“The Six Pillars of a Powerful Church”
WOW Worship!!! John 4:19-26
Today we continue our look at the six pillars that make a church powerful and effective. Pillar number two is WORSHIP…
Unfortunately in thousands of years society still has not gotten the idea of authentic worship down. The scripture we read in John 4:19-26 is not at all unlike many situations that can be seen in our culture.
In this day and age people worship everything from themselves to money to trees to made-up deities. There are even some “religions” that worship an amalgamation of other religions just so they don’t offend anyone or hurt some little god’s feelings.
Jesus has the answer to this kind of worship just like He had 2000 years ago…
Turn in your bibles to John 4:19-26 and follow along with me as I read. (READ)
Just like the culture in Jesus’ day - we too see false worship happening and we need to know what false worship is… False Worship is:
Selective Worship - It chooses what it wishes to know about God and omits the rest. The Samaritans took as much of scripture as they wished and paid no attention to the rest. One of the most dangerous things in the world is a one-sided religion. And people today are similar… they play pick and choose worship, or better yet it referred to as Buffet Christians - come when you feel like it and take only what you think tastes good…
And it is One-Sided Worship - Jesus’ words are to worship in Spirit and Truth - not one or the other. Many churches today have great Spirit worship with no meat, no substance. And some have great theological depth but there is no feeling. All Spirit is mere emotionalism - and all Truth is mere intellectualism - Jesus said you must have both. You cannot pick one side… true worship is worship that approaches God with the whole person.
And it is also Superstitious Worship - It is a worship given, not out of a sense of need our out of any real desire, but basically because one feels that it might be dangerous not to. A lot of people will refuse to walk beneath a ladder; many a person will have an unpleasant feeling when a black cat crosses their path; not that they believe in these superstitions, but he has the feeling that there might be something in them and he had better play safe. That is what the Samaritans were doing… “we might want to worship this God just in case we make Him mad.
But Jesus said a time is coming - and it is now that we must worship in Spirit and in Truth… Worship isn’t to be some academic exercise… worship is that expression that encompasses the whole of who you are. So is there a right way to worship? Yes, Jesus said to worship in Spirit and Truth -
So To Worship in Spirit and in Truth is:
DECLARING God’s PERSON Psalm 47:7-8 It is declaring who and what God is - the God of gods, the Lord or lords.. who sits on the throne over all the earth… and it is
THANKSGIVING for God’s PROVISION Psalm 126:2-3 It is the joyful thanksgiving to Him alone for all that He has provided, providing and will provide in your life.
CELEBRATING God’s PROMISES Psalm 31:19 It is celebrating the promise of refuge through salvation and the promise of eternal life.
ACKNOWLEDGING God’s PRESENCE Psalm 139:7-10 That He is not a part time God - but that He is both present here and that He will be present with you through anything.
REJOICING in God’s PATH to life. Psalm 16:9-11 It is rejoicing in the path to life’s salvation that God has provided. Coming to rejoice that you can have your name written in the Lamb’s book of life… frankly that alone is worth coming to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
Finally it is RESPONDING to God’s PERSONAL call. Psalm 37:39-40
When you come to worship, really worship - God will always call you to a deeper relationship with Him… either through salvation or a deeper call to walk with Him or even a deeper call to commit your service to Him - and when He does you need not ignore it - but respond…
When you worship in this way - even the offering is an act of worship! And it is worshipping with all that you are… heart, mind, soul and strength.
THE POWER OF WOW WORSHIP!
Our worship as individuals and as a church should be - regardless of its style - WOW Worship.
Let me explain. WOW Worship is when you (or anyone else) can walk away from a worship service NOT saying…”Oh, that was a nice music special…” or “That was a great sermon.” But when you walk away saying, “Wow, what a great God!”
Unfortunately churches worship in a way that get people to respond like the little girl when she was saying her bedtime prayers she said…
“Dear God, we had a good time at church today - but I wish You had been there…”
For Wow Worship as an individual and as a church - you MUST come to worship with -
An open HEART -
It is taking off the mask, letting God see what is in your heart (He can anyway). When you come with an open heart you are not pretending, you’re not being a hypocrite, you’re not putting on a show - you are simply coming to worship, to praise and thank Him
A HOLY SPIRIT focus -
It is taking a focus off of - “personal agendas” - and saying what can I give to God? It is to willingly submit to God’s desires and not your own. To submit your life to live by God’s Spirit that it would be Him alone that would be seen.
A real HUNGER and thirst -
Jesus said in Matthew - blessed are those who hunger and thirst for they will be filled… and He told the Samaritan women, whoever drinks the water He gives will be filled. When you approach worship you should come wanting God’s presence, seeking God’s presence and hungering for God’s presence.
A true HOPE -
I admit that sometimes you may not approach worship with a hope for a future… that is ok. But approach it with the hope that God has an answer, that you can find strength and a hope that in your searching you can find…
because if you come to worship with and open heart, a Holy Spirit focus and a hunger, I can assure you that while you may not have approached it with a real hope you will leave with one.
When each worshiper comes to worship in this way then there will always be a powerful moving of God’s Spirit and His presence that will equip and enable the church to move mountains.
And the church that worships in Spirit and Truth has a powerful attraction. It strips away the things that block the eyes and heart. It strips away personal agendas; it strips away false pretenses and the masks you wear and it holds Jesus up.
It becomes real and genuine. People see it, they know it, they feel it with all that they are (heart, mind and soul) and the walk away with a God sized hope, a soul hunger that is both filled and craving and a heart that knows that God cares.
True biblical worship so satisfies our total personality that we don’t have to shop around for man-made substitutes.
And family… that makes for a powerful church.
Will you decide to come - to worship in Spirit and in Truth… to walk away and say… “WOW - what an awesome God!”
