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Discovering Biblical Church
Have you ever found yourself wondering why the Bible describes church life in one way but we do church and live our lives far differently? My hope is that these devotionals will encourage us all to live life and do church as it is described in the New Testament. Your comments are much appreciated as this blog is a book in progress. And it is best to read one devotional a day and leave time for prayer and reflection.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Confess Your Sins?
Which
of the following is found in the Bible?
A)
Therefore confess your sins to
the priest and have him pray for you so that you may be healed.
B)
Therefore confess your sins to
the pastor and have him pray for you so that you may be healed.
C)
Therefore confess your sins to
each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(See James 5:16 for the answer)
“Is it true that
God can forgive me? I’ve done so many things wrong. Some really BIG things! I
don’t think he can forgive the kinds of things I have done.”
The young woman
who asked me that gasped for air between sobs as she faced up to the sad
reality her life had become. She wanted out, and had even thought of taking her
own life, but she still had a glimmer of hope that God could forgive her and
she could get her life turned around.
It turns out that
she was right. There was still hope for her. Like so many other people around
the world and throughout history, she discovered that the Bible is true and
that the way to find health and wholeness is to admit her shortcomings and ask
for God’s forgiveness and help. As I told her, Jesus died for that very reason –
so that we can be forgiven – so we ought to take him up on it by confessing our
sins and asking for His forgiveness and help.
She did just that
– she prayed and confessed her need for God’s forgiveness – and by the change
in her countenance it was obvious that she had found forgiveness and was on the
path to health and wholeness. She was no longer sad and regretful, without much
hope, but was instead full of hope as she thanked God for His forgiveness and
asked Him to help her get her life turned around.
God changed her
life, and He is changing lives all around the world as people confess their
shortcomings and call out to Him for forgiveness and help. All it takes is for
a person to recognize that he/she has sinned and can be forgiven if they put
their faith in Jesus. It’s that simple. Not hard to understand at all and yet
we sometimes have a hard time doing it.
So
then, as hard as it is to swallow our pride and admit that we have made
mistakes, that is where the power is. For by owning our actions and being
realistic about who we are as people, we own up to our need for a Savior. We
realize that we need God’s forgiveness and help on an ongoing basis, not just
once in awhile but all the time. Confessing our need for Him and for His
forgiveness just becomes a part of who we are – people who depend upon God and
rely on Him to not only forgive us but also to lead us into an abundant and
joyful life where we become increasingly healthy and whole in every way just
like He is.
Confessing our
sins, then, is not the pathway to shame and ridicule. It is exactly the
opposite – it is the pathway to forgiveness, health, and wholeness in every way
– spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically. Psychiatrists,
therapists, doctors, medical studies, and most importantly, the Bible, all
agree that being able to receive forgiveness and extend it to others is one of
the keys to good mental health, physical well-being, and spiritual wholeness.
So then, even
though it is not popular in many churches today, find a good friend who loves
God and confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. And if that
friend happens to be a priest or pastor, that’s okay, but keep in mind that the
Bible clearly commands us to confess our sins to each other so anyone who is a
friend of yours and a friend of God will do just fine.
Let’s Pray Together: Lord,
I confess that I often fall short of who you want me to be and don’t do the
things you want me to do. I need your forgiveness and your help; I need you to
be my Savior not just once or even once in awhile, but every day, every hour,
every minute. Help me to regularly confess my sins to you, and lead me to the trustworthy
person or people with whom I can confess my shortcomings and pray with so that
I might find health and wholeness. I pray this also for the following people as
you bring them to my mind… (Continue praying as you feel led)
This devotional is authored and published by
Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged
to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights
with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother
Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and
www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
Pray for One Another?
“Therefore confess your sins to
each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer
of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
Which of the following describes your
church?
A) We regularly pray for one another in small
groups each week.
B) We rarely pray for one another as we don’t
know each other and there isn’t any time for it on Sunday mornings.
C) We don’t all pray for one another but we
are covered by the prayers of the pastor, priest, or prayer team.
D) We don’t all pray for one another but we
pray together as a part of our liturgy each week.
Pray for each other? Right here at church in front of God and
everybody? What will I say? What should I pray about? What will people think of
my prayer?
