Worship

What is worship to you? I’ve been thinking a lot about that this past week after a worship service that I am quite certain I will not forget. 

 

We have a young man on our worship team now that I have known since he was about 10 years old. He’s a very energetic, charismatic, insanely talented young man who has overcome so many battles, including alcoholism, and is now such an inspiration to us all...more so than I think even he realizes. He is a walking miracle. He was hopeless, helpless, and broken and so many have prayed for him over the years. To be leading in worship now with him on our team is changing us all for the better. You cannot watch him worshiping and not be joyful. His joy practically bursts forth out of him and spreads to those around him. 

 

I feel like a lot of times we worship standing on the other side of a door that we have locked shut. But when this young man worships, he throws the door wide open and stands in the very presence of God, throws his hands up, falls at his Savior’s feet, and worships with all that he has. Isn’t this how we should worship? 

 

Now, worshiping with your “all” may not look exactly like his worship. Perhaps your worship is a quiet surrender because you don’t know how or what to do or say. Perhaps your worship is raising your hands, or lifting your face, closing your eyes, and tuning out everything else except your worship. One thing I do know, worship is not scrolling through our phones during the service. Worship is not impatiently wondering when the service will be over so we can go eat. Worship is not worrying about what everyone else will think if we throw open that door and fall at God’s feet.

 

Two Sundays ago, we had such spirit-filled worship through music. We all felt it. We felt the doors being opened, saw the joy on the people’s faces (shining through even behind the masks), and watched as walls began to fall down. As I stood up there singing, I looked out at the people I have missed so much this past year and watched God move. I noticed a couple directly in front of me and thought how nice it was to see them again. We’ve missed seeing everyone’s faces (even if they are masked). We ended the music portion of our service on a high and there was no doubt that God was moving among us. Our pastor began to preach a stirring message entitled “Behold” and as he preached he became aware that someone was in medical distress. Members who are medical personnel moved quickly & everyone was asked to leave the sanctuary. As I passed by, I realized it was the couple I had noticed while singing. He had been fine...and then he wasn’t. One of our members began doing chest compressions. We all began to pray, and someone took the wife’s hand and prayed silently by her side. I just kept thinking, if it is his time to go, what a day to meet Jesus, after worshiping in song & listening to a powerful message, then peacefully stepping into heaven. But God wasn’t finished with this man just yet. The team working on him was able to revive him, the ambulance arrived soon after and they continued to care for him. Y'all, within about half an hour this man walked out of the church and went home! That ought to drive home the importance of worship. That we have the honor and privilege every Sunday to lead our congregation and so many online into the presence of God through worship music is astounding to me. The fact that one minute, you can be here worshipping in church, and the next running into the arms of Jesus is overwhelming. I can’t think of a better way to go!

Don’t tell me God’s no longer in the miracle business! Don’t ever doubt the power of God. Don’t ever doubt that He can take what seems to be a hopeless situation and turn it around. But also never forget, that even if He doesn’t answer in the way you’d prefer, that He’s not left you.

 

He is the One who goes before you and will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31). He is the One who makes beauty from our ashes (Isaiah 61). The One who turns our curses into our blessings (Nehemiah 13). The one who sends His angels to protect us in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6). The One who removes impossible obstacles before you. (Exodus 14) The One who meets us right smack-dab in the middle of the fire (Daniel 3). The One who died in your place, to take away your sins, to ensure that you would have the choice of eternal life in heaven. (Matthew 27). His love for you has no bounds, no prerequisites. He loves you even if you’ve hated Him. You cannot go anywhere His love won’t reach...not the depths of the sea or the vastness of space. His love knows no color, race, sex, or political party. He loves you even if you reject Him and yet, in order to spend your eternity in the unfathomable beauty of heaven, you must trust in Him.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved (Romans 10). You will have an eternal home in heaven (Revelation 21).

 

If you’ve never accepted Him, there’s no better time than right now. For those who already believe, Easter is coming!! The day we celebrate that He is risen!! I challenge you to think about, pray about, read about worship, and then put it into action. What better time to throw open that door you’ve kept shut and worship Him with everything you’ve got!!

 

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” ~ Colossians 3

 

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” ~ Psalm 95

 

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” 

~ Psalm 150

 

“Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!”

~ Psalm 149