Series: Mastermind Week 2: Distorted
EVERY STEP TOWARD GODLINESS AND EVERY STEP TOWARD SIN BEGINS WITH A THOUGHT. Godliness is premeditated. Sin is premeditated.
ROMANS 1:21-25 See the progression:
DISTORTED WORSHIP LEADS TO DISTORTED THINKING WHICH LEADS TO DISTORTED PASSIONS WHICH LEADS TO DISTORTED LIVING. Distorted: warped, twisted, defective, unhealthy–dysfunctional
❶ DISTORTED WORSHIP is …
–A SMALL VIEW OF GOD Romans 1:21 –“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God”
- Speaks of the small estimation they had of God.
- Saw God as incapable, as limited, as vulnerable.
- Romans 1:20
-AN UNGRATEFUL HEART Romans 1:21 – “nor gave thanks to him”
- Arrogance –thinking everything we have we worked for, we deserve, we have earned.
- Worship –absolute understanding that everything I have comes from God’s grace.
- Distorted worship—I earned it. True worship—everything I have comes from God & I am grateful.
- Romans 1:28 “they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God” Didn’t acknowledge God is an ungrateful heart that says I don’t acknowledge that God has provided everything that I have.
– A FLIPPED FOCUS Romans 1:25 “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” Romans 1:23 “exchanged”
What do you give your time to? What do you dream about? Would you give your money to? What do you give your thoughts to? Who has your heart? What has your heart? Because the answer to that is what you worshipped.
❷ DISTORTED WORSHIP LEADS TO DISTORTED THINKING. Romans 1:21-22
FUTILE: means to be a fool because of your ego. It means to be worthless in you’re thinking because of your arrogance. It means dead end, worthless, foolish thinking.
DISTORTED THINKING IS:
– I CAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD
– I CAN LIVE WITH NO CONSEQUENCES
– GOD IS UNCONCERNED WITH MY PURITY & MY BODY
❸ DISTORTED WORSHIP LEADS TO DISTORTED THINKING WHICH LEADS TO DISTORTED PASSIONS
Romans 1:21
Darkened: GK word for eclipse. There’s no more light coming in, no more truth coming in. In other words, your heart can’t see straight, your heart can’t feel clearly. Romans 1:24, 26.
We need to train our hearts by training our thinking by training our worship.
❹ DISTORTED WORSHIP LEADS TO DISTORTED THINKING WHICH LEADS TO DISTORTED PASSIONS WHICH LEADS TO DISTORTED LIVING
Romans 1:24
They lived below their inheritance. They lived below God’s design. They lived below God’s perfect will. They live below God’s pleasing will. They live below God’s image. Instead, they just lived their self-centeredness.
Their lives became this big celebration of themselves.
What do we do? Practice having a big view of God. Growing a big heart of gratitude and constantly taking inventory of your heart. Asking, have I flipped my focus? Am I worshipping the creation or even the creature instead of the Creator?
Distorted worship will lead to distorted thinking every time. This leads to distorted passions in your heart. This leads to a very dysfunctional life. It all begins with worship.