by
Steve Dulwich
Chapter No.
Introduction The higher calling
to worship
1 The Father is seeking
worshippers
2 The
inner sanctuary where God is 'more present'
3 Going
up to worship
4 Joy
the characteristic of worship
5
Joy, the measure of our
relationship with Christ.
6
Entering worship:
thanksgiving and praise
7
Giving ourselves in
worship: the surrendered life
8 The
turnaround: running towards the prize
9 God taking control in
worship: the anointing
10 Rejoicing
in persecution
11 Rejoicing in the wisdom and power
of God
12
Worshipping with
joy in eternity
13
The desire of
worship: that I might know Him
14
The great symphony
of worship
Conclusion Worshipping
in the Holy Spirit
Epilogue The Worshipper
Scriptures are
taken from the King James Version. Some
texts have been slightly amended.
Introduction
'Howbeit when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things
to come.' (John 16:13)
There are times
when the Holy Spirit opens up the word of God to us in a special way. This is what happened to me when I was
visiting my home church in the
Understanding the call to worship is like finding oil. The scriptures come alive to us when we realise the highest calling of the people of God is to worship. Christians who have become worshippers and experienced the 'oil of gladness' in the Holy Spirit will never be satisfied with less. If we lose the anointing it is because we have not remained in the place of anointed worship. We must once again go up to worship. The value of this book is that it is a guide to show the way to anointed worship.
Everything falls into place when we see the wonderful path of worship that God has prepared for us. There are higher places of worship that we should always be seeking to reach, and no matter how high we climb there is always more. The teaching in this book divides worship into five categories.
The different heights of worship are described as:
1. The Worship of Thankfulness and Praise
2. The Worship of a Surrendered Life
3. The Worship of an Anointed Life
4. The Worship of Fellowship with His Sufferings
5. The Worship of Knowing the Eternal Plan and Purpose of God
There is another realm of worship that is reached when the worshipper enters into eternity. The worshipper is lifted to worship in heaven where he or she continues to offer anointed worship to the Lord. There is no end to true worship. Death for the worshipper is a continuation of worship from time into eternity. The greatest joy of worship in eternity is that the worshipper will see the King in His beauty, face to face.
Worship is the most vital part of an effective Christian life. A disciple of Christ must learn to worship at all times, and in all situations and circumstances. Without worship the Christian life becomes mundane and unattractive to those outside of Christ. The Christian life must be fruitful in every area, but this will only happen when we learn to offer praise and thanksgiving for all things.
The heights that we reach in worship will always depend upon the closeness of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit must lead us higher into worship so that the life of worship becomes our personal experience. Knowledge of the scriptures alone is not enough. The heights of worship that were experienced by the disciples in scripture should lead us into our own active and intimate relationship with the Lord. We are able to know the same place of worship in our own experience as the disciples knew in Bible days.
This is more than singing Christian songs. Singing is an expression of worship, but worship involves every area of our lives. The spirit of a person is the very innermost part of his or her being. Believers in Christ need to recognise that every moment of the Christian life is an opportunity for worship because worship involves our innermost thoughts and desires. Singing Christian songs is capable of moving the emotions whether it is worship or not. But only believers who have gone up to worship and come into His presence in a right manner are true worshippers.
Effective ministry in the body of Christ must always be born out of worship. All the great men and women of faith in scripture were first and foremost worshippers. Worship is born out of love for the Lord. The question that Jesus asked Peter needs to be answered by every believer. Jesus said, 'Do you love me?' He then told Peter to 'Feed my sheep'. Ministry to others flows out of worship that is rooted in love for Christ.
Salvation is the gift of God, but how we enter into heaven depends on the extent of our worship. God's people need to be preparing for eternity. The question every believer must ask him or herself is, 'what kind of an entrance into heaven do I want to have?' The Bible says we need to be concerned about the way we will enter into heaven. The Second Epistle of Peter says,
'Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do
these things, you shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto
you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.' (2 Peter 1:10-11)
The call to worship is the most urgent call to the body of Christ. The only way to be ready for eternity is to always be living in the place of worship. An abundant entrance into heaven is the prize of those who go up to worship. We need to learn to live a life of worship so that we will enter eternity worshipping.
Those who seek to worship the Father in spirit and in truth must have one desire. The prayer of the worshipper is always, 'one thing have I desired that I might know Christ'. The Father is seeking for worshippers and the high calling to worship has no respect of persons. The most insignificant person in the body of Christ can become a great man or woman of faith by answering the call to worship.
1. A new understanding of the levels of worship so that the heights of worship can be seen as a goal to be reached;
2. A desire to know Christ through a life of worship so that these levels of worship become the experience of the reader.
3. A realisation that the highest calling of God is the call to worship, and God is no respecter of person.
Chapter
One
The
Father is seeking worshippers
'But the hour is coming, and
now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:
for the Father is seeking such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.' (John 4:23-24).
The first characteristic is to seek and to save that which was lost, and the second is to seek for worshippers. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that
'...the Son of man is
come to seek and to save that which was lost', (Luke
If this was the only plan and purpose of God for mankind, it would be the greatest plan ever made and worthy of the eternal God. Yet God's plan and purpose was greater than this. Being saved from sin was never meant to be an end in itself. Many Christians do not rise above this level. They are content to live their Christian life purely in the knowledge that their sins have been forgiven and that they will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord. They are unaware that there is a higher calling, the call to worship. Jesus revealed the higher calling to worship when He spoke to a Samaritan woman by Jacob's well. He told the woman that the Father is seeking for worshippers.
In this conversation Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman concerning the two main characteristics of the eternal plan and purpose of God. He began talking to her by asking her for a drink, and then drew her attention to the need for living water that only He could provide. It was the Samaritan woman who was the first to mention the theme of worship. She regarded the worship of God as something that divided the Jews from the Samaritans. But it was the Holy Spirit who was leading the conversation, and the words of the woman revealed her desire to worship. Jesus spoke to her concerning the higher calling to worship that broke across racial and social barriers.
There is no higher calling than the call to worship, and so it is interesting to consider who the woman was that the Lord was talking to when he spoke the words recorded in John 4:23-24. These are the most wonderful words in the New Testament. Yet the woman he spoke to was an outcast by race because she was a Samaritan, and her life was a mess. She had been married five times and now lived in sin with a man she was not married to. We can understand Jesus speaking to her about salvation from sin, but Jesus spoke to her about more than this. He told her about the very heart of God that is seeking worshippers.
Why did Jesus speak these words to this woman and not to His disciples? Of course Jesus did tell these words to His disciples, how else could John have written about them? So what was Jesus doing? He was telling the Samaritan woman that the Father was seeking worshippers so that she would become an example of who a true worshipper is. His disciples would understand that the Samaritan woman was one of the worshippers that the Father was seeking.
It was not
possible for the woman to become a worshipper immediately. There are steps to worshipping and she had
not even begun. Jesus had to draw her to
Himself. The One
her heart longed for was there at the well, but she did not know Him. The excitement of her
heart through meeting Jesus is seen in that she left her waterpot at the well
and became a witness to bring people to Jesus.
She called out:
'Come, see a man,
who told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?' (John 4:29)
Her words and
actions show that she desired to know Him. She was not yet a worshipper, but she was
being drawn to the Lord and this is the first stage in worship. She was like the woman in the Song of Solomon
who said of her beloved:
'Draw me, we will run after
you: the king has brought me into his chambers:
we will be glad and rejoice in you, we will remember your love more than
wine: the upright love you.' (Song of
Solomon 1:4).
When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, the Holy Spirit bore witness through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Her eyes were not opened by a great work of power, but it was a word of knowledge concerning her personal life that revealed to her that Jesus was more than a Jewish man and more than a prophet. Jesus only ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. He laid aside His inherent power of the Son of God when He became man. This is why He could say to His disciples:
'Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.' (John 14:12).
He knew that the same
power and the same anointing would be upon those who would believe on Him. The Lord drew the Samaritan woman to Himself
through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
People need to be drawn to Christ in the same way today. The gifts, ministries and energising power of
the Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus, and it is only those who are worshippers
who can truly minister in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The conversation of
Jesus with the Samaritan woman shows that those who are looked upon as the
lowest in society can reach the greatest heights in the high calling to
worship. The First Epistle of Peter says it this way, that we who belong to the
Lord were outcasts, like the Samaritan woman, but now we have been called to
worship:
'But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you
should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light: Which in time past
were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy.' (1 Peter
2:9-10)
Many Christians who
have been saved for a long time have never become worshippers. They are truly saved, but their relationship
with the Lord is outside of worship.
They are followers, but not worshippers.
The amazing truth is that a young believer in Christ can come into a
relationship in worship that is far above the level of many that have been
believers for a long time. The depth of
our relationship with the Lord will be determined by how much we desire
Him. David the Psalmist had one desire
and that was to 'see the beauty of the Lord'.
He was a worshipper. This was his
highest calling far above his call to be a king.
'One thing have I desired of
the LORD, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his
temple.' (Psalms 27:4)
The Father is still seeking worshippers. The call to worship is the highest calling of God. Yet God is no respecter of persons and He has opened the way for the lowliest person in society to become mighty in worship. The Lord revealed this wonderful truth to a woman who was an outcast and living in immorality. Her excitement at hearing the words of Jesus made her an effective witness in bringing others to Jesus. The worshipper never loses the excitement of knowing Jesus, and the prayer of his or her heart will always be 'that I might know Him'. The depth of our worship will always depend upon the closeness of our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Chapter
Two
The
inner sanctuary where God is 'more present'
'…In whom all the building
fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord:' (Ephesians
Herod's
'The glory of this latter
house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this
place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts.' (Haggai 2:9)
For most people,
there was not a lot of difference between the temple with the glory of God and
the temple without the glory of God. The temple was still the heart of the
nation and the centre of the Jewish religion.
The everyday affairs of the temple carried on exactly the same, and the
people gloried in the outward appearance of the magnificent building that Herod
had built. But there were some who
looked for the 'glory of
'…a light to
lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people
The glory of
The presence of
God is everywhere and in this sense the presence of God was in Herod's
'Oh that you would rend the heavens,
that you would come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy
presence,' (Isaiah 64:1)
When God is 'more present' great mountains will be removed, and even the mighty kings of the earth are made to tremble in fear (Daniel 5:5-6). The prophets who were despised longed for God to manifest His presence, but in the wisdom of God He has chosen the foolish and weak things of the world to glorify Himself. The Son of God came to earth as a servant so that He could redeem a company of people from the world. A people who would be insignificant in the eyes of the world, but a people separated for His possession. This was God's eternal plan that the glory of His presence would dwell within a temple made of living stones. A temple built of people who have been lifted from the depths of sin to the heights of holiness; a people created for worship.
'You also, as living stones,
are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.'
(1 Peter 2:5).
When Jesus
cleansed the temple in
'Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.' (John 2:19)
There are two
Greek words that are translated temple in the New Testament. One of these words is 'hieron' this refers to the temple building and all
its precincts. The other word is 'naos'
which refers to the inner sanctuary of the temple. Jesus was speaking of the inner
sanctuary. It was the place associated
with the presence of God and the glory of God.
Only the priests could enter into the inner sanctuary. Even Jesus was not allowed to enter into this
part of Herod's
'We heard him say, I will
destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build
another made without hands.' (Mark
They were
misquoting the words of Jesus because He did not say 'made with hands'. He was not referring to Herod's
Jesus told the
Jews that His body was the inner sanctuary of God. This was the true temple where God was
worshipped in spirit and in truth. No
one else at that time except Jesus could be associated with the body of
Christ. But after Jesus was crucified on
the cross; risen from the dead; and ascended to the right hand of God, He
became the Head of His body, and every person who is in Christ has become a
member of His body. This is not an
illustration; this is a fact because His life dwells in His body. The believer in Christ is crucified with
Christ (Galatians
'And what agreement has the
God is a jealous God,
and the
'What? know you not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God,
and you are not your own? For you are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit,
which are God’s.' (1 Corinthians
6:19-20)
When God is 'more present' in the temple of His body then His nature and character will be manifested and His power will be known. This is always the case in revivals. A revival is when the Holy Spirit takes control of the meetings bringing an awareness of the holiness of God, filling the believers with the love of God, and producing a godly fear of the awesomeness of His presence. The awareness of the holiness of God produces strong conviction of sin and repentance in the congregation, but this will eventually lead to great joyfulness. Revivals are always characterised by these two things; repentance and joy.
Singing is a
wonderful way of being able to express this joy. But sometimes the Holy Spirit takes complete
control of the singing. There was a strange
phenomenon at the
The body of
Christ at the present time often resembles Herod's
Chapter
Three
Going
up to worship
'...I went up to
It is a
characteristic of worship that if anyone desires to meet with God he or she
must always go up to worship. In the Old
Testament the Israelites had to go up to the temple in
'And it shall come to pass,
that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem
shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and
to keep the feast of tabernacles.'
(Zechariah 14:16)
The greatest
worshippers are those who realise from what depths they have been lifted. We can be enthralled by testimonies of
salvation telling how people have been lifted out of sin, but we can fail to
realise that there is a higher calling.
They arose to become worshippers.
The prodigal son said, 'I will arise and
go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven,
and before You', (Luke
'He raises up the poor out of
the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with
princes, even with the princes of his people.' (Psalm 113:7-8)
The princes of the Lord’s people are worshippers. We have been lifted from our sin to be set with the mighty worshippers of the people of God. But even in worship there are higher levels to reach. Worshippers should continuously be seeking to go up to greater heights in the life of worship. The height of our worship is dependent upon the depth of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are pre-requirements before we can go up to worship. A worshipper must leave behind the old baggage of the world; otherwise it is not possible to go up to worship. Worship must begin with a longing for God. If we continue to desire the things of the world then we will not go up to worship. We can still be followers of the Lord, but a worshipper is far more than a follower. A follower is able to turn his or her back at any time and carry on with his or her live. But a worshipper cannot because he or she has no desire for the things left behind. The bridges have all been destroyed and there is no going back.
The desire to
worship the God who is 'more present' in His temple must be joined with the
desire to approach God in a right manner.
