"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
( Philippians 3:8)

The ruling passion of our lives should be the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. If King David were here today and we asked him the question, "What is the ruling passion in your life?" His answer would be, Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."

What about the apostle Paul? Philippians 3:10 reveals his answer, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." Christ was his goal. Paul gave up many things, he sacrificed much to make Christ the priority in his life, as he says in Philippians 3:8. Isaiah informs us that we were "created to praise, and created for His glory."(Isaiah 43:7, 21)

All this demands discipline and sacrifice, and a kind of self-giving not often found in our world today. It requires taking out of our lives everything that stands in the way of the reason for our existence, worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How many of us enter a worship service preoccupied with, "What’s in it for me? Are people friendly to me? Do I like the music? Am I inspired by the choir? Does the preaching feed me?" Our needs are not the primary reason for worship. There is so much more to be received from God when we enter into worship, corporate or private, with glorifying Him as the main thing on our mind. Giving glory and worship to God is a beautiful cycle of love. He loved us first with His sacrifice, we return that love with a sacrifice of praise and he loves us some more. There is no better investment to be made, because we can never out give or "out love" God.

We need to remember that worship is for God. It is the way that we express our love to the one who has forgiven us and blessed us with a future in heaven. Join me tomorrow as we begin looking at some things we can offer as a "sacrifice of worship."