Good morning everyone. I would like to teach briefly today on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. The subject is worship. I spent the better part of the last 30yrs as a song leader/worship leader. I write it that way because it wasn't until the mid 90's that I began tounderstood what true worship was all about. Worship can be expressed in many ways, not just through music and singing. We can show our worship to God by service to others. We can demonstrate worship through the way we live our lives. We can even worship God by the way we do our work. But what I would like to talk about today is thecoporate worship that takes place in each of our churches every time we come together. Our text today is a very familiar passage of scripture to most. It is found in
John 4:23.
23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
The first thing I want you to notice about this passage is that if you are worshipping God in the way this passage describes, the Heavenly Father is actually seeking you!
I mention that things changed for me as a worship leader in the mid 90's. At that time, a change was taking place in the church as a whole regarding worship, which brings me to my first point.
I. Worship is not about us, it is about Him.
I cannot stress this point enough and if you grasp this idea, you will never again have an issue with the music in your church. We all have different preferences in music but we should only have one preference in our worship to God, and that is to please Him. Nothing grieves me more than to drive by a church and read on their marquee; traditional worship at 9:00am and contemporary worship at 11:00am. We should not be devided in how we worship. If it is all about Him, it shouldn't matter the type of music being played. True worship is a condition of the heart. It is our expression to God in the way we feel about Him. It is not a slow song, a fast song, a country style, or a contemporary style. Our only agenda in our worship should be to bless God. I am reminded of the story of David and Michal found in II Samuel 6.
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
Michal was angry with David because of the way he was worshipping. Have we ever been guilty of that, I know I have. But the bible says in v14 that "David danced before the Lord with all his might." In other words, he was passionate about his worship.
II. True worship is a very intimate thing.
In intamacy there is nothing hidden. Part of the text says that those who worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Greek word for truth in this passage translates; as not hidden. In other words, we must not have any sort of personal agenda when we come before the Father in worship. Honestly, if we understand that worship is about Him, we shouldn't even expect a blessing when we worship. Now I'll tell you right now that the nature of God is that He will bless you when you bless Him with your worship but if we are really focusing on worshipping Him, our goal will be to bless the Father's heart without regard to what we are going to receive in return.
III. True worship is a neccessity.
I say that because there are those who think that worship shouldbe left to the women or little children. But I'm here to tell you that everyone needs to be an active participant in corporate worship. Read the book of Revealation and you will see the grand and glorious worship scenes that take place in the throne room of the Most High. Besides, what are you going to say to Him when you see Him face to face? Are you going to be to shy or embarrassed to worship then? I would rather make it a habit now.
IV. In true worship you enter a different spiritual realm.
I can't fully explain this point, I can only tell you, as a worship leader, I have seen miraculous things take place during true passionate worship. I have seen unsaved people literally run to the alter without any invitation. I have seen people healed and set free from things that they may have struggled with for years, all of this when God has come into the place where true worhsip is taking place.
In summary I'd like to say if you are neglecting this part of your relationship with Jesus, you don't know what you are missing.I would encourage you to begin a life-style of worship. It may seem awkward at first but pretty soon, it will be as natural as breathing and you will wonder how you ever lived without true passionate worship in your life. And remember, if you are a true worshipper, the Father is seeking you right now!
Blessings.....Pastorjim
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Mere religion is just hanging around the cross.......True Christianity is getting on the cross.
Bullseye again Pastor!! Just a tidbit that you are already aware of I am sure. True worshipers are never the root of problems and discord among the brethern. Worshipers don't have time for such destructive activities.
Thanks for sharing Jim. Our Pastor touched on this point yesterday as the sermon was on thankfulness. He said it is not the style of music, but what the words are doing. Music is an excellent tool for teaching others.
I love music and there are times that I will be doing something and just start singing. A lot of times it isn't the whole song that I sing but just a line or chorus. Everday it is usually a different song.
