The Bible is rich with exquisite love expressed to God in
music and worship.
"…in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to
make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and
when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and
instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good
for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord,
was filled with a cloud, " 2 Chronicles 5:13
The Purpose of Worship
The ultimate purpose of worship is to glorify God. But along
with this simple purpose we must explain that which accompanies glorifying God.
The question is: How is God glorified through worship?
Surrender
Intrinsic in God-glorifying worship is a heart that receives
from God His will and gives to God submission in return. The believer who has
settled the matter of following Christ by faith is the one who glorifies God
when worshipping.
Authenticity
Those who come to God playing pretend are those apt to miss
the power and presence of God in worship. To come to God giving Him fully who
we are—the good, bad and the ugly is glorifying to Him. We engage with God in
an uncensored and unsanitized way in order to see His holiness, our sinfulness,
and to be cleansed in light of His goodness and grace. This is confession in
its purest sense and allows God’s cleansing and renewing work to actually take
place in our hearts.
Faith
Worship evokes a response of faith within authentic
worshippers. It calls for us to be reminded of God’s faithfulness in the past
and to therefore walk in trust for the future. God-glorying worship is when
believers walk away with deep confidence to leave the familiar and known, and
walk into the unfamiliar, uncomfortable and unknown being confident that God
is leading them to greater adventures of faith and trust in Him.
The Problems of Worship
It becomes a habit, rather than a joy.
Anything we repeat has the potential to become routine and
familiar, and thus becomes meaningless. In other words, we tend to take for
granted even the amazing things in our lives when we become familiar with them.
The challenge for the believer is be to be renewed every
Sunday when corporate worship occurs… and to be renewed every day through
private worship. Through the means of authentic prayer, confession and
surrender this is indeed possible.
It becomes a rule, rather than a relationship.
Legalism is a gravitational pull that every authentic
believer combats. It’s a natural progression that results from religious
activity. There is certainly a discipline with respect to worship. We don’t
always feel like coming to worship—but life should not be ruled by feelings.
How many times have you come to church not really wanting to be there, but
found on that particular day God spoke to you in a unique and powerful way? You
see corporate worship is about putting ourselves in a context unlike any
other. It is a place where believers are together as one giving thanks and
praise to God. Through the power of that community we experience something
amazing individually.
Mature believers understand this relationship between
attitude and discipline in worship. Through the discipline of worship we experience the
spirit of worship. This does not mean a rules-based approach. A rules-approach
would never engage the spirit and lead people to come to worship only because
of a “have to” mindset. Worship should always be a “want to”… even in those
moments when the flesh says, “I don’t want to” the mature believer, through the
mind and heart, overrules the flesh and places the self in a context where worship is once again something
spirit-filled.
It becomes an end, rather than a means to an end.
This in itself is a subtle ploy of the enemy… i.e., to get
people focused on the modes of worship, connecting them to the ways worship is
taking place, rather than to the God who is being worshipped. Here’s what I
mean—music, the music leader, lights, graphics, the preaching and the preacher,
etc. can become the “connecting point” rather than
people connecting to God. People in this context may leave inspired, but unchanged.
Sadly some churches have more style than substance. They
have impressive productions on Sunday, and those means become
“the draw” that evokes emotions and an experience that becomes a subtly
deceptive substitute for the real deal—God himself.
Unfortunately, many leaders (preachers, worship leaders) are
willing to receive for themselves the credit that is only due to Christ. Rather
than deflect to Jesus, they begin to be impressed with themselves and the way
they present to others. They see themselves as the ones on stage presenting to
an audience.
What should be true about authentic worship is that God is
the audience… and we are all, whether on stage or not, addressing Him.
This has led us at The Brook to choose an approach of
congregational singing rather than solos and feature music. The worship team’s
job, as well as the teacher’s, is to point people to Christ. Our approach helps
insure that we stay focused on where real life change comes… from Jesus and His
Holy Spirit’s work.
The Parts of Worship
Jesus, when describing authentic worship to the Samaritan
woman, said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such
people to worship him.” John 4:23
Here Jesus provides us a simple guideline for proper worship.
Authentic worship should be in “spirit and truth”. This mandate also provides proper balance to worship. When Jesus said
“spirit” He wasn’t meaning “Holy Spirit”… although this is true: real worship
involves the Holy Spirit. This word in John 4 means to worship with passion and
sincerity. “In our spirit, or inwardly in our minds and hearts, adoring his
majesty, revering his power, humbled before his purity, confiding in his mercy,
praising him for his benefits, loving him for his unspeakable love to us; being
subject to his sway, obedient to his will, resigned under his dispensations,
devoted to his glory, and aspiring after a closer union with him, and a more
full conformity to him.” (Benson’s Commentary).
He also said we are to worship in truth. Therefore, the
substance of our worship is to be grounded in the truth of Jesus as contained
in His Word, the Bible. The exposition of God’s Word with the attitude that it
is the measure of truth for our lives is an essential component to worship.
Herein lies the balance— spirit and truth! Not one without
the other, but both— one inspires through the spirit of the heart and the other instructs
through the truth of the Word.
The Products of Worship
It produces wonder
Acts 2:42-43, a portion of the verses that our church was founded upon, says, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles."
Acts 2:42-43, a portion of the verses that our church was founded upon, says, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles."
This sense of awe results from people who see God for who He
really is. May we always see and ascribe to God greatness and praise... and be filled with awe because of Him!
It produces gratitude
Grateful hearts are humble hearts. When we see how God has
blessed us and how His grace is evident in our lives, we feel deep thanks. We
do not leave worship feeling God “owes us” or that we lack anything. We have
all we need in Christ and His grace is sufficient. Thankfulness results from
authentic worship.
It produces joy
C.S. Lewis said, “To glorify God is to enjoy God.” The
authentic worshipper— upon cleansing and confession, upon praise and thanks,
upon the teaching of the Word— is one filled with awe that God in His greatness
would love us so in Christ. This draws out great joy and a sense of peace that
despite my circumstances I am secure in Christ. The result is as Paul said
while in the Philippian jail, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say
rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4)
Finally…
Corporate worship in today’s world seems to be one option
among many. Certainly trips and vacations are worthwhile and holy under the
Lord’s guidance. They provide times for family and rest. Yet, there are some
who don’t see the priority of worship and who lead their families to beliefs that worship is not all that important. That it's optional and if something more interesting is going on, they miss.
This is a huge mistake. Where is the priority of ascribing
praise to God in your life and family? What are you teaching your children
about God’s place in life?
Consider these words from Hebrews and be encouraged to
recommit yourself to the act of corporate worship at The Brook!
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and
good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:25
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