Worship. There are a plethora of books, articles, and sermons on the topic. I don't intend to give an exhaustive overhaul of what you already know. I would just like to share what the Lord laid on my heart about the topic. It all started with the Book of Revelation. I started at chapter 4, and I intended to stop, but here's the thing: I couldn't. I kept reading, and reading, and reading, and found myself up at 2a.m. wishing I could enter into the heavenly city and just walk right from the last verse on into eternity. I won't attempt to exegete the scriptures, but simply share some nuggets, some insights that might be a benefit to you.
This walk of life is a walk of faith, and intrinsic to that walk, whether we know it or not, or are fully aware, is a walk of Worship. Worship is what we give our time, our attention, our allegiance to. So, here are some things I discovered and re-discovered on my unexpected path through Revelation.
1. Worship didn't start with us. As earthly beings, we tend to think everything revolves around us, but the reality is that worship was going on in Heaven before we entered the picture. Yep, its really not about us. We were created FOR God's pleasure and FOR his glory. Yep, you were manufactured and outfitted for worship. Worship wasn't created for you, but for God. It stands to reason that we should live life this way. We aren't the object OF worship but the object FOR worship.
2. Worship didn't start on an earthly plane. In Chapter 4, verse 1, John is invited to "come up hither". Salvation is God's hand reaching out to us. Worship is our life reaching up to the God who saved us. We must invite people to go where God is.
3. Worship goes to the ONE who sits on the throne. This can appear to be a simple statement, but so many times we get it confused. We begin to worship people, buildings, concepts, systems, and institutions, but really, worship should only go to God. (Revelation 4:2)
4. Worship has divine order and government. Worship reveals the seats of authority that belong to the people of God. (Rev. 4:4)
5. Worship illuminates the Holy Spirit in your life. (Rev. 4:5, Isa. 61) If you have been in worship, the Holy Spirit will be in operation in your life. He is at the throne of God and cannot be denied.
6. Worship is a place of transparency. The mysteries of God are made clear. You, in turn are transparent before the presence of God. There is nothing hidden about you. (Rev. 4:6)
7. The resounding response to God in Worship is Holy. You cannot enter, remain, and exit the presence of God without being affected by His holiness and recognizing He calls you to that standard.
8. Our worship or leading others in worship should be inspired by what we have seen in Heaven. (Rev. 4:9-11) Our worship should be Heaven-centered not earth-centered. We begin to sing more about our problems and the earth realm than we do of the ONE who deserves our worship.
9. Worship helps us to understand our role, one of giving back to God, NOT recieving. It is about offering up honor and praise to God, who we anticipate will recieve our sacrifice of praise. it is not about singing, so God will leave gifts for us, but consume our gifts to Him.
10. Worship reveals the Lamb slain. The only one STANDING up in the midst, is the Lamb slain. When we crucify our agendas and lay them down, the agenda of the Lamb will stand. (Rev. 5:6)
11. Worship opens up your understanding of Redemption. You become aware of who is WORTHY to open the BOOK. (Rev. 5:6)
12. New songs are birthed out of Worship. (Rev. 5:9) If you find yourself with nothing to say or at a loss for words as a worship leader, you may let your time of public worship outweigh your personal worship time with the Lord.
13. In Worship, the Lion and the Lamb, the Power and the Humility of Christ are in harmony. There is a balance in worship.
14. Worship causes man to bow down and Christ to be glorified. His deity and His preeminence are magnified. Worship should not exalt your sound or your voice, but Christ. The perspective is that you are the instrument of worship, not to BE worshipped. (Rev. 5)
15. Worship is not limited to the righteous. You will worship God forever, even if you find yourself in Hell. (Rev. 5:13) I could not believe this, but its there. To me, there is no greater torment than to still worship God and not enjoy everlasting life.
16. Worship allows you to see what is going on in prayer and with prayer, and prayer allows you to enter into worship. (Rev. 8:4-5) They work in partnership.
17. Worship NEVER stops, even in warfare. As I read Revelation, one thing I could see clearly, was that the angels had a responsibility. They released the judgements of God, and they worshipped, along with the 24 elders, and the 4 Living Creatures. Worshipped unveiled the judgements of God, the redemptive plan of God, but worshipped never stopped! What an encouragement to us!
18. Worship to God has a distinctive sound. The sound isn't so much a genre as it is a heart sound. Many people feel that a song can be deemed holy by its lyrics alone, but we know that sound, or music, sound set to a specific pattern, is just as important as lyrics.
If we will be honest, we can acknowledge that music moves us: it can move us to tears, laughter, it can calm us, it can set a romantic mood. Music can do this not just consciously, but unconsciously. Couple it with words, and it can deliver or be destructive. David's music drove out the demonic spirits that tormented Saul. It stands to reason that music can also summon them. Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow to the music. So, we know that music can be as much of an influence to worship as lyrics. Music can go below the radar to your unconscious and recalibrate your mind and heart thoughts. No matter how many years go by, there are some songs and jingles I can't seem to get out of my head! I can hear the first note, and then sing word for word songs from my childhood, or a commercial from years ago.
What am I saying? Simply this: we must allow what we hear and sing to be that which floods our souls for where we are going: Heaven. There is a war going on, and there is a generation that has been lulled into worship of the culture and not the Christ. We must make sure that our heart is tapping to the rhythm of Heaven. I am by no means saying that any one genre or style of music is right. Ask yourself, what is my heart tapping to? What have I been more engaged in lately? Is it Christ honoring? Is it bringing Redemption or does it have redeeming value to it? Whether in music or in lyric, in word, or in deed, ask God to make you an instrument of worship. If you can't give it up (whether that be a CD, or a particular Artist) then maybe you have made it an idol.
Let's Pray:
Father,
We want to please you. We want to serve you. We don't want you to be a compartment of our life. You ARE life to us. Help us to reflect that in all we do, say, sing, listen to, and live out. We want to hear what Heaven is saying. Help us to give to you in worship what you desire. Let nothing stand in the way. In Jesus Name, Amen!
