Longing to Worship

Throughout history, there have been faithful men and women who have loved God. In there love for God, they sought Him. Desiring to abide by His will, being led by His Spirit to accomplish the kingdom work He specifically called them to fulfill. In this humble posture before God, they became pastors and missionary’s, they started missions agency’s, schools, and non-profits that could meet the needs of the community. When disease struck they ran into it to nurse the sick, when devastation occured, ran to help those in distress. They learned to turn a cheek as they were criticized (fairly or unfairly)- knowing that they were fulfilling a higher calling. They had to love and serve people who opposed or even hurt them. They shared the gospel with people who were the least likely to receive it. They prayed over the sick and disabled. When they got off course they sought the forgiveness of others, admitting their wrong, and repented before God. They did whatever was necessary to be right before God, to maintain a spirit that is hungry for the glory of God and the building of His kingdom. At times, leaning into incredibly challenging situations, no matter how hard, no matter how painful - knowing that this is honoring to the Lord and magnifying His glory. Trusting that through the hardship of leaning into His way, God would be faithful.

When I think of faithful brothers and sisters throughout history, there is a natural awe that grabs hold of me as I ponder their resilience and commitment to Christ. Because as we consider these people they inspire us and we view them as some sort of “x factor.” Exceptional people who are simply went above and beyond. Reading their stories is inspiring and often helpful to believers.

Have you ever considered the common theme of these people? What is it that allows them to be so faithful, committed, focused? How is it that they keep from weariness?

These are people who have a great thirst for God. A great desire to be found in His presence. Marveling at His word and seeking His glory. Everything that they do isn’t in order to leave their own legacy. It’s not about their desire to be seen and known by the world. It’s driven by their desire to know and be known by God. It’s driven by their own awe, inspired time alone with God. It is a worshipful heart, that has been molded and shaped in the quiet presence of God. While many first strive for knowledge of the Bible, these individuals understood how to use scripture to make their time with God, quality time. They knew ho to appropriates seek God through study and used that study of the word for personal devotion, in order to rest in the presence of God and know Him personally.

Our desire this morning is to do the same. To look at scripture as a mode to help us draw near to the person of God, open up our hands to freely release all He asks for, and receive all that He has for us. Through this, our desire is to worship God by corporately having quality time with Him.

With that in mind, lets open with a word of prayer and invite the Spirit to do whatever He desires with us this morning.

Psalm 63 (ESV)

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

4 So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

6 when I remember you upon my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

7 for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek to destroy my life

shall go down into the depths of the earth;

10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;

they shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;

all who swear by him shall exult,

for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

As we look at the Psalm, it is clear that David had a heart for God. He spent time in His presence, David knew God personally. Writing songs and poems of praise out in the fields as a boy. He spent lots of time on His knees longing to know, see, and experience God. This is further seen in the two preceeding Psalms. Both written by David, both communicating his longing to seek, worship, and know God. In this passage, David powerfully illustrates a heart that is seeking God. A person who has come to understand the significance of God and shallowness of the world.

The context of this passage is that David is on the run. Absolom, Davids son, has seized the throne and declared himself King. So David, hides in the desert. Not fighting Absolom....., not playing politics......, Not trying to defend his name or reputation. Instead, he leaves, removing himself from the situation.

This is not the move of a coward. This is the move of a man who loves God, who loves the people of Israel, and who loves His son.

But David is not just sitting on the sideline. He is intentionally seeking God. Longing to be in His presence all the more. Knowing that God is the true king. God can handle any situation. God can use this situation for good.

In this posture, David has an openness about him. A openness that is also connected to his resolve to be surrendered before God. This is more than challenging. For anyone who has had their power, health, and livelihood threatened, you know how hard it is to freely surrender outcomes to God. To freely stand on the side, simply trusting that God is faithful.

Really this is an exceptional model for us. While David does show concern for the situation, the greater emphasis is on his desire for God. A deep thirst that has been created in him from living in the desert. Longing to go back to the sanctuary, and seek the presence of the Holy God.

The model isn’t just a good idea, it is a prescription for all believers. A prescription that isn’t interested in simply alleviating symptoms. But rather a prescription for the soul that will be wholistic and life giving for all eternity. A prescription that will resolve the root problem. As it works on the root, the surface symptoms are relieved in surprising measure.

