The Way We Worship // Part 1
Made to Worship
We are ALL made to worship. Every person in every place was created with this intention… to worship.
And I think I can prove it.
A few weeks ago it was the start of the college football season and Auburn, our favorite college football team, was playing in the season kickoff game at ATT Stadium against the Oregon Ducks.
My son and I got to go to ATT Stadium for the big game! For most of the game, Oregon was winning. At half time I told Will that whether we win or lose we were going to keep our heads up and be thankful we got to come to the game. I really thought at that point we were going to lose.
The third quarter didn’t look much better. But then, in the 4th quarter, Auburn started to climb back into the game. And then, with only 9 seconds left in the game, Bo Nix, our freshman quarterback, threw a 26-yard pass to sophomore receiver Seth Williams who caught the ball and fell into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown!
Our Response?
We were sitting in the end zone where all this happened!
Our section was going wild. We were surrounded by complete strangers, but they were Auburn fans. And now they were high-fiving each other. Hugging each other. Dancing in the seats. Celebrating!
Do you know what my son and I were doing? This amazing play happened about 50 feet in front of us. It was unbelievable. Our team was going to win.
But we just sat there. Will yawned. I checked my watch and I asked if he was tired and ready to go home.
No way!
We’re cheering. High-fiving and hugging strangers. Will is crying. I couldn’t be more proud! The band is playing. Everyone has their hands up in the air! People are clapping. It’s pure joy and pure celebration for all of us Auburn fans.
Meanwhile, all those poor Oregon fans had their heads bowed in lament.
Roadblocks
We were created to worship. The object of our worship, that may be up for question! But the activity of the human soul is to find something of value and to worship it!
But when it comes to our worship, especially our worship of God, especially our worship in church, sometimes there are roadblocks to our worship.
You know what roadblocks are. If you drive down a road with roadblocks, they have those up because the road is under construction. The roadblocks literally block you and force you to go another way. Sometimes I think there are roadblocks to our worship. Things that for whatever reason keep us from worshiping the God we worship the way we wish we could worship Him, the way He deserves to be worshiped.
If that’s true, then what are the Road Blocks to your worship? Have you ever thought about that?
LIFT your hands
Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,
Psalm 134.2
and praise the Lord.
What would allow you in one moment to throw up your hands in pure joy when you’re team scores, or your kid gets the award, or you get the call that you got the job, but then when it comes to worship… you have to keep your arms crossed and your hands down?
You might say, I can’t raise my hands. I can’t worship that way. It’s just not the way I was raised. It sounds like a roadblock to me. Is it time to take that roadblock down?
What is it that keeps your hands in your pockets instead of raising your hands in worship of the One who spread His arms to die and had his hands pierced with nails for you?
CLAP Your Hands
Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
Psalm 47.1
Shout to God with joyful praise!\
What would allow you to clap your hands during a concert or when you celebrate what your kid who you love so much has just done, but then when it comes to worship… clapping becomes somehow irreverent or out of line?
You might say, I don’t want to clap during worship. That’s not appropriate. It sounds like a roadblock to me. Is it time to take that roadblock down?
What is it that keeps you from clapping your hands in worship of the One who led the applause of Heaven on the day that you gave your life to Him?
Kneel before
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Psalm 95.6-7
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
for he is our God.
What would allow you to get down on one knee in humility and love to make a proposal for marriage, or cause you to kneel down in the service to another human being, but then when it comes to your worship… kneeling is somehow charismatic, or showy, or too emotional?
You might say, I can’t kneel in worship. That’s not my personality. It’s just not how I’m wired. It sounds like a roadblock to me. Is it time to take that roadblock down?
What is it that keeps you from kneeling in worship to the One who fell on his knees and prayed for you the night before He was crucified?
Lift your voice
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Psalm 96.2
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
What would allow you to sing at the top of your lungs to your favorite song while driving down the interstate even though you know you can’t carry a tune in a bucket… but when it comes to your worship, you sit or stand and just remain silent?
You might say, I’m just not a singer. I just like to listen to the words. It sounds like a roadblock to me. Is it time to take that roadblock down?
What is it that keeps you from lifting your voice in praise of the One who sings over you? (Zephaniah 3.17)
With Everything
What would keep you from giving ALL of your worship to the One who gave His ALL for you?
Sometimes there are roadblocks to our worship. Things that stand in the way of our worship. And there are a lot of things that can come between us and our worship.
But here’s what I believe is true for us, I believe we were created to RESPOND to God and that response is called WORSHIP. What would it look like for you to worship the God you love with everything you have?
To read more about this response, about this call for worship, read the NEXT POST here.
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