Those were my thoughts the first
time I heard a pastor tell us to break up into small groups and pray for each
other. I was always shy as a child and at the time the pastor told us to pray
for each other I was a high schooler with all the insecurities and false
bravado that comes with youth. So there I was, trying to make friends in a new
neighborhood at a new church and the pastor tells me to turn to people I had
never met and share my prayer requests and pray out loud for the people around me.
It was more than intimidating; my knees were shaking and I was downright scared!
You see, even though I grew up in
a Christian home and had placed my faith in Jesus, prayer was something that we
did privately in our own hearts or at church when we stood up and read the
liturgical prayer. Sure, one of the pastors or church leaders would lead in
prayer for the people, but the idea of me actually praying for someone sitting
next to me or in the pew behind me was foreign to me. It just wasn’t something
that people did.
Now, looking back, I wonder, “Why
not?” The Bible is full of examples of prayer and we are clearly commanded to
pray for one another; why is it that in many churches we seldom take the time
to pray for one another? We tell each other that we will pray for them, and sometimes
we do, but often it is just our way of wishing them the best with whatever they
are facing. It is a good thing to do but it lacks the power that comes from
taking someone’s hand and saying, “Let’s pray about that. Let’s ask God to
intervene and help you in that situation. Father, I pray for my sister that you
would…”
Taking the time to pray, to invite
God into a situation and into a person’s life, is time well spent. And yet, the
lack of time is one of the main reasons church leaders give for not leading people
into praying for one another. They feel the pressure to have the meeting end at
the appointed time. Prayer groups, altar ministry, or whatever method they use
to get the people praying for one another takes time and things can easily
spiral out of control as the Holy Spirit leads people to minister to each other
and share one another’s burdens.
Some people may even have
emotional responses to what God is doing, and that makes it even harder on those
leading the service. How do you continue on with the service when one group is
crying and hugging while another group is shouting and praising the Lord? What
do you do when one group is still praying but everyone else is done and looking
bored? And what about the poor worship leader who let it all happen? He will
get an earful from the senior pastor because the worship time went too long and
used up some of the time set aside for his sermon.
So it is a complicated issue, and
when a leader allows people to pray for one another he needs to do it with skill
and with an ear to what the Holy Spirit is saying, but it is worth it! Talking
to God and inviting Him into our lives is what church is all about!
And sure, some people may be too intimidated
to pray and some might even go to another church, but many other people will be
genuinely touched by God and connected to other brothers and sisters in Christ
during that prayer time. They will be strengthened in their faith and develop ministry
skills that will make them comfortable praying not only in church but also in
their workplace, school, and neighborhood.
Think about it this way: if people
don’t learn how to pray in church, where will they learn how to pray? If they are
uncomfortable praying for people in the church, how will they gather up the
courage or develop the ministry skills to pray for a sick neighbor or a
troubled co-worker?
We must
get over our reluctance to release people to pray for one another in our weekly
gatherings and we have to help people get over the discomfort of praying for
others. If we don’t, if people aren’t comfortable praying for others, they will
not be the ambassadors of Christ they are called to be nor will they be functioning
as vital members of His body.
Let’s Pray Together: Lord, help me to trust you when it comes time
to reach out and pray for someone. Help me to get over the discomfort of
praying for others and help me to lead people into being comfortable and
confident in their ability to pray and minister. I pray for our church leaders
and the whole congregation that we would be able to make time to pray for one
another during our weekly meetings. I pray for the following people as you
bring them to my mind… (Continue praying as you feel led…)
This devotional is authored and published by
Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged
to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights
with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother
Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and
www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Peter: Senior Pastor, Priest, or Elder?
The Apostle Peter wrote which of
the following?
A)
To the senior pastors among you, I appeal as a
fellow senior pastor and a witness that Christ’s church will go only as far as
you senior pastors will take it by your good leadership: Be shepherds of God’s
flock that is under your care...
B)
To the priests among you, I appeal as a fellow priest
and a witness that Christ’s church will be built upon people coming to priests for
access to God and the sacraments: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under
your care...
C)
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow
elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to
be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care…
(See 1 Peter 5:1-4 for more)
“Brother, you have gone too far
this time!” my friend exclaimed. “Everyone knows that it is “C” but you are
going to make all your clergy friends mad! Plus, you replaced ‘Christ’s
sufferings’ with that stuff about leadership and the priesthood! What would
Jesus say about that?”
