Sermon Notes - Christ Centered Worship - Rising Sun Baptist Church - May 3, 2026

1.       As we continue our foundations series, this is one of those that should challenge us.

a.       Which is a good thing.

b.       We need to let the Word of God poke and prod us.

c.       We need it to shine a light on the things we should not be doing.

d.       Or point out what we should be doing.

2.       I pray that each of us, myself included, hear the message and choose to live it.

3.       When we think of “Worship” our minds tend to go to the time we spend singing songs.

a.       Is singing part of worship? Absolutely, it is!

b.       I love worshipping in song.

c.       Is singing all there is in worship, no it is not.

4.       Worship can include just about anything.

a.       Singing songs is worship.

b.       Spending time reading God’s Word is worship.

c.       Hearing God’s Word taught is worship.

d.       Giving is worship.

e.       When it comes down to it, worship is a way of life.

5.       Deuteronomy 6:4-9

a.       Since the days of Moses worship was to be a way of life.

b.       It was about honoring God.

c.       Loving God with all of our heart, soul, and strength.

d.       Worship is to be a part of our lives.

e.       It is something we are to share or teach our children.

f.         Something we are to do when we are at home.

g.        Or out and about.

h.       It is something that we do at church, in the car, or when taking a walk.

6.       Worship is regularly defined as showing reverence for our God.

a.       That is what God instructed the Israelites to do.

b.       To live in a way that shows reverence to God who had freed them from captivity.

7.       If we look at our situation today and apply that same principle to us.

a.       We are to live in a way that shows reverence to the One who set us free.

b.       We need to show reverence to our Lord and Savior Jesus.

c.       The One who have saved us from our sins and given us an amazing eternity.

8.       Part of our foundation for doing life together is Christ Centered Worship.

a.       Not a Sunday morning sing a few songs type of thing.

b.       That is a start.

c.       It is how many begin the journey of learning to worship God.

d.       But it needs to grow from there.

e.       As a church body we need to worship our Jesus in everything we do.

f.         As individuals we need to honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

9.       1 Corinthians 14:26

a.       This verse and those that follow it are about orderly worship when the church body gathers.

b.       But it also helps us see some examples of worship.

c.       Hymn = worship.

d.       Teaching, Sunday School, or sermon = worship.

e.       A revelation from God = worship.

f.         Speaking in tongues with interpretation = worship.

g.        I will add prayer into the mix = worship.

h.       Each aspect of our morning together is building our foundation of Christ Centered Worship.

10.  Did you catch the “each one” in this verse.

a.       The ‘each one’ here is pointing to each person.

b.       We all have a part to play in our Christ Centered Worship.

11.  Everything we do here on any given Sunday morning can be part of our worship.

a.       Yes, I did say can be.

b.       They should be, but it is not an automatic thing.

c.       For each of us to worship when we are here on Sunday or Wednesday depends on us as individuals.

d.       Our worship really depends on our time outside of this building.

12.  You might be asking how you are to prepare for Christ centered worship that happens when we gather.

a.       Here are a couple of questions for us to answers.

b.       Do we spend time outside of this building in worship of our Lord?

c.       Do we sing praises to His name?

d.       Are we praying dependently to our God?

e.       Have we devoted time in the Word of the Lord?

f.         How about how we live our lives?

13.  Remember worship is showing reverence to our God.

a.       Do we honor Him in what we do outside of our church bubble?

b.       When we are sitting at home or out and about?

14.  Colossians 3:17

a.       How about doing yard work, dishes, making dinner, farming, your job, and…. Fill in the blank.

b.       If we are to do everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, it is to be worship.

c.       Here is a question for each of us to answer.

d.       Is Christ centered worship a way of life for us?

e.       Does our worshiping, our revering our God, prepare us for our time together as a church?

15.  If Christ centered worship is to become a way of life for us, it starts with our focus being on Jesus and what He did for us.

16.  Revelation 14:6-7

a.       Worship the one who made the heaven, the earth, the ocean, and springs of water.

b.       That would be Jesus.

c.       Worship Jesus.

17.  Colossians 1:15-16

a.       Jesus created all things.

b.       If we were to keep reading in Colossians, we would see…

c.       He is before all things.

d.       He is the Head of the Church.

e.       Jesus is beyond our imagination.

f.         Our worship is to be focused on Christ Jesus.

