The Show Can’t Go On!! B.U.G.S.
It is easy to understand that we are typically creatures that love to express ourselves, whether vocally, emotionally, or physically. Today the subject has brought me to talk about how we express ourselves in Worship and to be more specific our expression in the Worship of God.
For a moment, let us talk about what God expects out of us as believers in regards to true worship. What makes up TRUE WORSHIP? Are we true worshipers or are we being lead to believe that the way we now worship is acceptable to God? This is another one of those B.U.G.S. we need to explore and remove.
Our worship services typically involve singing, shouting (Dancing), testifying, preaching, praying, music, and offering. Let’s see how far we have drifted from what God expects from us when we gather for fellowship and worship.
What really makes our worship to God represent the “True Worshiper”? How far off have we strayed from God’s intended plan for us? This is that BUG I am speaking of that may have placed us in the category of “False Worshipers”.
John 4:23 states ..”But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.“
We should worship in spirit and in truth according to scripture. This means that our worship should be one of true faith in Jesus Christ. After all, He did provide the way of Salvation for us! We must also have the Holy Spirit in our hearts to offer God true worship. Worshiping without the right attitude in our heart can lead us to false worship.
Our worship should be according to what Paul expressed in Ephesians 5:19-20,
“…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,“
This sets the tone for any service involving worship. The BUG that appears to be prevalent in our services is the idea that we can come to church to do “Our Thing”; do the emotional dance or two and then go home thinking we have “had Church!”
We have sat in the midst of the preached Word but only remembered the title and not the message it carried with it. This is not everyone but you stand to wonder if the Word of God really moved the people to the point that they applied it to their lives. The evidence, of course, should have leaked over to other parts of their lives. We should feel the press to get to Bible Study to Sunday Bible Study in order to get more Word. The hunger for the Word should grow consistently and not dissipate when we leave on Sunday.
Let me say this…the major ingredients in worship is knowing that the reason you came is to thank God for His goodness, mercy, and grace. Thanking Him for all He is to us because He expects and deserves our praise. The obligation to worship God soon becomes a need and desire that is heartfelt. Worship cannot be HALF-HEARTED. It should not take on a form or fashion. It should not be a religious act.
If we look at the expressions of worship, it is clear that true worship comes from a redeemed heart that is filled with love and admiration for God. Any other type of worship is of no effect.
The motivation to worship is reflecting on everything God gives us that we surely don’t deserve. Things such as eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, intercession and much more. This is what should motivate us to worship in praise and thanksgiving.
We have strayed from this platform!! The antics and showmanship now displayed in our services are more than overwhelming. This is another one of those B.U.G.S. We are under the GRIP of emotional showmanship instead of a heartfelt presentation of ourselves. We must present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to God. This means giving our bodies and minds totally to God.
How do we do that? We give our minds, hearts, hands, thoughts, and attitudes over to God. Simply speaking we must give full control over to God concerning these things.
Understand; giving all of this over to God can’t be done in a planned out dance or as we say shout! Yes, I said planned. Some of us have a tendency to practice or plan our praise before attending worship service for the week. Do you really think this is pleasing to our God?
Now I suppose you are thinking what’s wrong with dancing for God? It’s not so much the expression of our worship through dance, it is dancing with the wrong attitude and focus. All things should be done in decency and order. Paul spoke of this to the churches. Anything during a worship service that distracts from the focus on Christ should not be a part of that service. The key is having a worship service that honors God, uplifts, and encourages the congregation. After all, that’s why we are commanded to fellowship with one another. It is not a sideshow for our pleasure. It is not entertainment for the week!! This is another one of those B.U.G.S…Being Under The Grip Of Satan…because we have no Word in us to feed our soul.
We worship God by the renewing of our minds daily to be Christ-like. Our minds are cleansed daily from the world’s stain of sin if we allow this process to take place. It is then that we are in a position to express true worship to God. So we come together in fellowship with that mind and praise for God. That’s the true evidence that we are ready for worship.
The show that we are putting on in some of our services is not the proper process that will bring us to true worship. It can become a distraction to others that are sincere and needing to give God their heartfelt worship.
I call this BUG a show because it expresses a spectacle or display, typically an impressive one. We have it twisted!!
We should not come to worship services to put on a personal display of emotion or a new dance (shout) to impress the congregation. This is “THE GRIP” I have spoken of previously…we are allowing Satan to trick us out of our true worship. Satan doesn’t make us do anything. We give that portion of our mind to him to control. We have allowed Satan to use it because we are not in the Word of God as we need to be. We can easily be fooled by emotional displays when we have no Word to keep us focused on the true meaning of fellowship, worship, and being obedient to God.
Please understand me when I say this, there are true worshippers but we have to sift through the showmanship and antics to get to the real worship. So much so there is no worship at all. God is not pleased.
How can we allow this to continue when God has given so much to us. The sacrifice, His grace, His Mercy, and His Love should make us stand up and worship willingly without playing the emotional games and antics.
What we do in church should not be our only WORSHIP to God! It should comprise of everything we do that validates God power in our lives. Remember that the highest praise we can give to God is OBEDIENCE!
God is giving us ample time and opportunity to get it right before judgment.
We must remove the show. The SHOW Can’t Go On any longer.! We must focus on making sure our worship is actually TRUE WORSHIP! True admiration, obedience and Christ-like living that is a part of our daily lives.
There is no need to pretend or express emotional acts to impress others. It has no weight. Let’s focus on getting more in God’s Word, loving, desiring Him daily, and being obedient to Him. This will for sure produce TRUE WORSHIP!
Think about it…TRUE WORSHIP!! The benefits when done according to the Word produces healing, deliverance, uplifting atmospheres, and more love between the people of God. Our bodies should be presented as living and holy sacrifices, not emotional showmen!
If you have gotten something out of this article in any way that has helped you, please leave a comment …”Another Bug I Want To See Removed”
Prayerfully submitted (An Unfinished Story)
Evang. Debbie Watkins
Disclaimer* These posts are no in any way posted based on expert input. My expertise comes from LIVING LIFE in the CHURCH. Please read with an open mind, attitude, and heart. Thank you.
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