"Worship"

Bear with me in this blog today. It might be a little lengthy. True God centered worship is about the holiness of God. It is a reverence and awe of His holiness and love. It's called "fear of the Lord." "Therefore, since we received a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:28-29) Worship is about acceptable service, showing gratitude with reverence and awe. To many today are making worship something that stirs their personal likes or some feel good style. A sincere faith offers acceptable worship to God, what is pleasing to Him with reverence and awe.

When people take upon themselves to approach God as they want or what they think, God does not honor that worship. God's holiness decides what is acceptable and unacceptable. Too many are taking upon themselves as what they think is acceptable. Worship is promoted that "different styles" of worship are alright to pursue and many brethren are buying into it. Have you ever heard anyone who is pushing all the "new" worship ideas say, "Let's go to God and ask Him if this is acceptable?" But verses are used and misused for pursuing personal likings. Every time man has taken upon themselves to "improve" something God wants, we end up corrupting it because man tends to glory in man!!! God warned Israel about the altars they used in worship of His name: "And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield you tool on it, you will profane it." (Ex. 20:25) Worship is about God's holiness and it must come from a heart that's cleansed and made holy by the blood of Christ. It is a pure worship, with no attention on man, undefiled by thinking we add some "flavor" to it while realizing we are as one body standing in the presence of a holy God. The songs of praise are genuine words spoken from the heart. They are offered out of reverence and awe. God knows the difference of those lifeless pretenders and the sincere worshiper. The prayers are from a sincere faith that expresses our dependence on God. The Supper is a genuine reminder of the cost and love of the new covenant, not some drama skit from man's idea of "wielding their tools on it!" Thankful hearts bow in reverence to worship our loving Father and His holiness.

The Corinthian brethren were destroying themselves spiritually with their fleshly acting as mere men (I Cor. 3:3). They should have a higher standard than the world around but their own fleshliness had corrupted them. We don't seem to learn from this. What did it lead them to in their worship? They were using the assembly of the saints for self expression! Brethren with spiritual gifts were running over the top of those without spiritual gifts. Those with the spiritual gifts wanted to "perform" (I Cor. 12-14). Just read those chapters carefully. Their services were lively and a lot of commotion was taking place (I Cor. 14). There were those who felt like speaking so they spoke out with no regard for others. Who determined if they were acceptable or unacceptable? GOD! They thought they were doing right until God sent them a letter through the apostle Paul. It was God who placed each member where He wanted them (I Cor. 12:18). It is God who gives more honor to the one lacking and the weak were necessary (I Cor. 12:22-24). God gave spiritual gifts to build up the body according to His way and never used for self proclamation or promotion. Worship of God is not a stage show!!! Worship is always about "offering to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe!" Worship is never about us. When one worships, they reflect their knowledge of God (I Cor. 14:24-25). Paul ends by stating that God is not a God of confusion but of peace and there needs to be self control in worship (I Cor. 14:31-33).

The world is tainting our thinking. Real worship takes place in the heart of a worshiper. It's UN-ORCHESTRATED by external means. When worship is spoken of as dull or dead, we need to examine our hearts and see if the death of Jesus is the motivation in our lives. If He is our life, then we need to "show gratitude with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire."