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Friday, October 15, 2004
Yesterday we saw how important it is to have worship as a lifestyle. That day-in, day-out, minute-by-minute approach to walking with God, glorifying Him in everything we do. Worship is SO much more than singing four songs, having some announcements, having a soloist sing while we take up money, followed by a sermon, followed by another hymn. That's certainly a part of worship, but true worship happens all week. Coming together on Sunday should be pretty much a celebration of a life well-lived. I think that approach would put a bit of "umpf" into that formula.
In Romans 12: 2 there's another stark reality that's highlighted: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
If we're living an abundant life moment-by-moment day-in and day-out we're not going to mesh real well with the world. There's a line in the sand here, don't you think? It's either conforming to the world and it's values and lusts and stuff...or it's a transformation of our mind proving what the will of God is. There's not a way it can be "kinda" worldly. It either is or it isn't.
The Message refers to it as becoming "well adjusted to your culture that you fit in without thinking." The encouragement is to think like God thinks. Focus on Him and what He wants. Donald Miller said it best in his book Blue Like Jazz (recommended on the left): "The greatest lie I have ever contended with is this, that life is a story about me."
And it never works "outside-in." All too often we think that if we clean up our behavior first (and getting on God's good side--as if there were any other--in the process) then we'll start changing. You know. If we stop cussing/drinking/smoking/sexing/rocking and-or rolling/stealing/lying/gossiping/etc. then we'll be better people and we'll relate to God better and then our thought life will get better and then we're acceptable as spiritual people.
It always works "inside out." We start thinking truth...thinking like God thinks...then our minds will start spiritually appraising everything. That's what makes us spiritual, anyway, not our behavior. Don't believe me? Read 1 Corinthians 2: 15. This definition is really the only way a guy like King David could be considered spiritual at all...his behavior had some atrocious moments if I remember correctly.
Thinking truth will transform you. Like an awful lot happens in the trunk and branches of an apple tree before you ever see an apple, an awful lot happens in our minds before we ever see fruit in our lives.
And the only way to think truth...
...Time in the Word.
Now we're back to where we started during the Nehemiah studies aren't we? Remember when they stood in reverence for the Word before it was read publicly? It's my suggestion that the Word of God is central to worship, not only on Sundays, but in our day-in, day-out, minute-by-minute lives.
A lifestyle of worship. Having our hearts stand in reverence every moment. Worshiping in spirit and truth. That's the essence of worship. It's almost enough to make you write and sing with reckless abandon, eh?
Brent 4:08 AM
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