Music is able to move the emotions and produce the feeling of peace in
our spirits. But this does not mean we
have gone up to worship. We can be
inspired by nice singing and even feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, but
worship is more than this. We must
always go up to worship in our hearts and minds. Believers in Christ are the dwelling place of
God and our hearts and minds are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We cannot worship if our hearts are given to
wrong desires, and our minds are filled with worldliness. We must approach God in obedience to the
word of God; we must bring the fruit of His holiness in the Holy Spirit; and we
must come with godly fear and reverence in the knowledge that the God we are
going up to worship is a loving God who hates sin. God is a consuming fire (Hebrews
Obedience is a
requirement of worship. If we desire to
go up to worship then we must be willing to obey the Lord's commandments. Jesus told His disciples; 'If you love Me, keep my commandments' (John
'A new commandment I give unto you, That you
love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.' (John 13:34)
Loving one
another was not a new commandment; the Old Testament commanded, 'love your
neighbour' (Leviticus
When I look back on my Christian life, I am aware that the reason I have not always walked in this love is because I have not understood how to work this out in practice. I think there is a good reason for this. We should not blindly run and obey the orders of the most dominant person. God has given us brains to work things out. Being too weak to stand against those who would try to gain advantage of us is not godliness; it is weakness of character. The saying is true that God doesn't expect me to be a doormat for everyone to walk over. But love is to be the standard by which we serve each other. This means serving one another without self-interest.
'...by
love serve one another' (Galatians
One Sunday morning I visited a church with a large congregation. I wanted to observe what the meetings were like because people often spoke of this church. The service was excellent. The preacher was very good, and the praise and worship group was very professional. But I also noticed that the only people who spoke together were the one's who came in together. There was no fellowship. If a lonely person was in the congregation, it is certain that he or she would have gone out just as lonely, and nobody would have known. What is it that is needed to break down these barriers that are so difficult to overcome? Here is the answer. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that the inhibitions that stop us reaching out to others will be under the control of the Spirit of God, and then we will be able to obey the Lord’s command to love as He loved. If we would learn to be clothed with humility, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and filled with His love then we will be able to reach out to the people who are around us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit then the love of Christ in us will make us more concerned about the needs of others, and less concerned about our own interests.
The Holy Spirit is the
great blessing associated with obedience.
Peter said that the Holy Spirit is given to
those who obey Him.
'And we are his witnesses of
these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to them that
obey him.' (Acts
The most difficult obstacles that we face in regard to walking in obedience come from those who are closest to us. We will quench the moving of the Holy Spirit if our love for Christ is substituted by a love for a particular church or organisation. If we are afraid to obey scripture because of the teaching of our church then we cannot be worshippers. It takes great humility and courage to obey scripture in the face of opposition from other believers who have been close friends for many years. We are warned not to quench the Spirit. The Bible says
'Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit. Despise
not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good. Abstain from
all appearance of evil.' (1
Thessalonians 5:16-22)
The Holy Spirit will be quenched when we allow preconceived ideas to stop us from obeying scripture. We are told not to despise prophecy, but we are also told to 'prove all things'. Those who accept prophecy without examining whether it is in line with scripture are being disobedient. But those who reject all prophecy are also disobedient. The scripture tells us
'Wherefore, brethren, desire
to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.' (1 Corinthians 14:39)
People who love the scriptures will often forbid speaking in tongues. How can this be? The scripture is clear, but our interpretation of scripture can cleverly make disobedience appear sound doctrine. If we desire to worship then we must reject doctrines that teach against the anointing. If we are disobedient to the scripture in regard to the Baptism with the Holy Spirit then the highest level that we can reach in worship is the level of the surrendered life. The Lord wants us to move to higher realms of anointed worship through obedience. When our lives are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit then the fruit of the Spirit will produce the character of Christ in us, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit will empower us to worship on the higher levels.
Another
requirement for worship is approaching God in holiness. It is called the 'beauty of holiness' in
scripture because it is the nature of God in the life of the believer. Morality and legalism can never substitute
holiness. We cannot worship with either
of these because self-righteousness has no place in worship. We cannot worship on the basis of who we are
or what we have done. This is never
acceptable to God. We
must worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness in
us, bringing forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit as an offering to the Lord.
'Give unto the LORD the glory
due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.' (Psalms 29:2)
True worship is entirely the work of God in the life of the believer. The worshipper presents his or her life as an offering, but it is the life of Christ that pleases the Lord. The life of the believer cannot be separated from the life of Christ. The worshipper presents Christ to the Father every time he or she worships and the Father delights in His Son. The worshipper rejoices in the knowledge that his or her life is 'hid with Christ in God'.
'If you have then be risen
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth. For you are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory.'
(Colossians 3:1-4)
We must set our hearts
on the things that please the Lord. If
we desire to go up to worship we must go up with pure hearts and a clean
mind. The heart
is the centre of our emotions and desires.
Whatever we give our heart to, these are the things we will seek
after. If our hearts are filled with
unholy affections and desires we cannot go up to worship. The desire of the heart will determine the
level of our worship. The Bible says we
must bring '…into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ' (2 Corinthians 10:5). Worship is not just our outward expression it
involves the innermost part of our being.
This is what Jesus meant when He spoke about worshipping in spirit and
in truth. If our thoughts are impure
then we cannot worship. Holiness
requires our thought life to be pure.
Paul wrote:
'Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things.' (Philippians 4:8)
Knowing God as our heavenly Father should never cause us to approach Him in a casual manner. God is love, but He is also holy and He cannot deny Himself. His love can never deny His holiness. God cannot ignore sin. If we desire to worship we must go up to worship walking in obedience to the word of God, and bearing the fruit of holiness. A true worshipper seeks to glorify the Lord with every thought, every action, and with every word.
Whoever desires
to draw near to God must also approach Him with godly
fear and reverence. This means
recognising the nature and character of God and approaching Him in a manner
that is worthy of His name.
'Wherefore we receiving a kingdom
which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear:'
(Hebrews
God is love, but He is
also a God to be feared. It is not a fear of judgement because the blood of the
Lord Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John1:7), and we can come boldly into
His presence (Hebrews
'The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge' (Proverbs
1:7) and 'The name of the LORD is a strong tower:
the righteous run into it, and is safe.'
(Proverbs 18:10)
In the Acts of the
Apostles God moved in power through the body of Christ. But God dealt severely with those who did not
approach Him with godly fear and reverence.
The fear of the Lord was upon the believers, but even those outside were
afraid because they knew the power of God was with the disciples.
'And great fear came upon all
the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many
signs and wonders done among the people; (and they were all with one accord in
Solomon’s porch. And of the rest dared
no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the
Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)'
(Acts 5:11-14)
When the power of God is manifest there will also
be a manifestation of the nature and character of God. The same power that brought healing to the
lame man, brought death to Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). God was ‘more present’ with the early church
and hypocrisy could not be ignored. The
anointing would have been lost if sin had been ignored. The chastisement of the Lord is a sign of His
love for the church. A worshipper will
learn from it and then go up to worship in a right manner.
When David brought the
Ark of the Covenant to
'And David and all the house
of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood,
even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on
cymbals. And when they came to Nachon’s
threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of
it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger
of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error;
and there he died by the ark of God.
(2 Samuel 6:5-7)
The people were excited
because the anointing was coming to Jerusalem.
They worshipped with joyfulness and with right desires, but God was not
being approached in a right manner. This
tragedy teaches us that having a desire for the anointing and coming to God
with right motives is not enough. We
must always approach God in obedience and reverence. God looks at the heart, but how we approach
God is more than the good intentions of the heart. If we do not approach God on the basis of His
word then we are approaching God in an irreverent manner.
Worship involves every area of our lives. Our desires, motives, actions even our thoughts are all acts of worship. We cannot worship in a casual manner. If we desire to gain the honour and respect of the world, and to enjoy its pleasures then we cannot go up to worship. The worshipper must have one desire, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. If our hearts are not set firm in the desire to worship then the attraction of the world will turn us away.
Music and singing have the power to stir up emotions, as well as to calm and refresh the soul. This is why music is a huge industry. But worship is not singing a particular style of song; it is glorifying the Lord in a manner that is worthy of His name. Going up to worship means approaching God with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and in obedience to His word. We must come into His presence with reverence in the knowledge that we are accepted in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One of whom the Father said, 'In Him I am well pleased'. When we worship in the beauty of holiness then it is Christ in us who worships the Father through the Holy Spirit. The life of the believer is hid with Christ in God so that his or her life cannot be separated from the life of Christ. What confidence and joy this provides in going up to worship.
Chapter
Four
Joy
the characteristic of worship
'And the disciples were filled
with joy, and with the Holy Ghost' (Acts
13:52)
A Spirit-filled person is a joyful person. Yet it is often the case that joy does not characterise a person who is born again of the Spirit of God. Many who have received Jesus Christ as Lord are not joyful. Christians can become so caught up with the burdens of everyday life that there is no joy in their lives.
New methods of evangelism are not the great need of the body of Christ. The great need is for worshippers who will bring the joy of knowing Jesus to a world that is without hope, and full of anxiety, fear and heartbreak. The call to become disciples of Christ would be much more appealing to those who do not know Him if believers were filled with excitement and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Why is it that the majority of believers are not joyful? It is because they have not gone up to worship. There will always be a lack of worship when there is a lack of joy, and there will always be a lack of joy when there is a lack of worship. Believers should be known for the joy of the Lord at all times, whether we are on our own or meeting together.
We can lose the joy to worship for many different reasons. We can be hindered from going up to worship because we have become content with a past experience. We must continuously be seeking after Christ. We can also be hindered from going up to worship because of past sin. We cannot hold on to sin in our hearts and still be worshippers. Sin will make us miserable and we cannot worship without joy. Believers must put on the whole armour of God in order to remain in the place of joyful worship.
There are those who
have experienced the joy of salvation, they are committed believers knowing
that their sins are forgiven, and they are on their way to heaven, yet their
lives do not in any way reflect a relationship with the Lord that is 'joy
unspeakable and full of glory'. Although
they are genuinely saved, they can be a hindrance to others who could be led to
follow Christ. What is wrong? They are joyless because they are not
worshipping believers. Many people who
go regularly to church are like this.
The desire to seek after Christ is missing. They know that one day they will be with the
Lord, but they do not live their lives in expectation of meeting Him. Unless we have a determination to worship the
Lord in our daily lives then we will naturally descend to this level of Christian
experience.
Why is it that when
believers come together there is often no evidence of joy? When the desire to worship is lacking then
meetings become a formality. The
excitement of knowing Christ will be missing.
Even groups that have seen a move of God can become proud of their past
experience and have no desire to move higher in worship. Sometimes churches have associated blessing
with a lively style of meeting, but real joy in the Holy Spirit will only come
through a relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Lively meetings can attract people to church, but only the joy in the
Holy Spirit will attract people to Christ.
The church needs to know joy that is renewed continuously in the lives
of the people through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A worshipper of the
Lord Jesus Christ is always characterised by joy. The psalmist David said he would offer
sacrifices of joy:
'therefore will I offer in
his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto
the LORD.' (Psalm 27:6)
This does not mean that a worshipper can never be sad. The joy of the worshipper will never leave; not even at times when the heart may be broken. The joy of the Holy Spirit will flow out of a broken spirit. Being joyful does not mean that the worshipper must always be laughing. Sometimes the joy of worship is expressed in laughter, but this is not always the case. Joy was expressed through laughter at the time of the return from Babylonian captivity. The psalmist wrote,
'When the LORD turned again
the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and
our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD has done
great things for them.' (Psalm 126:1-2)
But joy is not dependent upon favourable circumstances. The greatest worshippers have often worshipped in the midst of great sorrow. The joy of the Lord is a joy that is rooted in the Lord and rejoices in the goodness of God.
David was a man after God's own heart because he desired to worship. He allowed a wrong spirit to lead him into adultery and murder, and he had gone down from the place of worship because of his sin. Psalm 51 is not just the prayer of a man seeking forgiveness. It is the prayer of a man who desires once again to go up to worship. He wants to possess everything necessary for worship. He wants to worship in the house of God where God is 'more present'. He cannot worship without the Holy Spirit. He needs deliverance from his sin. He needs to approach God with a clean and a right spirit once again. But he needs more than this; he needs the joy of His salvation. He cannot worship without joy. David asked the Lord to restore the joy of his salvation:
'Restore unto me
the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.' (Psalm 51:12)
David desired joy so
that he could teach people the way of the Lord, but only worshippers can do this
effectively. He knew that worship and
witness are linked together:
'Then will I teach
transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto You.' (Psalm 51:13)
The church needs to
learn this today. We need to understand
that the ways of the Lord must be taught with joy. All ministries within the body of Christ must
be carried out joyfully. We may have to
minister in very difficult situations, but this must never affect our joy. With joy David could once again enter into
worship through praise and thanksgiving.
With a joyful heart he would sing of the righteousness of the Lord.
'...and my tongue shall sing
aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open
thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.' (Psalm 51:14-15)
But this was not
enough, he sought to move higher in worship from praise to the sacrificial
offering of a broken spirit. In himself
he had no strength left at all. He
could do nothing to lift himself. He
was a broken man. All youthful
confidence had gone, and all he could do was to call upon the Lord. He could not defend himself; he stood in
brokenness. He knew his failings. He wanted only to worship. Yet his weakness was the place of strength
with God because worship with a broken spirit is the path that leads to the
higher realm of anointed worship.
'For you do not desire
sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a
broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' (Psalm 51:16-17)
David had failed by committing terrible sin. The consequences of his sin were disastrous, and he suffered for the rest of his life. Yet David was not going to give up. He was only able to worship by rising up above the situation. He was determined to fulfil his calling to worship. He needed joy to be able to witness and to worship.
It was necessary for David to forgive himself in order to worship. Many of God's people are stopped from going up to worship because they cannot rise above their situation and circumstances. If we will not forgive ourselves for things that we have done then we will not be able to worship. Being miserable is not humility. It can often be pride. We must learn to forgive both others and ourselves. If we have anger in our hearts then we will not be able to worship. We must worship with joy.
This means everything a believer does should be done joyfully. Whatever is not done joyfully is not worship because everything that is an act of worship must be done with rejoicing. How we do things is just as important as what we do. The scripture says:
'And whatsoever you do, do it
heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;' (Colossians 3:23)
The word heartily in the Greek literally means 'from the soul'. Everything that we do should be done as an offering to the Lord with joyfulness. If we lived our daily lives like this then we would attract many people to Christ. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to worship. We can express the joy of the Lord to others everywhere; whether we are at work, in shops, in our homes, in restaurants, anywhere. If we have the joy of the Lord in our daily lives people will ask us why we are so happy. This would give many opportunities to be worshipping witnesses to the Lord Jesus.
Giving is an act of worship when it is done with joy. This is an important part of the Christian life. God is a giving God and when God's people move in the Holy Spirit they will be characterised by generosity. But giving that is done legalistically and without joy is not worship. The Bible says that 'God loves a cheerful giver ' (2 Corinthians 9:7). This is because worshipful giving is always cheerful giving. The Greek word translated 'cheerful' means 'hilarious'. The worshipper gives with joyous laughter.
