you truly worship God changes your
29:56priorities,
29:58>> you start caring about God's kingdom.
30:00Seek ye first the kingdom of God.
30:04>> That comes first. Our priorities are
30:06different now
30:08>> because worship reenters our life around
30:10God instead of self.
30:13>> The reason that worship matters every
30:15week is because life constantly pulls
30:19our hearts out of order.
30:22>> Does your to-do list get long like mine
30:25does? [snorts]
30:27>> Do you constantly see there's other
30:29things that your boss and other people
30:31just keep adding to your list? people
30:33depending on you, family asking you,
30:35they're pulling at you, pressure that
30:36you feel from everybody around you. Life
30:38happens and suddenly your to-do list
30:40just keeps getting longer and longer and
30:42there's just constant things that you
30:44need to do. Life continues to pull you
30:47in all kinds of different directions and
30:49then you get on social media or you
30:51start looking at other people's lives of
30:53what they're doing and what they're
30:55accomplishing and then suddenly you
30:56compare yourself and you think, well, I
30:58got to add that to my life and this
31:00looks good. I got to add that to my life
31:02and I got to give myself to this and
31:03we're king keep getting pulled in all
31:05different directions. But when we
31:07worship, Bishop, never forget the
31:09message you preached about true worship
31:10about bowing down. When we come and bow
31:13down cuz that's what worship is and we
31:15surrender and we submit ourselves to the
31:17Lord. It rearranges our priorities and
31:20he reminds us what may be urgent to some
31:23is not important for me. And so I've got
31:26to get my priorities in alignment with
31:28what God has for my life in his church.
31:32>> Worship simply recalibrates us.
31:39>> You know when Jesus said when Jesus said
31:42don't worry, don't be anxious about
31:44anything.
31:46>> You know what he's talking about?
31:47Recalibrate your life.
31:50>> Don't be so worried.
31:52I can't I can't not be worried if I keep
31:56adding all these things
32:00>> because somewhere in my subconscious in
32:02my soul I start to recognize I don't
32:04have the ability to carry all of this.
32:08>> I I don't have the strength and the
32:09wisdom and the energy and the fortitude
32:12to carry all these things that are
32:13happening in my life. But when I come
32:15into the presence of God and I unbburden
32:18my soul, he is able through his word and
32:21his presence to sift through everything
32:23that I thought mattered and everything
32:25that I thought was important and
32:26everything I thought I had to
32:27accomplish. And he is able to pick
32:29things out of it and say, "I will give
32:31you a load that is light. I will give
32:33you a burden that is easy. I will give
32:35you things that you are able to carry
32:37because I created you and I know you
32:40doctor wear with all of your degrees
32:42behind you. I know you. And so while you
32:45may be an educated man and a faithful
32:47man, you can't carry everything. But
32:49here's what I give to you as your
32:50assignment. And when you worship God,
32:53when you come to him, he is able to lift
32:56things off of you that cause you to stay
32:58awake at night and tears to fall down
33:00your face. And he restores the joy and
33:03he restores the peace and he does
33:06anybody know what I'm talking about
33:07tonight? Does anybody besides pastor
33:09need a little bit of recalibrating?
33:11Saying, "God, I just come to worship you
33:14and whatever sacred cows have to be
33:16altered on this altar, Lord, I'm going
33:18to put it there. In fact, I'm just going
33:21to put my body. I'm going to put myself
33:23on the altar and I'm going to surrender
33:25all my desires and mistakes and give my
33:28will to you." Worship. Worship
33:31recalibrates us. Oh, stand with me if
33:34you will. If your heart's desire is to
33:36please and to seek after him, this is
33:38what true worship does.
33:42>> The older I get, the more busy and as
33:44seasons change, the more busy and wound
33:47up I can be about things because stuff
33:49hits me right and left I didn't see
33:51coming. And so I've got to get on a
33:53daily basis of worship and surrender. I
33:57got to recalibrate
33:59like a compass has to continually be
34:01reset toward true north. I can't get off
34:03one degree. I can't get off. I can't
34:06afford. Not Not now. It's too late. I've
34:08come too far.