“I know. I probably won’t publish
this one. I don’t want to offend anyone needlessly.” I replied while shaking my
head and thinking about my distorted paraphrases of 1 Peter 5:1. “But you have
to admit, that is exactly what’s wrong in many churches today. We seldom speak
of Christ’s sufferings but instead teach leadership principles and the wisdom
of men! But I hear you; I will think it over and pray about it before I publish
it.”
But you know, the more I thought
about it, the more I realized that what I am saying is very much needed and I believe
that God is leading me to say it: The New Testament, especially verses like 1
Peter 5:1-4, teach us that the church of Christ is supposed to be led by a group
of godly Spirit-led elders rather than one senior pastor or priest, even if
that pastor or priest is the most eloquent communicator or the most religious
person in the community. Instead, elders who are gifted as apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to watch over and shepherd the flock of
God until the Chief Shepherd – Jesus – appears and gives us our reward.
It couldn’t be more simple, clear,
and easy to understand. And yet over the years many church leaders, including
me, have discarded or glossed over the plain teachings of the New Testament and
bought into the worldly thinking that the church is just another non-profit
organization that is dependent upon human leadership, personal charisma, and
management skills. Or, perhaps just as bad, we go the opposite way and make our
faith into a religion where people have access to God through being in good relationship
with their priest, obeying the dictates of the church, and honoring the
sacraments.
All of this crap, pardon the
language, keeps people from the central truth of Christianity: Christ in us is
the hope of glory! Christ living and working in you and in me is the hope of
the world, the light that dispels the darkness, the bright morning star that
beckons a new day dawning. Unless we stay focused on the message of Christ –
that God took the form of a man, lived among us, gave His life for ours on the
cross, and rose from the dead and is even now interceding for us and living
inside of us who believe – unless we stay focused on this Message and being new
creations in Him, we become just another non-profit organization or man-made
religion.
Take the Apostle Peter as an
example of someone who stayed true to the Message of Christ. In 1 Peter 5 he
could have easily declared that Jesus told him that he was the rock of the
church and that everyone should be a strong leader like him (just think of the
leadership books he could have written!). Not only that, Peter could also have instituted
a priesthood by appointing priests, mandating tithes and offerings, instituting
sacraments, and commanding obedience to the priests.
But Peter didn’t do any of that.
Instead he modeled the humility of Jesus and he followed the teachings of
Jesus. He didn’t lord it over the flock nor insist on high titles for himself.
In fact, when decisions needed to be made for the church, he didn’t hand down
dictates but gathered the group of elders together and as a group they prayed
about it, debated the pros and cons, and came to a consensus that they could
all agree upon (see Acts 15). Peter provided Spirit-led leadership but he didn’t
lord it over the others.
This is a great example for those
of us in church leadership. Contrary to popular opinion, the church of Christ
is not dependent upon the communication skills and management abilities of the
senior pastor and staff. Nor is the church dependent upon a priesthood and
religious traditions. The church of Christ will do just fine without all the
man-made enhancements, thank you very much. In fact the church of Christ will
not only survive without the man-made distractions, it will thrive as people
get back to the basics of New Testament Christianity – it is Christ in us, the
Spirit of God in each and every believer that is the hope of glory and the hope
of mankind.
May the Lord help us to remember
that – that it is up to Him, not us – and may we make Him the foundation of our
churches and ministries.
Let’s Pray Together: Lord Jesus, You gave your life for the church,
and You loved me and the people in my congregation while we were yet sinners
and hadn’t even thought of turning towards You. Help me to remember that as I lead,
teach, pray, or serve in whatever position or situation You place me. Make my
ministry be all about You and not about church stuff. May You be the center of
everything I do, whether it be in the church, the community, or my family. It
is Christ in me, You living in me and flowing through me to others, that is the
hope of glory and true success in my life. Be with me in these situations that
I bring before you now… (Continue praying as you feel led…)
This devotional is authored and published by
Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged
to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights
with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother
Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and
www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Are You a Priest?
As you come to him, the living
Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you
also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to
be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
In the quote above, to whom is Peter
speaking:
1) Ordained priests who have completed seminary
and been set apart by the church to be the anointed ones who administer
sacraments such as baptisms, communion, weddings, private confessions, and
public prayers.