Have you ever received something from somebody who begrudged giving it to you? The need was met, but it left a bad feeling. It can make you feel very humiliated for being in a state of need, and saying thank you is a duty because you know that you were only helped because the person felt obliged to do so. There is no joy in either party because it was given in a wrong manner. People give like this to God. It can meet a need in the body of Christ, but it is not worship. Paul says that if I do anything without love it will profit me nothing. The reward of the Lord is for worshippers.
Witnessing must always be with joy. Evangelising with joy will attract people to Christ. When I received the Lord as my Saviour, I was fearful of giving out tracts, but I felt that I had to do it. There was no joy when I gave out tracts this way, and I felt terrible when people refused to take a tract from me. But one day I realised that I did not have to do it. I was freed from the bondage of having to, and I came into the liberty of wanting to. If we desire to attract people to Christ we must learn to be worshippers in witnessing. The excitement of knowing Jesus will be seen in us when we are motivated by the love of Christ and joy in the Holy Spirit. This will always have far greater results than witnessing as a sense of duty.
Worshippers will
always talk about Jesus. Our mouths will
speak about whatever the heart is full of.
When people speak we can easily know the things that their hearts are
filled with. Jesus said:
'Out of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaks'.
(Luke 6:45)
If our hearts are full of the Lord, we will speak of the Lord. If our hearts are full of the things of the world, we will speak of those things. If we know the Lord as our friend then we will not be ashamed to speak of Him. It is good to invite people to church, but it is much better to tell them about Jesus. People will be drawn to Christ when they see the joy that we have in knowing Him.
When Saul of Tarsus persecuted the believers before his Damascus Road conversion, the church was scattered. They were not silenced by the persecution because their hearts were full of the joy of the Lord. The worshippers went everywhere talking about Jesus. They preached the word in everyday conversation wherever they went, and Philip the evangelist boldly proclaimed Christ to the crowd in Samaria.
'Therefore they that were
scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria,
and preached Christ unto them.' (Acts
8:4-5)
The Great Commission, 'Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15) will only be fulfilled by worshippers speaking about Jesus everywhere and at every opportunity.
People will be attracted to Christ when His disciples are filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit of Christ, and excited about their relationship with Jesus. But believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit must also be filled with the word of God. The scripture says,
'...be filled with the
Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord; Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ', (Ephesians 5:18-20).
In Colossians the scriptures are called 'the word of Christ'. If we desire Christ, we will desire His word. If we love Christ, we will love His word. If we desire to walk in close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ then we must build ourselves up in the word of God. Scripture tells us that being filled with the Spirit is linked with being filled with the word of God. The life of worship involves speaking the scriptures to ourselves, and meditating upon the word. It is singing in our hearts to the Lord, giving thanks for all things, and being eager to meet together with other believers in order to build one another up in the Lord.
'Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.' (Colossians 3:16)
We are a body called to worship together, and to build one another up in the body of Christ. Worshippers cannot be isolated. The desire to worship goes together with the desire for fellowship among the people of God. If we have no desire for fellowship then we will never reach the high levels of worship.
Worship involves the whole of life, and worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth must be done with joy. The great need of the church today is for the joy of the Holy Spirit. Believers in Christ who do not have joy are not worshippers. Giving is only an act of worship when it is done cheerfully unto the Lord. If we do not have joy then our giving will have no value in worship even though our gift will still meet the need for which it was given. Joy will attract others to Christ and we must be joyful witnesses to the Lord. If our hearts are full of the Lord, then we will naturally speak of the Lord with joy. Those who love the Lord will love His word. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be filled with joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Chapter
Five
Joy
is the measure of our relationship with Christ
'...you rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Peter 1:8).
Joy will always be evident in every level of worship. The amount of joy in our lives will reflect the closeness of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the barometer that can measure our Christian experience. The First Epistle of Peter describes exactly what the reading on our spiritual barometer should be like; we should be rejoicing with 'joy unspeakable and full of glory'.
Paul commanded the Philippians to always rejoice in the Lord. He emphasised this command by saying it a second time.
'Rejoice in the Lord alway:
and again I say, Rejoice.' (Philippians 4:4)
Worshippers are a rejoicing people and Paul says that believers should rejoice at all times, in all circumstances, and situations. Joy will attract people to Christ, and it is the greatest weapon to prevent contention within the body of Christ.
A worshipper of the Lord Jesus can be defined as one who does not carry the cares and concerns of the world, but is filled with joy in knowing Jesus. Joy is not only the barometer measuring our relationship with the Lord, it is also the means of measuring whether the local church is moving in the Holy Spirit. There will always be joy among the believers when the Holy Spirit is moving because in His presence there is fullness of joy, (Psalm 16:11). This is a greater evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit than speaking in tongues or demonstrations of healing.
Joy will always be
evident in all stages of worship.
1. The joy in believing
2. The joy in going up to worship
3. The joy in thanksgiving and praise
4. The joy in giving all
5. The joy in the Holy Spirit anointing
6. The joy in being united with Christ in suffering shame
7. The joy in being united with Christ in God's eternal plan
and purpose
8. The joy of worship in heaven
There is wonderful joy in knowing Jesus. It is the joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven; that we have new life in the Lord Jesus; and that we will live eternally in heaven with the Lord. The joy of salvation is produced through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul told the Thessalonian believers that they received the gospel with joy in the Holy Spirit. The affliction from unbelieving Jews had no effect upon their joy.
'And you became followers of
us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of
the Holy Spirit' (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
Isaiah expressed the joy of salvation in these words;
'Therefore with joy shall you
draw water out of the wells of salvation.'
(Isaiah 12:3)
The joy of
salvation is the first step in worship.
Even the angels in heaven rejoice when a person receives
Christ, but they always worship on the highest level and are rejoicing because
of God's eternal plan and purpose.
This joy is rooted in the nature and character of God. It is the joy of approaching God in a right manner. The worshipper rejoices in the knowledge that he or she is right with God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on their behalf. It is the joy of knowing that we are His people, and that we are going up to worship in the obedience of discipleship, and with the fruit of holiness. The prophet Isaiah spoke about the joy of going up to worship as being with singing and everlasting joy.
'Therefore the redeemed of
the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy
shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and
mourning shall flee away.' (Isaiah 51:11)
Worshipping the
Lord with the joy of thanksgiving and praise is the entrance into worship. It is not possible to give thanks and praise
to the Lord without joy.
The Psalmist says make a joyful noise; serve the Lord with gladness;
come before His presence with singing.
'Make a joyful noise unto the
LORD, all you lands. Serve the LORD with
gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the
sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is
good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.'
(Psalm 100)
The offering of
thanksgiving is given with rejoicing.
The joy of the worshipper bypasses the cares and concerns of life
because his or her eyes are upon the Lord.
Even when we are brokenhearted we must worship with joy because of the
goodness and greatness of God.
'And let them sacrifice the
sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.' (Psalm 107:22)
There is joy in the giving of ourselves in worship as a living sacrifice, (Romans 12:1). It is the joy known by those who worship the Lord with sacrificial giving. When our lives are on the altar as a love offering to the Lord then everything we possess belongs to Him. Love for the Lord will enable us to give joyfully as an act of worship, and faith in God will enable us to trust the Lord so that we can joyfully give to Him that which is most precious in our lives. Hanna was filled with joy when she gave her son Samuel to the Lord. Her heart felt the pain of separation, but she rejoiced as she worshipped the Lord saying:
'My heart rejoices in the
LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
because I rejoice in thy salvation.' (1
Samuel 2:1)
The joy that Hanna
experienced in giving her son to the Lord is a joy that can only be known at
this level of worship.
There is joy in
the Holy Spirit anointing when God takes control of the worship. After the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost the believers ate together with
gladness. The word 'gladness' in Acts
2:46, is the same word that is used in Hebrews 1:9 where the Lord is anointed
with the 'oil of gladness'. It refers to
the custom of anointing persons at feasts and festivals, and at other times of
rejoicing with the oil known as 'the oil of gladness'. The prophet Isaiah made mention of the Holy
Spirit anointing with the 'oil of joy':
'...the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;' (Isaiah 61:3)
Worshippers on this level of worship have come into a new realm of joy. They have received the anointing of the 'oil of gladness'. The Holy Spirit baptism brings great joy. This is not just for meetings. The early church knew they were anointed even when they were in their own homes. Anointed worshippers will know the joy of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.
'And they, continuing daily
with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,' (Acts 2:46)
There is the joy of being counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ. The apostles rejoiced in being united with Christ in His sufferings. They were worshippers not because they had been persecuted but because they rejoiced at being counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. They knew that they were suffering persecution as a direct consequence of the anointing. The religious leaders persecuted them because they were not willing to yield to the moving of the Holy Spirit.
'...when they had called the
apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the
name of Jesus, and let them go. And they
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every
house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:40-42)
There is joy in knowing we are united in Christ with the eternal plan and purpose of God. The angels always rejoice in the glory of God at this level of worship. They rejoice over sinners being saved, because in the salvation of a sinner they see the wisdom, power, and glory of God.
'Likewise, I say unto you,
there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repents.' (Luke 15:10)
Jesus rejoiced on this level when he sent out seventy disciples who came back rejoicing saying, 'Lord even the devils are subject to us through Your name' (Luke 10:17-22). Jesus told them to rejoice for a higher reason, 'because their names were written in heaven'. The Lord rejoiced in spirit because of the wisdom of God in choosing the foolish and despised of the world to fulfil His great purpose. Notice how the Lord rejoiced by worshipping first with thanksgiving and praise and then moved to the highest level of worship and rejoiced in the wisdom of God's eternal plan and purpose in choosing the insignificant and lowly in the world.
'In that hour Jesus rejoiced
in spirit, and said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You
have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto
babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.' (Luke 10:21)
Worship at this
level rejoices in the knowledge that the believer has been united with Christ
in His eternal purpose. The worshipper
rejoices in the wisdom of God because He has chosen the foolish and weak things
of the world so that He will be glorified through them.
There is the joy of worshipping in heaven. The extent of our worship on earth will determine how we enter in heaven. Paul had one desire to finish his course with joy. He wanted to go into heaven worshipping. His ministry was born out of worship and the love of Christ was his only motivation. Paul looked upon believers who he had won for the Lord, and built up in the gospel as his joy and crown. He looked forward to the day when he could present them to the Lord at his coming. They were the fruit of his service of love for the Lord.
'For what is our hope, or
joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ at his coming?' (1 Thessalonians
2:19)
The joy of worship is the way to measure our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A believer who is full of the Lord will be full of joy. A Christian who is filled with the cares and concerns of life will not be filled with joy, and cannot go up to worship. There can be no worship without joy whether it is on an individual level or in corporate worship as a company of believers united together in Christ. A church that is moving in the Holy Spirit will be known for joy.
Worship begins
with the joy of salvation. The
worshipper is then able to go up to worship with a rejoicing heart, and to
enter into worship with gladness and singing.
The worshipper will experience greater joy by moving higher in worship
to the place of surrender; joyfully laying his or her live on the altar of
sacrifice. There is wonderful joy in
sacrificial giving. The higher levels of
worship begin when God takes control of the worship and the worshipper is
anointed with the oil of gladness.
Believers rejoice together in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is the Day of Pentecost experience and
leads to the higher level of worship in being able to rejoice through being
united with Christ in His sufferings.
The worshipper rejoices that he or she has been counted worthy to suffer
shame for the name of Jesus. From here
worship moves to the highest level of rejoicing through being united with
Christ in His eternal plan and purpose.
This joy is the joy that is 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' and will
continue for all eternity.
Chapter
Six: The entrance into worship
Thanksgiving
and Praise
'Enter into his gates with
thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his
name',
(Psalm 100:4).
The entrance into worship is thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving brings us through the gates of worship, and praise brings us into the courts of worship. We give thanks to the Lord for what He has done, and we praise Him because of who He is. This is the way we enter into worship, but this is only the beginning. We should always seek to move higher in worship.
I once asked the question; 'Why is it important to always give thanks?' The Bible says 'in everything give thanks' (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and 'giving thanks for all things' (Ephesians 5:20. Why is this necessary? I am a father, and I have not always expected my children to say thank you. There are times when the joy on their faces was enough. Their joy gave me great pleasure. But this is never enough for the Lord. He wants us to always give thanks. Some parents expect their children to always say 'thank you' because it is good manners. This is commendable, but God is not teaching us good manners.
When my daughter was 15 her school class had the opportunity to decide where they would like to go for a school trip. My daughter always wanted to go to California and it is probably not coincidental that the class decided they would go to California. On the day they left I took my daughter to the airport to catch the flight with her class. Just before she went through the security check she turned and the smile of excitement on her face was worth far more to me than hearing her say thanks. But with God this is never the case. The joy in our hearts is not enough. We need also to give thanks.
I thought why does God not see my joy as sufficient? As I meditated on this it became obvious. Thanksgiving and praise is centred upon God and not me. Giving thanks takes the attention away from the benefits that I have received, and puts all the attention upon the goodness of God. When we enter into worship we must put all our attention upon the goodness and greatness of God.
The cares of life can take our attention away from the Lord and stop us from being worshippers. We cannot worship if we carry the burdens of life. Thanksgiving will divert our attention away from the cares and burdens of life. The Bible appears to be too good to be true when it says:
'Be careful for nothing; but
in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known unto God. And the peace of
God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 4:6-7)
Being free from care is not irresponsibility. We must be diligent in everything we do so that our lives are a good testimony. But we cannot worship if we worry over things we are not able to control. God has told us what to do when our needs are greater than our resources. We are not to be concerned, but instead we are to draw on God's provision, and with prayer and supplication make our requests known to Him with thanksgiving. This allows our thoughts to be free from anxiety. Even in trials and difficult situations we can be worshippers and be led into worship by giving thanks and offering praise. This turns everything around, so that difficult situations become opportunities to worship.
Our brain enables us to think great thoughts, but it is also very limited in what it can do. If we direct all our concentration onto a particular thing then it is difficult to think about something else at the same time. Very intelligent people are often known for neglecting their personal appearance. The great professor of modern science may be able to unravel the mysteries of science and yet be completely unaware that his hair is a total mess or his shirt is buttoned wrongly.
This inability to think on many things at the same time is a great blessing in worship. God tells us to give thanks in everything and for everything. When we are giving thanks it is difficult to think about the difficulties of life that would pull us down. Thanksgiving lifts us above the situations and the problems that we face. The problem is still there, but now our thoughts are higher.