The prescription being demonstrated is a deep hunger and thirst for God.

It alleviates the need for money, trusting God at His word, that He will provide what you need.

It relieves the anxiety of uncertainty as it provides an answer to God’s sovereignty.

It crushes my desire to defend my honor, my fame, my reputation - knowing that I am a wicked sinner who is worse than anything that could be said about me. Knowing that God has redeemed me, as a child of His I am what He says, not what they say.

When I have a deep hunger and thirst for God and seek Him diligently, my own health becomes less significant, as I am reminded that in my passing from this world, I will enter into eternal glory with our heavenly Father.

This prescription only works for those who respond to the call of God and seek Him. As they seek Him, they learn to open their hands in surrender. As they open their hands and allow the Spirit to do the restorative work, we see the world differently, our desires for personal fame and self validation fade as we posture ourselves to praise and exalt the only one who is worthy.

David’s example, is one that reveals heart for God. A heart that was molded and shaped in the quietness of prayer....

in the courtrooms of worship....

and in faithful response to God….

There is nothing more valuable than quality time with God, seeking His will, Praising His name, and surrendering ourselves to Him in everything.

David also modeled this posture in his daily life.

As a boy, he played his harp and sang to God

When Goliath challenged Israel, he trusted God’s promise

When he heard about invading armies, he didn’t go to battle - he went to prayer.

When Nathan called him on his sin, he confessed his sin and he sought God.

When Absalom took his throne, He went to prayer

David was disciplined in seeking God in his youth, as he aged, discipline became joyful habit. Joyful habit became a deep longing and thirsting.

The reality is that there is nothing sweeter or better in life, than seeking God.

Lets take a closer look at this Psalm

Psalm 63:1-2 “1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.”

There are two points of emphasis here, both focused on the person of God. David first proclaims God to be His God. Establishing identity as a child of God, someone who is all in and all out for the high king.

Secondly, we see this establishment of a thirsting soul, one that is so dried, not because David isn’t seeking God, but because he has taken blow after blow, and there this nothing more to give. More than that, there is nothing in sight that would indicate an end to the misery that he is experiencing. Yet, he seeks God as sufficient, as able to quench the thirst, as the provider who can present what is needed at just the right time.

Knowing this about God, David recognizes his need for God.

“So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

These are the two keys to Davids prayer. He expounds on both in how the following verses are structured.

3-6 is a description as well as an experience of God’s glory.

3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

4 So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

6 when I remember you upon my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Because David has experienced God he knows God’s glory. In response to God’s, he can’t help but praise God. This isn’t a momentary praise but in verse four David confirms that Gods glory and love are so significant that his response of praise and lifting up God with His hands will be a life long expression.

As a result of that posture, David understands the sweetness of being in God’s presence, the power of seeing Him exalted, and the glorious fulfilment for anyone who experiences God in this way.

In expressing God’s glory this way, David rightly portrays God as the most significant being. Merely experiencing God causes a lifelong reaction of praise and worship - desire from within to spend more time with God. To see Him lifted higher, worshiped more, and glory spread. Because God’s glory is so significant, people who come into contact with it cant help but change. They can’t help but praise.

The interaction between them and God has changed them.

This is the same type of change we see in the shepherds, who had been told about the birth of Jesus, went to visit Him and as a result praised God and told everyone.

There is a reason that there have been exceptional people throughout history. People who knew how to speak about God, lead others to Him, and ultimately live sacrificially to accomplish God’s purposes instead of their own. It isn’t because they were exceptional in and of themselves. They were exceptional because they encountered God and couldn’t get enough of Him. They knew how to come before Him in surrender day after day, praising and exalting the king instead of building their own empire. Exceptional people are exceptional because they have been radically changed by experiencing God’s powerful presence in their life.

Verses 7-8 speak of the power of God.

Psalm 63:7-8 “7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

David takes credit for nothing. He points to God and says your wings have acted as my shield and your hand is what has kept me on my feet. There is no pounding of the chest or believing in self but rather fully recognizing that God has been at work in His life, is at work in his life, and will be at work in His life. To God be the glory for demonstrating a powerful hand that can protect and strengthen...... even in the midst of calamity and chaos. There is no other who can intervene in this way. God alone is able to sustain us.

