Is our worship worthwhile?

I believe it’s a totally fair question to ask ourselves if our worship is worthwhile.  It’s a fair question to ask if God really enjoys our worship, does He really delight in it.  I share this because over the last few years I’ve had to learn what it means to ask these questions.  I can lead worship.  A lot of people tell me that I can lead it really well.  I’m not being prideful about that because I want to share how detrimental it can be for me/us just to lead worship really well.  You’ll see what I mean when I explain it.

I can come in on any particular week, pick songs that share a common theme and complimentary keys, write out vocal parts for beautiful harmony, and rehearse a band to the point where the music is moving, engaging, and sounds as good as it does on the album.  I could do this week after week without blinking an eye because I know how it’s done and I know the rhythm that a music program needs to run smoothly.   So, what’s the bad part?  In the last few sentences I never mentioned God.  

When I was in college at Southwestern I began to fall into this routine.  I took classes on worship leading, musicianship, church music administration and it came to the point where I knew enough to pull it off on my own.  This isn’t saying anything about the people who invested in me during my time there; it’s still one of the top-notch schools for worship leaders to learn how to do worship with excellence.  What I’m saying is I took all that knowledge, my skill, my talent, and would rely solely on it.  I learned to lead a congregation in worship, and do it well, without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amos 5:21-24 reads:
²¹ “I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
²² Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.
²³ Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
²⁴ But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Matthew 15:8-9 Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 which reads “This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

When I go about my week not including God is my worship worthwhile?  No.  God hates it, he despises it, takes no delight in it, does not accept it, doesn’t even look upon it, wants it to go away, will not listen to it, and tells me that I worship in vain.    My worship is fruitless even if it’s the best worship set in the history of Christianity.   My worship is a waste of time.  My worship is not worthwhile.  That seems harsh but it’s the truth.  It’s the truth for everyone including pastors, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, and just your average Sunday church attender.  It’s true if you’ve been a Christian for the last 50 years or just began to follow Jesus last week.

When you really get down to the nitty-gritty of these scriptures you read that people were just going through the motions.  To put it into modern terms the pastor, the worship leader, the deacons, and the people in the seats were just showing up to get their duty done and feel good for the week.  When our hearts are far from God I believe that we come to church for ourselves.  We come for the sole purpose of getting something out of it instead of glorifying God.  We come expecting God to make us feel good about ourselves even when our lives look nothing like what His will is for our lives.  

I once had a person talk to me about a decision they were making that was contrary to scripture, they were choosing to live in sin and were not ashamed of it.  They believed that God would still be pleased with them because they were following Him in all the other areas of their lives.  I disagreed and explained that God hates it and it hurts His heart.  In love I called them to repentance and reconciliation to God.  Scripture makes it clear that anyone who willingly enters a lifestyle of sin but professes Christ with their lips is a liar and their hearts are far from him. (1^st John 2:4)

I could say these things because I once held grudges and anger towards people.  I did it willingly to the point where it consumed my thoughts.  Matthew 5:23-24 reads “if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go.  First be reconciled to your brother and them come and offer your gift.”  I can’t tell you how many times I led worship while angry and holding unforgiveness in my heart.  I’m thankful for Christian brothers and sisters who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, called that out and called me to repentance.

When people used to go worship at the temple there was a Levite who stood at the gate calling people to prepare their heart before entering to offer a sacrifice.  Traditionally it was one of the first jobs to be cut when Israel’s heart began to be far from God.  I wonder what it would be like to place some loving greeters at the doors of our churches calling people who entered to repentance and to prepare their hearts before coming in to worship.  I have learned that this was one of the most important things I can do before leading a gathering of believers in worship. 

Now during the week I humbly lay down myself and pray to God “not by my power but yours”.  On Sunday mornings I ask God to search my heart so that nothing can stand in the way of connecting with Him.   I acknowledge his presence and begin to worship since I cannot effectively lead others where I have not been myself.  Doing these things has made me a better worship leader and made all the difference in the world.  No longer do I go through the motions and rely on my own abilities.  No longer is my worship a waste of time.

So how about you reading this blog?  Is your worship worthwhile?  Is God pleased with it?  These are fair questions to ask yourself next time you enter wherever you worship or lead worship.  I’ve been there, I know what it’s like to be convicted of worship that isn’t worthwhile.  I also know what it’s like to come out on the other side of that with a deeper understanding of worship.  I now know the freedom and passion that comes along with leading worship that God delights in.  Will you make a commitment to worthwhile worship?

He is JEALOUS for me?

   One of the most prolific worship songs to be written in the past decade is How He Loves, a song written by John Mark McMillian.  I once had a friend of mine tell me that he hates that song and is uncomfortable singing it.  What he didn't like was the opening line of the song, "He is jealous for me".  Why would we ever sing a song about something as uncomfortable a concept as God being jealous?   I must admit that I personally love that song.  It's wonderful, it's awe inspiring, it's artistic, a tad bit irreligious, it's full of passion,  it's a simple concept, and it's full of good theology. 

     In our culture we think of jealousy as always negative.  We define it as resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage.  A mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry.  Friendships are ended, marriages are broken, churches split all because of jealousy.  Our culture tunes into "reality" television to watch scantily clad men and women vie for the affection of one single eligible bachelor or bachelorette.  In these shows we can see the big green monster of jealousy at it's worst.  So why do we sing songs and worship a God who is jealous?  How in the world do we worship leaders and pastors reconcile the opening line of that song to worship God for his jealousy?

     Well, it's not as hard as it seems if we take a step back to look at the bigger picture, to take in the details of who God is and the way He relates with humanity.  In Exodus 20:5,  God Himself claims that He's jealous and one who won't share His glory with another.  How inflated our egos would be if we make such a claim?  However, I would propose that God's jealousy is a positive attribute of the creator and sustainer of the cosmos (btw, on a side note I've really taken a liking to that show).

     Like I've written before we often think of jealousy in negative terms.  It rings of insecurity when someone feels threatened by another; it promotes resentment; and it can create all kinds of unpredictable reactions.  So when people read that God is a jealous God who won't share His glory with another, like in Exodus 20:5, they promptly apply to God this negative view of jealousy.  We read that God's jealousy is aroused when we humans turn creatures, statues, or false ideas into God substitutes.  We create something to compete with God and God doesn't like it.

     But God's jealously isn't bad.  It isn't negative.  God can be a jealous God and still hold the attributes of being good, holy, and worthy.  Because think of the idea that a woman will not share her husband with another, so God is jealous to protect the love relationship for which all human beings are designed.  This is an appropriated kind of jealousy.  Imagine a husband who is unconcerned if another man is constantly flirting with his wife.  If this husband had no objections we would rightly see his lack of concern as warped and morally deficient.  Even though it's weird for us guys to think about; we are the "Bride of Christ".

     We can also come to the conclusion that God's jealousy is noble and virtuous and not coming from some inferiority complex.  It's a divine jealousy that springs from a human denial that God is God and that a relationship with Him isn't really needed for humanity to reach it's fullest potential.  To choose yourself and worldly pursuits over a relationship with God is spiritual adultery and leads God to a legitimate, holy, and righteous jealousy.  So is God jealous for me?  You betcha, and I will sing that line with confidence in the God who reigns!