God is Seeking Worshippers

This is an excerpt from the book Called to Worship--The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God's Call by Vernon M. Whaley.

IT WAS ABOUT NOON, AND HE SAT DOWN BY A WELL, TO REST.

Enter, a Samaritan woman. Jesus asked for water. He was seeking. The woman was seeking too.

Jesus knew her: her history, suspicions, questions, fears. He also knew her needs--and how to meet them. A life of failure, of disappointment--perhaps even abuse--had left her hard, bitter--and very thirsty.

Jesus could quench her thirst. And he told her so.

But the woman was incredulous. She had already tried drinking from the wells of tradition, failed relationships, religion, and sexual promiscuity. Sadly, she'd discovered that water from those sources did not satisfy. Yet this man--what was His name?--was presenting a different type of water, and with it, hope.

What was that He had said? "You'll never thirst again"? Jesus was offering something more, something eternal--that would fulfill this woman's deepest yearnings and heal the hurts in her heart. He was offering a relationship with God--through worship.

The Samaritan woman's perception of God--her "theology"--was a half-breed mix of Hebrew doctrine and the pantheism of the cultures around her. "You Samaritans worship something you do not understand," Jesus told her (John 4:22 NCV). But desperate to bring her to understanding, He said, "[My] Father...is actively seeking...people to worship him" (v. 24 NCV, emphasis added).

The Father was seeking her.



GOD IS SEEKING WORSHIPPERS!

As I sat outside of my cabin at Camp NaCoMe, Bible in hand, I breathed in the smell of frying bacon and gazed toward the eastern horizon. A picturesque sunrise flaunted stunning reds, oranges, and ambers. Wow, I thought. God has really outdone Himself.

Opening by Bible, I glanced down at John 4--and saw it for the first time: "The Father is actively seeking..."

Hmm...

I knew God loved me. He had forgiven me, saved me, healed me, and called me into ministry. But seeking me?

Suddenly, I "got it." This was one of those "aha" moments you hear about. God is in pursuit, I thought. Of ME!


I know what you're thinking. "Do you mean to tell me that God is actually pursuing me as a worshipper?"

Yes. Actively.

The Bible tells us that "the eyes of the Lord are always upon [us]" (Deut. 11:12 KJV), and as He watches, His spirit is ever at work, moving, convicting, suggesting, calling. And today, God is calling  men and women, boys and girls, from every race and culture. He's calling the professional and the laborer. He's calling me--and He's calling you--to worship Him.

Whatever's Worth Most

This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio's book: The Air I Breathe--Worship As a Way of Life

Think of it this way: Worship is simply about value. The simplest definition I can give is this: Worship is our response to what we value most.

That's why worship is that thing we all do. It's what we're all about on any given day. Because worship is about saying, "This person, this thing, this experience (this whatever) is what matters most to me...it's the thing I put first in my life."

That "thing" might be a relationship. A dream. Friends. Status. Stuff. A name. Some kind of pleasure. Whatever name you put on it, this thing or person is what you've concluded in your heart is worth most to you. And whatever is worth most to you is--you guessed it--what you worship.

Worship tells us what we value most. As a result, worship determines our actions, becoming the driving force for all we do.

And we're not just talking about the religious crowd. Christians. The churchgoer among us. We're talking about everybody on planet earth....a multitude of souls proclaiming with every breath what is worthy of their affection, their attention, their allegiance. Proclaiming with every step what it is they worship.

Some of us attend the church on the corner, professing to worship the Living God above all. Others who rarely step inside the church doors would say worship isn't a part of their lives because they aren't "religious." But everybody has an altar. And every altar has a throne.

So how do you know where and what you worship? It's easy. You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money, and your loyalty. At the end of that trail you'll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what's of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship.

Sure, not too many of us walk around saying, "I worship my stuff. I worship my Xbox. I worship my job. I worship this pleasure. I worship her. I worship my body. I worship me!"

But the trail never lies. We may say we value this thing or that thing more than any other, but the volume of our actions speaks louder than our words.