The house fellowship where I came to the Lord used to have a sign on the door that said 'If you worry you die, if you don't worry you still die, so why worry?' Well maybe this is worldly wisdom, but the truth is that if we are anxious over the cares of this life we cannot worship. The cares of life must be left behind so that we can be free to worship, and our hearts and minds can be filled with thanksgiving and praise.
It is not just the cares of life that pull us down; the concerns of life can also take our attention away for the Lord and stop us from being worshippers. If we become fully occupied with the affairs of life then we will not be worshippers. It is often not bad things that stop us from being worshippers. It can be very legitimate things that turn us away. It can be family affairs, business affairs, or everyday things. The secret is learning to worship as we do these things. In the story of the healing of the ten lepers, all were healed, all had something to rejoice about, but only one became a worshipper. What was it that concerned the other nine? They were more concerned about getting involved in everyday affairs than they were in knowing Jesus. Here is the story:
'And as he entered into a
certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar
off: And they lifted up their voices,
and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the
priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was
healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving
him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And
Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this
stranger. And he said unto him, Arise,
go your way: your faith has made you whole.'
(Luke 17:12-19)
The ten lepers had been united by their uncleanness, but once the leprosy had been healed the Samaritan had nothing in common with the Jews. The Samaritan departed from following the others because the unity was gone. A negative unity does not last. Some people are united in what they are against, but true unity in the Spirit is a unity built on who we are in Christ.
He now had nothing in common with the others, so his attention was focussed upon 'who Jesus is' and 'what He had done'. He knew he was clean and he had no fear of approaching the One who had made him whole. He was able to come near Jesus, but he still worshipped with the characteristics of a leper. He shouted as though afar off. He had no concern about his own reputation; he had no reputation to lose. The Samaritan had become a worshipper.
The other nine lepers were eager to begin again in taking an active part within society. They hurried to be seen by the priest and to be declared clean. The affairs of life were more important to them than worshipping Jesus. Most believers are like this. Salvation has made them what they are, but they are so caught up in everyday concerns that they have no interest in becoming worshippers.
The pride of life will
take our attention away from the Lord and stop us from becoming
worshippers. Humility is essential in
worship. In this respect we need to be
like the children who offered praise to the Lord in the temple. Jesus cleansed the temple and healed the
blind and the lame. The children in simplicity
glorified God because of the things Jesus did.
They worshipped Him by offering praise in the temple.
'And when the chief priests
and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in
the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
And said unto him, do you hear what these say? And Jesus said unto them, Yea;
have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected
praise? And he left them, and went out
of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.'
(Matthew 21:15-17)
The worship of the
children glorified the Lord because of who He is. The children had no thought of themselves
they had become captivated by the glory of the Lord because of what they had
seen Him do. They recognised who He was
because they had no thoughts of selfish ambition to blind their eyes. They worshipped Jesus because they had seen
what he had done, and they knew only the promised Messiah could do these things. The religious leaders were blinded by their
own pride so they were unable to recognise that Jesus was the Messiah. Worshippers must be like the children. Pride
will make us like the religious leaders who resisted the moving of the Holy
Spirit. The First Epistle of Peter tells
us to be clothed with humility because God gives grace to the humble:
'Yea, all of you be subject
one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and
gives grace to the humble. Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time:' (1 Peter 5:5-6)
Humility is essential
in worship. The grace of God is given to
those who walk in humility, and this grace can be described as 'the beauty of
Jesus in the life of the believer'. It
is the gift of God; undeserved favour.
The worshipper clothed in humility radiates the beauty of Jesus in the
power of the Holy Spirit. We will only enter into worship if our desire is to know
Christ. If we are eager to fulfil our
own ambitions we will not enter into worship.
The worshipper is someone who has turned his back on his own ambitions
and seeks only to do the will of the Lord.
Pride is the greatest enemy to worship, and pride in our own
achievements will prevent us from becoming worshippers. We must humble ourselves and come before the
Lord as children in order to worship the Lord.
Our hearts must be continuously full of praise and thankfulness. Entering into worship depends on the state of our hearts. Worrying is disobedience because the Lord has told us not to worry about anything. If we keep the anxieties of life in our hearts, we cannot be thankful. We are to pray and give thanks, and to 'seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness' (Matthew 6:33). We cannot be worshippers if we worry. Thanksgiving enables the worshipper to focus all the attention upon the nature and character of God. The worshipper leaves all the cares and concerns of life behind by placing his or her thoughts on the Lord. Giving thanks is an essential part of worship, and the scriptures place great emphasis upon thanksgiving. The Lord has given every believer the provision to be free from anxiety and from the cares of the world. Scripture tells us to bring our needs to the Lord in prayer and then rejoice with thanksgiving.
Chapter
Seven: Giving ourselves in worship
The
Surrendered Life
'I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' (Romans 12:1)
The next step in worship is the worship of a surrendered life. It is the place of sacrifice and consecration. This is a wonderful place of worship for the individual where he or she gives everything to God. But the worship of individual consecration is not likely to produce a mighty move of God. This can be difficult to understand because usually we expect everyone to be moved by our commitment to Christ. Yet this is generally not the case.
When people come to the Lord they can sometimes be disappointed by the reaction of their close friends. They have expected them to understand that the reason they have become Christians is because the gospel is true. But instead the friends that they have known for a long time have looked upon them as strange. When we decide to follow Christ, we must be willing to be regarded as strange even by those who used to be our close friends. This is also true in worship. We may expect our expression of love for Christ to inspire others to worship. Yet sometimes our worship in sacrificial giving not only has no influence on others, it can also bring us into conflict with other believers.
The worshipper at
this level offers his or her life as a living sacrifice. It is love expressed in joyous sacrifice,
cheerfully giving all because of love for the Saviour. It is the pouring out of our lives because of
our love for the Lord. Many people who
love the Lord with all their hearts have laid their lives on the altar, and
gone out in Christian ministry in their homeland or in other lands. This is a wonderful act of worship when it is
motivated by love for Christ, but it is sad when the person does not go beyond
this level of worship. Christian work
has often seen small results because the person in ministry did not rise above
this level of worship.
The anointing of Jesus by Mary at Bethany was a wonderful act of sacrificial giving. Mary loved Jesus with all of her heart. She had sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. She had in her possession something of great value, an alabaster box of precious ointment. Christ was everything to her and the ointment gave her an opportunity to express her love for the Lord. Her worship of sacrificial giving was done openly in the presence of the disciples. In one moment she poured the costly ointment on the Lord and nothing could be saved of the fragrance that immediately filled the room. The disciples did not appreciate Mary's act of worship, they were only aware of the money that had been wasted. This is worship at the level of giving all out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is beautiful, but it is also very personal and it can be difficult for others to appreciate the value of this worship.
The worship of Mary in Bethany was an act of total surrender. But instead of causing those who saw her actions to be inspired to worship, it had the opposite effect. They became critical of her. It can be taken from Matthew's gospel that Mary's sacrificial worship was directly responsible for producing the hatred in Judas' heart that caused him to betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. It is recorded immediately after the anointing in Bethany that:
'...one of the twelve, called
Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
And said unto them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto
you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to
betray him.' (Matthew 26:14-16)
Worshippers who joyously pour out their lives in worship will not be understood by those who have no desire to worship. Many believers have had to face severe opposition from other believers when they have turned their backs on success and prosperity to serve Christ. It was not the world that became angry at Mary's expression of worship; it was the disciples who became angry at her act of joyous giving. When our brothers and sisters in Christ misunderstand our actions we must respond with tenderness and love. If we lose our joy by coming into conflict with others then we will go down from the place of worship. The joyfulness of a surrendered life will be lost unless we learn to abide in the love of the Lord Jesus. Many who have surrendered all to Christ have been led into conflict at this level.
'If you keep my commandments,
you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and
abide in his love. These things have I
spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be
full.' (John 15:10-11)
Conflicts between believers can easily happen at this level of worship. In the past years I have seen conflicts within the church and I have also been involved in some disputes. We have had to learn many hard lessons through these conflicts. The main one being that they are not productive and some people never recover from the bad feeling caused by them. The Bible says '… keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace' (Ephesians 4:3); we are one body in Christ. But the surprising thing concerning disputes is that it is usually not the cold and half-hearted Christians who are involved. Disputes that I have been aware of have often involved people whose lives were fully dedicated to the Lord.
Some churches are proud that they have no internal fighting, but sometimes this is due to lack of spiritual life rather than spiritual maturity. A church that is active on a social and humanistic level and inactive concerning spiritual growth is less likely to have a split than one that is spiritually alive. So why does conflict happen in churches where people are alive spiritually? This level of worship provides the answer. Conflict among believers will happen when we stop worshipping and become defenders of what we believe. Being a defender of the Faith must never conflict with being a worshipper. Worship must be in truth, but true worship is always in the Holy Spirit. A worshipper cannot fight with carnal weapons. We must beware that we don't go down from being a worshipper because of our zeal for truth. The Bible warns us
'But if you bite and devour
one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.' (Galatians 5:15)
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we lose our joy and go down from worship to conflict. A person who loves the word of God and has laid his or her life on the altar for the Lord must always seek to remain in the place of worship. Love for God's word should keep us from contention. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
'But if any man seem to be
contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.' (1 Corinthians 11:16)
Jesus never compromised the truth neither did He ever compromise His relationship with the Father. We cannot worship outside of truth, but neither can we worship if we are zealously defending our own opinions and beliefs. It is a sad loss if we spend our lives in contention over a particular teaching when God has called us to worship.
Peter was willing to die for Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, but he was still a fighter and not yet a worshipper. He would have fought to the death to prevent the guard from taking his Lord, and he proved it by attacking the servant of the High Priest with his sword and cutting off his ear (Luke 22:50). Jesus healed the servant's ear (Luke 22:51), and told Peter that the Father would give Him twelve legions of angels if he needed them. Jesus submitted Himself to the Father's will and rejoiced in fulfilling the eternal plan and purpose of God, (Matthew 26:53-54). He allowed himself to be taken without resistance, this apparent weakness in the face of opposition caused Peter to flee along with all the other disciples, (Mark 14:50).
The Lord willingly gave His life as an act of worship to the Father. Peter was willing to die for the Lord as a soldier dies in battle. He was not able at that time to worship through humble, joyful submission to the will of the Father. Instead of being a worshipper he denied the Lord three times. The way of the cross goes completely against human nature.
This level of worship is also the place of brokenness where the Lord desires to teach us to be tender hearted, forgiving one another. We can only rise to higher levels in worship when we learn to love those in the body of Christ who have spoken against us. It is those who are closest to us who can hurt us the most.
'And be kind one to another,
tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has
forgiven you.' (Ephesians 4:32)
Some years ago I led a church where there had been conflict before I became the leader. We had a small congregation, but I was involved in two splits before the church finally ended. This experience taught me lessons I could not have learnt any other way. I realised that each one of us in the body of Christ needs to have a spirit of brokenness so that we can rise above conflict and be tender hearted towards one another. The sacrifices of God are 'a broken and contrite heart' and this is the only way to worship.
Probably this book would never have been written if God had not taught me the lesson of brokenness through these experiences. I thank the Lord that he led me beyond this level of worship, but it was only through the difficult road of brokenness. I needed to recognise that I had to change my thinking in certain areas. If I had not been willing to change then I would have never reached beyond this level of worship to the higher realm of the anointing. There is a danger at this level of worship that many wonderful people of God never overcome. They do not move beyond this level because the zeal to defend what they believe forces them back from being a worshipper. Pride will also stop us from moving up to the anointing.
I remember a time when my wife used to say to me 'Why do you look so angry when you preach?' I would answer 'because the message is serious'. I still believe this is true, but if we do not bring the joy of the Holy Spirit then our message can have the opposite effect of turning people away from Christ. Of course this kind of preaching did not bring great results in my ministry. It is easy to put the blame on the congregation and claim that people are rejecting the truth, but there will never be a great response if the message is preached without joy.
I have now learnt that preaching cannot be separated from worship. The pulpit is not just a place to speak; it is a place where the minister must learn to worship. God has not called us to attack people with doctrine, but we are called to worship, and through the joy of worship to speak of the 'unsearchable riches of Christ'.
It is only those
who have surrendered their lives as a living sacrifice who are able to reach
this level of worship. It is the place
of sacrificial giving because the worshipper knows that the Lord is his or her
greatest possession. Sacrificial giving
is not just the privilege of the wealthy.
A poor widow was able to worship with sacrificial giving even though she
only had two mites, the smallest coin in Bible days. Her offering was special because she had
nothing left. She had given all she had
and in her poverty she could reach to this height in worship.
'...but she of her want did
cast in all that she had, even all her living'.
(Mark 12:44)
The poor widow worshipped God in a wonderful way but it had little effect upon anyone else. If the Lord had not brought it to His disciples' attention nobody would have ever known what she did. Worship at this level is often very personal, and even though it is a wonderful place of worship, its significance can pass without being seen. Knowledge of what has been done through those who have totally surrendered their lives to the Lord can inspire believers to do great things for God, but this is different from being drawn to Christ because we have been 'cut to the heart' by the moving of the Holy Spirit. This happens at the higher realm of worship, the anointing.
The worshipper is able to move higher in worship from thanksgiving and praise to the worship of sacrificial giving. When we give our hearts and lives entirely to the Lord, we are only giving back to Him that which He has given us. We are stewards of our lives, and we must learn to worship in sacrificial giving, and whatever we give to the Lord must be given with joy. The joyous giving of our lives to the Lord as an act of worship is very personal and can be misunderstood by other believers. Mary's selfless act of worship in Bethany was entirely motivated by her love for the Lord, yet the disciples did not see it that way. It was the Lord who commended her for it. Worshippers must learn to be unaffected by the reaction of others.
This height of worship is also the place of brokenness. When we worship at this level we must come with tender hearts that are broken before the Lord to avoid being drawn into contention with other believers. Pleasing the Lord must be our one and only desire. Those who have surrendered their lives to the Lord will love His word. But zeal to stand for the truth of God's word must never conflict with the call to worship. We can only go up to the higher levels of anointed worship through brokenness and unity in the Holy Spirit.
Chapter
Eight: The Turnaround
Running
Towards the Prize.
'Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but
this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:13-14)
In order to move up to the place of worship in the anointing we must come to a point where we are turned around. It is important that we look at this turnaround experience before dealing with the anointing. The word ministry in scripture means service, and everybody in the body of Christ is called to serve one another. In this sense we are all ministers running towards the goal. My ministry involves teaching and preaching. Others have different ministries, but every ministry is necessary to fulfil the needs of the body of Christ.
