Worship - An invitation to die
God is calling us to worship him, and to go to deeper places in our worship. Simple statement, profound implications.
We know well that worship is more than songs; more than part of our meetings; more than our devotional times – it’s our life. But what does it mean that we are to go deeper in worship?
Abraham set off up the mountain with Isaac and his servants with the intention of obeying God’s instruction to sacrifice his only son. At a certain point he told the servants to wait behind while he and the boy were going on ahead to ‘worship’ (Gen 22:5). The meaning of this word ‘worship’ in the original language is very interesting – it means to prostrate, to bow down (in homage to royalty). It is talking about the ultimate act of humility in the presence of someone great. That’s what Abraham was going to do. In his obedience to God he was in effect saying “God, you’re great. I bow before you in worship. I shall not dishonour you by leaning on my own reason or intellect, neither by taking a more comfortable route. I choose to obey you. I worship you.”
In our corporate journey together, the Holy Spirit is drawing us to be more like Abraham in the situation he faced. We are learning that worship is not a subjective, personal thing – in fact, wherever I bring anything of ‘me’ into the equation, I have just erred from true worship. Worship is to come humbly, obediently to God, recognising he is the focus, he is the one we strive to please and he is Lord. If he says sing, I’ll sing. If he says dance, I’ll dance. If he says give, I’ll give…whatever he asks. If says go here, do this, say that…I go, do, say, explaining “I’m just off to worship.” Worship and comfort or personal preference are not compatible. Worship is an invitation to the throne of God, where I die.
“It’s all about you, Jesus, for your glory and your fame. It’s not about me.”
We know well that worship is more than songs; more than part of our meetings; more than our devotional times – it’s our life. But what does it mean that we are to go deeper in worship?
Abraham set off up the mountain with Isaac and his servants with the intention of obeying God’s instruction to sacrifice his only son. At a certain point he told the servants to wait behind while he and the boy were going on ahead to ‘worship’ (Gen 22:5). The meaning of this word ‘worship’ in the original language is very interesting – it means to prostrate, to bow down (in homage to royalty). It is talking about the ultimate act of humility in the presence of someone great. That’s what Abraham was going to do. In his obedience to God he was in effect saying “God, you’re great. I bow before you in worship. I shall not dishonour you by leaning on my own reason or intellect, neither by taking a more comfortable route. I choose to obey you. I worship you.”
In our corporate journey together, the Holy Spirit is drawing us to be more like Abraham in the situation he faced. We are learning that worship is not a subjective, personal thing – in fact, wherever I bring anything of ‘me’ into the equation, I have just erred from true worship. Worship is to come humbly, obediently to God, recognising he is the focus, he is the one we strive to please and he is Lord. If he says sing, I’ll sing. If he says dance, I’ll dance. If he says give, I’ll give…whatever he asks. If says go here, do this, say that…I go, do, say, explaining “I’m just off to worship.” Worship and comfort or personal preference are not compatible. Worship is an invitation to the throne of God, where I die.
“It’s all about you, Jesus, for your glory and your fame. It’s not about me.”
posted by Nick at
11:24 am
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