NOTE: My Agency’s Chaplain Ronnie Melancon is back and thank God for blessing us with such a humble spiritual leader. I want to continue sharing Walter Bright’s message with you in this Part 2 of 4; Benefits of Genuine Worship.
by walter bright · in Worship. ·
Every opportunity we have to meet with and worship God is an opportunity for God to release into our lives all of His goodness. When He shows up he comes with healing, deliverance and power.
Worship releases God’s promise
I remember hearing an old preacher many years ago saying the following… “praise is the plow that prepares the heart for the planting of the promises of God.” – Psalm 103:1-5 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Sometimes, before there is a healing, a deliverance, a releasing of love and mercy or the satisfying presence of God, there must be worship. This is one of the easiest ways to walk in God’s blessings. Heartfelt, genuine worship of the King.
Worship has an attractiveness in it to draw the sinner to the Lord
Jesus said in John 12:32 that – “when I’m lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” One may argue that this verse is uniquely about his resurrection and not about worship as well. Well, I beg to differ. Of course it’s about his resurrection from the dead but it is equally about him being lifted up in praise.
In the same chapter a woman comes to him and breaks open and expensive jar of perfume. Well, it was not only an anointing for his burial, but also a costly expression of her intense personal devotion and worship to the Lord.
Telling the same story about the triumphal entry, Luke adds an important detail about the Pharisees telling Jesus to rebuke his disciples and stop them from singing – “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” To that Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
So I don’t find it strange at all when the jailer comes to faith in Jesus after Paul and Silas brought down the house with their songs of praise. The reason most of our praise is not bringing others to Christ is because, he is not the center of our worship anymore. Self, ego, popularity and even worship itself has taken his place. But when the church truly lifts Jesus high and make worship all about him – the sinner takes notice and comes running to him.
Worship leaves us wanting, longing for more of God
Worship creates in us a Moses like always at his feet dynamic. Moses met with God every day in face to face encounters. God would show up in his tent where they would speak face to face. God’s presence was with him always. Encounter after encounter Moses saw the face to God. Yet, he did not let this create a false sense of security. He wanted to see more of God – so he cried, “show me your glory.”
Matt. 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Yesterday is gone, today is today. Let there be a growing hunger in you for more of him. A hunger the keeps growing from glory to glory.
Benefits to Genuine Worship/ Part 2