WORSHIP In his book, "Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts", Harold M. Best writes, "Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become..." —"Unceasing Worship", p. 18. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Deuteronomy 6:13 (GW) "You must fear the Lord your God, serve him, and take your oaths only in his name." ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, "Making Room at the Table: An Invitation to Multicultural Worship", Brian K. Blount writes, "At its best, worship takes us to the deepest places of existence, where our lives find their true rhythm and flow, and where our entire beings give glory to the one who upholds, guides, and sustains us on our voyage." —"Making Room at the Table" p. 176. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Unfortunately, in many churches we should replace the phrase "call to worship" in our bulletins with the phrase "call to evaluation." Instead of using the time to encounter a Holy God, we often spend our energies evaluating everything from the flower arrangement, lighting, musical selections and sermon. I have a feeling that if we would stop watching the performance and start throwing ourselves into "the deepest places of existence" we wouldn't care so much about our preferences. John 4:23 (RSV) "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him." ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, "The Air I Breath: Worship As a Way of Life", Louie Giglio writes, "Worship also matters because every day there's a battle for your worship. The things we elevate. The values we serve. None of those choices are made in a vacuum. There's a war raging for our worship, and it's been raging since before there was time. Even before the earth was formed, one of God's highest angels bolted from His presence, refusing to join the ranks of the true worshipers, refusing to exalt God above all. The account records that in a flash Satan fell like lightning from heaven. Exalting himself more than God, Satan was banned from His presence." —"The Air I Breath", p. 30. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson ________________________________________ WORSHIP During his remarks after being nominated to replace Justice O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court, Judge Samuel Alito said. "The Supreme Court is an institution that I have long held in reverence." Later, he commented, "I argued my first case before the Supreme Court in 1982, and I still vividly recall that day. I remember the sense of awe that I felt when I stepped up to the lectern..." —http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9875730/ Illustration by Jim L. Wilson He holds the court in reverence; standing at the lectern he had a sense of awe. Those are the same feeling we should experience as we stand before a Holy God ready to bring Him praise, adoration and worship. Hebrews 12:28-29 (HCSB) "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; [29] for our God is a consuming fire." ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, "The Purpose and Power of Praise & Worship", Myles Munroe lists 10 principles of praise, they are: 1. You don't need a special reason to praise God. 2. Every moment of every day is a suitable time for praise. 3. A lifestyle of praise teaches you to see and trust God's work in your life. 4. Private praise prepares you for public praise and worship. 5. Private praise prepares you for public victory. 6. Praise in the beginning of the day gives God room to handle whatever comes your way in the rest of the day. 7. Praise may be both direct and indirect. 8. When you commend God to others, you are praising Him indirectly. 9. Complaining destroys the atmosphere created by praise. 10. Your new song every day keeps God's presence with you. —"The Purpose and Power of Praise & Worship", p. 86. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Psalms 140:13 (NASB) "Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence." ________________________________________ WORSHIP Reading people's faces is an art form. The first person in my life that mastered this nack was my mother. She could "read me like a book," and always knew if I was telling the truth. It isn't hard to read Andrew Fischer's face, at least not his forehead. He auctioned off his forehead on eBay and received $37,375 from Snore Stop to wear their logo for one month. —http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&e=1&u=/ap/20050125/ap_on_fe_st/forehead_advertising Illustration by Jim L. Wilson When I ask you what people read on your face, I'm not talking about can your mother tell if you're lying, or are you willing to sell your forehead as a biological bill board, I want to know if they can tell you've been with God. Do you have a holy glow about you? Exodus 34:29 (NLT) "When Moses came down the mountain carrying the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn't aware that his face glowed because he had spoken to the Lord face to face." ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, "Experiential Worship: Encountering God With Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength", Bob Rognlien writes, "When Jesus calls us to love God with all we are, he not only includes our will, our emotions, an our intellect, but he also puts all of those aspects of our humanity in the context of our physical bodies. To love God with all your strength means to allow your body to give expression to the thoughts, feelings and decisions that reflect the response of the whole person to God." —"Experiential Worship", p. 40. