An Unqualified Yes ...

Have you had those occasions when you have committed yourself with full intention to fulfill the commitment you have made, only to find you have struggled at some point, something else grabbed your attention or became a distraction to you fulfilling this intention?

Have a read of this account of the people of Israel:

Joshua 24:16-24

The Message (MSG)

¹⁶ The people answered, “We’d never forsake God! Never! We’d never leave God to worship other gods.
^17-18 “God is our God! He brought up our ancestors from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all those great signs while we watched. He has kept his eye on us all along the roads we’ve traveled and among the nations we’ve passed through. Just for us he drove out all the nations, Amorites and all, who lived in the land.
“Count us in: We too are going to worship God. He’s our God.”

^19-20 Then Joshua told the people: “You can’t do it; you’re not able to worship God. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won’t put up with your fooling around and sinning. When you leave God and take up the worship of foreign gods, he’ll turn right around and come down on you hard. He’ll put an end to you—and after all the good he has done for you!”

²¹ But the people told Joshua: “No! No! We worship God!”
²² And so Joshua addressed the people: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves—to worship him.”
And they said, “We are witnesses.”
²³ Joshua said, “Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to God, the God of Israel.”
²⁴ The people answered Joshua, “We will worship God. What he says, we’ll do.”

I believe it is time for those of us who belong to Christ to stick up our hands and with that action say an unqualified "YES!" I will worship God, He is my God.

However, like the people of Israel I would do well to follow the instruction of Joshua and examine what might stop me from going 'all out' in this endeavour? What are the idols that might get in the way? What is it I worship that is going to hinder me from being 'full-on' for God?

Is it a possession? Maybe a lifestyle? The fact that 'I' like to be in charge of my life? What is the foreign element that hinders the relationship and gets in the way of total surrender to God? In identifying this I do well to let it go, surrender it, count it as nothing in comparison to the God I worship.

'Lord, assist me in my personal examination to see that which hinders a healthy, fruitful, growing relationship with You and give me the strength and determination to let it go.'

Back to basics ...

I was thinking I could title this one - "Worship 101" - and then for the body of the Blog write the following -

"GOD!"

It really is that simple, isn't it? Oh how I find myself at times complicating things. Getting all concerned with whether I am on track. Whether I have been focused on certain practices, etc, etc. And then I look at the following :

Psalm 96 (New Living Translation)

1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 The gods of other nations are mere idols,

but the Lord made the heavens!

6 Honor and majesty surround him;

strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Let all the earth tremble before him.

10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

He will judge all peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise

13 before the Lord, for he is coming!

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with his truth.

And I am reminded that it is God whom I am to worship. It is God who deserves my praise. It is God who is my salvation. It is God who deserves my offering (my life - a living sacrifice). It is God who is Holy. It is God who judges. It is God who reigns.

So, back to the first thought then -

Title:  "Worship 101"
"GOD!"

Got your fill and then what ...

Do you remember that first commandment in Exodus 20:

Exodus 20 (New Living Translation)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

1 Then God gave the people all these instructions:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from

the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

No other god. It might be interpreted, no other thing, whether possession, desire, form of worship. Anything that is placed in preference or prominence over God. You probably know the drill – commonly we might immediately think of money (you cannot serve both God and money, the root of all evil is the love of money, etc.). But we might also be reminded of the preference that we give to possessions in our lives (cars, a house, a boat, etc.). Or what about the striving for a position (leader, CEO, president, etc.). Then it might be an achievement (sports star, personality, one striving for acknowledgement in your field, etc.). That which you are drawn to worship, exalt, give prominence to in your life – over God, before God.

In Hosea God echoes the reminder to His people:

Hosea 13:4-5 (New Living Translation)

4 “I have been the Lord your God

ever since I brought you out of Egypt.

You must acknowledge no God but me,

for there is no other savior.

5 I took care of you in the wilderness,

in that dry and thirsty land.

However that is not all God had to say on this. For we discover that at some point the people had obviously acknowledged Him as Lord, God, the One before all others. How do we know this, for in their satisfaction of knowing this to be true, where God has met them at their point of need, and having been satisfied they now have forgotten, turned their backs on Him.

Hosea 13:6 (New Living Translation)

6 But when you had eaten and were satisfied,

you became proud and forgot me.

