THE WAY OF WORSHIP
A missionary was working in Paraguay with the Maka Indians. One day a native named Rafael came to sit on the porch. The missionary was eating and went out to see what he wanted. He responded, "Ham, henek met." Again he asked what he could do for him, but the answer was the same. The words were clear but not the significance: "I don't want anything; I have just come near." Later he shared the incident with another veteran missionary. He laughed and explained that it was Rafael's way of honoring him. He really didn't want anything; he just wanted to sit on the porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near. "What brings you here, my child?" the Lord asks. "Ham, henek met." Doesn't that reveal the heart of true worship?
Matt. 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
1. Resting in God’s presence – worship costs us
On many occasions in the New Testament Jesus took time away from the crowds to spend time alone with His Father. In this story Jesus takes Peter James and John with him to climb a mountain in order to get away from the crowds and spend time together with God the Father. Climbing mountains is not an easy thing. It took time and it took a lot of effort to get to that place. I am sure that they were very tired when they arrived – but I am also sure they left exhilarated and refreshed. It was worth the effort!
Years ago I took a group of youth camping in Killarny Provincial Park. We took one day and climbed Silver Peak, a very high hill. It was a very long and hard climb to the top but the view from the summit was absolutely breathtaking (see picture). In other words, the perspective gained was worth the perspiration spent. Likewise worship requires effort. It does not always come easily. What did coming to worship today cost you?
Coming to this worship service today involved a sacrifice PRACTICALLY. You could have stayed in bed but you didn’t. You got up perhaps earlier than you would have liked to. You got yourself and your family ready. You drove to the church. It cost you practically.
Most of you did not have to come from a very far distance since you live close to the church. What if you lived hours away and there were no other churches that were closer. Would you have still come? There were many times when I was a pastor in Kuwait that people would show up for church after having driven for over a hour just to attend a worship service. Many times I would meet people who had come all the way from Saudi Arabia just to attend worship. They were so hungry for Christian worship and fellowship that they were willing to drive that distance. We often take so much for granted here in Canada and forget how lucky we really are.
Having this service today certainly cost the worship and sound team. They were willing to give of their time and talents to come to rehearsal during the week and again early this morning so that they could be ready to help lead us in worship. Besides practically, worship also costs us in other ways.
In order for us to worship, our mind, will, and emotions have to be moved. -- Tim Keller
Worship costs us MENTALLY. We have to focus our attention on God and off the many things around us that are trying to distract us. I know that is hard to do in a room full of other people. I know this is hard for parents who are trying to deal with children.
How do you get your mind off the things around you and unto God? I personally like to close my eyes when I worship. I do this so that I can give God my attention and not be distracted by all the things happening around me. This means that you have to know the songs you are singing by heart – which is why we ask the worship teams not to introduce more than one song a week and to do so during the offering.
Worship costs us EMOTIONALLY. Many times we just do not feel like worshipping. This is when we have to make the choice to emotionally enter into it. Have you ever come to a service but you just didn’t FEEL like worshipping? I know I have. I can think of so many times I have come to church and have not been in the mood to worship but after making the choice to do it I was richly blessed.
How do you make the choice emotionally to worship? Your mind directs your heart. It starts by making the decision to worship. I also find that body posture affects the heart. If you want to bow the heart, bow the head first. If the song talks about kneeling or lifting your hands than try doing what the song says physically. You will be amazed at the result.
Worship costs us SPIRITUALLY. In my own life I have found that the greatest battles I face spiritually are often just before I have experienced God’s power and presence in worship. I don’t know how many times we as a church have had audio or computer glitches just before the worship service is about to start. Think about your own life. How often do you find all sorts of problems in your home just when you are preparing for church? We have a rule in our house – no arguing before church. Sometimes that means no talking at all! We agree to put annoyances aside and deal with them latter. We have an enemy that will do whatever it takes to stop us from encountering the life changing presence of God.
There is a battle raging all around us and we have an enemy that will do anything he can to keep us from worship. Worship is hard work. It is a conscious choice that we must make. It is not like going to a movie theatre to enjoy a show. Worship is not a spectator sport. It is not passive but active. It doesn’t stop when you walk through the doors into the building.
I believe a very large majority of churchgoers are merely unthinking, slumbering worshipers of an unknown God. -- Charles H. Spurgeon
One of the greatest problems is that we think that we will passively receive in worship. We come to get and not to give. Have you ever seen this sign? It says “THIS SIGN HAS SHARP EDGES – DO NOT TOUCH THE EDGES OF THIS SIGN” in big letters. In small print at the bottom it says “Also, the bridge is out ahead”. I think sometimes worship can be like that. We are so focused on the presentation, the music, lights and the atmosphere, that we miss the heart of what worship is about. It is us offering ourselves to God. The heart of worship is giving, not getting.
I know you have heard me say this before but it is worth repeating. Perhaps the greatest barrier to corporate worship is overcoming our own limited expectations.
Beware of the mind-set in looking to see if the church will meet your needs. ... When my family is ready to leave for church, we take all our expectations about what we want to receive and leave them at home with our dog. Consequently, everything we do receive is a blessing. -- Luis Palau
Worship is a choice. You have to move your body, your mind, your heart and your spirit to get there. Like a dear panting, longing for water we seek God. Rest assured that the perspective gained will be well worth the perspiration spent
How about you? What did it cost you today? What was your focus? Did you come today expecting to receive or is your desire to give? Did you work hard to prepare yourself – to consciously move your mind and heart to a place where God was exalted? Did you come with a heart of expectation?