34:11>> I've come too far to give up. I've come
34:13too far to to look back over my
34:15shoulder. I I've come too far to turn
34:18around and let my hand off the plow.
34:20I've come too far. I need to be focused.
34:22So, I got to worship in spirit and I got
34:24to get focused in on God. Looking unto
34:26Jesus, the author, the finisher of my
34:28faith, who endured all that he endured,
34:30so I don't get faint and weary in my
34:32mind. So, I looked to Jesus at how he
34:34did it. How did you stay so focused for
34:37three years? How did you endure the
34:39cross? How did you despise the shame?
34:41How did you do it? And Jesus, what he
34:43did, you know what he did as a man? He
34:45worshiped. He came and prayed. He came
34:47and served. He came and yielded himself
34:50and said, "Not my will but your will be
34:53done."
34:55>> Worship
34:56rep prioritizes our life. In conclusion,
35:00these songs of ascent, they remind
35:02[music] us that disciplehip is a climb.
35:06>> It's a climb,
35:07>> but we're going somewhere. We got a
35:09destination.
35:10Some days are steep.
35:13Some weeks are exhausting.
35:16Some months are confusing, but every
35:19step [music]
35:20every step you take in faith is pulling
35:23us toward the presence of God.
35:27I know it may not always feel like that
35:28or even look like that to you because we
35:30get an image in our mind of how our step
35:32is supposed to look, but every step that
35:34you take [music] by faith is pulling
35:36you. Every step that's good, every step
35:38that's hard, every step that wobbles a
35:40little bit, every misstep when you
35:42surrender it to God can pull you towards
35:45his presence. [snorts]
35:49You mean those things that I messed up
35:52on that God can turn it around and draw
35:55me closer to him? Yeah. Cuz he's God.
35:58It's called mercy.
36:00>> It's called grace.
36:03It's called love covering a multitude of
36:05transgressions. So I don't have to be
36:07afraid coming into his presence. I I
36:09don't have to be intimidated or ashamed
36:12or confused because every step that I
36:14take, brother Rome, it's like my head
36:16clears up. It's like like you felt the
36:19other night before when it just gets
36:20clear. Things just get clear in your
36:22mind when you worship because as you
36:24worship, it's pulling you closer into
36:27his presence. Psalm 120, we started out,
36:30Lord, get me out of all of this. In
36:32Psalm 121, Lord, help me on this
36:35journey. But this psalm tonight is,
36:37Lord, I just want to be near you.
36:40[snorts]
36:43>> Draw me close to you. Pull me into your
36:46presence. I don't want God just for what
36:49he can do. I want God for who he is.
36:53And somewhere along the way, here's what
36:55we discover. that the destination of the
36:58climb, the whole goal of the climb is
37:03God.
37:05That's the goal.
37:07>> The goal is for the creation
37:10>> to get back in alignment with the
37:13creator.
37:14Sin broke up something that was so good
37:16and wonderful and perfect and special.
37:19And the fall of man broke it all up. But
37:21worship will bring you back.
37:25It'll bring you back.
37:28It'll cause your heart to say, "One
37:30thing have I desired of the Lord.
37:33That will I seek after
37:36that I may dwell in the house of the
37:38Lord all the days of my life.
37:41To behold his beauty, [music] to inquire
37:43at his tabernacle." For in the time of
37:44trouble,
37:48>> if you're not in trouble yet, keep on
37:50climbing. Keep on seeking. Cuz when
37:53trouble does come,
37:57When the problem does come, you've
37:59already prepared yourself. And God's
38:00already made a He's made a shelter. He's
38:02made a way like a cliff of a rock. Some
38:05of you have a testimony cuz you don't
38:07know how you made it, but God. You don't
38:08know how you got through, but God, you
38:10don't know how you survived to get where
38:12you're at. That grief should have killed
38:15you. That mistake should have punished
38:16you and destroyed you, but God had you
38:18covered. Just whenever in the nick of
38:20time, he was just there right on time.