In the end, our worship is more about what we do than what we say.

Dwelling in Him

We dwell in him. (1 John 4:13)

Here's another devotional by Charles Spurgeon:

Do you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, "What is the purchase?" It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is "without price." Will you take my Master's house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving him for ever? Will you take Jesus and "dwell in him?" See, this house is furnished with all you want, it is filled with riches more than you will spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communion with Christ and feast on his love; here are tables well-stored with food for you to live on for ever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you can look out and see heaven itself. Will you have the house? Ah! if you are houseless, you will say, "I should like to have the house; but may I have it?" Yes; there is the key--the key is, "Come to Jesus."

"But," you say, "I am too shabby for such a house." Never mind; there are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, come; and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house by-and-by. He will wash you and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to sing, "We dwell in him." Believer: thrice happy art thou to have such a dwelling-place! Greatly privileged thou art, for thou hast a "strong habitation" in which thou art ever safe. And "dwelling in him," thou hast not only a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one. When this world shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live, and stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite, self-existent as God, for it is God himself--"We dwell in him."

Quick Praise (Ps. 112:1)

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1 NKJV)

Like blessings? Then revere the Lord and strive to live by His Word.

Amos

Come back to the Lord and live! If you don't, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. (Amos 5:6 NLT)

The following is a worship profile of Amos from the Praise and Worship Study Bible from Tyndale House. It is a fantastic study Bible for all who want to learn more about biblical praise and worship.

Few people enjoy hearing the words of prophets, especially when the message they bring bears gloomy tidings. And among these prophets of doom, few delivered as cheerless an oracle as Amos proclaimed. Nearly every chapter in Amos's prophecy discloses a fearful scene of destruction. Amos's warning of God's destruction went out to all who rebelled against God, from the defiant leaders of surrounding nations to the disobedient people of Israel and Judah, for he had little concern for public opinion. Yet even Amos, like the other prophets, concluded his book with a message of hope: One day God will restore his people once again, and they will live in peace.

Amos the Worshiper

Amos recognized that disobedience and injustice warrant harsh judgment from the Lord (Amos 2:4-8).

Like many of the prophets, Amos understood that the day of the Lord is coming and should be taken seriously (5:18).

Amos's message ends with a vision of restoration that holds out promise for the faithful (9:11-15).

Learning from Amos

Belonging to God's covenant people brings solemn responsibilities. We who know God will be judged more severely if we know what is right and do not do it (3:2).

Like the sacrifices offered at the illegitimate altars of Bethel and Gilgal, worship means nothing if it is not performed sincerely and in a manner that pleases God (4:4-5).

Surely one of the worst plagues that can befall humans is the absence of God's words (8:11). Our worship together must regularly and faithfully proclaim God's Word.

Following the Example

God's abhorrence of insincere worship repeatedly appears in Scripture. How can we keep false worship from gaining a foothold in our life? We can examine our heart when we worship individually or with others. Do we truly listen to God during these times? Do we seek to glorify God in our life and worship, or do we do things for our own glory? We must seek to honor the Lord in all facets of our life, not just during special times set aside for prayer or Bible study.

Christ's Intercession

"I pray for them...which thou hast given me"  (John 17:9 ASV)

A devotional about our Lord's intercession for us, by Dr. John A. Witmer.

Most of us have felt the special thrill of having someone ask about some decision or some trial or an opportunity for witness and ministry, and then say, "Well, I was praying for you." This explains the unusual strength God gave or the extra wisdom we received or the interest and response of those to whom we spoke. Such is the blessed privilege and the glorious effect of intercession for one another as believers in Christ.

But the truth which should stagger our imaginations and which should transform our attitudes and our actions is the fact of the intercessory ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ which He mentions in this verse. The exalted Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father prays for me. This fact should overwhelm us.

We call this chapter of John's gospel the high priestly prayer of Christ. What we mean by that is that it is a sample of His intercessory ministry. We can properly say that the subjects Christ prays about in this chapter are the things that weigh heaviest upon His heart and for which he prays again and again.