When ministries begin there is usually the desire to serve the Lord with our lives, but there are other desires that seek to control our thinking. In my case there was the desire to build up a successful ministry, and the desire to be a successful preacher. These desires had very good results. The desire to succeed in ministry motivated me to be involved in overseas missions. The desire to succeed in preaching motivated me to study the scriptures. But these desires did not make me a worshipper. In fact self was still at the centre of my desires even though it was wearing a coat of spirituality. This is why it is necessary for every minister of the gospel who desires to worship to have a turnaround experience at some point in his or her ministry.
Let me explain this in an illustration. I have looked at my ministry through the analogy of running a race. The word success is used in my story, but this can be on a low level. The success we seek in service can be appreciation from others. The turnaround will turn us away from seeking to fulfil our own desires in ministry and turn us towards the goal of worshipping with joy. The true worshipper seeks the glory of God in every action. Ministry is an act of worship when it is directed towards the goal of 'winning Christ'. The ministry of serving one another must always be born out of love for Christ.
When I began to run in the ministry there was much encouragement. I enjoyed being praised, and the race was exciting. There were obstacles, but I was strong and I was able to push many obstacles out of the way. I was daring, willing to endure hardship, and able to do some things in faith that others were very hesitant to do. I ran towards the goal of a successful ministry. Forgetting those things that are behind meant not giving my heart to the things of the world. I gave my life to serving the Lord
Some years after beginning to run this race, I found that it got harder because I was not allowed to run freely. I was held back all the time. I knew that I was strong and that I could achieve many things in the ministry if I could be allowed to run. What was it that was holding me back? It was the word of God. My love for the scriptures and my desire for a successful ministry were in many ways incompatible. Let me explain this. In order to build up a successful ministry I needed to try and build up financial support. It is a common fact that people do not back losers. I found it was necessary to speak of the ministry as 'doing great things for God', and there is always a danger of moving from boasting into exaggeration. I learnt that there are many ways to tell a story. Knowing the scriptures held me back because I was confronted with the words:
'Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves.' Philippians 2:3
Although the word of God held me back, I still had the desire to build up my ministry. I became critical of those running far ahead of me because they did not appear to be held back by the scriptures. I also blamed my lack of success on other Christians because of their lack of support. But it was God that was holding me back. I was still trying to run towards the goal of a successful ministry, but it was getting more and more difficult to run.
The surprising thing about this stage of the race was that love for the scriptures did not produce love in my heart. Instead of being in unity with other believers I found myself in conflict with others, even with those I had held to be my close friends. I had to learn at this stage that it is not standing for God's word that changes lives. We must allow the word of God to change us.
The race became a struggle, and my outlook became very negative. I came into a negative unity with those who agreed with my criticisms concerning the way others were running the race. These criticisms had another effect upon me; they took away my desire to move higher in worship. I associated the anointing with those who were not being held back by the word of God. This is a clever tactic of the enemy. I soon found that a unity built on what we are against does not last, and eventually I became a target for criticism from those who I had previously been united with. Negative unity is not the unity of the Spirit.
I did not envy those who were winning the race towards a successful ministry, but I must admit that I did feel humiliated when I could not keep up with them. Then things got worse. I found that not only was I being held back, but I also had great weights to carry. Now it became difficult just to keep on my feet. I watched as others seemed to be running past me. Many people by this time did not even consider me to be running in the race. My ministry was finished in their eyes. I always expected the Lord to remove the weights and let me loose so that I would be able to run to my full ability. But this never happened. Eventually I felt completely broken, and I pleaded with the Lord to take the weights away. The Lord showed me the scripture:
'That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ:' (1 Peter 1:7)
This is when the Lord picked me up and He turned me around. I was facing a new direction. I still had the weights, but I was no longer being held back by the word of God. The Lord gave me the command to run, but I had no strength in myself anymore. I told the Lord I cannot run, but He said
'…My grace is sufficient for
you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.' (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I started to run, but it was difficult. Sometimes there was no one to encourage me. Many people thought I had lost my way, but most of them just ignored me. A small number did speak harshly against me, but I felt that I deserved it because I had also been critical when I ran the road to success. It was hard when people looked down on me as a novice in the ministry even though I had much experience in the race. Yet I found that I had a greater love for people than ever before, and I had a respect for other ministries that I did not have when I ran towards the goal of success. What gave me the greatest joy was the awareness of the presence of the Lord working mightily with me.
I looked over my shoulder and saw those running the other way. They ran with great speed towards the sign of 'successful ministry', and they were being highly honoured and praised. I told the Lord that if He would help me then I could be successful like those who were highly acclaimed in the ministry. The Lord reminded me through His word, 'Forget those things which are behind you'.
Now I can see a new finishing line ahead. The sign at the end of the race says 'the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus'. Every step is a challenge. There is usually no cheering crowd watching. It can be a lonely race even in the company of friends. But there is great joy because the heart is filled with worship. How fast is no longer the question. The race is not competitive; it is a race of love. Every step is an opportunity for worship, and the joy of fellowship with other believers is of greater value than I ever knew before. The harder the race, the greater the joy of being able to express our love for the One who turns us around, and tells us to run towards the goal of the greatest prize of all, 'to win Christ'. I have learnt that the greatest worship comes out of the greatest trial.
Before Peter was turned around he was competitive and ambitious. He was one hundred per cent committed to the ministry having left his work as a fisherman in order to follow Jesus. He was part of a ministry team, but it was not the love of Christ that motivated him. He sought to become great through a successful ministry. Peter regarded himself as better than all the other disciples when he said, 'Although all shall be offended, yet not I’ (Mark 14:29). Peter's self confidence had to be broken before he could fulfil the ministry the Lord had called him to do.
It was not just
Peter; all the disciples had ambitions for their ministries. At
the Last Supper there was a contention over who would be the greatest. The disciples had their sights on
success. They had very big ambitions for
their ministries, and they sought to use their relationship with Jesus to gain
a position where they would be highly esteemed.
Satan was able to
destroy Judas because Judas did not love Christ. The disciples all ran towards success, but
only Judas followed Christ for gain. The
other disciples were not like Judas. It
was therefore impossible for Satan to destroy them; he could only sift
them. Satan cannot do anything without
God's permission. The Lord allowed Peter
to be sifted in order to remove the chaff of self glory from the wheat of love
for Christ.
'And the Lord said, Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: But I have prayed for you, that
your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen thy brethren.'
(Luke 22:31-32)
The word converted in Greek is epistrepho, this word literally means ‘to turn towards’. Why did Simon Peter need to be turned around? Up until this time he was running towards the goal of a successful ministry. All the disciples saw their relationship with Jesus as an opportunity to achieve greatness.
'And there was also a strife
among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.' (Luke 22:24)
Disciples of Christ learn to rest in the Father's will. The Greek word 'mathetes' which is translated disciple means 'a learner'. The disciples were learning Christ. They still had to learn the real nature of ministry. Jesus showed them by example at the Last Supper that those who would be great in God's Kingdom must take the place of a servant. All of Peter's ambitions concerning a successful ministry died when Jesus was crucified. He thought everything was lost, but he was learning to be like Jesus who came not to fulfil His own ambitions, but to obey the Father's will.
If we are motivated by love for Christ then we will look upon others as better than ourselves. If we are motivated by personal ambitions then we will seek to use others to elevate ourselves. The road to a successful ministry is dependent upon having good connections. The minister who has been turned around seeks not a successful ministry, but to please the Lord. Look at Peter in prison sleeping, without concern. Herod had already executed James the brother of John, and it was certain that he would put Peter to death the same way.
'Peter therefore was kept in
prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for
him. And when Herod would have brought
him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with
two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.' (Acts 12:5-6)
The Lord had told Peter he would be in this position when he was old. He was not yet old, and Peter rested in the will of God. This was not a man seeking to build up his own ministry. He had no fear of death, and he had no ambitions of his own.
The higher call to worship can only be answered by those who have been turnaround from running towards the goal of self-glory, and are running towards the goal of winning Christ. Even though the disciples were running towards the wrong goal, all but Judas desired Christ above all. They were truly His disciples but they needed to be turned around. This happened through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The cross put to death all their ambitions for success and greatness. The resurrection brought them into a new realm of worship.
The joy of the Lord will be lost if we become critical of others, and the reason we become critical is because we are running to honour ourselves. We are still the Lord's people even when we run towards the goal of success, but worship is a higher calling. The worshipper can rest in the Father's will knowing that He has all things under control. Fear takes us down from the place of worship. A worshipper has no fear of people or circumstances, but he or she is able to rest in the provision of God. Love for Christ is the only motive for worship.
Chapter
Nine: God takes control of worship
The
Anointing
'But you shall receive power,
after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth.' (Acts
1:8)
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is usually associated with evangelism. This is because Jesus said to His disciples that they would become witnesses after the Holy Spirit came upon them. But the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is more than an empowerment to witness; it is an empowerment for worship. The believers were anointed to be worshipping witnesses. Being a witness to the Lord Jesus Christ can never be separated from being a worshipper. The only people who are true witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ are worshippers, and the greatest form of evangelism is worship. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit brought the believers into a higher realm of worship, the anointing. This higher level of worship is the means of drawing multitudes to Christ.
Three thousand men came to Christ after Peter preached in the temple. But what was it that drew this crowd to listen to Peter? It was the believers worshipping in the Holy Spirit. They said
'...we do hear them
speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God', (Acts 2:11).
Peter's preaching alone would not have caused these people to recognise Jesus as their Messiah. It was the believers worshipping in the Holy Spirit that had gained the attention of the multitude. Peter's preaching was in response to the commotion among the people when they heard the believers worshipping in their own languages.
The anointing brings us into a new realm in worship where the Holy Spirit takes control of the worship. This was not the case in the earlier levels of worship where the worshipper was always in control. The believers on the day of Pentecost were worshipping, but the Holy Spirit was leading them in worship. If we always want to be in control we will not be able to enter into anointed worship. The anointing makes the Lord Jesus more precious to us, gives us a new tongue to praise Him and fills us with a boldness to be worshipping witnesses to the Lord Jesus.
The believers were gathered together on the Day of Pentecost in unity. They were united in their love for the Lord Jesus. Joy overflowed in their hearts after the resurrection of Jesus. They were filled with thankfulness and praise. Their lives were totally surrendered to Christ as they waited expectantly for the promised empowerment with the Holy Spirit. Then they were brought into a new realm of worship through the anointing. It was not their unity that brought the anointing, but unity was essential in order for them to receive the anointing.
The people of God are a
body, and every member is essential for the needs of the body. A body can only be in unity when every part
is in the right place, and every member is functioning in perfect relationship
with the other members of the body. A
church is more than a group of individuals who come together at meeting
times. The church is one body with many
members who can only function right when they are in right relationship with
one another. The anointing cannot flow
through the body unless there is the unity of the Spirit. This is not a man made unity where
differences are ignored; it is the unity of one body in Christ with one Spirit,
(Ephesians 4:4). The Psalmist saw this
unity as being like precious ointment. The blessing of God will be upon
believers who dwell together in the unity of the Spirit.
'Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the
head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the
skirts of his garments; As the dew of
Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the
LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore' (Psalm 133: 1-3)
When the body of Christ worships in unity then the anointing of the Holy Spirit will minister through the body in three ways. The Holy Spirit gives; He serves; and He energises (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). The body of Christ will be known by a willingness to give; a willingness to serve; and for the energising power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit anointing is necessary to empower and make effective everything in the life of the body of Christ. Prayer meetings will come alive when the wonderful energising power of the Holy Spirit is present. The evidence of this anointing among believers is great joy.
The body of Christ has
looked upon the baptism with the Holy Spirit as an empowerment for witness
without recognising the all-important truth that witness must never be
separated from worship. Those who
desire to be anointed witnesses to the Lord Jesus must first be anointed
worshippers. Even the unsaved are aware
of the difference. 'Who Jesus is' can be
an interesting topic of discussion for drunkards on a Saturday night and the
conversation is soon forgotten. But
anointed worshippers witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit will cause men
and women to tremble like Felix trembled before Paul.
'And as he reasoned of
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered,
Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for
you' (Acts 24:25)
When Peter preached on
the Day of Pentecost there was an awareness of a new anointing upon the believers. The people who heard Peter preach were
pierced to the heart because of the anointing moving upon them.
'Now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the
apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?'
(Acts 2:37)
The Holy Spirit was
moving in a way that had not been seen before.
People had not responded to the ministry of Jesus like this. The crowds had followed Jesus because of the
healings and the miracles that took place, but on the day of Pentecost it was
worship that brought a multitude to receive Jesus.
This level of worship moves us into a completely new realm because the worshipper moves out of the way and the Holy Spirit controls the worship. The anointed worshipper looks to the Lord for leadership, but this is not possible if we have never been broken. A hardened heart will resist the moving of the Holy Spirit. Many will never allow the Lord to break them because they are afraid of losing their self-respect. If we are concerned about our reputation we will never know the anointing of God upon our lives.
When David
brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he desired the anointing more
than he desired to be a king. On this
day David took off all his kingly garments and wore the simple clothing of an
ordinary person. David was acknowledging
that there was one true King of Israel, and this was the God of Israel. When the Ark was being carried David leapt
and whirled around like a little child because the glory of God was coming to
Mount Zion in Jerusalem. David appointed
musicians to worship and to praise continuously on Mount Zion. This was a new time in Israel's history, a
time of anointed worship in the presence of God. The anointing brings worship
into a new realm that attracts people to Christ because of the presence of
God. The Holy Spirit lifts the believer
to new heights in worship to the place where there is an anointing of joy in
the Holy Spirit. The worshipper is
anointed with the oil of gladness.
Many Christians are
content to know that God's presence is everywhere. But this higher realm of worship is more than
being aware of the presence of God. It
is the place where God is 'more present' and where the Glory of God is upon His
people. Those who desire to worship God
in the anointing will always come against opposition from people who resist the
moving of the Holy Spirit. Even David
was not an exception to this, and he faced opposition as soon as he went
home. David had been unashamed to openly
declare that he was a worshipper of the Lord.
His heart was filled with joy, and he had humbled himself before the
Lord, but his own wife, the daughter of Saul, despised him for it. Opposition to the anointing can often come
from those closest to us. She despised
him because he had a greater desire to be clothed with the anointing of the
Holy Spirit than to be clothed with kingly garments. The greatest opposition to the anointing will
always come from those who, like Michal, have a form of godliness but deny the
power of God (2 Timothy 3:5).