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Matthew 22:37 (ASV) "And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." ________________________________________ WORSHIP In a "Letter from Australia" David Chislett, Rector of All Saints in Wickham Terrace, Brisbane summarizes Christian Schwarz's book, Natural Church Development: A guide to Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches. Chislett writes, "Schwarz distinguishes between church services that are mere entertainment and those that really inspire. His research shows that whether traditional or more secular language is used, whether the worship is liturgical or non-liturgical, or whether the music is old-fashioned or modern is utterly irrelevant. The key criterion is whether the service inspires those who attend." —http://trushare.com/99aug03/AU03AUST.htm Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Psalm 5:7 (NLT) "Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple." ________________________________________ WORSHIP According to George Barna, "Eight out of every ten believers do not feel they have entered into the presence of God, or experienced a connection with Him, during the worship service." -Revolution, p. 31. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Isaiah 6:1-4 (TEV) "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. [2] Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying. [3] They were calling out to each other: 'Holy, holy, holy! The Lord Almighty is holy! His glory fills the world.' [4] The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke." ________________________________________ WORSHIP Church services are the one place that interruptions seem to flourish, from a baby crying, a yawn timed perfectly with a sermonic pause or an emergency vehicle passing the adjacent street, blaring its sirens at the worst possible moment. None of these are as infuriating as the shrill sound of the cell phone, casting its tone throughout the auditorium and stealing the attention of would be learners. Consider a scene from a recent movie, The Fighting Temptations, where a man's cell phone interrupts not only a church service, but a church funeral. If only we gave God as much attention as we gave our cell phones. The Father is looking for worshipers that will give Him their undivided attention and worship Him in Spirit and truth. —The Fighting Temptations: 26:12-27:25, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Nathan Morales. John 4:23 (NIV) "Yet a time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
WORSHIP/CHRISTMAS In a year when many believers are concerned over department stores and public schools trying to remove the Christian message from Christmas, a new development has proven perplexing. Even though Christmas falls on a Sunday in 2005, and though churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors of many large churches around the country are canceling services on Christmas anticipating low attendance on what they call a "family day." The trend appears to nationwide with mega-churches in Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Kentucky, and Illinois reporting that they will take Christmas day off this year. Other well-known churches report they will cut back to only one service on Christmas day instead of two or three. The churches closing on Christmas say they plan multiple services in the days leading up to the holiday, including Christmas Eve. The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday in 1994, most churches say they noticed a decrease in attendance. Cindy Willison, a representative for Southland Christian Church in Kentucky says they need 500 volunteers along with staff to run Sunday Services for the estimated 8,000 who attend. She said many of the volunteers appreciate the chance to spend Christmas with their families instead of working, although she said there were a few complaints. Willison said, "If we weren't having services at all, I would probably tend to feel that we were too accommodating to the secular viewpoint, but we're having multiple services on Saturday and an additional service Friday night." She added, "We believe that you worship every day of the week, not just on a weekend, and you don't have to be in a church building to worship." —http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/07/national/main1103153.shtml, Some megachurches closing on Christmas, December 6, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. John 4:23-24 (NLT) "But the time is coming and is
already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.
[24] For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit
and in truth."
WORSHIP WARS Are Worship Wars dividing congregations who battle over what kind of music should be in a worship service? Not as much as you might think. In a recent study 727 randomly selected adults who identified themselves as “Christian,” 601 senior pastors, and 69 worship leaders, pollster George Barna did not find a great deal of strife over the style of worship in various churches. Only 9% of the churches surveyed reported “music related tensions.” But the survey did reveal that 3 in 5 church goers said music was one of their prime considerations in selecting a place of worship. —http://www.wacotrib.com, Survey finds many Christians
don’t understand worship, October 14, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson
and Jim Sandell.
