Worship

I recently was given the opportunity to temporarily lead worship at a church while they are in between worship leaders. I have never done this before but when I prayed about it, I felt that the Lord told me to do it. It has been one week and I have learned so much, but in that realized, that I have so much to learn.

I once heard it put this way: "Worship is breathing out what God has breathed in." It is simply a response to the love and the life he has lavished on us. Everything we give to God is something that came from God in the first place.

It starts with worship in the garden as Adam's life is an act of worship as he enjoys the created world with his creator. And it ends in worship as we look ahead to the new heavens and new earth we find that once we see him in his fulless we will be able to declare that he is worthy of our worship. Worship is what happens in heaven, and at the center of all the worship is a throne, and on that throne sits the Only Worthy Three in One. “You are worthy to take the scroll  and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation." (Rev. 5:9)

When we see him in his fullness all we will be able to do is worship. But until then, the more clearly we see him, through spending time with him, in the Word, prayer, and fellowship, the more we will not be able to help but worship. But it starts with catching a glimpse of him. Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.


The bottom line is that worship is all about God. Too many times I have left a worship service and told people that I thought it was good, or bad, or whatever, but quite frankly it just doesn't matter how it was for me because it is not for me to begin with! The question we need to be asking ourselves is, "Was God pleased?"
Hebrews 11:6 says that, "...without faith it is impossible to please God..." The Lord isn't looking for a certain sound or style, he is looking hearts worshiping in spirit and truth, operating out of faith and not out of dead works, or the traditions of man. He doesn't want people worshiping just because this is what they always do on Sunday, or any day for that matter. He wants a people who can't help but worship, a people who desire to sing their guts out, or to dance with all their might, or to paint the scriptures into vivid color using the words of poems or acrylic paint. He is looking at your heart...what is he seeing?

My prayer is that you would not feel any condemnation of guilt, because for those in Christ, there simply is none. But rather that you would be moved to worship, with a heart full of faith responding to the beauty and the goodness of the Living God and his finished work on the cross. Don't get me wrong, I think it is wonderful when that we get often experience the presence of God and that we can be changed more into the likenss of Jesus, but it just is a nice bonus, not the point.

We aren't meant to muster up worship by are own strength but rather we are compelled to as we see Jesus more clearly, experience the love of the Bridegoom King, and sing back the breathe given to us by the One who first breathed life into the dust, sung his song into the clay.

Song that have drawn worship out of me:
Intimacy - Jonathan David Helser
Abba - Jonathan David Helser
Savior - Hillsong United
God, I Look to You - Bethel Live