I have decided to break from my current exposition in the book of Revelation to explore what I believe to be the most critical part of human existence - worship. What is it, what does it look like, and how can we do it in a manner that pleases God? These are important questions?
Indeed, worship should be an all-encompassing element in the life of a true worshipper; it was in Jesus' life. Jesus worshipped perfectly in word, deed, emotionally, intellectually, willfully, and motive. His was the complete package.
Jesus prayed. Furthermore, everyone who worships well always begins by praying. Jesus is in stark contrast to a sinner, as a man Jesus prayed as only God can. Prayer is about spiritual intimacy with God.
I have worshipped much in my life by the grace of God. In the summer of 1967, I cried out to God to help me when I first felt the weight of my sins upon my soul. I knew I was going to hell, and there was nothing I could do about it.
From that time to this, my worship has always had an air of repentance. Being perfect has never been part of my life; on the contrary, godly sorrow has always produced hope and a greater awareness of God's saving presence.
I'm not particularly eager to write about myself, but I think it prudent to let my readers understand the significance of worship in my own life. As an example, for three years, I was diligent in writing a book about the man who lived infinitely above any person who was or ever will be born. The best part of that book for me to date was the worship. I was filled with joy and awe, thinking very hard about Jesus Christ every day.
The Heart of Worship
Every milestone of holiness reached in my life has been through the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Not the sufferings He endured on the cross, they are a given, but His sufferings burned into my conscience by the Holy Spirit during moments of worship. Sin becomes unbearable in the heart of a believer when the light of the Holy Spirit passes through the magnifying glass of Jesus' sufferings.
At 15 years of age, instead of getting a shot of Novocain, I let the dentist drill my cavity without any. It had to be a gift from the Holy Spirit when Christ's sufferings filled my mind with appreciation like they never did before. I understood nothing about the nature of Christ's sufferings, yet awe filled my heart with Him, not my pain.
We worship that which fills our hearts. The essential part of worship that pleases God is that part given to us by Him. If you have never contemplated the Biblical scene of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene, you should.
It is not the interactions of Jesus with His disciples; they have a purpose. When your focus is the altered relationship between the eternal Father and Son from the Garden prayer through the cross, and it leads you to tears, then you begin to worship.
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