38:23and he covered you in the midst of all.
38:26That's what worship I worship him cuz
38:28he's my shelter. He's my rock. He's my
38:31refuge. He's my provision. He's my
38:33shepherd and my shelter and my savior. I
38:35worship him and I get back into a line.
38:37He covers me. Are there any worshippers
38:39in the house? Is there anybody that
38:41desires deep within your soul to draw
38:43closer to his presence? Is there anybody
38:45tonight that would [music] just take one
38:47more step closer to him? Maybe you'd
38:49step out, come down to the front of this
38:51place with hands lifted, with voices
38:53raised, with a love in your heart, and
38:55just worship him. Maybe bow in his
38:58presence and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is
39:02the Lord God Almighty." Maybe there's
39:05some priorities that need to be rep
39:07prioritized, but come down and worship
39:09him and say, "I need thee. Oh, I need
39:12thee every hour. I need thee, Lord."
39:16Anybody
39:18got anxiety? Anybody have some fear? You
39:21got some pressure that seems like it
39:23won't let up. Come and worship. Come and
39:26worship. Cast all your cares upon him
39:28because he cares for you. You got any
39:31problems, you got any pain, come worship
39:34him. Come on, take a step. Take a step
39:37in his presence. There's fullness of joy
39:40at his right hand. Our pleasures
39:41forever. I'm coming, Lord. [music] I'm
39:44coming. And I'm on a destination. And
39:45I'm not alone. I got people. I got
39:48brothers. I got sisters. I got a family
39:50of God. I got a church of Jesus Christ.
39:53I've got a body that's surrounding me
39:55right now. I'm not alone in this.
39:59Oh, keep on climbing. [screaming] Keep
40:01on climbing, brother. Keep on climbing,
40:03sister.
40:09Oh, yes, God. I'm going somewhere. I'm
40:11on a journey. I've got a destination.
40:14You are my hope.
40:16You are my home. You are my destination,
40:20Lord, to be with you and where you're
40:22at. [singing]
40:23Oh yes, God.
40:27I pray for my brother. I pray for my
40:30sister. I pray for Jerusalem. I pray for
40:33your peace, oh God, on my community, on
40:36my nation. I pray for peace, oh Lord.
40:39Let your spirit come and break every
40:41bondage. Destroy every spirit of
40:43violence. God, bring peace to between
40:46brothers and sisters, [music]
40:47between fathers and their children,
40:49mothers and their daughters. Bring
40:51peace, I pray, in homes in the name of
40:54Jesus.
40:56Oh God.
41:02[singing and music]
41:04Oh yes, Lord. We're on a climb and I
41:07won't give up. I won't turn back now.
41:10>> Oh yes, Jesus.
41:14[music and singing]
41:15>> You deserve glory.
41:19>> Oh, if it had not been for you who was
41:21on my side, where would I be, Lord? But
41:24for your mercy, but for your grace, God.
41:28Oh yes Lord.
41:32I know where my help comes from. I know
41:35where my strength [music] comes from,
41:37where my joy lies. And it's you, God.
41:40It's you, God.
41:44It's you, God.
41:47[music and singing]
41:54Oh yes, Lord.
41:59Oh yes, God. I got to keep climbing. I
42:01got to keep climbing.
42:03>> [screaming]
42:04>> You worthy alone.
42:11You're worthy [music and singing] alone.
42:18[music] For you are all things and to
42:22you are all things. [music]
42:26Lord,
42:30oh you [music and singing]
42:32you're worthy of
42:38your [singing and music] worthy.
42:45[music] Oh God, you are [singing] all
42:49and you [music] are all
42:53you [singing] glory.
42:57[music]
42:58Oh, you're worth [singing]
43:06your
43:13[singing]
43:16[music]
43:18[singing]
43:22glory.
43:24[singing]
43:25Hey,
43:29[music]
43:32David.
43:35[singing]
43:36[music]
43:44[music]
43:45Heat. Heat.
