Okay this one is long because it is our monthly newsletter topic. I would love to hear your comments!!
What is He Worthy to receive from YOU?
I turned on the TV in our hotel room one Sunday morning while I was getting dressed looking for some audible inspiration for the morning worship service and I stopped on one of those church programs you would never actually stop and listen to for any inspiration. But what I saw broke my heart and yes, made me a little mad, not at the people, but how we have regressed in our worship in a lot of our churches. The little choir was singing “Victory in Jesus” and not one member, NOT ONE of that choir had any facial expression of any kind on their faces. If anything, it was a scowl, and the sound, oh the sound was the most pitiful sorrowful sound, I'm not talking about musically (although that was a little rough too) but there was no sound of happiness. They didn't have their heads buried in the book like they were concentrating on the parts or anything either. There was no joy, no tears, no lifting of hands, no rejoicing whatsoever and they were singing about victory in Jesus. What victory? It didn't look like to me any of them had had any victory in their lives through Jesus. Because God has given me a passion for worship and because I used to be somewhat in that crowd, and because now I know what it is to have freedom in worship, I am burdened for Christians to experience true worship, and I am passionate about leading believers to true worship and them being set free to do so. However, I am not the only one passionate about His people being free to worship. I am currently doing a study of worship and going through my NIV Exhaustive Concordance and looking up each verse that pertains to worship. I came to the chapters in Exodus on the deliverance of Israel out of captivity. Over and over again in my concordance it said, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me” So I began to look these up, and I started to skip over them because it kept saying the same thing, and then I prayed, Lord what can I get out of this for worship. In my next breath, He revealed it to me. I wanted my people FREE to worship me, but not only that, I wanted to reveal my glory to them. So I showed them my glory by sending each of the plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh had finally had enough and told them to go. God gave the Israelites a radical deliverance. Complete with signs, wonders, and miracles. “For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up [a] for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Pharaoh told Moses that the Israelites could worship in Egypt, trying to make a compromise with God, but Moses said that's not going to work, we will not be free. Three times Pharaoh tried to compromise with God, but God didn't want them a little bit free, or a lot free, He wanted them completely free. Now, I know that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but the church has put its own bonds on themselves, pride, arrogance, intimidation, fear, traditionalism, legalism, resulting in worship as a chore instead of what it is meant to be, a blessing, a spiritual feeding to renew us each week, a place to lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross, to have people pray with us, to worship Him in spirit and in truth so that we draw closer to Him. I think about who God is, what God has done for us, what He has done for me, what a perfect Creator with such an incredible, sacrificial plan of redemption, patient, merciful, full of grace, full of love, full of jealousy for his people to worship Him and Him alone. Is He, my God, worthy of my scowl as I sing His praises? Is He worthy of my pride? No, He is worthy of my everything, my absolute everything and when I worship Him, I am to worship Him with everything in me, body, soul, and spirit. David said in II Samuel 24:24 “for I will not present burnt offerings to the LOrd my God that have cost me nothing.” Col. 3: 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. And if you don't think it is about music and singing, All through Psalms, David said to worship the Lord with the harp, the lyre, the trumpets, the tambourines, and so on and to sing unto the Lord, dance unto the Lord for He is good. I Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his [d] holiness. 31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD.” (for the sake of space, I deleted some verses)Now I know what you are thinking, “I am not getting up in church next Sunday and dancing.” God is patient. (just kidding) Seriously, the most important gift of worship is your heart. You must start there, but don't use that as an excuse if God speaks to your heart to worship Him in a more sacrificial way. I am not saying everyone must worship with their hands lifted up or kneeling prostrate before God, but what I am saying is that you should strive to be obedient in worship. God won't start you out by dancing. I think of that old song, “I can't dance, I can't sing,” or better yet, my daughter has a song on her IPOD by Weird Al Yankovic, “I think I'm just too White and Nerdy.” But He does want a sacrifice of worship. Why? Because He knows with each sacrifice of worship, you draw nearer to Him. Your heart draws closer, more intimate, you begin to drop the fear, the intimidation, the pride and it begins to be all about HIM. What kind of worship is He worthy of in your life? Think about it. Close you eyes and picture entering into His throne room in heaven. He is sitting on His glorious throne. He is your Father, He is God, He died for you to save you from Hell, He gave you a glorious life where He promises to never leave you or forsake you. What has He delivered you from? What miracles has He performed in your life? If you could see Him, what worship would you give Him? Would you remain standing, stiff-necked, proud? I don't think so. If we were actually in His throne room, we would fall on our faces. The bible says, “Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” It also says where two or three are gathered, I am in the midst of them. He is always with us if we are believers, but His presence is more real when we are gathered together worshipping and lifting up His name to give Him all the glory. So, I end with a challenge, an exercise in worship so to speak. Next Sunday, when you go to church and you are in the midst of the worship time, close your eyes so that you can close out all distractions, forget the person beside you and just focus on Him. Picture Him on the cross as He died for you, Picture his hand of healing reaching down to you, picture entering into His throne room. You are in His presence, what sacrificial worship can you give Him? Kerri