The anointing will
always bring a greater awareness of the presence of the Lord. Anointed worship produces greater love among
believers, greater joy for worship, and greater power for witness. The anointing is characterised by believers
experiencing 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' as the Holy Spirit anoints
them with the 'oil of gladness'. The
anointing always brings opposition and in the Acts of the Apostles it is seen
that the anointing which produced great joy and brought a multitude to Christ
also produced hostility in the religious leaders who resisted the moving of the
Holy Spirit. For the worshipper this is
a great blessing because it enables him or her to move up to an even higher
place in worship.
The greatest evidence of the anointing is joy, but in addition we can see that the early church had a great love for the scriptures. They were filled with love one for another and this was expressed through joyous giving. They desired to be in fellowship with one another. They were anointed witnesses to the Lord. They ate together with gladness and without the cares and concerns of life. They no longer sought their own interests, but they became rejoicing people giving themselves continuously to prayer (Acts 2:42-47). Believers who truly desire to be anointed worshippers will have the same character as them.
Chapter
Ten: Rejoicing in persecution
United
with joy in His sufferings
'But rejoice, inasmuch as you
are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed,
you may be glad also with exceeding joy.'
(1 Peter 4:13)
The higher realms in worship can only be reached after the worshipper has come into the new realm of the anointing. The worshipper is empowered by the Holy Spirit for worship, but it is no longer the worshipper who is leading the worship. There is a new awareness of being anointed with the 'oil of gladness', and the joy of knowing Jesus is described as 'joy unspeakable and full of glory'. There is wonderful fellowship with other worshippers, but outside of this company it is easy now to be regarded as 'a fool for Christ'. It's a title the worshipper holds with joy as he or she is united with Christ in His sufferings.
The anointing upon the believers in the early church brought strong conviction upon those outside of Christ. The Bible describes them as being 'cut to the heart'. The Holy Spirit anointing moved upon them in a manner resembling a person prodding their heart with a sharp stick. They could not ignore this prodding; they had to make a response. There are three kinds of responses mentioned in the early chapters of the book of Acts. The first response was that a great multitude recognised Jesus to be the Messiah, and received Him as their Lord and Saviour. The second response was from those who were not willing to be associated with the disciples but they recognised the power of God was with them. They held them in high regard, but they did not dare to come too close to them. The third response was that many of the religious leaders resisted the moving of the Holy Spirit. It was this third response that provided the opportunity for worship on the higher level.
Paul wrote to Timothy: 'Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution', (2 Timothy 3:12). All believers can face persecution because the godly life of a Christian will stand in direct opposition to worldliness and sin. We can rejoice when we are persecuted for this reason, but this is not worship on the higher level. Worship on the higher levels can only be reached through the anointing. The initiator of the worship is the Holy Spirit. This level of worship is a great honour because the worshipper is found worthy to be humiliated for the glory of the Lord. It is worship that glorifies the Lord in the face of persecution from those who resist the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer on this level of worship has great power with God because the love of Christ in the worshipper is expressed through his or her concern for the welfare of others, even for those who do them harm. They bear no grievance towards their attackers. Stephen prayed for his attackers to be forgiven when he was being stoned to death, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge' (Acts 7:60). One of those who Stephen was praying for was Saul of Tarsus. Stephen was obeying the Lord's command to
'Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you;'
(Matthew 5:44)
It is not known
how many prayers were offered up to God for Saul when he persecuted the
church. Their prayers were united with
the eternal plan and purpose of God, and Saul of Tarsus was turned from being a
murderous persecutor of the believers into one who was willing to count
everything as rubbish that he might win Christ.
Prayers offered in worship on behalf of those who resist the moving of
the Holy Spirit will turn persecutors like Saul into worshippers, and the
Father is seeking worshippers.
Those who desire to be anointed must live surrendered lives because the anointing brought humiliation to the Apostles and the threat of death. In Acts chapter 5, the apostles were brought before the Jewish leaders to explain why they were continuing to teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and the other apostles answered them under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, with the result that the Jewish leaders were 'cut to the heart' by the Holy Spirit.
'When they heard that, they
were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.' (Acts 5:33)
The same anointing that had brought many to Christ now had a very different effect. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill the apostles because they resisted the moving of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles would have been executed if the highly respected Gamaliel had not advised them against it. This persecution was a direct result of the anointing. The disciples rejoiced when they were beaten and disgraced in front of highly respected Jewish leaders. They were not disgraced because of what they had done in their own name; they were disgraced because of what the Holy Spirit had done through them in the name of Jesus. This was a great honour. They worshipped with great joy at the privilege, and they continued to 'teach and preach Jesus Christ'. They were powerful witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ because they were worshipping on the highest levels.
'...and when they had called
the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the
name of Jesus, and let them go. And they
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame for his name. And
daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach
Jesus Christ.' (Acts 5:40-42)
When the religious leaders persecuted the believers in Christ they were persecuting Christ. The Apostles suffered persecution because they were one with Christ. The disciples saw this as an opportunity for worship, and they rejoiced at being counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. They were fellow participators of the sufferings of Christ. When Saul of Tarsus resisted the moving of the Holy Spirit he persecuted the church. He was fighting Christ by persecuting the believers in Christ. On the Damascus Road the Lord said to Saul
'…why are you persecuting
me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And
the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting: it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.' (Acts 9:4-5)
When the Lord
told Saul, 'it is hard for you to kick against the pricks', He was referring to
how Paul was resisting the moving of the Holy Spirit. Saul had been 'cut to the heart' by the
testimony of Stephen and the other believers, but because of his hardness of
heart, he was not willing to recognise that Jesus is the Messiah. He was seeking to persecute the church even
at the time of his encounter with the Lord on the Damascus Road.
The Lord revealed to
Paul that he would worship at this level.
When Ananias was told to pray for Saul after his Damascus Road conversion,
the Lord revealed the 'great things he must suffer for my name’s
sake' (Acts 9:16). Ananias
was sent to lay hands on Saul so that he would be 'filled with the Holy
Spirit'. The one who had persecuted the
church because of the anointing was now himself anointed for ministry and that
anointing would bring him into opposition with those who would resist the
moving of the Holy Spirit. The
persecutor who resisted the Holy Spirit would become the persecuted because of
the anointing. In order to fulfil this
ministry the first thing Paul had to learn was to worship.
The anointing of the
Holy Spirit enabled Paul to worship on the highest levels. His primary calling was always to be a
worshipper. His ministry developed out
of worship. Paul never sought to build
up his ministry, but he always sought to move higher in worship. For Paul it made no difference whether he was
in prison, out of prison, in need, or in abundance. Paul wanted to fulfil his ministry with
joy. This was not just the joy of fulfilment
and the satisfaction of having done well; it was the joy that is necessary for
worship.
'But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my
course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to
testify the gospel of the grace of God.'
(Acts 20:24)
First and foremost Paul
was a worshipper. He wrote from prison
to the Philippians that he counted all things as rubbish that he might gain
Christ. Paul had no concern for his own
interests or safety, but he rejoiced in his sufferings because he was a
worshipper, and he rejoiced in the opportunity to express his love for his
Lord.
'That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead.' (Philippians 3:10-11)
The fellowship of His
sufferings does not mean the sufferings of the Lord on the cross because the Lord
bore this suffering alone when He cried 'it is finished' (John 19:30). It means being a fellow participator of His
sufferings from those who resist the moving of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to the Colossians that he rejoiced
in his sufferings and being afflicted in his ministry to the body of Christ.
'Who now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of
Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:' (Colossians 1:24)
Paul worshipped at the highest
levels of worship, but he still wrote 'that I might know Him'. There are always greater heights to reach in
worshipping the Lord. Even though Paul
had worshipped in heaven, he still desired to move higher in worship.
It is important to understand that being persecuted is not worship. Paul wrote that suffering persecution will only bring a reward if we have love. A worshipper rejoices in persecution because of his or her love for Christ.
'And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not
love, it profits me nothing.' (1
Corinthians 13:3)
Worshippers can only reach this place of worship under the anointing and leadership of the Holy Spirit. Some people are persecuted because they have been deliberately confrontational. They have provoked people into reacting against them. This is not worship. They are being persecuted because they have been deliberately aggressive towards others who disagree. Even though they are saved and belong to Christ, they are not worshippers; they are contentious. Worship in persecution is humble submission to the will of God and rejoicing at the privilege of suffering shame for what the Lord has done. A worshipper at this level will see Christ in every circumstance. He or she will rejoice in trials and dangers because they are opportunities of worship. No matter what the hardship the worshipper at this level rejoices in the will of God.
Worshipping the Lord in persecution is being able to rejoice in the knowledge that the shame we face is due to people resisting the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The love of Christ must be the only motivating force behind our deeds, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit must be the power that confirms our words. Jesus told His disciples to rejoice in persecution because they would receive a great reward. When we are spoken against falsely for His name's sake, we should never try to defend ourselves, we should rejoice. We should always keep in mind the day when we will see Jesus. John Wesley called persecution the badge of discipleship. Rejoicing in persecution is the characteristic of the worshipper.
Rejoice, and be exceeding
glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.' (Matthew
5:10-12)
Rejoicing in being united with Christ in His sufferings is worship under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. When we realise this then the opportunity to worship at this level is a great honour, and should fill the worshipper with joy.
The same anointing that brought a multitude to Christ on the day of Pentecost, brought persecution from those who resisted the moving of the Holy Spirit. The believers were united with Christ in persecution. From the time he was saved on the Damascus Road, the Apostle Paul knew that he would worship the Lord by being united in His sufferings. This is a great honour for one who loves Christ. Paul rejoiced in suffering shame for Christ. He rejoiced in persecution because he loved the Lord. We must always be motivated by the love of Christ.
Paul is not only an example of a worshipper who rejoiced in being a fellow participator of the sufferings of Christ; he is also an example of how God answers the prayers of his persecuted saints. When we suffer persecution our first thoughts should always be to pray for those who oppose Christ by persecuting us. The prayers of persecuted Christians have great power with God, and through this kind of prayer Paul was changed from being the persecutor of Christ into a mighty worshipper. The persecutor became a worshipper in persecution.
Chapter
Eleven: Rejoicing in the Wisdom and
Power of God.
United
with joy in His eternal plan and purpose
'Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than
men.' (1 Corinthians 1:24-25)
The anointed worshipper, who is united with Christ in His sufferings, rejoices in being called a fool for Christ. But the highest level of worship is worshipping God from the mountaintop of faith, and seeing the panorama of His eternal plan and purpose. He or she is able to see the outworking of God's purpose on earth from a heavenly viewpoint, and worship is lifted to the heights of glory where the angels worship. The worshipper rejoices in the foolishness of God that stands in complete contrast with the wisdom of the world. It is seeing the purpose of God fulfilled through the weak and foolish things of the world. On the previous level of worship the anointed worshipper rejoices in suffering persecution and trials, but on the higher level the anointed worshipper sees beyond this and rejoices in the knowledge that all these things are working together for good in the eternal plan and purpose of God.
'And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.' (Romans 8:28)
At the previous level the worshipper bears no grievance towards those who cause him or her harm. But at this level he or she sees higher than this. The worshipper rejoices that God is fulfilling His purposes through the evil actions that were directed against him or her. Joseph learnt this through the evil actions of his brothers against him. He had no thought of revenge, instead he was free to bless his brothers when he said to them,
'But as for you, you thought
evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this
day, to save much people alive.' (Genesis 50:20)
Forgiveness on this level goes beyond holding no ill feeling for the harm that is done, it sees the purpose of God fulfilled through the evil deed. When Jesus was crucified he prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing', (Luke 23:34). This prayer goes beyond holding no ill feeling. Jesus prayed for them because they did not know what they were doing. They knew they were killing Jesus, but they did not know that their evil deed was the fulfilment of the eternal plan and purpose of God. The crucifixion of Jesus was planned in eternity past. The evil that made it happen was a consequence of time, and those involved in it were unaware of what was really taking place. The Lord forgave them for their evil deed because He rejoiced in fulfilling the eternal plan and purpose of God.
Worship on the highest level rejoices in the wisdom of God in providing the way of salvation. The angels always worship on the highest level because they are aware of the glory of God. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem they worshipped because they saw the wisdom and power of God in the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God who sat enthroned in the heavens was 'more present' on earth in human flesh. The angels who worshipped God in the heavens came and worshipped God on earth in the shepherds' field.
'...praising
God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men'. (Luke 2:13-14)
The angels have never experienced salvation because they have always been holy. The angels who rebelled against God could not be redeemed once they had fallen. When Adam and Eve fell the angels had never known redemption. The angels also knew that when Adam and Eve fell they were irreversibly united with sin. The old man in Adam cannot be redeemed. Yet God promised He would save those who trusted Him. God was in fact promising to do the impossible. The angels did not know how God could redeem His people when they were sinners irreversibly linked with sin.
Satan also sought to do the impossible. He was seeking to destroy God by causing Him to deny Himself. God gave His word that He would redeem His people, but this appeared to be impossible. Satan believed that he had won a great victory, and he was now able to attack God in a new role as the accuser of the brethren. If God justified an unjust people then He could no longer be who He is. God is the I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14) and He must keep His word. His love cannot deny His holiness.
How did God do the impossible? Firstly, the eternal Son of God became the mediator between God and man by becoming a man himself. But this alone could not save us. So how could He do it? The wisdom and power of God is seen in that God used death the greatest enemy of man to be the means of bringing forth eternal life. Death entered into the world through sin and this was how God brought about redemption. God made death the greatest blessing because without it there was no other way the Son of God could redeem us.
'And for this cause he is the
mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of
the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.' (Hebrews 9:15)
In Christ the sinner is crucified and buried with Christ and He or she is raised a new creation in Christ. The old man inherited from Adam is buried with Christ and the believer is raised a new creation, born again of the Spirit of God.
'Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new.' (2 Corinthians 5:17)
What do we do
when we understand this? We worship;
there is nothing else to do. Unlike the
angels we are able to worship from an experiential level of being lifted from
the depths of sin to the heights of holiness.
No wonder the Bible says, 'the foolishness
of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.' (1 Corinthians 1:25)
Worship on the highest level rejoices in God's plan to build a temple for worship. When the Son of God became man, worship was lifted to a new realm. For not only was the Son of God the object of worship, He as man worshipped the Father. The eternal Son of God became a worshipper so that He could redeem a people for worship. Jesus died on the cross worshipping the Father for He knew He was fulfilling the eternal plan and purpose of God.
'Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God.' (Hebrews 12:2).
The joy that was set before Him was the joy of presenting worshippers to the Father. His body was the temple of God and through His death and resurrection, a great multitude would become a part of the body of Christ.