43:49[music]
43:51[singing]
43:57Heat. Heat.
43:59[music and singing]
44:05[music and singing]
44:07Heat. Heat.
44:11[music]
44:15[singing]
44:17Day and night, night and [music] day.
44:22You're worth [singing]
44:29[music] your [singing]
44:39tool.
44:41[music]
44:43You deserve [singing]
44:45the glory.
44:48>> [music]
44:48>> Yes, you're worthy of God.
44:56Are you worth your [music]
45:01[singing]
45:04[music]
45:07and to you?
45:11[music]
45:16[singing]
45:19[music]
45:28>> [music]
45:38>> Heat.
45:41[music]
45:43Heat.
45:50>> [music]
45:56[music]
46:00[music]
46:07[music]
46:13[music]
46:14>> Day and night, [singing]
46:16night and day and
46:18All right.
46:20[music]
46:21[singing]
46:25All right.
46:30[music and singing]
46:36[music and singing]
46:38Great.
46:41Day and night and day
46:44[music and singing]
46:48and night and [singing] day.
46:53You're [music] worthy of yours.
46:58[music]
46:59You're worthy of yours.
47:04[music]
47:06For you are all [music] thank
47:14you.
47:16[music]
47:17Hallelujah.
47:19Together one more time. Can we all stand
47:21and lift our hands to heaven right now?
47:24I love you, Lord Jesus. [music] In the
47:25presence of all of your people who I'm
47:28not worthy nor deserve to be among, but
47:30only by your blood and by your grace,
47:32I'm here. Thank you, Lord, that you have
47:34brought us together from kindreds and
47:36tribes and ethnicities. [music]
47:37And I thank you that you brought us
47:39together as one body, as one people. Put
47:42that kind of love in our hearts, oh
47:43Lord. That rejoicing in our hearts, God,
47:46for the world, for people, for your
47:48presence, God. We seek after you. We
47:50thank [music] you that you're speaking
47:51to us tonight, Lord. You're speaking to
47:54us tonight, God. Oh yes, Lord. I love
47:58you Jesus.
47:59Hallelujah.
48:02Praise God.
48:06[snorts]
48:07Praise God. Can't tell you where it
48:09happened.
48:11I can point to different moments, but I
48:14can't tell you the exact moment of when
48:16it happened. whenever I stopped feeling
48:18like I was getting drugged to church and
48:20I actually [music] wanted to go to
48:21church.
48:24May maybe maybe the sign of growth for a
48:27disciple [music] isn't that you just go
48:28to church but maybe it's whenever your
48:32heart says I was glad when they said
48:34unto me.
48:35Maybe that's a sign of growth that says,
48:37"You know what? Nobody had to pull me
48:40and drag me, but they just said, "Hey,
48:41we're going to and Lord, I want to go. I
48:43want to be there. I'm ready to go to
48:45church. I'm ready to be among God's
48:47people." Where we meeting at? We meeting
48:49at McDonald's. Where we going? We
48:51meeting at the prayer room. Where we
48:52meeting? We meeting at the sanctuary. I
48:54was glad when they said unto me,
48:55"Anybody glad that you're part of the
48:56body of Christ? Isn't he wonderful?
48:59Isn't he good? Are you keep climbing?
49:02Are you still climbing in Jesus name?
49:04Why don't you clap your hands unto the
49:05Lord and thank him as we dismiss tonight
49:07and give him praise.
49:10[applause]
49:13[music]
49:15Hallelujah.
49:17God.
49:19Praise God. Encourage somebody around
49:21you before you leave this place and tell
49:22them to keep on climbing. I'm looking
49:25forward to Sunday morning. Bring
49:26somebody with you. If you need some
49:28canned goods and food, we've got it in
49:30the back. or if you know somebody that
49:31needs something, please visit us right
49:34back here by life central. God bless
49:36you. You're dismissed in the wonderful
49:37name of Jesus.
49:41[music]
49:57>> [music]
50:05[music]