2) Ordained priests, pastors, and church
leaders of every Christian denomination who are set apart to be the holy ones
who lead the church, administer sacraments, and teach God’s word.
3) All who come to Christ for salvation and follow
Him, offering spiritual sacrifices, telling people about God and interceding for
the world around them.
“Hold on! Tread lightly! You are
on holy ground here!” exclaimed my newfound friend as I talked to him about how
he could be a priest in what I would consider a “high church” denomination and
still believe in the New Testament Scriptures such as those above that clearly
teach that all who have faith in
Christ have equal access to the Father and that everyone who believes is included in the priesthood of believers.
“All believers in Christ have the responsibility to represent God to
those around them and to intercede for their friends and loved ones!” I declared.
“You and your clergy friends are not the only ones who have been chosen by God
and set apart to serve Him – all who
come to Christ become a part of the Body of Christ, a member of a royal
priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a subject in the kingdom of God,
ministers of reconciliation, the light of the world and the salt of the earth!
We all become children of God who
have direct access to the Father!”
My friend, who was my host at a monastery
I was staying at in an attempt to draw near to the Lord and learn more about
other church traditions, was patient with me as he replied, “I understand that.
I believe those Scriptures the same way you do. I used to be a Methodist. But I
have found that church traditions and rituals are beautiful and meaningful;
they provide the structure that I needed in my relationship with God and
portray Christ in ways I didn’t understand before.”
We parted ways amicably after spending
several hours talking about our different viewpoints and gaining understanding
regarding our diverse ways of “doing church.” He defended his point of view
using Old Testament examples, New Testament verses on church leadership, and
church tradition. He was obviously more well-educated than I was and, this is
what hit me the hardest, more honest with himself.
For when it got right down to it,
even though I argued passionately for the priesthood of all believers and declared
that every member ought to be a minister, the way I “did church” wasn’t that
much different than what my friend did. True, we didn’t have the rituals and
stained glass, but when it got right down to it I was the one who spoke at
every Sunday service, led every Bible study, and prayed for those who came forward
for prayer. Somehow I got it in my head that I had to do everything and the
church couldn’t survive without me. I worked hard, loved God and loved people,
would not have intentionally hurt anyone or disobeyed the Lord, but by doing
everything myself I was sending a not-so-subtle message that it was my church
and that God had called me but not you and that I had a connection to God that
others just didn’t have.
So I preached, I taught, I prayed,
I served, I agonized over why my church was so small and why I was so tired and
why God seemed so far away. I was discouraged and a friend recommended a
retreat, some time alone with God, and he told me about a monastery where a
person could go and rent a room for a dollar or two while seeking God in the
natural beauty of the area. So I went, met with God and found the new friend I
wrote about above, and came to terms with the error of my ways. I gave the
church back to God, began to release others to minister, and started changing
the culture of the church by not only teaching the priesthood of all believers
but also living it out. And, would you believe it, miracle of miracles, the
church actually started to grow and even to thrive.
As we go to prayer today, think
about your church. Are the meetings led by one person or does the Holy Spirit
move through a variety of people? Does one person do all the teaching or is
there a team of teachers? Do people pray for one another or does one person do
all the praying? Do people think the pastor’s prayers will be heard by God more
than a layperson’s prayers? When someone is sick or in need is there a team of
shepherds to call upon or is it up to the pastor or a staff member? Is the
whole Body active and involved in ministering to one another and to the
community or is it up to a handful of people to do the work that was designed
for the whole Body of Christ to do?
Let’s Pray Together: Lord, you are Lord of the Church. I give you
my church and pray that your will would be done in our local congregation. Help
our whole congregation, every member of your Body, to be actively involved in
ministering to others. Help us all to see that we are all called to be priests
who offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices and tell people about God and
intercede for them. I pray for the following people to be released into
everything that You have for them… (Continue praying as you feel led…)
This devotional is authored and published by
Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged
to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights
with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother
Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and
www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Worship Pastor
Kerplunk, Kerplunk, Twang! Kerplunk,
Kerplunk, Twang!
Kerplunk, kerplunk, twang,
twang, kerplunk…the so-called music just kept going from bad to worse and back
again. The wannabe worship leader kept trying his best but he just didn’t have
the finger coordination or practice or maybe both to make it come out right.
