Lets All Worship Cows!

A.W. Tozer said: “What is worship? Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven.” A.W. Tozer, quoted in D.J. Fant, A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90.

Some people sometimes think worship is beneath them, but the truth is everyone worships something. God designed us to worship Him, but if we chose not to worship God, we will worship something else. We saw the Israelites when they left Egypt and decided not to worship God at the mountain, they ended up making a golden calf to worship. It may be your job, your girlfriend or boyfriend, money, hobbies or yourself. Just spend fifteen minutes listening to someone and you will discover what they adore.

I pose a question to you. What is more important, our sincerity or our accuracy in worship? Many will say that sincerity is the most important part of worship. But what if you are sincerely worshiping something besides God, does that count?

I have a very patient and understanding wife. Some time ago, early in our marriage I got it into my head that loved Minestrone Soup. When I would go to the store, I would get everything on the list and then think: “I am going to do something nice for JoAnna.” I would pick up the fancy brand of the Minestrone Soup and go home with a smile knowing she was going to be so happy that I thought about her. The first few times, she was very kind and said: “Honey, I don’t like Minestrone Soup, but thanks for thinking of me.” Well, I would like to say that I figured it out after 2 or 3 times, but I kept doing it ( I blame it on dyslexia even though I know that is a stretch). I kept doing it and after a while it became offensive to my wife. It was not a treat, but a shining example that I am not paying attention to what she enjoys. But I was sincere! I was sincerely wrong and did not care enough to get it right. I am happy to report that I finally figured out that she loves Italian Wedding Soup and appreciates it very much when I bring it home.

It is the same with God. We cannot worship a god of our own making. Jesus said “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23,24 Sincerity comes from the spirit and the truth comes from knowing whom we are worshiping.

When Paul was in Athens, he found a city full of idolatry. They loved talking about new revelations and waxing on about how enlightened they were. I am so glad that modern Christianity has not been infected by this. They had an idol for everything. Paul even found one for the “Unknown God”. He did not look at that and say: “Wow, glad you got your bases covered.” No, he found the need to tell them about the Unknown God and preached Jesus to them while denouncing their false gods.

If I tell my wife that I love her blonde hair and blue eyes, how she plays the harmonica and speaks Russian, she will think I am crazy. My wife is a beautiful brown haired, blue eyed Panamanian who plays the piano a little and does not speak Russian. If I went on praising attributes she does not have, she would probably get pretty hurt. Why can’t I do that? Because it is not true! The same happens with God. Supposedly “sincere” Christians worship a God of their own making. He never chastises us, wants us all rich Americans and to meet every indulgence we have by calling it a blessing. God is real and already has real attributes. We cannot invent ones we like and remove ones we don’t. That may work for fictional characters like the Tooth Fairy and Santa, but not for Jesus.

Acts 4:12 says “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” I urge you to get to know the Jesus you worship. Make sure you are not just worshipping a god of your own invention and are honoring the One True God of Creation. He is truly worthy of all worship, glory and honor. And here is what happens when you begin to know Him more… You love Him more. To know Him is to love Him. Let that love of knowing God in truth motivate and fuel your worship for Him.

Blessed By The Best!

Over the years, many have tried to compliment me or encourage me without realizing what they were saying. One of the most common was when I was an associate pastor, they would say "God sees your faithfulness here and is going to reward you with a big ministry some day." I understand people mean well when they say that, but I want to address the mindset of that kind of thinking. First it devalues the current ministry anyone is doing to say that it is just a stepping stone to something better. We need to value where the Lord currently has us and not always be gazing ahead for greener pastures. Second and more importantly, it assumes something that is totally contrary to the Word of God. It assumes that ministry is your reward.

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and he ended up being placed as governor of the region of Judah. Obviously, God had rewarded him for his years of faithfulness and given him a position of authority by which he could reap the fruits of his labor. Right? Wrong!

"Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God." Nehemiah 5:14-15

For TWELVE YEARS Nehemiah chose not to partake of the governor’s provisions as others had. Others used their position to lord it over the people. Nehemiah saw his position not as his reward, but his responsibility. He chose not to get focused on what he could get from the people, but on fulfilling their mutual purpose because He feared God.

When the disciples were jockeying for position in Christ’s Kingdom, He told them: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus was our example of how we are to lead. He had ALL authority given to Him, yet He came as a servant and gave His life for us. Nehemiah recognized his promotion was not his reward, but his obligation. Position should only serve to help you serve people. It is a tool in your hand, not a medal around your neck. God does not promote us in ministry to bless us, but so that we can be a blessing. In these days when people are judged by their "success" it is easy to get distracted and seek after the rewards of ministry. Don’t aspire to grow a ministry. Aspire to serve people, to lay your life down for them so that they may in turn lay their lives down for another. Jesus said the best leaders are servant leaders.

"What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more." I Corinthians 9:18-19