WORSHIP People live hurried lives. We don't have time to do everything we would like or often need to do. In his book, "Worship, a Way of Life," Patrick Kavanaugh suggests we make more time for the Lord by redirecting time that would otherwise be wasted. Patrick tells how he used the 15 to 20 minutes spent waiting for a vehicle inspection as time to meet with the Lord. Patrick says: "I begin with verbal praise: I worship You, Lord, for You are worthy. You are worthy of praise and honor and glory. (this continues for a moment or so.) Then I intercede for a number of people: for our president, for the Supreme Court members and other political leaders, for my pastor. Recalling a verse I read earlier this morning, I meditate on its truth: Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20). Finally, I sit quietly before the Lord, basking in His presence and the knowledge of His closeness to me. As I notice that the car in front of me is about to move, I thank God for the Worship we have enjoyed together. Putting the car in gear, I am grateful for the precious time I have just had with the Creator of the universe." Corporate worship cannot be replaced by anything, but a time of worship does not necessarily require a church, a minister, a choir, or even a Bible. It only takes a desire to Worship God. The Lord wants each us to spend time with Him every day. There are many minutes we can devote to our Heavenly Father, in our busy schedules, including time spent waiting in line, showering, or even waiting for the computer to start. Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Every day should include time for worship. —Worship—a way of life. Patrick Kavanaugh, pp. 202-203. Published by Chosen Books, 2001. Chosen Books is a division of Baker Books. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell For more information on Worship-A way of life, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800792920/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP While most churches are trying to motivate unbelievers to attend their services, Pastor Raphael Green is taking worship to the streets. Green leads his congregation, the Metro Christian Worship Center of St. Louis, MO to conduct outdoor worship services in urban parks. They are finding that even the unchurched gather to hear them sing songs like “Amazing Grace,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” By taking worship to the people, Green is attracting the unchurched to his worship services in the church building. When they come they “feel the presence of God come on them,” said Green. And many of them come to faith in Jesus Christ. —Worship Evangelism, Sally Morgenthaler, p. 254-257 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson For more information on Worship Evangelism, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310485614/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP In a recent study 727 randomly selected adults who identified themselves as “Christian,” 601 senior pastors, and 69 worship leaders, pollster George Barna found that one in three adult regular attendees reported they had never experienced God’s presence while in a church. Two in three were not able to describe to the survey-takers what worship is. Less than half of the participants reported worship was a top priority in their lives, and only one in four described worship as something people do for God. Barna says, “Americans make worship services a self-centered activity. Of the reasons given to researchers on why they go to church, 47 percent were self-focused, 29 percent were God-focused, and 2 percent had no focus at all.” Barna adds, “We view ourselves first and foremost as consumers, Americans are always looking for a deal, or what’s in it for them.” One in four ministers put worship as his or her top priority. Barna says the relatively high satisfaction rate and low frustration rate in churches found by the survey means most people do not know what worship is—that we are “worship challenged.” —http://www.wacotrib.com, Survey finds many Christians don’t understand worship, October 14, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. Psalm 42:1 NASB “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God.” Psalm 47:7 NIV “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren writes, “Matt Redman, a worship leader in England, tells how his pastor taught his church the real meaning of worship. To show that worship is more than music, he banned all singing in their services for a period of time while they learned to worship in other ways. By the end of that time, Matt had written the classic song ‘Heart of Worship.’” —Purpose Driven Life, p. 106 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson After the pastor imposed song-fast ended, Redman led his church in worship with his heart-felt words, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship. It’s all about you…” Worship isn’t a song, a liturgy or a service—these are only vehicles of worship. Worship is God’s people understanding his worth to them and reflecting it back to Him. John 4:23 NASB "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” For more information on The Purpose Driven Life, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310205719/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, Go the Distance, Pastor Ed Rowell tells a humorous story that illustrates the importance of approaching worship with a spirit of expectancy. He wrote: I was flipping channels one night before bedtime and landed on