Even those who weren’t musically inclined could tell that he was missing chords
and singing off key; it was obvious that he just didn't have much musical
ability.
Some people gamely sang
along the best they could, they were a gracious bunch after all, but others
were noticeably not following their leader nor entering into worship – some had
their arms crossed, others were playing with their phone or simply sitting
there with a blank expression on their face as their mind wandered away on some
adventure known only to themselves.
Pastor Jimmy, meanwhile,
was devastated. A pioneer pastor just out of Bible college, he sat in the front
row with his hands in his face, thinking about how hard he had worked the last
three years and how little he had to show for it. He had such big dreams and set
such high goals in the beginning – by now the home groups were supposed to have
multiplied and the Sunday morning services were supposed to be over 200 or even
split into two Sunday services. Instead, he had a group of 30 in the school
auditorium that seated 250 – the chairs were empty; the leadership team was burned
out and ready to quit; his dreams were shattered. And what made it all worse
was that he was broken. The vision, the fire, and the passion were gone.
Kerplunk, kerplunk, the
so-called music went on. Pastor Jimmy took his face out of his hands and looked
up at the worship leader. Their eyes met, and Jimmy saw not only a look of
desperation in the worship leader’s eyes, there was also a tear starting to
form in the corner of one eye. Jimmy looked around and saw what the worship
leader saw – very few entering into worship, many with crossed arms or a
distant look in their eyes. It was obvious from their body language that most
of the people were wishing that they were somewhere else. And then it happened.
God spoke. Not in audible
voice that everyone could hear, but in Jimmy’s own heart he heard the whisper
of God. The same voice that called him to salvation, the same voice that called
him into the ministry, the same voice that gave him peace about marrying his
wife, that same voice told him to not worry and that everything was going to be
okay. As joy and peace began to flood his heart, Jimmy looked at the worship leader
with compassion and realized that in his own zealous pursuit of church growth
he had hurt lots of people – many had already left the church, including the
former worship leader – and that even now he was hurting the only worship
leader he had left.
With a contrite heart,
Jimmy got up in front of the fledgling group and began to confess his sins of
being overly zealous and hurting people who were only trying to serve as best
they could. He admitted that he had been arrogant, self-centered and driven
rather than being humble, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led. His goals and
aspirations had come from his own desires rather than God’s desires. Nearly everyone
in the room had tears in their eyes as Jimmy asked their forgiveness.
The presence of God was
palpable; everyone could feel that it was a special moment and that there was a
special connection with the Almighty at that place and time. One man in particular,
who had been a part of many churches and ministries over the years, stood up
and said, “I believe I have a word from the Lord for us today. He says that He
is well-pleased. Well-pleased by our pastor whose passion can now be bridled
and used for God’s glory. But that’s not all God is pleased with. He is
especially pleased by our worship leader, Hank, who courageously stepped in to
fill a need. He’s not as skilled or practiced as some of our former worship
leaders but Hank has a heart for God and God is well-pleased.”
From that point on the
church began to grow but it wasn’t through the extraordinary efforts of Jimmy
or Hank or anyone else. In fact, Jimmy was spending less time on church stuff
and more time with God and his family. He began to relax and let God be the
Lord of the Church, trusting Him to bring in the right people, raise up the
right leaders, and grow the church according to His timetable. And as a result
God did grow that church.
Now, many years later,
Jimmy and Hank look back with fond memories of that Sunday when God visited
them. From that day forward God taught them about true worship, worship that is
in Spirit and in truth and has nothing to do with skilled musicians and
harmonious voices. Instead, it is about an act of the will, a prostrating of
oneself before the Almighty, a submitting of one’s own will to the will of the
One who created him, a conscious effort to praise God not only with one’s lips
but also with one’s entire life.
Today Jimmy pastors that
same congregation and both have grown old together. Jimmy is a grandpa and so
is the congregation – that little fledgling congregation grew and gave birth to
several other congregations that in turn birthed even more congregations. No one
gives Jimmy the accolades that he would have had if he had met his goals and
become a megachurch pastor but Jimmy is quite content as he knows that he did
what God wanted him to do and that his city has been changed because of it.
As for Hank the worship
leader, he never did get that great on the guitar. But he still has a heart for
God and loves to sing and play for the Lord in his own private times. He
worships in the Spirit and in truth and God is well-pleased.