Yesterday: Thank you Lord for saving my soul Thank you Lord for making me whole Thank you Lord for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and free. And it was really special to me given the text. The baby bottles came in yesterday for the Pregnancy Resource center (they provide pregnancy tests to women and tell them about the gospel, and the truth about abortion)and my Pastor asked me if I would be able to write a personal note to go inside of each bottle. Something that would help people understand how important this fundraiser is and maybe something about it being a family project.
So here I was thinking about what I should write when I started to think about the place I was in when I was pregnant and how good it would have felt to have gone to the pregnancy resource center instead of the one I went to who pushed abortion. But I can Thank GOD today for that instead of finding support to tell my family, they put more weight on my shoulders. When I walked into church with Josh and his parents, I was broken and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. He lead me to a place where the people welcomed me with open arms, and took some of the load off my shoulders until I could give it to God for good. Through my church family God saved me.
Those lines were sung in my heart all day yesterday. I love both the old and the new, I love the variety because sometimes they help me tell God just how I feel about Him. They bring encouragement during the difficult times or tasks. And some are sung in prayer and help you pray from the inner most place in your heart. Music helps me teach my sunday school students and it helps them remember the things which God has done. It is a gift from God that should be enjoyed and a tool that should be utelized.
Thank you Katrina for sharing that story, you are such a blessing. When I think of what you are doing with the crisis pregnancy thing, in view of your past, I begin to praise God for His saving and changing power. God bless you in your ministry Katrina.
Blessings.....Pastorjim
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Mere religion is just hanging around the cross.......True Christianity is getting on the cross.
Thank you Katrina for sharing that story, you are such a blessing. When I think of what you are doing with the crisis pregnancy thing, in view of your past, I begin to praise God for His saving and changing power. God bless you in your ministry Katrina.
Blessings.....Pastorjim
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I am walking proof that God uses all of the bad things for HIS good. I am so thankful that God made me strong and worked in my life before I accepted Him so that I was staunchly against abortion. Other girls who are not so grounded in their beliefs are not as lucky as I am and have had to live with the fact that they chose abortion when they were backed in the corner. I also was fortunate enough that my family also opposed abortion so that I wasn't hit from both sides. It would have been a much rougher road, God has come to my rescue so many times I don't think I could name them all.
I need to tell a testimony of worship..by the way Jim..that is my calling as well brother..
Back in 1977 quite soon after I was baptized in the Holy Ghost..I went on leave to Maryland..MY mom was Methodist and seeking more of God..She let me use her car and I drove off to a seafood market to buy some crabmeat..to eat by myself.[8D]The Holy Spirit began to convict me to share my crab meat with my mother..I wrestled with those thoughts ..after about 4 promptings I started to drive home..I heard crying from the kitchen..my mom wason the floor praying to God..I ignored her { Didn't know what to do} and looked at the crab meat..then I felt like I should pray for her.. I felt an ugly spirit in my mom to be honest with ya..I began to get scared and felt helpless..I got out my guitar and qietly finger picked and sang softly Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..I heard what seemed to be more singing in our home and my mom's face lit up ..and for the first time she began to sing in the spirit..and she was changed that day..yes God inhabits the praises of His people.The Lord also baptised me in the Holy Ghost when I was singing Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb.in Nov. of 1976..shortly after I was saved..
You don't need to convince me of the power of praise. Here is one of my favorite scriptures on warfare worship. I should have used it in the message I posted this week but I'm always afraid of making them to long.
2 Chronicles 20:20-22
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his [a] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever."22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
Did you notice, the worshippers were in front of the fighting men. The soldiers never even had to draw their swords, the power was in the praise!!
If everyone could only realize the the absolute power that exists in praise. It is a powerful tool that God has given us to combat the powers of darkness. I just got finished listening to a sermon by Jentzen Franklin, one of my favorite preachers, and he was preaching on worship and it's benefits. Really got me fired up.
Blessings.....Pastorjim
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Mere religion is just hanging around the cross.......True Christianity is getting on the cross.
The Father is seeking worshipers
