Questions to Ponder from last week:
1. Do I see the music and the preaching portion of worship services as different items, or as two parts of the same collective thought of worship?
2. Is Communion just something I do, or do I believe that it is an important way to obey and continually proclaim Christ's work on the cross?
3. Do I believe that Jesus is deserving of extravagant respect or admiration, and if so, do I actually practice this in my own life?
4. How can I worship God in the beauty of His holiness, and allow Him to pour His "holy" into my "unholy"?
Here we are in the last class entry for the Worship as a Lifestyle class! I hope that you've all found it enjoyable and useful.
As we come to gather together in worship each week, there are 2 major dynamics that we deal with.
The first is the human dynamic. This dynamic has to do with the orders of service, musical style, educational programming, sermon topic, technology usage, etc...
This dynamic in and of itself is not bad, and is a very beneficial part of our daily and weekly forms of communing and fellowshipping with God.
The second is the spiritual dynamic. This has to do with the Holy Spirit having a hand in all that we do when it comes to our worship relationship with God.
Any purely human dynamic is a worthless excercise unless it is touched and guided by the power of the Holy Spirit, directing our paths as we worship personally and corporately.
This week will concentrate mainly on the spiritual dynamic, as it pertains to the elements of worship.
We touched on two human dynamics in worship last week as we spoke of the following elements of worship.
1. The Ministry of the Word - be it through song, teaching, preaching, or reading.
2. The Worship of the Lamb - The proclaiming of His holiness, and of the completed sacrifice that is the cornerstone of the believing church today.
Before we moved onto the third element of Worship, let's take a look at three things that constitute the primary parts of Worship.
1. The Central Person - Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who has come to bring us to the Father.
John 14:6 [NIV] - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
We magnify the Son of God for His perfect sacrifice that allows us to come into an abiding relationship with the Father, and we magnify the Father for the gift of His Son that allows us to experience that relationship. As the Holy Spirit moves in us, we remember this, and hopefully desire to move into a deeper relationship with God that causes us to share His love with an unbelieving world.
2. The Centerpiece - coming to the Lord's table.
Matthew 26:26-29 [NIV] - While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the convenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
In the church, the Lord's table has been a central figure in worship for Ages. many churches have a table from which Communion is served. however we are NOT speaking about furniture here. This centerpiece that we speak of is NOT centering on a physical table, but rather upon the act of receiving the elements of Communion. We focus on worshiping the Lamb for the completed sacrifice.
3. The Centerpoint - The living Word of God, the Scriptures.
Joshua 1:8 [NIV] - do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Psalm 1:1-3 [NIV] - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
The most common church furnishing that represents this is the pulpit. It is the focal point from which the Word is brought to the people. Whether in songs, meditations, sermons, or prayer, this is generally the place where those items are presented on any given Sunday. Again, as with the Lord's table, this has NOTHING to do with the physical piece of furniture, but rather with the living Word brought forth as the center of our knowledge of and relationship with God.
The pursuit of worship, and an authentic worship relationship with God has to have these primary parts for our 3rd element to take place.
3. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit - Enabling care and prayer for one another, and drawing people to the Savior.
Wherever Jesus is the Center Person, His completed sacrifice is the Centerpiece, and the Living Word is the Centerpoint, the Holy Spirit will have free reign to minister.
How does the ministry of the Holy Spirit effect our worship today?
The Holy Spirit's one main objective is to magnify Jesus Christ. He will come into any situation, regardless of doctrinal tradition or liturgy, where those who come to worship Him make these three primary points the focus of there efforts in fellowship with God.
If I focus my energies on Jesus (His life, death, resurrection, return, and what that mans in my life as I fellowship with Him), then the Holy Spirit has the ability to come into my life and make great and miraculous transformations in me that can only come from within that right worship relationship.
The Holy Spirit makes the Word of God alive as we read, speak, and sing it, just as it did when it breathed the Word into existence through the lives and quills of the men who wrote it so long ago.
There is an awakening within the body that the Holy Spirit desires to bring forth. It is the realization that there is amazing power within the living Church that can be released when the people come together.
It is pivotal to understand the power of the people of God when they gather, understanding that it's the best opportunity they'll have to experience 2 things.
1. The opportunity to care for and share the love of God with one another - It takes more than just coming and sitting in service, shaking hands during the greeting time, and talking with those that we are comfortable with. It even takes more than inviting a new family out for lunch after church! These things are valid, but they are incomplete without truly sharing our hearts with each other.
We talked in class about how surface-laden our greeting times at church can be. We ask someone "how are you doing?", and they generally shake our hands and nod hello. However, what happens when we ask that same question and someone actually STARTS TELLING US HOW THEY REALLY ARE DOING? We cringe, pull our hands back, and look for the early exit almost every time. This is especially the case with new or unfamiliar people! How different our church experience could be if we would just be authentic and share each other's burdens!
Galatians 6:1-2 [NIV] - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. but watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
The pursuit of an authentic worship relationship takes allowing the Holy Spirit to remove the timidity and self consciousness that causes us to shy away from opening up to share, and to be shared with. We are instruments or tools to be used by God to care for one another, and to carry each other's burdens.
2. The opportunity to draw people to the Savior - This is commonly referred to in a church service setting as the invitation time. However, it is the work of the Holy spirit from before that person even found themselves int he parking lot that is where the invitation really stared.
There is a thought that "there must be more" that is stirred in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. While this may happen on its own, it is generally caused by someone in their lives who is pursuing an authentic worship relationship being used by the Holy Spirit as a model.
When they are brought into a place of worship where that model is being demonstrated, the Holy Spirit can draw them closer to a place where their need for Christ can be evident to them, and they can have the opprotunity to come into that worship relationship with Him.
Ultimately, having a right worship relationship with God is a culmination of understanding that there is a Price that needs to be paid (a sacrifice), that there is a Purpose for it (intimate fellowship with our Creator), and that we are to continually Pursue that relationship.
Please understand that this is NOT a one time thing. This is NOT a yearly, monthly, or weekly event. This is a daily decision that must be made to continually submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and live according to the principles set forth in the Bible as they pertain to a life that worships Him.
Let us work together to live lives that worship God all day, every day, and in every way!
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