“The Unquenchable Worshiper” – Sermon Notes

The Crash – 10/18/07 – Zach Hall

1) The UNQUENCHABLE Worshiper

a) Acts 16
i) 20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men,
being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs
which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22
Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates
tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And
when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such
a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in
the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly
there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s
chains were loosed.
ii) Paul and Silas worshiped and praised God, even though they were in
stocks in a prison
(1) We should also praise God, regardless of our situations
b) Fanny Crosby – blind hymn writer in the 19th century
i) “O what a happy soul am I! Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in
this world contented I will be. How many blessings I enjoy, that other
people don’t. To weep and sigh because I am blind, I cannot, and I
won’t.”
ii) “Well, the good thing about being blind is that the very first face I’ll see
will be the face of Jesus.”
iii) Pop love songs
(1) “I love you”, “I hate you”, “Go away”, or “Come back”
(2) Aren’t grateful that we have an endless supply of praises for our
King?
c) Fire
(1) Three ways a fire extinguisher puts out a fire: Cool the burning
material, cut off the oxygen, or cut of the supply of fuel
(a) Just like water can put out a fire, situations and events can
dampen our hearts of worship
(i) There’s a worshiper who “always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:7)
(ii) We always have a choice: to focus on the circumstances or to
fix our eyes on Christ and worship Him, even if it hurts
(b) To cut off in the oxygen is like cutting off the Spirit
(i) The Word tells us that we worship through the Spirit
(Philippians 3:3) but it also tells us that the Spirit can be
grieved.
1. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” (Ephesians 4:30)
2. Ways to not grieve the Spirit – “Get rid of all bitterness,
rage, and anger” (v. 31)
3. In order to worship, we must be right with the Holy Spirit
(c) The third way to stop a fire is to cut off its fuel.
(i) This is the easiest and yet sometimes the hardest to keep from
happening
1. The fuel in our case is God’s Creation and the miracles He
performs everyday
a. Ex: Appalachian Mountains