Pastor Jamie Lawrence
Associate Pastor of Worship and Education
Pleasant View Baptist Church, Waynesburg, KY
There is a lot of talk about worship in today’s society and churches all across this land. It is something that has been on my heart for a long while. As a musician, worship is something that is near to my heart. But, instead of interpreting it as simply music, I wanted to seek a real biblical understanding to take my worship to the next level. This is not about exalting me. This is about realizing who should be on the pedestal and who should be seated at the feet of the Master listening intently.
John 4 sets the stage for what worship really is. There at the well, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman whose life was less than desired. She came in the heat of day to avoid confrontation with others. Yet when she met this man at the well, He called her out.
Now, because Samaria was a part of the remnant of Israel during the exile, these people felt they were the true, law-abiding, servants of the Most High God. They felt that the Jews were bringing back a distorted religion, those that returned from exile in other lands. Naturally, there was tension between the Samaritans and the Jews. The Samaritan woman, in defense of herself, went to the root of her heritage and began talking religion with this man.
The Samaritan woman felt this was her strong hold in the conversation, so she spoke of how their fathers believed they were to worship on the mountain, but the Jews believed in Jerusalem was the place to worship. Jesus answered framing up the problem altogether. It is not about religion and where you should carry out the motions of your religion, but it is about a relationship with the Father and living as though one is in community with Him, serving, loving, caring, working, and fighting for the one, true God.
Like the Samaritan woman, so many worship what they do not know. Jesus gave us two ways we are to worship: in spirit and in truth. Now, worshiping in spirit is one thing we know. We live in the emotions. We get carried away in the song. We allow the moment to flow through us, and allow the tears, the shouts, and the joy to flow from us. But the key is worshiping in TRUTH. We need to KNOW the one we worship and the only way to do such is in growing closer to Him in personal study, preaching, small group studies, prayer, meditation, in hearing and receiving the Word of God! From the TRUTH pours out a river of the SPIRIT.
When our foundation is built on the actions of our faith and not the truth of our faith, we miss the steady structure of the relationship we build with God! A marriage is built on truth, which is trust, learning about each other, growing together, and strengthening the love bond that exists. I love my wife more today than I did when we married because of that growth! We read in Isaiah 6 that Isaiah had known the Lord for a while, but in the year when King Uzziah died, he SAW the Lord, high and lifted up! His eyes were opened to see God in a new light, so much so that what he knew of the Lord before was blown away by seeing that only God’s train could fill the temple! In amazement, he looked upon the one he thought he knew, but discovered he had barely scratched the surface!
Spirit without truth is a cheap emotional high that lasts for a moment, then you are right back in the same shape you were in before the spiritual lift. Knowing the truth involves a changed life and a new sense of understanding about the real relationship between you and the Father. The question then must be: “Is it real or is it relative?” If it is relative, it is emotions and actions due to your surroundings. If it is real, it is reactive to the will of the Father, His movement in your life, and your obedience to His Word. On the human end, relativity means it is easy to get lost in the crowd and go with the flow, but the end result is a return to square one. From God’s perspective it is impossible to get lost in the crowd. He knows you and has known you from the moment He knitted you in your mother’s womb, therefore your reaction to His will and ways in your life would be real.
Once the moment of salvation has been introduced, it is essential for it to continue to grow. This is found in scripture: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:6 ESV. It is essential to build that relationship.
Everything should be built on strengthening the relationship with God the Father, NOT our own feel good emotions. Everything we do from singing, to praise, to testimony, all of the way to the mission field around the world should be an offspring of this foundational core of worship.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” Matthew 7:15 ESV. There are pastors, evangelists, and teachers who will tell you that positive thinking, positive attitude, and good standing with others are all you need to have a great life here on earth. God never promised us a great life here. He would have never bought into the idea of feeding our selfish and lustful desires. Our aim is higher ground. Our hope is in Him who died for our sins and was raised up to prepare a place for us in eternity. Our sights must be set on the prize that is Christ Jesus, our maker and defender, our provider, protector, and coming, conquering King! When our eyes are set on things above, when our hearts are set on growing our relationship with the Father, when our roots are firmly planted in the Word of God, THEN and only THEN can we find real worship!
