Heart of Worship
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes that true worship is a selfless act of giving honor to Jesus Christ, calling believers to surrender their lives fully and serve others as an authentic expression of faith.
This sermon emphasizes the true essence of worship, which is giving worth, honor, and homage to the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than seeking personal gain or fulfillment. It challenges the congregation to shift their focus from self-centered desires to selfless devotion to God, embodying Christ's love and servanthood. The message highlights the importance of sacrificial living, intercession, and active participation in the body of believers, urging individuals to offer themselves completely to God and find true life by giving it away.
Full Transcript
People come to church or go to Christian gatherings with the frame of reference as to what they're going to get. We have gathered here not for us, not for me to get something. What is worship? It is giving worth, honor, homage to someone other than us.
It so happened our worship is not to any man or any object or anything but it is Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's more wonderful to believe having not seen. So our gathering makes, our worship makes authentic and real and biblical.
When we come, we go to church, we go to worship not for getting rid of our anxieties and problems and sorrows and find some answer to our current dilemma. Thousand needs, felt needs we have and church service can become another shopping mall, another bazaar we go to get something for us. So the gifts becomes more important than the giver that we are called to be His and He said if you will want to be mine, you have to give up everything else and only seek me.
Unless you love me more than your own self, you cannot be my follower. You know what He's asking us basically is to share in His suffering and death and nothingness but in the midst of this God is looking for a mighty minority that actually are committed to know Him and to be His. People sit in the service or go to these meetings, they're waiting for some thunderbolt, some shocking thing to happen, some extracurricular activities, some new knowledge or some feelings but God says I thought you came here to offer your body, your life as a living sacrifice.
I thought you came here to find out what it means to give yourself away. I thought you came here to pray intercede with a broken heart for somebody standing next to you or somebody who may be hurting. I thought you came here to be part of the body that is active and alive and giving not just taking because that is cancerous and so you go away just as you came and so we have a moral obligation to make this decision saying that no I want to go to church today to bless someone.
I want to go to church today to bless the Lord. I want to go to church today so I can give my worship to Him. I want to go today regardless of my feelings or what I hear that I'm going to church today because I'm going to just sit there, I'm going to pray for the individual who minister God's work.
I'm going to sit there and pray on behalf of the worship team. I'm going to pray for people come to know the Lord. So today I'm going to give myself completely because today my hands are Christ's hands, my legs are His legs, my eyes His eyes, my tears His tears and His dreams and ambitions He realizes incarnate today through my earthen vessel so I want to be completely His.
So what happened? The promise then comes true. You want to find life? You find it by giving it away. You want to be the number one? Become the servant of all.
The real problem is there is an enemy that is 100 times more powerful than us put together. The name of the enemy is self-centeredness.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Worship is giving worth and honor to Jesus Christ
- Worship is not about personal gain or solving problems
- True worship requires selfless surrender
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II
- The call to follow Christ demands loving Him more than self
- Sharing in Christ’s suffering and death is essential
- God desires a committed minority who truly know Him
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III
- Church is not a place to receive but to give and bless others
- Believers must pray and intercede for others during worship
- Our lives should be living sacrifices reflecting Christ’s presence
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IV
- True life is found by giving it away
- Greatness in God’s kingdom is servant-hood
- Self-centeredness is the enemy to authentic worship
Key Quotes
“Worship is giving worth, honor, homage to someone other than us.” — K.P. Yohannan
“You want to find life? You find it by giving it away. You want to be the number one? Become the servant of all.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Today my hands are Christ's hands, my legs are His legs, my eyes His eyes, my tears His tears and His dreams and ambitions He realizes incarnate today through my earthen vessel.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- Approach worship with the intention to honor Jesus rather than to receive personal blessings.
- Commit to loving Christ more than yourself by embracing self-denial and service.
- Use your church attendance as an opportunity to pray for and bless others actively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the true purpose of worship according to K.P. Yohannan?
True worship is giving worth, honor, and homage to Jesus Christ, not seeking personal benefits or solutions.
Why does the speaker say we must love Jesus more than ourselves?
Because following Christ requires self-denial and a willingness to share in His suffering and death.
How should believers approach church gatherings?
Believers should come to church to give, bless others, pray, and offer themselves as living sacrifices.
What is identified as the main enemy to authentic worship?
Self-centeredness is the powerful enemy that hinders true worship and service.
What promise does the speaker mention about giving life away?
The promise is that by giving life away, one truly finds life and becomes great by serving others.