“The LORD is my strength and my song, and HE has become my salvation; this is my GOD, and I will praise Him, my father’s GOD, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:2
When thinking on the subject of worship, I recall a worship service from many, many years ago at my home church. I don’t remember the songs that were sung or the name of the worship leader, I don’t remember the exact date, what I do remember is this…the focus of the worship was GOD. Not just a congregation raising its collective voice in song but hearts fully engaged and aware of the presence and majesty of GOD.
Sweet friend, I can tell you that in that special worship service His presence was so…REAL. The reality that GOD was in our midst was overwhelming.
As GOD’s Holy Spirit moved among us, tears began to fall, people moved towards others to comfort, embrace, encourage, and to ask forgiveness for ungodly actions, thoughtless hurtful remarks, wrongs committed and bitter attitudes. Bruised spirits and strained relationships were healed. Still others headed for the altar to confess sins and pray, while some joined together to pray or knelt alone by the pews.
All the while tear-filled voices continued to sing.
Long past time for the sermon to begin, people began returning to their seats or stood with tear-stained faces, arms locked in celebration of relationships restored, forgiveness given and received, and grace realized. We all were awash in the blessings of this special time of worship: the cleansing, refreshing knowledge of things made right with our GOD, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the joy that GOD was with us and His Spirit was in us. Together we had the tiniest taste of what true worship could be and it was overwhelming.
Eventually the pastor approached the podium, relieving the music director who had kept the songs and music playing throughout. The pastor shook his head in amazement and smiled while wiping his eyes and moist cheeks.
I can’t recall his exact words, but he said something to the effect that the message GOD wanted preached that morning had indeed been powerfully delivered.
Then he talked to GOD thanking Him for the gift of His presence and for Jesus who made it possible for us to enter GOD’s throne room in prayer and worship as children of the Almighty GOD.
After the “amen,” the pastor had everyone join hands. Hundreds of hands joined to form a human chain that stretched from the back of the church, across the aisles, up the altar steps to the speaker’s podium where the pastors and musicians stood linked. Together we joined our voices to sing one last hymn acapella.
The service concluded and we returned to our homes changed in large and small ways, carrying worship in our hearts.
To this day, I have not experienced a worship service quite that extraordinary. Certainly, there have been many other sweet and blessed times of corporate worship over the years, but sadly those times are becoming fewer and fewer.
While looking for a new church home this past year, it has been disappointing and concerning to find that so many evangelical churches have lost the art of worship. Some observations:
– Too many songs focused on “me” – my angst, my pain, my struggles, my search for answers, my hard times, my striving, my fight, my victory. Too few songs focused on GOD.
– References to GOD that are so oblique, you’re unsure if singing about GOD or a “special someone” in your life.
– Theologically inaccurate “worship songs.”
– Worship “leaders” who stand swaying, eyes closed, and lips barely moving leaving you to wonder if they’ve lapsed into a coma or trance while on stage.
– OR those leaders who are so focused on their performance you suspect an audition tape for A.G.T. is being made.
– Songs that are intended to stir an emotional response by the endless repetition of a “spiritual mantra” accompanied by increasingly loud instrumentals. Manipulation is never an effective or appreciated tool.
– And the overuse of unfamiliar lyrics and melodies of “new-to-the-congregation” songs without the effective inclusion of well-known standards (both hymns and praise songs).
A glance around the auditorium reveals people on their cell phones, people standing lips pressed together and arms crossed, blank stares into space, soundless lips, whispered conversations, and a few frustrated singers unable to sing the unfamiliar words while receiving zero help from lagging lyric-slides that stay two-beats behind the music.
Another issue is the confusion of worship with entertainment. We’re so accustomed to being entertained, we expect the same from our church. We want to be entertained by a talented and highly proficient worship team. We’ll happily allow them to set the mood for the pastor’s message while we approvingly observe, ready to applaud if the performance is clap-worthy.
Worship is not entertainment. True worship requires my participation – if I’m not participating, I’m not worshipping. If you are not participating, you are not worshipping. That does not mean you have to be belting out the song. You may be praying, you may be meditating on GOD, whatever it is that engages and focuses you on GOD in that moment is your worship.
Friend, we must reclaim the worship that GOD intends for ALL of HIS children.
GOD wants HIS children to be worshippers. HE demands to be the object of that worship. True worship focuses on GOD.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” John 4:23
WORSHIP THAT PLEASES GOD:
– Is joy-filled, GOD-focused, heart engaging, and truth-speaking
“GOD is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” 1 Corinthians 14:15
– Transports worshippers to the courts of the throne room giving us a glimpse of the glory, majesty, AND beauty that is GOD
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness….” 1 Chronicles 16:29
“Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!” Psalm 96:9
– Draws us into heart- and spirit-engagement and doesn’t allow us to be content with being a casual lip-synching by-stander. Our spiritual worship is the presentation of our entire selves to our GOD.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of GOD, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to GOD, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
The better that we know GOD, the closer we draw to GOD. The more knowledge we have of GOD, the more our hearts will be compelled to sing His praise.
“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! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:1-6
“O LORD, YOU are my GOD; I will exalt YOU; I will praise Your name, for YOU have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” Isaiah 25:1
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to GOD acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…” Hebrews 12:28
True worship glorifies GOD, edifies the body of Christ, strengthens me as I worship, and testifies of GOD’s grace and mercy to those in need of a Savior.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our GOD. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3
What has changed in our worship services over the years? Maybe the better question is “what hasn’t changed?” Change can be good and invigorating. So “change” when done well, is not at all bad.
My fear is this, our view of GOD has changed.
A.W. Tozer writes:
“One key factor to our personal worship is boundless confidence in the character of GOD. …It seems that from one generation to the next our idea of GOD changes. GOD does not change, but somehow our ideas of GOD and our confidence in GOD changes to the effect that the GOD we worship today is less than the GOD our fathers worshipped.” *
Has our worship changed because many professed believers don’t know the GOD of the Bible Who they claim to be worshipping?
Father God,
Help me, LORD, to know YOU as YOU want to be known, as YOU have described Yourself in Your Holy Word. Forgive me when my worship falls short and my focus wanders from YOU. Let me know the joy and fellowship of true worship. Keep my eyes on YOU.
Give me a glimpse of the beauty of Your glory and a thirst for Your presence in my life, my heart, my mind, and in my worship. I praise YOU, Lord, with all that is within me. Blessed be the GOD of my salvation.
Amen and Amen.
“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for HE is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! … Blessed be the LORD, the GOD of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the LORD!” Psalm 106:1, 48
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!” Psalm 95:6
* A. W. Tozier, “My Daily Pursuit, Devotions for Every Day” Compiled and Edited by James L. Snyder, Bethany House: Minneapolis, MN (2013) p.63