2. Reflecting God’s glory – worship changes us
When Jesus was in the presence of God his face was changed. His face was shining like the sun. The word used here is the Greek word METAMORPHOO from which we get the word METAMORPHOSIS. It is the picture of the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It means a change in form. It is a TRANSFORMATION. When we spend time with God we are transformed.
Our face is the primary way in which people recognize us. Our face reflects what is happening in our mind and hearts. Have you ever seen a school yearbook that was filled with pictures of people’s feet? Probably not. When Moses was in the presence of God his face was changed. The same is true of Stephen before he was martyred – they said his face was like the face of an angel.
2 Corinth. 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
It says here that Jesus WAS transfigured. That means that He did not change his face. It was changed for Him. This is passive tense. Getting into worship is an active process but what happens to us when we are in worship is passive. Moses did not change his face when he was with God – he did not even know that his face had changed! The presence of God changes us so that we begin to reflect the glory of Jesus. This change is seen by everyone.
Have you ever been out on a night with a full moon that was bright enough to see everything clearly? The moon has no light of it’s own, it simply reflects the light of the sun. Depending on where it is located it reflects differently. In worship as we align ourselves with God His light reflects off us so that others can see that radiance.
This is why worship is such a great evangelistic tool. People are drawn to it because they can see the power and the difference it makes in us. When I was in Kuwait we had an outdoor worship service one night. We had always been told that we could not do this – that the Muslims would be offended and shut it down. The night we had the service was a holiday so the streets were full of people, including the park across the street. As we sang I noticed that many young Kuwaitis heard the music and came across the street to see what was happening. They were engrossed by what they saw. It was not the music that amazed them but what they saw in the faces of those worshipping.
Many churches today are trying to be more seeker sensitive. I have nothing against that. I think that we need to remove every barrier we possibly can for those who have never been to church. However, that should not mean that we try to water down the worship. True worship draws people to Christ.
Worship is the lost chord of evangelicalism. -- Howard Hendricks
How about you today? Are you reflecting the glory of Jesus? Do others see Christ in you?
Tommy Tenney in The God Chasers wrote: “The reason people who know you aren’t interested in your God may be because you don’t have enough of the presence of God in your life. There is something about God’s presence that makes everything else crumble in comparison. Without it, you will be just as pale and lifeless as everybody else around you. No matter what you do, without His presence, you will be ‘just another somebody’ to those around you.”
3. Ready to move in Power – worship equips us
After the disciples had been in the presence of God they came down the mountain to face a problem. A man had brought his demon possessed son to the disciples but they could not cast it out. This had lead to arguing with the Pharisees in front of a crowd. Though the disciples were not able to cast the demon out of the boy, Jesus was able to do so easily. What was the difference? Was it just that Jesus was God. No, Jesus laid aside His power and said that we would do the things He had done and even greater things by the same Spirit that He had.
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
There was another reason. Let’s read the Mark account of this encounter:
Mark 9:14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." …
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
I believe the real issue here was God’s presence in our lives. In worship our heart, mind and will are brought in line with that of Jesus so that we can step out in faith and release the power of the Holy Spirit within us. You are never so empowered of God as when you spend quality time in His presence.
In the Matthew account of this incident, we see a similar explanation:
Matt 7:18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Some have taken this to mean that if we believe (have faith) in something strong enough that God will make it happen. That is not true. The issue is not how deeply we believe in something but the content of what we believe in. Not faith in our own will but faith in the One whose will we seek. As we align our minds, hearts and will with God’s we gain His perspective and power. Then we speak with faith knowing that what we ask for is not just our will but God’s will for us.
The more we spend time in worship, intimate worship, the more we will see our lives changed and our ministry expand. Are you experiencing God’s power in your life and ministry?
In the early 1990s when President George Bush had John Sununu as his White House chief of staff. On one occasion a reporter asked if his job was difficult. He quickly answered, "No." The reporter thought Sununu had misunderstood the question, so he asked again, and got the same reply. Sununu, a former governor of New Hampshire, then explained why he felt his job was easy: "I have only one constituent." He knew his job was to please the President.
Likewise when we come to worship we have only one person we are seeking to please. There is only one thing we need to focus on.
I’ve always liked hearing oxymorons, or self-contradicting phrases. The word itself comes from “oxus” which means sharp and “moros” which means dull. Here are some of my favorites.
Jumbo shrimp
Freezer burn
Plastic silverware
Here is another self-contradictory phrase: boring worship.
That reminds me of the little boy who asked his mother if she could remember the highest number she ever counted to. The mother didn’t know so she asked him about his highest number. He answered, “5,372.” The mother was puzzled and asked him why he stopped at that particular one. The boy responded, “Well…church was over.”
I admit there are times we have not done a good enough job in trying to make our worship and presentation of the gospel the best it could possibly be. At the same time I must also say that often what you get out of church depends on what you put into it.
Jesus was willing to climb a mountain to meet with the Father. What are you prepared to do? What are you willing to put into it? Will you do the work to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally and spiritually before you come? If the focus of your heart moves from getting to giving then I guarantee you that you will get more out of it. I guarantee that others around you will get more out of it as well.
