Worship

The Life Abundant

an introduction to the spiritual discipline of worship

Focus, grasshopper.

You know what sounds good right now? I wish these windows open, because I would love to light up my pipe. I would take it out, and hold it, making sure it was clean and the stem was in tight. Then I would choose my tobacco, probably a light English that had a tolerable room note, out of respect for you all. I would pack it, light at first, then more firm toward the end. I would sprinkle a little loose tobacco on top. I can smell it now. Mmmmmm. I would light a match and sear the top layer, puffing long, full puffs until the top glowed red. Then I would take out my tamper and smash it down, evenly coating the top with black ash. I would light another match and light it again, taking time to get the entire top burning. Then I would sit back and enjoy a long pipe full. Aaahhhhh...

What is worship? What does it mean to worship God?

Tell me about Audrey Hepburn, Jess. Tell me of Bart Star, Dad. Tell me about George MacDonald, Chewie. Tell me about Tisha, Mom. Tell me of your favorite pass-time, anyone.

CS Lewis said for the longest time he couldn't understand why God needed to be praised. Then he figured it out, God doesn't need it, we do. Like a gamer praising his game, a lover praising his love, an eater praising the food, so we talk about the things that excite us: the Christian praises God because we can't not praise Him. That's something I'm learning. It's something that is happening to me. I am beginning to know how to worship God, I think. Worship can happen in this building during music, but it's more than that. It's noticing something other than ourselves. It's bringing glory to God. I say that and I know somehow it's true, but what does that mean?

I think it is focusing on God. That's it. It's looking up, if you will. It's getting past ourselves. It's seeing God in all things. I don't mean god-tree/Mother Earth/we are all gods, but seeing His hand in creation, seeing His work in lives: yours and others. It's stopping and saying, “Wow, You are great God.” Does He not know this? Sure He does. Does He need us to tell Him? No. Does He like to hear it? I don't know, really. I would like to think so. Piper would say yes, I think, but, like most commands from God, like these disciplines we are studying, I think that worship is about knowing God better, about recognizing His awesomeness, about beating our self addiction that every commercial and billboard wants us to indulge.

I think worshiping God is taking a moment to forget ourselves. It is changing our focus and putting it on Him. Think of shooting your bow. What's the PVC pipe thing?

Right, you focus on the target as if looking down a pipe, making sure nothing hits the sides. That focus, that attentiveness, that is worship.

Try it a minute. Just thank Him for everything, for our health, your money, your swollen belly, your car, your eyes, the air to breathe. You may not know that these things are His, a gift to you. But they are: 1 Chronicles 29:11 (The Message)11 To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.1 What is He like, what does He like, what does He desire, what is His greatness?

Psalm 24, 29, 33, 47, 65, and 67. What did you learn about worship from these?

24 – the earth is the Lord's (not ours)

29 – give God the glory that is His

33 – the earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord

47 – shout to God, (who could keep quiet?)

65 – look at all the things God does, each day

67 – God is gracious

How many of these were about you? Don't forget, the story is about God, not us. Worship keeps us focused there and reminds us of God's place, His glory, His love. It gives glory to God.

Read Romans 12:1-5. Someone explain this. What is this talking about? I thought we decided that worship was focusing on God, so how does this idea of sacrifice, of submission fit with the whole worship thing? Are they the same thing? Can they be synonymous? I don't think so. I think we just lost it, lost what worship means along the way. I think we worship so many things that are not God that we had to change or forget what it meant to worship so that we would not be worshiping Tolkien or Sting or pipe smoking. Read Romans 10:8-10. The heart believes and the tongue confesses. Like I have said before, true belief results in, begs for an action or set of actions. If I believe that my truck is running out of gas, I will add some so I won't face a long walk. I think that worship and submission work the same way. If I focus on God, I will submit to Him, do His will, because I won't be looking at what I want. I will be looking at what He has done for me. I will be seeing that He has the plan and that He works all things for the good of me, one striving to love Him.

The discipline of focusing on God, of worshiping Him, will allow me to know Him better. I will see what He is doing, how loving and just and deserving and wise He is. I will not be thinking about me and my wants and my desires and my wisdom. I will unconsciously submit to His will. If I am focusing on TV then I will eventually begin to see that I am fat and ugly and that people do not love me because of these things and that the only way that I can be acceptable as fat guy is to be funny. I won't do this on purpose, but on TV everyone is beautiful (if 36, 24, 36 or exceptionally but uselessly muscular is beauty), and if they are not they better be funny or they are probably the serial killer. Get it?

Let's read John 4:21-24. What is the story here? What do you think Jesus means when He says we must worship in spirit and truth?

Your heart has to be in it, I think. You can't be focusing to be smarter, to know more about God, but to know Him. That's hard, I think, and we hear it a lot and sometimes the distinction is lost, but God as an academic pursuit, even with good intentions, does not lead to the submission, just like “I believe in God” does not necessitate a regenerated life. And you have to do it in truth. You cannot focus on a false god (read your BIBLE!!), you cannot pretend to focus on God, you can't study, as though He is a test to get what you want. You have to give Him that glory, the real glory that is already His, see how great He really is, see the things He really has doe for you. It will change your life, You will know Him better, you will submit to His will. I'm sure there is more. What am I missing?

What does Matthew 4:8-11 say? I like this one because it hits close to home. Satan is saying worship me. He is saying focus on me. He still says it. Or, if that's too big for you, then look at yourself. Look at TV. Focus on your sports team. Worship the church you go to. You are unhappy. Know what will fix that – a new car. You need to get away, you deserve it. If you had a bigger house, then you could serve God better. Anything and everything but the truth which Jesus knew, which goes like this: Worship God and serve Him only. Everything else leaves you empty, wanting more, the next cool whatever, never satisfied, never content (1 Timothy 6:3-10). And there's more in that: focus on Him and the service follows. That Jesus guy didn't just die for our sins, though if He had it would have been the greatest gift ever. He also shared our struggles and was smart about them, loved God the whole time, never sinned. He is our Savior, but first He was our example.

So focus on God this week. What are some practical ways to do this?

I know one: talk about Him. Tell people, and I don't mean that awkward, “How was your week?”

“Okay.”

“You need Jesus.”

Enter the crickets.

No, but talk about Him, at home, to your Mom or your friends. Lots of people go to church or have been or know someone who does. They all have opinions about it. Find out what they are. Tell them about Jesus that should be at the center of it all instead of all the other focuses that leave that foul taste in many a mouth. People have struggles and hard times. Share in them. Tell them that you don't know why, that you can't explain it all away. That you're just glad that you know that you are loved even though you don't deserve it. They are, too, even in the nastiness that can be life. You can focus on God just by talking about Him like you would talk about the Final Four, with a familiarity, an excitement, a knowledge of who He is and what He has done for you.

See you next week for the discipline of evangelism.

1 Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.

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