How much of our spiritual growth, our success in ministry, our freedom from injury and illness and troubles can be traced to the intercession of Christ? No one can say. It exceeds our ability to estimate. But the Word of God reveals that the intercession of Christ is continual (Heb. 7:25). It also states that our security in salvation is dependent, at least in some measure, upon this continual intercessory work of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly as believers we have much to praise Him for and to respond with thanksgiving.

"Great Advocate, almighty Friend!

On Thee our humble hopes depend;

Our cause can never, never fail,

For Thou dost plead, and must prevail."

"....and He ever liveth to make intercession for them"  (Hebrews 7:25).

Quick Praise (Ps. 113:3)

From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3 NKJV)

Jesus.....praise that name all your waking hours.

Quick Praise (Mk. 6:49-50)

When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 
(Mark 6:49-50 HCSB)

Don't be afraid...Jesus is the Master of the Sea!

Christ's Lordship

Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. (John 2:5 ASV)

Here's another devotional by Dr. John A. Witmer. This one is about Christ's lordship and our willingness to obey His will for our lives.

Mark Twain was asked about passages of the Bible he could not understand. In his humorous, but incisive, manner, he replied, "It is not the Scriptures that I do not understand that give me trouble. It is the ones I do understand."

So it is with most of us. There are cases when we need guidance as to what the will of the Lord is. God graciously meets us in those situations when we honestly do not know what He wants us to do and He reveals His will to us and guides us through Scripture, through prayer, through circumstances, and through the Holy Spirit.

But most of the time when we face difficulties and are burdened with problems the crux of the issue is not in knowing the will of God, but in doing it. Out lack is not knowledge, but willingness. Our need is not more information, but more obedience. God will not show us more of His will until we are cheerfully carrying out that which He has revealed to us. Jesus Himself told the story of the two sons whose father asked them to work in the vineyard. One refused, but later obeyed. The other consented, but never did obey. Jesus properly asked, "Whether of them twain did the will of his father?" The correct reply was the first, who finally obeyed.

We are the "servants" of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we have believed on Him as our Savior and acknowledged Him as our Lord. If we would be instruments in His hands for the accomplishment of miracles of grace, we must likewise give heed to Mary's words, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." Obedience is the path of blessing and true happiness. The words of this chorus are simple, but they are simply true:

Trust and obey,

for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

but to trust and obey.

Hosea

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12 NLT)

How sincere is your worship? Consider that question as you look at the following worship profile of Hosea from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Hosea

As with many prophets, Hosea's life was a living parable. He not only spoke the messages God gave him but also lived them out so that the people saw what God was trying to tell them. Hosea's troubled relationship with Gomer gave the people of Israel a clear picture of the deep hurt they caused the Lord when they turned away and worshiped idols.

Hosea the Worshiper

Hosea understood the importance of purity in worship. Idolatry is likened to committing adultery against the Lord, who has bound himself to his people like a husband binds himself to his wife.

Hosea's obedience shows that worship involves action as much as reflection. Hosea glorified God by faithfully pursuing his unfaithful wife and redeeming her.

Learning from Hosea

God calls us today to obey and reflect his love and faithfulness to others, regardless of the hurt they may inflict upon us.

Hosea teaches us that God loves us and desires that we be faithful to him. Although we may turn away, God remains faithful to us.

Hosea reminds us of the inseparable link between worship and justice. We cannot offer pleasing worship to God if we also willfully mistreat others.

Following the Example

Hosea's summation of Israel's sins, which begins in chapter 4, reads like a prosecutor's case against a defendant. One of the charges against Israel is insincere worship of the Lord: "Their worship is mere pretense as they take oaths in the Lord's name" (Hosea 4:15). Sadly, this charge could still be brought against many people today. As you reflect on your own worship, ask yourself, How sincere is my worship? Do the words I speak translate into deeds that serve others and honor God? Ask God to get rid of any pretense that you have allowed to stand in the place of true worship.