Paul saw this as he wrote to the Ephesian believers from prison. He saw that his ministry was in fulfilment of the purpose of God to build a dwelling place for His glory to dwell in; a place of worship; a temple consisting of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:19-22). He became enraptured as he wrote because he saw the wonderful plan and purpose of God. He was lifted from the level of suffering shame as a prisoner for Christ to the height of seeing that in the eternal purpose of God he was the prisoner of the Lord.
'For this reason
I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles' (Ephesians 3:1).
He was not a prisoner of Rome; he was a worshipper of Christ. This is what is marvellous about the epistles of the New Testament. They are not literary expertise; they are the writings of worshippers who are inspired of the Holy Spirit. Paul worshipped in delight at ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ' (Ephesians 3:8), knowing that he was united with Christ in building a people for worship.
God is still fulfilling
His purpose through the weak and foolish things. The plan and purpose of God in the Great
Commission involves the whole body of Christ.
'God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise',
(1 Corinthians 1:27). Some Christians
have the perception that the evangelisation of the world is being done through
big evangelists and all we have to do is to support them. Thank God for evangelists. Philip was an evangelist who saw God move
mightily in Samaria and there was great joy in that city, (Acts 8:8). But it was not just Philip; all the believers
that were scattered went everywhere talking about Jesus (Acts 8:4). The church does not need new evangelistic
methods to win people to Christ.
Believers who fulfil the high calling to worship will overflow with joy
in the Holy Spirit, and talk about the Saviour they love. This will bring multitudes to Christ. Young and old people need to know the joy of
the Holy Spirit. When we understand this
then we will realise that being insignificant is normal and we have a great
calling to fulfil with joy in God's eternal plan and purpose.
The worshipper has a relationship with the Lord from where he or she can be lead from worship to intercession. This is exactly what happened with Moses when he asked the Lord 'show me your glory', (Exodus 33:18). Moses wanted to 'know the Lord' (Exodus 33:13), and the Lord let His glory pass by him (Exodus 33:19-23). Once Moses had encountered the glory of God, he worshipped. But he did not stop there. He began to intercede on behalf of the children of Israel.
'And Moses made haste, and
bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy
sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray You, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked
people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.'
(Exodus 34:8-9)
Worship brings us into a close relationship with the Lord so that intercession becomes a natural progression from worship on the highest level. We should always be ready to use our relationship with the Lord to begin interceding on behalf of others. The Greek word translated intercessions (enteuxis) in 1 Timothy 2:1 is the word used for approaching a King. An intercessor is one who through worship maintains a close relationship with the Lord and through this relationship is able to approach God on the behalf of another.
'I exhort therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be
made for all men;' (1 Timothy 2:1)
Everything Paul did flowed out of worship. It was therefore natural that Paul had the heart of an intercessor. Paul's heart burned for his fellow countrymen. He longed for Israel to be saved. An intercessor is willing to risk everything for another. If it had been possible Paul was willing to be accursed for his countrymen. This is the heart of Jesus. Only the Lord was able to be accursed for us. When we worship we become like Him in our character. Paul wrote:
'I say the truth in Christ, I
lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart. For I could wish
that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to
the flesh:' (Romans 9:1-3)
The person who has a special ministry in intercessory prayer is firstly a worshipper on the highest level. The anointed worshipper who rejoices in the glory of God will naturally become an intercessor.
Jesus revealed the wonderful truth that the Father is seeking worshippers to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. There is significance in this because scripture identifies Jacob as a worshipper. In the book of Hebrews, Jacob is shown to have worshipped at the end of his life:
'By faith Jacob,
when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning
upon the top of his staff.' (Hebrews 11:21)
The significance of Jacob leaning upon his staff is that he was weak in the flesh. It reminds us of how he was weakened when he wrestled with the Lord, and went away limping. Jacob was a natural deceiver who could gain what he wanted by craftiness. From his youth, Jacob desired the blessing of God, and he sought to gain even this by his own craftiness. The Lord loved him despite all his faults and saw in him the potential of a worshipper, but the Lord had to deal with his craftiness in order to lead him to the heights of worship.
Having a heart for God was not enough, Jacob had to become weak in his own strength in order to become mighty in worship. The Lord was with Jacob, leading him, teaching him, breaking him, and Jacob was learning to know the Lord. The heights of worship can only be reached through brokenness. Jacob's testimony at the end of his life was that his days were 'evil' meaning sad and unpleasant. The joy of worship flowed out from his broken spirit.
'And Jacob said
unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty
years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been,' (Genesis 47:9)
Jacob experienced great sorrow when he suffered the loss of the wife he loved, and then the loss of his favourite son. This was the only way that Jacob could be led to the heights of worship. When he reached the end of his life the beauty of his relationship with the Lord is revealed as he worships on the highest level prophesying concerning the eternal plan and purpose of God. Jacob’s life is an example of how the Lord leads us higher in worship when we have a desire to seek after Him. The reason the Lord leads us the way He does is because the Father is seeking worshippers. God has led you this way to bring you to the heights of worship.
The anointing at this level lifts the worship from earth to heaven. The worshipper not only rejoices in being counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus, but sees beyond this into the eternal plan and purpose of God, which was prepared even before the creation of the world. There is great rejoicing in every situation because the anointing of the Holy Spirit is in control of every situation and circumstance.
Although this is the highest place of worship within this level of worship there will always be greater heights to reach. The height of His glory is infinite. Worship on this level will always produce intercessory prayer, because intercession is born out of a close relationship with the Lord. Intercessory worshippers are characterised by a complete lack of self-interest; the desire to seek the glory of God; and a heart that burns with love for the eternal welfare of others.
Chapter
Twelve: Worshipping with Joy in Eternity
United
with Christ in His glory
'For we must all appear
before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad', (2 Corinthians 5:10).
All believers will one day stand before the judgement seat of Christ. This is not the Great White Throne judgement where those outside of Christ will be judged (Revelation 20:11-15). Everyone who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour has already passed through that judgement. The judgement of believers is a judgement for reward where each one's work will be seen for what it was. I believe there will only be one question at the judgement seat of Christ, 'How much did we love Christ?' It will not be the success of our ministries, or the greatness of our achievements that will be rewarded, but the reward will be given according to our love for Christ.
Worship is always motivated by love. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 'the love of Christ constrains us' (2 Corinthians 5:14). The Greek word 'sunecho' that is translated 'constrains', literally means 'hold together'. The love of Christ held everything together. Paul's ministry was held together by love for Christ. The ministry of the Holy Spirit through the body of Christ must always be motivated by love (1 Corinthians 13). Worshipful ministry is serving one another because of love for Christ.
Peter loved the Lord and was willing to die for Christ in Gethsemane, but he failed because his ministry was not held together by ''the love of Christ'. Peter did not understand at that time the words that Jesus said to Pilate
'My kingdom is not of this
world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I
should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from
hence.' (John 18:36)
I think we have are all been guilty of using carnal weapons in our Christian life. We need to become weak in the flesh to be worshippers. Peter was 'sifted as wheat' on the night that he denied the Lord, (Luke 22:31). He was brought to a place of brokenness and wept bitterly when he failed the Lord. We will fail if we rely on our strength, walking in the Spirit is humbling to the flesh. Selfish ambition will always fail in spiritual warfare. After His resurrection the Lord asked Peter three times, 'Do you love Me?' (John 21:15-17). Peter had relied on his own strength and it had failed him. It is not natural ability or an outgoing character that enables us to be witnesses to Christ. Love for the Lord Jesus Christ is the only motive for ministry in the Holy Spirit and effective ministry flows out of a heart that worships.
Jesus went to the cross worshipping the Father. He counted it all joy to suffer the cross and its shame. He looked beyond the suffering, and rejoiced in the harvest of souls who would be gathered together in Him. The worshipper looks with joy to an eternal inheritance by 'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith'. (Hebrews 12:2). The word 'looking' is translated from the Greek word aphoran which comes from two Greek words apo meaning 'away from' and horan meaning 'to look'. If we are 'looking unto Jesus' then we must also be looking away from something else. Looking unto Jesus means we are looking away from the things of the world and looking unto the beauty of Jesus. A worshipper will see that the only riches worth having are in Christ.
The great chapter of faith, Hebrews chapter 11, is all about a company of people who worshipped. They looked away from the world because they looked to a greater inheritance. Moses held the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than all the riches of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26). Moses lived over fourteen hundred years before Christ was born yet the reason he turned his back on the riches of Egypt was because he desired Christ. He was a worshipper who rejoiced in suffering shame for Christ. The cry of his heart was 'I count all things as rubbish that I might win Christ'.
When we compare
the ministry of Paul with the 'heroes of faith' in Hebrews 11, it is easy to
understand what motivated Paul. He
looked away from the pleasures of life, and held no regard to his own
reputation. He looked away from the suffering
that he endured, because he looked to the joy of worshipping Jesus with the
fruit of that suffering. Paul
was concerned about the spiritual well being of every believer. He desired to build up the believers in
Christ because he looked to the day when he would present them to the Lord. Paul was a worshipper and everything he did
was with the thought that one day he would be with Jesus.
'Whom we preach, warning
every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus:' (Colossians 1:28)
When my wife and I were first married, I taught at a Bible school in Scotland. We rented a nice home and when we went to the shops I enjoyed looking at the things we could buy to have in our home. When we decided that we would give up that house and be involved with missions in the Philippine Islands, the things that had been so interesting before lost their appeal. At that time we sold many of our wedding gifts to help pay our expenses. Now when I am in the Philippines with my brothers and sisters in Christ, I rejoice with all my heart in the investment that we made as a young married couple. Our lives should be like this all the time. If our eyes are fixed upon having joy on the day when we see Jesus then many things that previously appeared to be so important will lose their appeal. There is a reward to be won for those who desire to worship, and the greatest reward is to 'win Christ'.
Salvation is often regarded as a passport to heaven, but every Christian should be seeking to be a worshipper with the goal of entering eternity worshipping. Peter spoke of being zealous to have an abundant entrance into eternity, he wrote:
'Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do
these things, you shall never fall: For
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'
(2 Peter 1:10-11)
I worked for one and a half years at a baker's in the Faroe Islands. When I walked to work early in the morning, I was often reminded of the scripture 'His mercies they are new every morning'. But one day I thought 'what will I be trusting in when I enter eternity?' That day I answered that question once and for all in my heart, it is 'Christ and Christ alone'. I will not even be trusting in how much I loved Christ; this has got nothing to do with my salvation. I am trusting one hundred per cent in what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for me. My sin has already been judged because Jesus took my sin upon Himself on the cross. Now I am free from condemnation, and I am free to be holy.
But how we
approach the judgement seat of Christ will be determined by how we answer the
higher call to worship. How we approach
this judgement is entirely dependent upon our love for Christ. Paul wanted to enter eternity worshipping,
and his ministry can only be understood in the knowledge that
Paul was a worshipper. Why did Paul and
Silas allow themselves to be beaten by rods in Philippi when they were Roman
citizens and could have stopped it from happening? (Acts 16:23). They were worshippers suffering shame for the
Lord. Look at them in the prison with
their feet in stocks, what do they do?
They worshipped, and while they prayed and praised God the Holy Spirit
shook the prison with an earthquake, (Acts 16:24-25). Look at Paul determined to go to Jerusalem
even though the Holy Spirit testified that he would be put in prison. The believers tried to stop him, but nothing
would stop Paul. Why? He was a worshipper. He had no concern for his own life only that
he would finish his course with joy.
'But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the gospel of the grace of God.' (Acts
20:24)
Paul's love for
the believers was linked directly with his desire to worship in heaven. He called the Philippians
his joy and crown because he saw them as treasures that he would present to the
Lord. This is how we should regard other
believers in Christ because the body of Christ is His eternal treasure. Our joy and crown in heaven will be the
reward of our love for Christ that we have expressed through ministering to the
body of Christ. Every believer is called
to ministry, and one day we will present what we have invested in the body of
Christ to the Lord.
'Therefore, my brethren
dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my
dearly beloved.' (Philippians 4:1)
The desire of
Paul was to enter heaven worshipping on the highest level. He was willing to face any trial in order to
enter heaven with joy. He longed for
the day when he would present to the Lord the believers that he had won for
Christ and built up in the Lord. This
was the fruit of his worship on earth.
He had suffered shame to win them; he had gloried in God's eternal
purpose and died to all his own ambitions to win them. His love for Christ was revealed in
them. Only
worshippers can truly understand Paul's words
'For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us', (Romans 8:18).
The difference between men and women who have lived their lives for Christ, and the men and women who have reached great heights in the world, is most clearly seen at the end of their lives. Those who reach great heights in politics will one day have to step down and allow others to take their place. It is pitiful to watch films of some of the great leaders as they stepped down, and to see the pain on their faces as they leave the offices of power for the last time. It is not like this for the worshipper who seeks to know Christ through his or her life. He or she just carries on worshipping into eternity.
Saul of Tarsus had been
the persecutor of the church. He
consented to the death of Stephen. He
was filled with hate for the believers.
But this was the man who became a worshipper of the Lord. One encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road
was enough to show this man with a brilliant intellect that nothing else
mattered except to win Christ. He was
willing to be spoken against, imprisoned and finally executed to win the
reward. He was willing to lose
everything in order to gain the highest reward that he could win. Paul told the Philippians that he counted
everything as rubbish that he might win Christ.
'Yea doubtless, and I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I may win Christ;'
(Philippians 3:8).
The desire to build a big ministry can be motivated by carnal reasoning. We must always desire Christ more than a successful ministry. Even in missions we must learn to die to our own ambitions. It is the Lord who leads and we are to follow Him. Some people are well known in ministry, but the majority is not well known. It does not matter, everyone is important and no one should be seeking his or her own glory. We are called to worship and to let the Lord do His work through us. We must learn to enter into His rest. Our greatest joy should be found in using our lives and ministries to please the Lord.
Worshipping with joy in heaven is a continuation of our worship on earth. The worshipper just carries on worshipping from time into eternity. How we enter into heaven depends upon our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. If we desire to worship like Paul in heaven then we must worship the Lord to the highest levels on earth. We must seek to enter heaven with the joy of having loved the Lord above all things, and with the crown of service. This joy and crown is given to those who love the Lord, love His word, love His people and are willing to serve the Lord with joy.
Chapter
Thirteen: Moving to different levels in
worship.
Always
seeking higher realms in worship
'That I may know him' (Philippians 3:10).