The Crocodile Hunter; a staple of the Animal Planet channel. In each thirty-minute episode, Steve Erwin from Australia is capturing, chasing, and being chased by crocodiles, venomous snakes, and spiders - and anything else the producers can think of to elevate the adrenaline of the audience. On the particular night, the host was attempting to capture "the world's most venomous snake." (Erwin catches snakes by grabbing their tails and spends several minutes playing with them before placing them in a bag. Part of the fun of watching is wondering when he's going to finally get his just reward for such behavior.) I was really getting into this program, leaning intently toward the TV. As he made another reach for the snake's tail, it struck at him. At just that exact moment, a fly landed on my forearm. I shrieked and jerked so hard the remote control flew across the room. My wife, who was reading, screamed along with me for moral support. "What happened?" she asked. "I don't know," I croaked, as I fell on the couch. While the Crocodile Hunter was bagging his snake, I was wondering if the fact that my left arm had gone numb was a sign I was having a heart attack, or if I had whacked it on something as I was attempting to dislodge the poisonous snake that hadn't bitten me. "Don't be surprised if the Holy Spirit touches you today. If you are not expecting his touch, you may not react in the way you want to. But if you came this morning expecting to hear from God and are open to receiving his word into your life, you'll recognize his touch and not be alarmed by it." Go the Distance, p 66 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson For more information on Go the Distance, visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805421505/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, Morph: The Texture of Leadership for Tomorrow’s Church, Ron Martoia writes, “the craving to experience the transcendent is God-designed. When the church fails to provide an engaging experience of God, then the seeking individual has no choice but to seek filling that God-shaped void in other ways. Far from us buckling to ‘consumer demands,’ we’re raising the need to return to biblical models of experiential encounter so those looking will find.” —Morph, p. 135 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson People don’t want to experience church. They want to experience God’s presence. 2 Peter 1:16 NASB “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” For more information about Morph, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764424505/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP In his book, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for new Generations, Dan Kimball cites a journalist who was writing about a Christian concert he attended. The headlines said, “Christapalooza: 20,000 Christians convene…God doesn’t show.” In the article he writes, “I have a difficult time locating any similarities between what Jesus says and does, and what the people—in particular the organizers—[at this festival] said and did…Jesus is a beacon of righteousness who leads the way through a dark world to eternal peace, love, and eternal salvation; the Jesus of [the festival] is a blue-light special, pointing you to the quick fix of a righteous bargain in the shopping mall of endless consumption.” —Emerging Church, p. 83 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson “How spiritual are you?” In whose name did you gather today? God only promises to be in our midst if we gather in His name. Did we? Matthew 18:20 NASB "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." For more information on The Emerging Church, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310245648/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP Robert Webber, Professor of Ministry at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Ill, recently said, "[worship] doesn't have to be excellent; it has to be real." —Virginia Baptists' Weekly, October 11, 2001, p. 1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson It isn't about snazzy PowerPoint, cool tunes or moving drama. Worship is an act of connecting a primal part of our souls to our creator. It has more to do with what happens in our hearts than on the stage in our auditorium. It cannot be orchestrated or scripted because it is so personal. It begins with brokenness and moves to celebration as the gospel infiltrates our frail condition. It is nice if the singers hit the high notes, the pastor is eloquent and the instruments are properly tuned. But without the connection of God to man, even the most "excellent" service is a waste of time. It has to be real, in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 NASB "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." ________________________________________ WORSHIP The editor of a leading Christian magazine in Great Britain is calling for churches to be made more welcoming and less intimidating. John Bruckeridge, editor of Christianity and Renewal magazine, says he thinks high church windows, stone floors and wooden doors in a traditional church building can be foreboding. He points to churches that met in converted cinemas as an example of a building more conducive to worship. Buckeridge writes, “Damp or musty church buildings—an odour (sic) which speaks of neglect and decay—are hardly conducive to worshipping God.” He adds, “Imagine how alien such places feel to someone not used to attending church, even more so for a young person.” Joy