This is not Entertainment, Return to Genuine Worship

Bow in Reverence; anyone?

Long time ago, before entering into the inner building, almost all the old-timers would bow their head in reverence when they step into the church. The first time I went to St. Thomas for evening mass, I observed my friends bow their head first. My friends at St. Joseph also did the same. I thought it was a must before entering church; so I did the same. I was an ignorance teenage at that time, so I assumed that God had commanded his people to do so. (Obviously, I didn’t read my Bible that time)

………

Not Worshiping God.

Do you quietly bow your head in reverence when you step into the church? How about a posture of respect such as stepping your foot in with a quiet spirit? or offering a simple prayer? or how about with an eager expectation that God is in the church?

I’m not shocked if your answer is NO - because last week, I realized that I’m simply entering a building instead of a church, sing songs instead of worshipping, and mumbling empty words instead of a heart-to-heart prayer. Last week, in the plainest language; I’m not worshipping God.

[Pause]

Are you in the same boat as I am?

Whatever happened to Worship?

With these conscious in my spirit and mind, I took time to examine my inmost heart. (I won’t share it here) Then as I looked from the inside out, my spirit grief to what happens to our generation today. We have become a generation that had almost lost the sense of divine sacredness in our worship. We doubt that God’s presence is there. We heard self-glorification stories, telling hour after hour of their own experiences instead preaching the Glory of God. We heard preaching on all the wonderful things that God had done, good as it may seem, but the most essence, the core of Christianity about the Cross of Christ is almost never presence in their lips. And what grief my spirit the most is when the announcement and even ‘praise and worship’ session are longer than the preaching of the Word of God. Oh, no wonder we never sense the Presence of God! No wonder we never really honor and truly worship God! No wonder we never had a thirst to read His Word and hunger to please Him!

Wanted: True Worship

A.W. Tozer on his sermon tapes on worship (now available in audio download) said, I quote,

“There is a necessity for true worship among us. If God is who He says He is and if we are the believing people of God we claim to be, we must worship Him. I do not believe that we will ever truly delight in the adoring worship of God if we have never met Him in personal, spiritual experience through the new birth from above, wrought by the Holy Spirit of God Himself!”

The One who is Worthy of our Worship

Yes, there is a necessity for true worship among us. We need to experience the glory of the One who is worthy to be the object of our worship! This is the mystery of God – Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he is the Son of Man. He is not half God and half man. He is fully God and fully man united in one Person – not two persons, but two natures. This is the mystery of God. It could never be explain; but I’m content not to understand all about the mystery of God. I stand in awe and kneel before Him. He is worthy to be the object of our worship!

“Though he [Jesus Christ] was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 

He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself 

even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 

Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven 

and gave him a name that is above every other name, 

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, 

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father.” 

(Philippians 2:6-11NLT)

Worship God Daily

God is not just in the church sanctuary. He is not to be worship on Sunday only – we should worship Him daily. On Monday, the Christian guitarist goes to his college. The Christian dancer goes to the classroom. The Christian deacon goes to his office. The Christian usher goes to the front counter. On Monday to Saturday, are we aware of the Presence of God? For Christ’s sake, none of us can fool God! In all things, in all occasions, in all time we are to worship God. We still can do work and worship God. With or without music, in noises or in silent, in the Church or outside the building we still can worship God.

Sin is the hindrance of our Worship

How can we worship God if there is a sin presence in our lives? If we live like a worldly and carnally outside the four walls of the church, tell me, how can we be able to praise and worship God who is holy? Can we just ignore our sins and use that magic words, most often quote, misuse verse, ‘in the name of Jesus’ and everything will be alright in our worship? No! God hate sin! Worship will never be pleasing for Him who is Holy. Repent of your sins and God will forgive you. Christ had paid the price of our sins, ‘once and for all’. May the Holy Spirit convict you of your sins and lead you to repentance from your wicked ways.

Again A.W. Tozer wisely said, “There is nothing in either of us that can be made good until Jesus Christ comes and changes us – until He lives in us and unites our nature with God, the Father Almighty.”

No worship is wholly pleasing to God until there is nothing in us displeasing to God. Period.

In the End

Let the words of William Cowper be a closing theme for our today’s reading;

The dearest idol I have known,

Whatever that idol be;

Help me to tear it from Thy throne

And worship only Thee.

Nothing to do with THINK BIG, never START SMALL, always GO DEEP –WORSHIP CHRIST THE LORD!