Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Who God Wants

The people God wants are true worshippers.

John Piper says missions exists because worship does not. Not all people worship God who made them by His hands, in His image, for His glory and fame. So missions exists to reconcile alienated humans with God, who alone is worthy of worship.

Worship is more than words. More than music (traditional or modern). More than preaching. More than one specific time each week. And certainly more than a building. 

All of these things--music and singing, teaching and preaching, a building and specific time--aid in or can be essential parts to worship. But to define worship as preaching or to relegate worship to music and singing is a grave mistake.  

One of the most beautiful examples of worship, extravagant worship, comes in a passage in Luke 7. Here we read of no music, no singing, no preaching, no temple/church building, no worship service, no words spoken.

Jesus accepted a dinner invitation at the home of Simon the Pharisee.  While the dinner was in progress, a woman entered who had quite the scandalous reputation. This woman was likely a prostitute whose insidious acts gave her a sordid reputation. She’s lived this hard and lonely life.  She’s been used, if not abused.  True love eludes her grasp. Guilt covers her like a heavy robe. Any purpose in life is veiled from her eyes.  Her life has failed to fulfill the deepest longing of her soul. She has accumulated an astronomical sin debt that’s left her spiritually bankrupt.

Regardless of the scandalous life she has lived, God’s grace and mercy trumped it. Nothing she had done was greater than God’s power to save her and bring healing into her life. Jesus declared to her that her sins were forgiven because her faith had saved her.

She, whose debt had been cancelled, worshipped Jesus with extravagance. She didn't speak any words.  No verse of a song was sung. There was no preacher who gave a moving sermon. A formal invitation wasn't given. She worshipped from an overflowing heart of gratitude where Jesus was exalted above all others.

Jesus is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He desires those who will exalt Him above all others, focusing on Him more than any other, giving whatever it costs to engage in love and worship to Him. 

He isn't looking for those who can sing best or loudest. His goal isn't those who raise hands or dance around. Worshipping one day for one hour doesn't hit the bull's eye of God's target for our lives. These may all be expressions of worship at times, but they do not guarantee that true worship or even extravagant worship is taking place.

God wants a people who worship in spirit and truth as a lifestyle; a people who don't rationalize away extravagant worship for fear of the cost or how others will react. He is our focus of worship and on Him alone we fix our eyes.

To read the account of this woman's extravagant act of worship, take time to read Luke 7:36-50.


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