SERMON SERIES · PILLARS REFINED

Unashamed Worship

You have been told worship is a feeling. The Bible calls it a transfer of worth. This message unpacks what it actually means to worship God in spirit and truth.

Worship is the act of magnifying God, making him large in our hearts and minds so that his greatness fills our thoughts and affections.

WHAT THIS SERMON IS ABOUT

Worship Is a Transfer of Worth, Not a Feeling

Most people walk into a Sunday service and call the music worship. They walk out and call the goosebumps God. The Bible has something far heavier and far more freeing to say. Valor Church is an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado, serving Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, and Candelas. Sundays at 10am at Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave.

Psalm 103:1-4 is a descriptive praise psalm written by David. He commands his own soul to bless the Lord. The Greek word for worship in John 4 is proskuneo, which literally means to kiss toward, to adore. The other word is latreuo, a service of devotion. Worship is to ascribe infinite value to Jesus with your mouth, your posture, and your obedience.

Justin walks through three convictions from Psalm 103 that lead to a committed, unashamed worship. There is no one other than him. There is grace upon grace from him. There is satisfaction and renewal in him. Those convictions create the commitment. The commitment shapes the conduct.

Worship is not an emotional high. It is not reserved for the spiritually mature. It is not bound to a building, a song set, or a personal preference. It is a daily transfer of worth back to the only one who deserves it. If you have never felt the presence of God, the issue may not be your worship. It may be that you have never been born again.

A new church plant in NW Arvada.

Sundays at 10a at Excel Academy. Expository preaching, real community, a clear next step.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

A 7-DAY DEVOTIONAL

Go deeper with this message all week.

Seven days of Scripture, reflection, and prayer drawn from this sermon. One a day. Read it in five minutes. Carry it the rest of the day.

DAY 1

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Psalm 103:1

David does not wait until he feels like worshiping. He commands his own soul to bless the Lord. There is a kind of self-talk that the Bible actually invites. When your heart is dry, you preach to it. You tell it where to look.

Prayer
Lord, teach me to command my own soul to look at you when it would rather look anywhere else.

DAY 2

A Transfer of Worth

John 4:23-24

Worship in spirit and truth is not a style of music. It is turning from every false god that demanded your attention this week and ascribing worth back to Jesus. It is saying with your mouth and your life that he is infinitely valuable.

Prayer
Lord, expose the idols I have propped up this week so I can cast them down and adore you alone.

DAY 3

There Is No Other

Psalm 103:1-2

David’s first conviction is that there is no other God. That settles his soul and frees his worship. When your eyes are fixed on the one true God, the opinion of the room shrinks. You can be unashamed because you are with the only one who matters.

Prayer
Lord, fix my eyes on you so completely that I forget to be embarrassed about loving you.

DAY 4

Grace Upon Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9

You are saved by grace through faith. Not from yourselves. Not from works. If your salvation were earned, you would worship yourself. Because it is a gift, you worship Jesus. Boasting and worship cannot share the same mouth.

Prayer
Lord, kill every quiet boast in me and replace it with gratitude.

DAY 5

Crowned With Faithful Love

Psalm 103:4

David says God crowns you with faithful love and compassion. The Hebrew word for that love is hessed, a deep covenant love compared to a mother’s care for her child. If you want honor, look at the cross. You are royalty because Jesus loves you.

Prayer
Lord, let your love be the crowning jewel of my life today.

DAY 6

Satisfaction and Renewal

Psalm 103:5

David pictures the worshiper renewed like an eagle soaring with strength. The world offers flat water. Jesus is living water. He does not just quench thirst, he renews you. Worship is where the bubbles come back.

Prayer
Lord, renew me today the way only your presence can.

DAY 7

The Heart of Worship

John 4:23

Matt Redman wrote The Heart of Worship after his church pulled the band off the stage to expose what they were actually worshiping. When the music fades, what is left of your worship? That is the real question. Jesus is looking for worshipers who would worship without the production.

Prayer
Lord, make me a worshiper who would still adore you in a quiet room.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

For your small group, family, or personal reflection.

Before this sermon, would you have called worship an emotional high or a transfer of worth?
What false gods or idols have demanded your attention this week that need to be cast down?
How does commanding your own soul to bless the Lord change the way you approach a dry season?
Why is it impossible to boast and worship at the same time?
What does it look like for you to worship in the parking lot, on a lunch break, or in your living room this week?
If the band, lights, and production were stripped away from Sunday, what would your worship sound like?
Have you ever been born again? If you are unsure, who is one person at Valor you could talk with this week?

Want to work through these with others? Small groups at Valor meet throughout the week. Find a Group

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions people search for. Here are honest answers.

What are the characteristics of a biblically-based church?

Expository preaching that lets the Bible set the agenda, a plurality of qualified elders, the Bible treated as the inspired authority on every question it addresses, baptism by immersion of professing believers, and worship that is built on the character of God rather than the production of a band. Valor is built on these. We are an expository Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado. Plan your visit and see for yourself.

How to know if a church is a good church?

Listen for the Bible preached plainly verse by verse, not topical themes picked for relevance. Look for clear gospel teaching every week, qualified elders, and a culture where worship is about God rather than about the room’s preferences. A good church will not soften the hard truths of Scripture to keep you comfortable. Valor preaches through whole books of the Bible and treats worship as a transfer of worth back to Jesus.

How do I find a local church to help me become a Christian?

Find a church that explains the gospel clearly week after week, that treats the Bible as the final authority, and where the people will sit with you in your questions. If you have never been born again, you cry out to God, admit you need his grace, and put your complete faith and trust in Jesus. If you are in NW Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, or the surrounding area, talk with a pastor or come this Sunday at 10am.

What is the typical process for getting baptized in a Christian tradition?

At Valor we baptize professing believers by full immersion in water, the pattern Jesus modeled and the early church practiced. Baptism does not save you. It is a public declaration that the grace of God already has. If worship is a transfer of worth, baptism is one of the loudest ways you make that transfer visible. Talk with a pastor if you are ready to take that step.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Talk with a pastor.

Whether you are wrestling with what you just watched or with what life is throwing at you. A pastor will reach out within 48 hours.

TALK WITH A PASTOR

JOIN US SUNDAY

Sundays at 10a in NW Arvada.

Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave. Come as you are. A friendly face will save you a seat.

PLAN YOUR VISIT