Worship Wars
Exodus 25
I have been a pastor long enough to have seen a few “worship wars.” Worship tends to stir up passionate opinions. The style of music, the instruments used, and the volume of sound are some of the more hotly contested issues. In one sense, it’s good to see passion for worship if it’s passion for the right things and the right reasons.
We are wired to worship. Every human worships something or someone. As Christ followers, we have discovered the true object of our worship. God and God alone. So important is worship, that nearly half the book of Exodus (chapters 25-40) covers the subject. From chapter 25 we see three important aspects of worships.
#1 Worship involves giving our all
God is too holy and too magnificent for half-hearted worship. Jesus often condemned the religious leaders of the day for their half-hearted, self-focused worship.
Notice what God said to Moses in v. 2. “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.” Everyone was to have “skin in the game.”
Can we say that we give God our all in worship? Worship, by the way, is not just singing songs. Worship is anything we do to show God’s “worth-ship.” Anything we do out of a heart of love and adoration for God. Anything we do that’s intended to exalt God and shine the light on His glory. Self-absorbed people don’t worship well. Why? Because worship is an act of sacrifice where only God is the focus.
#2 Worship must be done accurately
God gave Moses very specific instructions in the building of the sanctuary, which would serve as the place of worship in the wilderness. In fact, most of the chapter gives very specific details on the elements involved in God’s tent. Obedience to His instructions matter deeply to God. Obeying God when it’s difficult is an incredible act of worship that pleases the Father.
In John 4:23, Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God’s people are to “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). To worship “in spirit” is to be all in; to worship “in truth” is to worship in a way consistent with God’s character and His Word. Don’t assume every worship song out there is Biblically accurate. Worship not just with your heart, but with your mind as well. Soak in the worship songs’ descriptions of God’s character. Engage both heart and mind.
#3 Worship draws us closer to God
It is easy to miss in this chapter, with all the details given, to see the picture of intimacy in the instructions. In v. 30, God gives the following instruction: “And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.”
“The bread of the Presence” (v. 30) was intended to remind the people of the covenantal relationship they had with God. The table where the bread sat was a reminder of the place where children would eat and spend time with their father. Worship is spending time with the Abba Father. Nothing will draw your heart closer to His than to make worship the priority of your life.
Exodus 25
I have been a pastor long enough to have seen a few “worship wars.” Worship tends to stir up passionate opinions. The style of music, the instruments used, and the volume of sound are some of the more hotly contested issues. In one sense, it’s good to see passion for worship if it’s passion for the right things and the right reasons.
We are wired to worship. Every human worships something or someone. As Christ followers, we have discovered the true object of our worship. God and God alone. So important is worship, that nearly half the book of Exodus (chapters 25-40) covers the subject. From chapter 25 we see three important aspects of worships.
#1 Worship involves giving our all
God is too holy and too magnificent for half-hearted worship. Jesus often condemned the religious leaders of the day for their half-hearted, self-focused worship.
Notice what God said to Moses in v. 2. “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.” Everyone was to have “skin in the game.”
Can we say that we give God our all in worship? Worship, by the way, is not just singing songs. Worship is anything we do to show God’s “worth-ship.” Anything we do out of a heart of love and adoration for God. Anything we do that’s intended to exalt God and shine the light on His glory. Self-absorbed people don’t worship well. Why? Because worship is an act of sacrifice where only God is the focus.
#2 Worship must be done accurately
God gave Moses very specific instructions in the building of the sanctuary, which would serve as the place of worship in the wilderness. In fact, most of the chapter gives very specific details on the elements involved in God’s tent. Obedience to His instructions matter deeply to God. Obeying God when it’s difficult is an incredible act of worship that pleases the Father.
In John 4:23, Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God’s people are to “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). To worship “in spirit” is to be all in; to worship “in truth” is to worship in a way consistent with God’s character and His Word. Don’t assume every worship song out there is Biblically accurate. Worship not just with your heart, but with your mind as well. Soak in the worship songs’ descriptions of God’s character. Engage both heart and mind.
#3 Worship draws us closer to God
It is easy to miss in this chapter, with all the details given, to see the picture of intimacy in the instructions. In v. 30, God gives the following instruction: “And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.”
“The bread of the Presence” (v. 30) was intended to remind the people of the covenantal relationship they had with God. The table where the bread sat was a reminder of the place where children would eat and spend time with their father. Worship is spending time with the Abba Father. Nothing will draw your heart closer to His than to make worship the priority of your life.
Posted in Journey of Hope