In this Psalm, David is putting God’s glory and power on display. He is looking hard in God’s direction to seek Him. To rest in His presence. To be known by Him. To be filled by the Spirit, renewed in confidence, strength, and hope. David’s Spiritual appetite is craving God’s fulfilling presence.

So the question we must ask is this, “What is my Spiritual appetite?”

You might wonder at that question for a moment? Perhaps after considering it, you can think of a variety of ways in which your spirit desires to be filled.

We all have an appetite and we all handle it differently.

For many of us, it is almost like wondering into the kitchen later in the evening. You look through the fridge and the pantry - maybe check the freezer to see if there is any pizza. You rummage around, less than pleased with your findings. Eventually, you take a bite or two from some left overs, unsatisfied you go for the chips. While they meet a specific craving, they are not what you had in mind......

Soon, you have taken a bite out four or five different foods. When you finally feel full, you recognize that you are not satisfied with anything that you just ate. The reason being, you had a specific craving and instead of being diligent enough or committed enough, you settled for unsatisfying, temporary garbage.

Am I craving with deep desire to be filled and encouraged by the presence of the almighty God?

Am I willing to be patient, to be disciplined and committed to Him? That I will look until I find Him? That I patiently, readily, rest in His presence to allow His Spirit to provide the fulness that He is longing to offer?

This idea of David hungering and thirsting after God is more than prescription. This is a Holy disposition. Meaning that the posture of Davids heart and mind is to always seek God. To always be filled by His Spirit. David had tried the temporary filling garbage. It made him sick and he lost his child because of it. The call of the Christian is to seek God daily, without getting distracted, and without looking for other ways to be filled.

Prayer Month

Starting next week, we are starting prayer month. A month in which, I hope we all learn to be filled by our time spent with God in prayer.

The theme of this month is “It’s Time.” In these next minutes, I want you to do your best to receive from the Lord. In your heart and in your mind, invite Him to meet you right now. Use this time to consider how God is prompting you? Moving in your heart and in your mind?

Where have you been hanging on to something in your life?

Perhaps it is the need to control certain situations or outcomes?

Maybe its a sin pattern like drunkeness or manipulation?

Perhaps it is simply something that God has called you to do but you haven’t responded?

It’s time to open up to Him. It is time to let Him have His ways with you.

He is standing there, just waiting, not pushing, not shoving, but waiting for you to take Him seriously. To no longer fill yourself with Junk. But to become a disciplined follower. Someone who hungers and thirsts for times of meeting with God and resting in His presence.

It can sound so hard, so challenging, like too big of an adjustment. But the reality is that if you seek God a little each day, He will meet you there. The more you get used to seeking Him, experiencing Him, feeling His power in your life - the more you will desire Him. But you can’t seek Him and hang on where He is asking you to let go. You can’t seek Him expecting to be filled with Holy Desire if you are unwilling to surrender your sin and turn away from it. You have to be diligent each day, bringing Him into every part of who you are and all that you are doing. Inviting Him into decisions at work, praying for other people, taking intentional steps of love, planting gospel seeds in the people around us.

We are talking about becoming an exceptional church. A Holy Dispositioned church - totally oriented around the person of Jesus. If we as a church can grow in this way, if we can collectively learn to seek God with great desire and commitment, to be filled with His Spirit and dwell in His presence, we will see God radically influence this community. But we all need to seek His presence, His power, and His glory. We have to be willing to take Him more seriously than we take ourselves.

This is my prayer for each of you. That God would plant a seed of desire in you this morning. That there would be an extra sense of the indwelling of the Spirit in your life. That you would seek God, to experience and know Him, and to be used by Him. May we all come to see and know the same glory and power that David speaks of in this passage.

I would urge you to pray alongside me. I would urge you to spend time on your knees before the throne and to ask God to give you greater desire. I would also urge you, to consider two or three other people. Write their names down and stick them on your dash board, on the mirror in your bathroom, in your Bible - anywhere that you will see it. Everytime you see their names, would you pray for them? Would you pray for the hand of God to be on them. That they would have a holy disposition that is pleasing to God? That they would be used to provide much fruit for the kingdom of God here in Delta County?

Friends, It’s Time!