No matter how high the level we have reached in worship, there are always greater heights to reach. This is what is so exciting about worship. There is always more and we should always be seeking to come into a closer relationship with the Lord. Paul experienced being carried to the third heaven where he heard things he could not repeat, (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Paradise is called the third heaven in the sense that the sky is the first heaven, the universe is the second heaven, and the place where the Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father is the third heaven. The revelation Paul received was so great that he was given a 'thorn in the flesh' to keep him from being proud (2 Corinthians 12:7).
I believe that it is impossible for anyone who has been to such heights of glory experientially to tell about it, because we are incapable of understanding. How can anyone explain eternity to us? We have only lived in time. How can we understand the glory of the place where holiness alone can dwell? We have only experienced living in a sinful world. Paul had been carried to these heights, but even though he had worshipped at such a high level, still he cried 'that I might know Him'. There are always more heights to climb. Worship in eternity will bring the worshipper into higher and higher realms of glory. The cry ' that I might know Him' must be the cry of the worshipper at every level of worship.
A worshipper who has entered into worship through praise and thanksgiving can only worship to the extent of his or her experience. The height that we reach in worship is dependent upon the closeness of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Some worshippers have not yet reached the level of a surrendered life but they can offer 'praise and thanksgiving' and say with Paul 'that I might know Him'. We should always be seeking to know Him and to move higher in worship. Whether we have just begun to go up to worship or if we are on the highest level, the prayer is the same 'that I might know Him'.
The height of our
worship will depend upon how much we desire to know the beauty of the
Lord. The prayer
of Paul for the Ephesian believers was 'that Christ may dwell in your hearts'. Paul was praying for people who knew the
Lord. He was not praying for their
salvation. His prayer was for the
Ephesians to fulfil the higher calling to worship. He wanted Christ to be at the centre of their
affections that they would know the love of God. This is the higher calling to worship.
'That Christ may dwell in
your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes
knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.' (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Worship is always centred upon the love of Christ, and the beauty of Jesus is revealed through the cross. When we know the 'love of Christ' then our response will always be to worship. The Apostle John says look at this love that God has shown to us. The Son of God was willing to leave heaven where the angels worshipped Him, and come down to earth to identify Himself with us. He was willing to be scourged, spat upon, and crucified, yet He did it with joy because He knew the Father had given Him a people for His inheritance.
'Behold, what
manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.' (1
John 3:1)
We are called to enjoy a wonderful love relationship with the Son of God. It is a relationship that many Christians never reach. The one who is a worshipper will stand in awe when He beholds 'the King in His beauty' (Isaiah 33:17). Peter had this love for Christ in mind when he wrote that to us who believe 'He is precious' (1 Peter 2:7). He is the One described by Solomon as 'Altogether Lovely.'
'he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,'
(Song of Solomon 5:16)
Song of Solomon
is written for worshippers who rejoice saying:
'I am my beloved‘s, and my beloved is mine' (Song of
Solomon 6:3). When we desire to see the King in His beauty then the pull of
worldly things will be taken away. The
honours and pleasures of the world are as nothing in comparison to the glory of
knowing Christ. The call to worship is
the most exciting calling that it is possible to be given.
When believers who have
never learnt to worship get to heaven they will be so sad when they realise
they were robbed of their opportunity to worship the Lord with their
lives. They will see their brothers and
sisters in Christ worshipping with joy at the judgement seat of Christ, but
they will have nothing to present to the Lord in worship. This is not a judgement of fear, it is a
judgement of love, and how we worship then will depend on how we worship
now. In the book of Revelation, the
Laodicean church had been drawn away from their relationship with Jesus. They gloried in their wealth, possessions,
abilities, and their self-reliance. The
Lord wanted them to have fellowship with Him.
'Behold, I stand at the door,
and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.' (Revelation 3:17-18)
When we talk together
with believers it is easy to know those who have a close relationship with
Christ. They are excited about Jesus,
they talk about Jesus, and they are full of the joy of the Lord. I love to be with people who are like
this. Paul had so much that he could
have trusted in, but in order to be a worshipper he had to disregard all of
this and become a fool for Christ. He
did this with joy.
When we pray 'that I
might know Him', then we must also say 'I consider all things as rubbish in
comparison to knowing Christ'. If we
mean it then we will be willing to face anything with joy in order to win
Him. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords
gave everything for us so that we can be His, but now that we are in Christ,
all that is His is ours. How can we ever
understand this love? How can we ever
understand the greatness of this calling that we have been called to?
Paul desired only to
worship on the highest level. He counted
all things as rubbish that he might win Christ.
He wanted to be one with Christ in His righteousness, and to worship on
the highest levels. He desired to know
the power of His resurrection, and worship on the level of the anointing. He desired to worship on the higher level as
a fellow participator of His sufferings.
He wanted to worship on the highest level of being united with Christ in
His eternal purpose by being made conformable to His death. Paul's sights were on having a glorious
entrance into heaven so that he could rejoice with great joy, united for all
eternity with the One He loved above all.
'That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death; If by any
means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.' (Philippians 3:10-11)
The desire of the worshipper at every level is to know Christ. The desire to worship begins with being drawn to Christ, but there is no limit to the heights of worship. Paul desired to know Christ even though he had experienced the glory of the Lord in paradise and heard things that he could not repeat.
The beauty of the
Lord is seen according to the extent of our worship. A Christian who only knows the Lord as the
Saviour will not understand those who have come through worship to see Him as
'the Altogether Lovely One'. The desire
to know Him increases as we move to higher realms in worship, and the desire
for the things of the world will decrease according to our longing after
Christ. Worship is born out of the
desire to 'know Him'. The worshipper
will always find more heights in worshipping the Lord because there are no
limits to His glory. What we desire will
determine what we seek after. The
longing of our hearts should always be to 'know Him'.
Chapter
Fourteen: The prayer of the early church
The
great symphony of worship
Acts 4:23-31
The great prayer of the early church in Acts 4:23-31 moves across the whole realm of worship. This prayer is like a mighty symphony of worship that flows in harmonious worship and is brought to a glorious finale as the building shakes under the power of the Holy Spirit.
The night before this prayer was prayed, Peter and John spent the night in prison because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They had been led by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple at the time of prayer. Under the guidance of the anointing of the Holy Spirit they raised a lame man who immediately arose from paralysis to the realm of worship. He went into the temple 'walking and leaping, and praising God', and everyone saw him, (Acts 3:8-9). It caused a great multitude to believe on the Lord Jesus, and brought Peter and John into the realm of worshipping by suffering shame for the name of Jesus.
The Jewish
leaders resisted the moving of the Holy Spirit and because of this they
persecuted the Apostles. They held Peter
and John in contempt asking 'By what power, or by what name, have you done
this?' (Acts 4:7). They looked down upon
the disciples of Jesus as ignorant and unlearned. But when Peter and John spoke the Jewish
leaders had to recognise that the same boldness that characterised the person
of Jesus was upon them. They were
worshippers of Jesus and they had become like Him. Peter and John boldly witnessed to the One
they loved and said, 'we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20)
Peter and John
left the Sanhedrin and joined the believers who had obviously been praying for
them through the night and were waiting for news of what had happened to
them. The news they heard caused them to
glorify the Lord through the most wonderful prayer of worship. We do not know who prayed, they were a united
body, anointed of the Holy Spirit. The
words belonged to all of them. This prayer is a great symphony moving across
all the levels of worship.
The prayer begins with
praise as the disciples worship God because of who He is. Worship always begins with praise and
thanksgiving.
'...they lifted up their
voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, You are God, who has made heaven,
and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:' (Acts 4:24)
The disciples move
straight from praise to the highest level of worship and worship God because of
His eternal plan and purpose. They
worship in the knowledge that earthly rulers have sought in their pride to
destroy the Lord's anointed, but all their evil actions can only fulfil the
purpose of God. They recognise that this
is exactly what David described in the second Psalm and they glorify God because
they are united with Christ in His eternal purpose.
'Who by the mouth of thy
servant David has said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain
things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ.
For of a truth against Your holy
servant Jesus, whom You have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.' (Acts 4:25-28)
The worship then moves
to the level of declaring their unity with Christ in His sufferings. The disciples make mention of the threats
that were made against them. The religious leaders were resisting the anointing
of the Holy Spirit. They identify
themselves with His sufferings, and they glory in the privilege of suffering
shame for the name of Jesus. They are
hated not because of who they are, but because they represent the Lord they worship. They are like Christ in His suffering and
shame, and they want to be like Him in the power of the Holy Spirit.
'And now, Lord, behold their
threatenings:' (Acts 4:29)
The disciples now
worship on the level of a surrendered life.
They lay their lives together on the altar of sacrifice. They have no concern for their own safety or
interests. They cheerfully give their
lives as a living sacrifice on the altar of burnt offering. They want to be worshippers who can speak
without fear about the One they love even more than their own lives.
'…and grant unto thy
servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,' (Acts 4:29)
The prayer then moves
to the level of the anointing. They
recognise that they are unable to do anything in their own strength, they need
the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They are
weak in themselves, but mighty in the power of God. They desire to worship in the anointing.
'By stretching forth Your
hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy
servant Jesus.' (Acts 4:30)
The Holy Spirit then
ends the prayer with a mighty finale. God
Himself joined in with this great prayer of worship. It is a great symphony of worship composed by
the Holy Spirit and lifted up through the body of Christ. God the Holy Spirit adds one final part and
brings in the great Hallelujah chorus by shaking the building and they are all
filled with the Holy Spirit.
'And when they had prayed,
the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with
boldness.' (Acts 4:31)
The Holy Spirit moved in power not just in shaking the building but in empowering the disciples of Christ to speak with boldness. The disciples moved in authority because they were under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
Effectual prayer must always come out of worship in the Holy Spirit. We will see prayers answered to the extent that we worship. It can be hard to get believers to come to prayer meetings. Sometimes people attend prayer meetings regularly but their commitment is in attending the prayer meeting. This is good but God will not move just because we are committed to the prayer meeting. We need to worship through prayer. When our prayer meetings become the place of worshipful prayer in the Holy Spirit then we will see God move mightily in power through the body of Christ.
Conclusion
Worshipping
in the Holy Spirit
'But the hour comes, and now
is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:
for the Father seeks such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth.' (John 4:23-24)
The body of Christ is called to be worshipping witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations can only be fulfilled by those who have hearts filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and have no other desire except to gain Christ. Effective evangelism must always be motivated by the love of Christ, and the message of salvation will 'cut to the heart' when it is presented to the world by worshippers who are anointed of the Holy Spirit with the 'oil of gladness'.
The nature of Christ will be seen in the life of the worshipper. This is produced by the fruit of the Spirit. A worshipper will bring forth the sweet fruit of holiness, 'love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self control', (Galatians 5:22-23). Without the fruit of the Spirit there can be no worship. The worshipper can only come into the presence of God with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
He or she must leave the cares and concerns of the world behind, having one desire; to know Christ. We cannot approach God on the basis of our own righteousness, but only through the righteousness of Christ. True worship requires the worshipper to approach God in a right manner in obedience, in holiness and with godly fear and reverence. Yet many believers have never gone up to worship. The concerns and affairs of everyday life keep them from ever going up to worship.
Worship is not singing songs, but singing is a wonderful means of being able to express our worship. The worshipper sings out of a relationship with Christ. Singing songs of praise is worship when our hearts are full of the joy of the Lord. This joy is not dependent upon favourable circumstances. The joy of the Holy Spirit will be present when there is nothing hindering our relationship with the Lord, and the desire of our heart is to know Christ.
The Holy Spirit enables the worshipper to become more aware of the beauty of Jesus through worship. We should ask ourselves the question, How much does Jesus mean to me? Worshippers are excited about Jesus. They are excited about who He is and what He has done. They are excited about doing His will. They are excited about being witnesses to Him. They are excited about being able to show their love through being counted as a 'fool for Christ'. They are excited about being part of His great eternal plan and purpose. They are excited that one day they will see Him face to face.
Worship is perfected in weakness. The power of God is manifested in those who are weak in the flesh. Anointed worshippers boldly stand for truth in meekness, but never compromise their love for the Lord. They refuse to be contentious, and joyfully lay down their lives as a love offering to the Lord. Many wonderful Christians have been prevented from moving into the anointing because they are not willing to be broken by the Holy Spirit.
A worshipper must not grieve the Holy Spirit. We must be tender hearted towards one another or we may go down from worship to being in conflict with other believers. If we hold particular teachings with a form of 'hardness of heart' then we can become more eager to defend our beliefs than to be worshippers who glorify the Lord. Our relationship with Christ must never be affected by our standing for the truth. The Lord never compromised His relationship with the Father when the religious leaders attacked His teaching.
Joy always characterises worshippers who regard every situation and circumstance as an opportunity for worship. They face trials, persecutions, and afflictions with joy because they can express their love for the Lord in them. They rejoice when people say all kinds of evil things against them. They pray for those who persecute them and their prayers lead to rebels becoming part of the family of God. They rejoice when suffering shame for the name of Jesus because they are united with Him in sufferings. They rejoice because they know that they are united with Christ in the eternal plan and purpose of God. They desire to fulfil the higher calling to worship, and through worship to be led into the place of intercession. The Father is seeking worshippers.
Epilogue
Worshippers
Worshippers are meek and have no agenda of their own.
They have total disregard concerning their own interests.
The love of Christ is their only motivation.
Their hearts are filled with joy expressed in thanksgiving and praise.
They stand for truth yet they have no axe to grind.
They are an easy target for the aggressor.
They make no attempt to defend themselves, but seek only the glory of God.
They are willing to be regarded as nothing for Christ.
Whether they are honoured, disgraced, or ignored,
It has no influence upon them except in causing them to rejoice.
They delight in the Lord's will regardless of how low it may make them appear.
They rejoice not because of temporal blessings, but because
They are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, and
All things that
belong to the Kingdom of heaven are theirs.
They present their lives to the Lord as an offering of love.
They delight in giving for they have learnt to give with joyous laughter.
The Lord anoints them with the oil of gladness, and
Leads them in the path where they are counted fools for Him.
They rejoice to suffer shame for His name for they know
That if they suffer with Him they shall also reign with Him.
They rejoice in the wisdom and power of God
Knowing they are united with Christ in His eternal plan and purpose.
Their only concern is to finish their course with joy
And be unashamed when they see the One they love.
They rejoice in all things and for all things
Knowing that all things work together for the good of those
Who love God and are called according to His purpose.
They spend their lives preparing to enter eternity worshipping
For they seek an abundant entrance into heaven.
They have one desire and that is to 'to know Him'.
And the goal that they seek is far higher than success
It is the prize
of the ‘high calling of God in Christ Jesus’.