Let’s Pray Together: Lord, I want to be one of those who worships
You in Spirit and in truth. Teach me how to do that. Give me an ear to hear
what you are saying and lead me into worshiping you with my lips, my hands, my
life, everything that I have. Let me not be two-faced or false in any way but
be wholly devoted and true to You. Help me to overcome hardships and the
circumstances of life and worship you whole-heartedly regardless of life
circumstances or what is going on in the church…(Continue praying as you feel
led…)
This devotional is authored
and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers
are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info)
or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For
other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com,
www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
Worship in the Spirit and in Truth
Which
of the following did Jesus say?
A) “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father with majestic organs and choirs, for they
are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
B) “Yet
a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father with guitars and drums, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks.”
C)“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father with skill and harmony, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
D)“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
(For help, see John 4:23)
The Father is seeking people to worship Him! Did you catch that? Or did
that message get lost in the debate between organs and choirs versus guitars and
drums? Or maybe your thoughts were distracted by the skill and harmony part? If
you did, you are not alone! It’s happening over and over again in churches
across America.
We divide ourselves over silly
things like whether we like organs or guitars, totally forgetting that the
Father is looking for people who want to worship Him! We get distracted away from true heartfelt
worship by comparing one musician against another, preferring one person’s
playing or another’s voice without giving any thought that true worship is not
about what tickles our ears the best but is about what pleases God.
For true worship is not about
instruments and voices or even who has the most skill and harmony. It is about
people coming before God to worship in the Spirit and in truth. Instruments can
be played well, played poorly, or not played at all, and people can still
worship in Spirit and in truth. People can sing beautifully in harmony or they
can be terribly off-key; either way they sound wonderful to the Father if their
hearts are right before Him.
The Father is seeking people to
worship Him! It is worth repeating. He loves to hear you sing to Him whether
you have a good voice or not. He loves to hear you play an instrument in
worship even if it’s not studio quality. He loves to receive that sacrifice of
praise whether it is coming from lips that are singing and proclaiming His
greatness, hands that are serving someone or painting a picture, or minds that
are unleashing creativity and wonder. The Father loves it when we worship with
whatever we have to offer as long as we offer it in Spirit and in truth.
What the Father doesn’t like, however, is fake
worship. Worship that is not done in truth but out of obligation or because
everyone else is doing it is not worship at all. The most skilled musician can
lead us in song but if his heart is not in it he is just singing a song. We can
put on our Sunday best, go to church, give our 10%, and sing our hearts out but
if we fail to humble ourselves before God and exalt Him over our lives and our
own selfish desires then we haven’t really worshiped. The Father is seeking
people who will worship Him in truth and He knows when we are just flapping our
lips or going through the motions.
If
you are one of the many among us who have been distracted by the circumstances
of life or the debates over the style of music and have not been giving your
heart to God in worship on a regular ongoing basis, know that God does not hold
that against you but instead is just waiting for you to turn to Him and begin
to worship Him in whatever way seems best to you.
You
can sing His praises in the car or in the shower as well as in church, and in
fact I think He likes it best when we spontaneously praise Him and thank Him
for all that He has done and is doing in our lives. You can simply talk to Him,
praying out loud or in your own heart, or have a song of praise on your lips or in your heart as you go throughout your
day. You can do your daily work as onto the Lord, making it an act of praise
onto Him, whether it is doing the dishes at home or serving a customer in your
workplace.
Do
all these things and much more as sincere acts of worship as the Spirit leads
you and the Father will be well-pleased to find you worshiping in Spirit and
in truth.
Let’s Pray Together: Father, I confess that I don’t always worship you the way that I should.
Sometimes I forget to worship or pray and simply go my own way without thought
of You. Other times I do take the form of worship but I just do it out of
routine or obligation and my heart isn’t really in it. Forgive me. And thank
you that because of the cross of Jesus I am forgiven and I have a fresh start
in my relationship with You. Help me to worship You in Spirit and in truth, with
my spiritual ears in tune to your leading and my heart open and right before
You. Keep me from any duplicity or falsehood in my relationship with You and
with others. Lead me as I pray and show me how you want me to worship You…
(Continue praying as you feel led)
This devotional is authored
and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers
are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info)
or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For
other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com,
www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.
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