Do you simply sing because others are singing? Or you raise your hands because “It’s just what you do at church”?
Do you ever feel like you are going through the motions whenever you worship?
Do you simply sing because others are singing? Or you raise your hands because “It’s just what you do at church”?
I believe that it is so easy to fall into a pattern of “worship” or simply go with the Sunday flow. This speaks to the authenticity of our efforts to engage God in worship and ultimately reveals a disconnect in our awe of Him.
Worship in its fundamental state is a response; response to who God is and all He has done.
John 4:23-24 informs that we must worship in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such worshipers! Therefore, worship encompasses and requires the engagement of the heart, mind, body, and soul. True worship is a treasuring of God above all things. So, the inner essence of worship is the reaction of the heart to the knowledge of the mind, when the mind is justly understanding God, and the heart is rightly cherishing Him.
God is not pleased when we go through the motions – as if He is lucky we are in the church in the first place. Throughout scripture, God has displayed His despise for hollow worship. In Amos 5:21-23, God says, “’I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.’” In Malachi 1:10 God tells the priests to stop lighting worthless fires on the altar. In both cases, the Lord knew He didn’t have the full hearts of His people; they were going through the motions.
What does that mean for us?
Great, I’m glad you asked! Again, worship starts in the heart. Although physical expressions of worship, such as singing, standing, kneeling, and raising hands, are commanded throughout scripture, they must find their origin as a response to the Lord. Essentially, the heart of worship is the experience of being postured with an unending, unwavering awe of God. In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah and says, “‘This person honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…’” We must ensure that we are not only drawing near with our lips but foremost with hearts that are satisfied in the Father; for God is most glorified in and through us when we are most delighted in Him.
So what if you don’t experience these emotions? What if there is a disconnect between your lips and your heart?
You must wait patiently on the Lord, as David did in Psalm 40. This does not mean that we simply do not engage, but that we engage with an intense focus on positioning our hearts toward God. Amid your waiting, you must be steadfast and endeavor in pursuing the King of kings through worship, fervent prayer, and reflection. In our worship, the Lord in His wonder, ministers back to us as we adore Him. Psalm 18:1 tells us to sing for joy to God our strength! His word promises that if we truly seek Him, He will reveal Himself! (Deuteronomy 4:29) God will pull you out if the pit of destruction and set your feet upon a rock! He will secure your steps and put a new song of praise into your mouth!
The Lord knows every aspect of our being and has searched every square inch our hearts (Jeremiah 17:10). We need be people who honors Him with all that we are, for He is worthy! If we cast our minds on the greatness of the Savior, and on the gloriousness of God the Father, and how He sent His Spirit through the Son to live within us, we have no other appropriate response than to truly stand in absolute astonishment and reverence of Almighty God.
To view the original post, CLICK HERE.
To learn more about Biltmore Church, CLICK HERE.
Recommended Worship Song: How Great is Your Love for Us by Passion