It's 6:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I'm thinking about true worship. As we start our services on Sundays, I always say something like:"Brethren we have met to worship the only One who is worthy of our adoration, and that is the God of the Bible". I say that hoping to encourage our people to focus their attention on God, and hopefully, to truly worship Him.
However, as I think about it this morning, it may very well be impossible for some (or should I say many) of our folks to really worship. Why? Because Worship on Sunday cannot be separated from how we have responded to God from Monday thru Saturday.
If we really want to worship God on Sunday, we must be worshipful on all the other days. We do that by looking to the Word of God as a revelation of His glory and His will for us. As we do so, according to IICor.3:18, we begin to progressively reflect God's glory, from one degree to another, and to another , and another, and so on until we become reflections of God's glory in this world. It is a never ending process. If we stop progressing, we stop reflecting.
In light of this, I think that at least one aspect of true corporate worship is God's people coming together in one place and , in a sense, reflecting back to Him the image that has been stamped upon us through our faithfulness and obedience to His Word. If that image is being reproduced in us, we will worship and be carried to another degree of glory. If that image is not being imprinted on us we will not be able to truly worship Him.
In other words, we can't live careless, half-hearted, and largely disobedient lives all week and then expect to acceptably worship God on Sunday.
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7 comments:
Amen! I believe it!
Steve and Jeremy took the words right out of my mouth.
Good post.
That's so true. Have you read "Unceasing Worship" by Harold Best. It speaks to this issue a lot and gives a great Biblical framework for worship.
Thanks for this.
As a worship leader, I wholeheartedly agree. I can't tell you how often I am aware that many people in the congregation are "in God's presence" for the first time in a while during the worship service.
Conversely, when many people have traveled with Him daily, the worship take on a completely different personality.
Hi,
I am Gordon's & Cameron's Daddy. I agree totally with your article. Worship has been reduced to a program and not a pouring out of Praise to our Lord fro our heart. I heard a lady in Jamaica praising God in a way most never hear. She told him he was worthy, she directed her praise to Him and not about him.
Gordon and Cameron's dad,
Thanks for the kind words. The Lord has blessed you with two fine, godly sons.
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