It is easy to remember God in the difficult times. When things are on top of us, when we are overawed by the circumstances, when we feel trapped and there seems nowhere else to turn – "O God help me!" And often the testimony we have is – He does - He helps, He provides, He shelters, He comforts, He shields, He loves me.

Yet how soon we can forget. How soon we become complacent to the promise to honour Him for the rest of our lives. How soon we find pleasure in the company of another or something else, over God. How soon we begin to operate on our own, in our own strength and wisdom and limited and deficient knowledge again. Just like the people of Israel – satisfied and moved into being proud and forgetting God.

“Lord, I take the warning given to me today and first I ask that You forgive me for the times I have mirrored the actions of these people of Israel, forgive me for having been proud and having forgotten You. Lord, thank You for ALL You do in and through my life, for every provision You gift to me. I honour You and desire to bring glory to Your name!”

Where's the heart ...

How careful we have to be to ensure we do not get in such a rut that all we are doing is going through the motions. I have seen it, time and time again. Here is the typical one I can recall - "we really must say the Lord's prayer ..." Are you kidding me? Do you not get it? Have a look again, here is a way to fashion your prayer. Here is a model for you. Look at the various elements that are contained, and pray in this fashion. I even recall an occasion whereby for a number of weeks we dissected the model and worked through it to assist people to understand what was meant by this instruction of Jesus. And you know what happened? Somebody approached me at the end of the series and asked, "are we going to say it in the services again each week now." Well you might imagine I just wanted to scream.

The passage from Isaiah tonight reveals to us that the people were fulfilling the elements to worship - sacrifices, burnt offerings, parading in the courts of the temple with ceremony, bringing gifts, burning incense, lifting their hands in prayer and offering many prayers... But, this is not what satisfies the Lord if all it is, is a going through the motions. Have a look at what the Lord required of them (and requires of us).

Isaiah 1:16-17 (New Living Translation)

16 Wash yourselves and be clean!

Get your sins out of my sight.

Give up your evil ways.

17 Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows.

We are to look out for those who are marginalised and disadvantaged within our communities, that's what this means, that is what the Lord requires. It might be somewhat like the Matthew 25 passage - "as you have done unto the least of these ..."

However, let me point out - it is not merely about our correction, or about what we must do. It follows on somewhat from the restorative reading of yesterday. Have a look at the activity of the Lord in this, as He looks to make things right:

Isaiah 1:18-20 (New Living Translation)

18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

I will make them as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson,

I will make them as white as wool.

And the promise if we are obedient:

19 If you will only obey me,

you will have plenty to eat.

And if we are not obedient:

20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen,

you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

I know where my choice lies.

Of what consequence ...

I recall a couple of people in conversation recently who had many questions. You know what I mean, the wondering "why?" Why this death? Why such destruction? Why such pain and suffering? Why, why, why? And much of what they were discussing was really about - "why me?"

What was said next is what really interested me, (because I have thought along these lines myself before, until I really thought about it, and came to a new realisation). The conversation turned to all they were going to ask God/Jesus to explain when they got to heaven. It was like, God was going to have to give account, give reason and understanding to all these things that had happened to them.

Have you stopped to think about it a moment? When you leave this earth and meet with the God of the universe, the Creator. When you come face to face with Jesus, the One who laid down His life freely, that you and I could have life. The conqueror of death. When you come face to face, what will it be that is on your tongue? What will be running through your mind? Do you really think it will be about something you don't understand and seeking an answer?

I don't believe it will be, for the angels cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, God Almighty!" They sing praises to Him. Are we likely to do other than this? Is anything else of greater importance? Really?

Paul in writing to the church in Philippi recalls his personal standing (circumcised, a pure-blooded citizen of Israel, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a real Hebrew, a member of the Pharisees - Philippians 3: 1-6) and follows on with this claim:

Philippians 3:7-11 (New Living Translation)

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[a] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Or maybe the songwriters capture it for you as they do for me:

 

When I look into Your Holiness.

When I gaze into Your loveliness.

When all things that surround

Become shadows in the light of You.

 

When I found the joy of reaching Your heart.

When my will becomes enthralled in Your love.

When all things that surround

Become shadows in the light of You.

 

I worship You, I worship You.

The reason I live

Is to worship You

(Wayne Perrin, Cathy Perrin)

 

"I desire to be faithful in my worship and service to You each day Lord, help me to live upright and true to who I am in You."