18.  Let’s set aside worship for just a moment.

a.       If our focus is not on Jesus, it impacts us.

b.       It impacts our thought process.

c.       It can impact how we interact when we are here at RSBC.

d.       If we come to church with the mindset that we are here to give God a couple of hours.

e.       In hope that it fills us up.

f.         That maybe it would balance out our week.

g.        So that we can live the other 166 hours each week for ourselves…

h.       Here is the thing, it does not work that way.

i.          We may think we are coming to worship God for a couple of hours.

j.          But it will not be Christ centered.

k.       Reality is, if our worship is limited to 1.2% of our time (2/168) our focus even during that 1.2% is not going to be where it needs to be.

l.          If we add an hour on Sunday night and on Wednesday, it still is not enough.

19.  If we look back to those verses in Deuteronomy.

a.       They were told to honor God with all that they are in all aspects of their lives.

b.       And we know that we are to worship the Creator of the heaven, earth, ocean, and springs of water all the time.

c.       It is not a switch that can be turned on and off easily.

d.       It does not instantly turn on when we walk through the doors.

20.  When Chris, our oldest, was a baby, we lived in an apartment that had one of those heater lights in the bathroom.

a.       At first, I thought it would be great.

b.       Turn it on, hop in the shower, and have that warmth when you get out.

c.       It did not work out as I had hoped.

d.       I found out it took a good half an hour to warm up.

e.       If you wanted to enjoy the heat you had to get up early.

f.         You had to prepare.

g.        Needless to say, I did not get any benefit from out of it after those early morning showerers.

21.  It is the same way for Christ centered worship.

a.       We cannot flip a switch and worship our Savior with all that we are.

b.       We need to be looking to Him all week long.

c.       We need to be loving Him with all our Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.

d.       We need to be living our lives honoring Him.

22.  When Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, He dropped a great nugget of truth.

23.  John 4:21-24

a.       We are to worship our God in Spirit and Truth.

b.       As individuals we are to worship Jesus by being in His Word, by singing songs, by praying.

c.       As a church our focus is to be the same.

d.       When we gather to worship our Lord Jesus, it starts with each of us being in the right place with our God.

e.       Not meaning we are perfect, or sinless, or that we even did better than last week.

f.         We are sinners who have been forgiven.

24.  What is meant by being in the right place with our God is that regardless of our week, regardless of how bad we sinned, we have come back to the cross.

a.       That we are loving God with all that we are.

b.       That we recognize that Jesus is God.

c.       That He is our priority.

d.       Being in the right place starts with us repenting of our sins and giving our concerns to our King.

25.  You may have heard it said that going to church on Sunday is a Saturday night decision.

26.  I would say that is too narrow of a definition.

27.  Being ready for Christ centered worship is a daily choice.

a.       We will not be perfect at it.

b.       We will sin.

c.       We will faulter.

d.       But we need to be seeking our God.

e.       We need to be praying.

f.         Reading His Word.

g.        And asking the Holy Spirit to work in us.

28.  As Christ followers worshiping our King is what we do.

a.       It is who we are.

b.       It is part of our foundation.

c.       Focus on your Savior Jesus.  

d.       Live for Him.

e.       At home.

f.         When we are out and about.

g.        When we are with our families.

h.       When we are gathering as a body of Christ followers.

i.          When we are alone in prayer.

29.  Our worship is built upon our Savior Jesus.

a.       We see the need for our Savior through worshiping in His Word.

b.       The songs we sing in worship lift our hearts to Him.

c.       The time in our classes and here in the sanctuary are worship as we grow in our knowledge of our God.

30.  As we look to strengthen our foundation.

a.       Focus on Jesus.

b.       Spend time with Him each day.

c.       Trust in His guidance.

d.       Remembering that we are seeking God’s will in our lives.

31.  Each day we need to walk in Spirit and Truth.

a.       What steps do you need to take to worship Jesus all week long?

b.       How can you make Jesus a focal point of each day?

c.       What can you do to be ready to worship our God with all that you are when we gather as a church family?

32.  If you don’t know Jesus, please listen.

a.       At some point in all of our lives, we realize something is missing in our lives.

b.       That something is Jesus.

c.       Scripture tells us that we are all sinners.

d.       We are lost.

e.       Which is why, Jesus came to earth.

f.         Lived a perfect sinless life.

g.        Then as our Lord, He became the perfect sacrifice.

h.       He died on a cross and paid our sin debt.

i.          But that is not where it ends.

j.          On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead.

k.       Granting all who confess their sins and choose to follow Him, new life.

l.          A glorious future as children of God.

m.    If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, I invite you to come forward during our final song.

n.       I would love to pray with you.