Joy becomes the core of a believer's heart and sorrow at the periphery, but in a non-believer's heart sorrow is the center of his being and joy is at the outer edge. What you are today depends on where you place the very thing that gives joy,peace and happiness. The more we embrace joy at the center of our being, the more we see even our enemies with a good heart. A sense of certainty and life begins to show-up in our otherwise mundane circumstances.
Today with an increase in worship which looks more like the pop concerts, we tend to forget that we are putting ourselves in the limelight. Worship has given a different meaning to our younger generation. It is very timely that Malachi, the last Prophet in the old testament reminds us of God's dissatisfaction by the way we worship Him.
Let us ask ourselves if we show the following four elements in our worship services today. If not, let us correct and change our perspectives.
1. God says,'I have loved you', but we ask 'How have you loved me Lord?' (Malachi 1:1-2a).
Love is an expression of one's emotion and today it seems as if it is out of trend when one shows their emotions during the worship services.Our worship lacks emotions.
2.We confess in our lips that God is our Father and Master, but where is the honor and reverence that is due to the Father and Master (Malachi 1:6). The reverence that we show when we worship through kneeling and waiting upon the Lord in patience is too seldom in our worship services today. We have become too sophisticated, we would rather make our worship more interesting for the worshiper than honoring and showing reverence to the Person of our Worship - God.
3. We come to worship with no sacrifice in mind that is submitting all our nature unto God. Granted God does not need the blood of lamb anymore in our Worship (Malachi 1:8) but we bring ourselves as a living sacrifice to worship. We carry the church within us, however we bring ourselves as if we are useless, dead, lame and sick sacrifices. We tend to add worship element in addition to our chores or entertainment. How often we hear people say that they have to rush to a function, shopping or a birthday party immediately after the worship services. God demands a God plus nothing notion but we say it should be God plus something. coming to God in obedience, fully trusting Him and agreeing with Him is better than Sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22)
4. Finally, God yearns to see us come to Him with a pure heart (Malachi 1:10). Those with a pure heart shall see God (Matt 1:8), impurity cannot mingle with purity, unholiness cannot partake with Holiness. We have become callous in a worship routine so much so that we cut out God's guidance and leading in a worship service. We want to create a feeling of sensationalism and feeling of satisfaction to ourselves rather than doing everything by His divine guidance. The purity of heart God expects of us has been marred with a need to satisfy the appetite of the worshiper's feelings, hence our worship becomes our way and not His way.(Heb 10:1-10)
As we look back on the three parts of this message on Worship, generations may come and go. way of life and way of thinking may change with times but the God's requirements when we come to worship Him has never changed. He will go to any extent to redeem us and make us his own people. God moves in our families to redeem us (Hosea's family), rescues nations to a covenant relationship (Ref Ezek 16) and demands His way when we come to worship him in our churches (Malachi 1)
Prayer:
Lord, we tend to think we've got it right with you in our own understanding, but today you have shown that it only takes very little from us to move so far away from your ways. We feel distant from you because of our rebellious and proud way of thinking. We have become too dependent on ourselves and we without knowing elevate ourselves ahead of you. Thank you for correcting us and helping us to realign our priorities with you. May we never forget that we are the temple of God and God dwells in us. Instead of going to places to worship You , we want to carry You in us as we worship You with the others. This we ask in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
Today with an increase in worship which looks more like the pop concerts, we tend to forget that we are putting ourselves in the limelight. Worship has given a different meaning to our younger generation. It is very timely that Malachi, the last Prophet in the old testament reminds us of God's dissatisfaction by the way we worship Him.
Let us ask ourselves if we show the following four elements in our worship services today. If not, let us correct and change our perspectives.
1. God says,'I have loved you', but we ask 'How have you loved me Lord?' (Malachi 1:1-2a).
Love is an expression of one's emotion and today it seems as if it is out of trend when one shows their emotions during the worship services.Our worship lacks emotions.
2.We confess in our lips that God is our Father and Master, but where is the honor and reverence that is due to the Father and Master (Malachi 1:6). The reverence that we show when we worship through kneeling and waiting upon the Lord in patience is too seldom in our worship services today. We have become too sophisticated, we would rather make our worship more interesting for the worshiper than honoring and showing reverence to the Person of our Worship - God.
3. We come to worship with no sacrifice in mind that is submitting all our nature unto God. Granted God does not need the blood of lamb anymore in our Worship (Malachi 1:8) but we bring ourselves as a living sacrifice to worship. We carry the church within us, however we bring ourselves as if we are useless, dead, lame and sick sacrifices. We tend to add worship element in addition to our chores or entertainment. How often we hear people say that they have to rush to a function, shopping or a birthday party immediately after the worship services. God demands a God plus nothing notion but we say it should be God plus something. coming to God in obedience, fully trusting Him and agreeing with Him is better than Sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22)
4. Finally, God yearns to see us come to Him with a pure heart (Malachi 1:10). Those with a pure heart shall see God (Matt 1:8), impurity cannot mingle with purity, unholiness cannot partake with Holiness. We have become callous in a worship routine so much so that we cut out God's guidance and leading in a worship service. We want to create a feeling of sensationalism and feeling of satisfaction to ourselves rather than doing everything by His divine guidance. The purity of heart God expects of us has been marred with a need to satisfy the appetite of the worshiper's feelings, hence our worship becomes our way and not His way.(Heb 10:1-10)
As we look back on the three parts of this message on Worship, generations may come and go. way of life and way of thinking may change with times but the God's requirements when we come to worship Him has never changed. He will go to any extent to redeem us and make us his own people. God moves in our families to redeem us (Hosea's family), rescues nations to a covenant relationship (Ref Ezek 16) and demands His way when we come to worship him in our churches (Malachi 1)
Prayer:
Lord, we tend to think we've got it right with you in our own understanding, but today you have shown that it only takes very little from us to move so far away from your ways. We feel distant from you because of our rebellious and proud way of thinking. We have become too dependent on ourselves and we without knowing elevate ourselves ahead of you. Thank you for correcting us and helping us to realign our priorities with you. May we never forget that we are the temple of God and God dwells in us. Instead of going to places to worship You , we want to carry You in us as we worship You with the others. This we ask in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
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