How Healthy Is Your Worship?
Good Morning Friends,
Yesterday I got soaked in a rainstorm. I get into my car and the radio is playing a song about God’s grace raining down on us. Interestingly this summer in Florida has had some really heavy rainfalls and these events relate well to the lectionary scripture. You see there is always one thing that causes a shift in our weather pattern. It is dependent upon what is taking place in the atmosphere. Today’s scripture is about the atmosphere of worship and its effect on us all. Indeed, it rains on the just and unjust…and it can be seen positively or negatively. So too the parable of the dragnet does not discriminate on what and who is caught up in the changes to come. There is a surrounding, pervading influence in them both guided by the Holy Spirit. Now we live in an age of grace but the character of the environment is changing. How Healthy Is Your Worship?
Scripture: Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. Moses set up the tabernacle; he laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars; and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it; as the Lord had commanded Moses. He took the covenant and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above the ark; and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the curtain for screening, and screened the ark of the covenant; as the Lord had commanded Moses. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.
Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 (NRSV)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.
Matthew 13:47-53 (NRSV)
Message: Today we look at the importance of shifting atmospheres and their effect on the life and movement of the church toward the end of the age. Here we face the reality that circumstances effect our moods not just climates. We learn that we all can be caught up in the worship of God in very different ways. But that ultimately, we need to learn to come to an assembly of believers with worship on our minds that glorifies God. And that means that we in worship need to give our cares to the Lord and let Him fight our battles for us. We need to realize that we cannot fight all the mental and physical battles on our own. We need to realize that we must not allow anything to hinder us in our worship and thanksgiving for here the atmosphere is changed in our hearts. Friends, that is a supernatural element that is set into motion when we in faith expect something extraordinary to happen. You see God responds to people who believe and seek the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of life. When we focus on God, the atmosphere is palatable and we are set free as Jesus invisibly rules and reigns over our hearts. For now, we sense the change in atmosphere but the day will come when the rule is a visibly physical Kingdom. Some will hope for that day and some will fear it. Until then we are to be instruments of God’s Kingdom upon earth. We are to play and worship in tune and on time realizing that what we call the Church, like the dragnet in today’s parable about the Kingdom of God, cannot be discriminative but is bound to be a mixture of all kinds of people, good and bad, useless and useful. And that makes for an atmosphere that should bring us to our knees in prayer.
And So, people worship all sorts of things that are not ultimately in their best interest and sometimes they participate in worship without the proper perspective. But God is everywhere not just in places of organize worship so maybe we are to be moved by worship and be willing to find worship everywhere. In preparation we might do well to start the day with God and write down the things for which we are thankful. We could also find it healthy to sing hymns and even to dance. I find it helpful to pray the Psalms, to walk and work in God’s creation and to remember and celebrate the moment of God’s grace in our lives. Friends, love yourself but also learn to worship by loving others.
Pray we come to worship as worship opportunities come to us. Pray we come as we are but leave it with a benediction of beginning without anger or resentment. Pray we come to worship without fear or entanglements. Pray we come to worship without bitterness or envy. Pray we come to worship with an expectancy that God will be present and move us and deliver us and reveal the Glory of all creation to us. Pray the Holy Spirit takes charge of our worship. Pray we realize the power of the atmosphere in changing the environment in which we live, move and have our very being. Pray we submit to the pervading influence of the Spirit of God and that this Spirit have a direct effect on the life and movement of all who believe.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 