Friday, January 24, 2014

Hope you enjoy this blog by Ken Hicks our worship and creative arts pastor at TAG.

“True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is Spirit, and his worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.”  John 4:23b-24

 What is Worship?

The textbook definition of worship is the reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object, but it may be more important to define what worship is not.

1.  Worship is not about songs or music, worship is all about Jesus.

Worship is not a particular style.  Style is merely a tool.  Style helps us connect to people, but worship is not about us, it’s about Him.

I Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

In our society today, we focus on gifting.  We are driven to succeed, get results, get ahead, and impress others, but worship is not about musical gifting.  Excellence is good, but it’s easy to become self-obsessed.  Have you ever heard this old joke…How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb…?  One, because they feel the world revolves around them.

Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  Matthew 10:39

2.  Worship is a change of perspective.

The Bible gives us various examples of standing, bowing, sitting, kneeling, etc.  Why?  Many times we need a change of perspective.  Psalm 95:6 says, “Come let us bow down in worship.”   When we bow down, we humble ourselves, and lift our gaze off of self and up to Christ.

Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this one thing I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple.”

Read Luke 7:36-50

Worship is about fixing our gaze on Christ and remembering the debt He cancelled with His blood.  It’s the place where we can pour out our love, our praise, and our tears at the feet of Jesus.  

3.  Worship is the celebration of our reconnection with God the Father.  

Communion is restored and the gap has been bridged.  We have access to throne!