There are people oblivious to the battle going on around us. The battle is for our peace, love, joy, and worship. Everything in creation was made to glorify God. We were created to love, adore, worship, and devote our lives to God.
Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
Psalms 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
Philippians 2:9-11Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
James 4:8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…
Worship isn’t simply singing songs. It’s a lifestyle devoted to loving God and putting Him first in all things. When we put God first in all things, we are living out our identity as children of God. We were made by Him and for Him. He is the reason we all exist. Worship is not an obligation it is a response to His great love, mercy, and grace. Key notes about worship.
1. Worship is for Him. It’s not about us. Sometimes we make worship about us. Is it my favorite song? Or I will devote myself to God so He will give me something. Worship helps us die to self. It puts God on the throne of our hearts where He belongs. Love is not selfish. Worship trains us to be selfless.
2. Worship realigns our focus. If God is at the center of our thoughts and our lives, then other things are not. We sometimes worship our problems. We worship money. We worship people who can not help or save us. We worship ourselves, and we no ability to do anything without Him. We worship pleasure and created things. Anything we worship other than God is idolatry. Idolatry enslaves us. It’s offensive to God.
3. Worship changes the atmosphere. God is everywhere. When we worship, we are saying, “God come and take up more space in our hearts. You are welcome here.” If you are sick, sad, depressed, angry, tempted, etc…I challenge you to worship God.
4. Worship defeats darkness. Judah was the tribe of worshipers. I find it interesting many times they were sent in first to battle.
5. Worship is a part of our identity in Christ. It is not optional. It’s who we are. We were all created to worship God. It does not have to be a song. We were created to give thanks to God, to adore Him, to put Him first, and to obey Him.
6. Worship is what the devil is after. Lucifer wanted to be worshiped instead of God. He is still at work today to take the focus off God. If he can’t make himself the focus, he works to turn people to worship everything else: money, fame, people, sex, food, entertainment, anything that makes God lower on the totem pole of our hearts.
7. Worship changes us. We become like the one we worship,~Bill Johnson. Whatever or whoever we worship is who or what we will become. A person who worships money will become greedy. A person who worships sex and physical pleasure, will become lustful. A person who worships food will become gluttonous or obsessed with food. A person who worships people will become a people pleaser. If we worship God, we become like Him. We begin to take on His characteristics.
Father, please forgive us for all the times we have placed someone or something at the center of our hearts. Forgive us for the sin of idolatry. May you be first in our hearts and on the throne of our hearts. May we worship you with all our hearts, souls, minds, and with all our strength. You are amazing! Help us to love you more. In Jesus name, Amen.