Foster, who manages a church in Bath, England, which meets in a renovated theater, says they believe their church is a relaxed place of worship. She says, “The old cinema provides us with all the space the congregation needs to express themselves. It is a relaxed family atmosphere and it us used for community meetings throughout the week” A spokesperson from the Church of England added this observation. “Churches should be churches—it is the people who are the in the building that are the key to worship and atmosphere.” —http://ananova.com, ‘Make churches more like cinemas’, September 16, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. The church Jesus instituted is not a building, but rather the people who gather there. Regardless of the architecture, we can make our churches stale and foreboding, or warm, friendly places to be with other people and met God. Acts 16:25 NIV About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ________________________________________ WORSHIP What is the true focus of our worship? In the book, Preaching For Special Services, Scott Gibbon observes that God is at the center. None of us should do things so we can be remembered, we do them to put the spotlight on God. Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard suggested that many people consider worship to be a drama in which God is the prompter, the minister is the actor, and the congregation is the audience. Kierkegaard says genuine worship is much different. Instead, the members of the congregation are the actors, the pastor is the prompter, and God is the audience. Our goal should be to commit to live to honor God through God centered actions, no matter where we are, or what we do. "Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31 —Preaching For Special Services, pg. 22, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell For more information on Preaching for Special Services, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080109111X/freshministry ________________________________________ WORSHIP Worship does not deliver three easy steps to a fulfilled Christian life, or a pep rally or a counseling session, it is an encounter with a holy God in the presence of others seeking to know Him. In his book, Shattered Dreams, Larry Crabb wrote: "I would beg God to deliver me from Calvary-denying sermons, which leave people feeling scolded and pressured and falsely hopeful because biblical principles are presented as formulas for making life work. I would plead protection from Pentecost-denying church services where we do the Spirit's work for Him with contrived worship and emotional provocation and endless programs that substitute for community. I would ask God to never let me again preach an Eden-denying message where psychological insights replaced biblical wisdom in a misguided effort to repair emotional damage when the real problem is a serpent-inspired determination to experience life without God." —Shattered Dreams, p. 81, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Ed Rowell For more information on Shattered Dreams go to, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578564522/freshministry
WORSHIP/LIFESTYLE A lot of musicians in Christian music long to break free from the “Christian” label. They want their music to reach beyond church people and into the mainstream. The Group Audio Adrenaline is just the opposite. They hope to attract church-going listeners and encourage them to go into the mainstream. Tyler Burkum, lead guitarist for Audio A says, “ the worship movement has been huge all over the world, but it shouldn’t stop in our church. Let’s go into this world and worship with our lives.” The group had created an umbrella group of 15 Christian mission organizations to encourage their listeners to reach out to their friends and neighbors. Burkum describes the Go Foundation as an organization that pairs Christians with ministry organizations that can use their talents. Burkum says, “God uses talents to interest people.” He says the Lord uses his talent on the guitar most. About Outreach Burkum says, “You don’t have to walk onto a bus and hand out flyers to worship God. You don’t need to go to church and play a guitar. You don’t need to take a Bible and thump them on the head to tell someone about God. You don’t need to be passive either. You can be totally on fire and use your life as an example.” —http://www.kansas.com, Mission Possible, by Brent Castillo of the Wichita Eagle, February 28, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Matthew 5:16. NIV “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
WORSHIP
Have you ever not felt like coming to a worship
service? Some would argue that there is no point in attending if you are
not in the right attitude. However, sometimes the only way to break
through the resistance to worship is to be among worshippers.
In his book Invitation to a Journey, Robert Mulholland writes, “When we don’t feel like worshiping, the community should carry us along n its worship. When we can’t seem to pray, community prayer should enfold us. When he Scripture seems closed for us, the community should keep n reading, affirming and incarnating it around us.” -- Invitation to a Journey, 146. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Psalm 27:4 (NASB95) “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.” For more information on Invitation to a Journey go
to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830813861/freshministry
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