The Worship Files

Over the next few weeks we will be asking the LORD to search our hearts with regard to our worship of Him. We will be doing it in two parts, using Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman, that the Father seeks worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth, as our guide. 

4 December

After asking, it seems that there are 6 things the LORD want to speak to about our worship of Him in ‘spirit’. We will do one a week with action steps.
We asked the LORD to show us the first thing that isn’t pleasing in our worship of Him in ‘spirit’:

1.    Lack of agreement of our spirit with the LORD’s

Passivity
Our spirits not agreeing with the LORD’s spirit. “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls” (Psalm 42).
Governed by other things
Hearts not in submission
Not in unity with the Spirit.

How does that play out?
a.    Picture: someone with arms crossed, not wanting to submit to God’s timing. We are wanting to fit God into our time and not us into His time.
b.    “who you trying to impress”. Picture: a piano player, all dressed up (uit gevat!) like a professional, playing but only pretending as there is a recording. Religious practice/form. Singing but not agreeing with the words. Eg. Grant shared about how he was challenged last week with regard to singing songs about ‘our King, LORD’ etc but living a life not in submission to Him.
c.    Picture: people dancing around a centre, but it required a conscious choice to step into the centre. Picture: people working in a field with others around the edge; the people on the edge watching wanting to be asked to join in. Grant shared that at church the previous day there was teaching on the tabernacle of David looking at celebration, proclamation and adoration. When it came to engaging in adoration the vast majority chose conversation/socialising over entering into the centre.

Action steps:
1.    Repentance, emphasis on the ‘walking it out’ (it seems kinda obvious but you know…do it!). A willingness to change.
2.    Invitation to wait on the LORD. Active submitting.
a.    Choose something to forego each day to use for submitting/waiting on the LORD (like a fast but it’s things such as ‘reading’, ‘TV’ etc).
b.    Make use of every opportunity
c.    Rest. ‘cease striving’
3.    Recognise/remind ourselves of who we are. Our birthright (story of Jacob & Esau). Go through ‘birthright card’.
4.    Submission to one another with regard to what we sense God is telling us (not needing to bring it to the whole group but learning to submit to one another).

2.    Unbelief that our worship has any value.

Worship has become a duty, something to perform
A narrow view of what worship is
People not being ‘able’ to worship without music or if they cannot sing
‘Peace’ – we find peace in worship but not through striving. A lie that our effort brings the peace
my heart is where my treasure lies
Picture: old water pump that was trickling. There’s a false sense of peace/contentment. Unbelief that there is more. The Lord wants the water pump to pour out. Unbelief that if guitar is not there we can’t worship etcIt is not about singing, it is about action. A lie that worship is about music.

Action steps
a.    Worship everywhere. Worship CD’s going on more regular basis. Everyone needs to be asking how that plays out in their lives. Read the scriptures in The Warehouse
b.    Tidiness is next to Godliness. Do a big clean-up!
c.    Wait on the LORD. Give thanks for the blessings over the year. Personal journey, introspection and repentance. Looking for God’s blessing in our lives and giving thanks. Repentance is about not always acknowledging God’s blessing. Updates, publications need to reflect God’s blessing. Actively acknowledging.
d.    Practice generosity. Asking the LORD how he would have us be more generous. (volunteers)
e.    Read about worshippers in the Bible

18 December

3. Our worship is not connected to the whole of life.

Action steps