Recently I watched a video of a man held captive for years, set free and returned home.  When he got off the plane he fell to his knees, kissed the ground and raised his hands in worship…thanking God for his freedom, his family, his home.  No doubt, it was a perfect picture of a heart bursting with gratitude.  He knew he’d been given something he didn’t deserve and all the simple pleasures of life were now magnified.  What once was lost, was now found.

This got me thinking!  I wondered if I was as thankful for the simple things as this man.  I wondered if I had become entitled, spoiled & privileged.  Maybe grace had become expected, as if I were owed this life of mine.  Maybe I was charging into every day with the demand: “give me a straight and easy path”, “give me luxuries not known by most” and “give me what you owe me”.  Not that I would ever say that or outright embrace this notion, but instead maybe my heart had drifted?  Maybe…

As I watched this man again…it reminded me of my past.  It reminded me of times when I felt the same way.  It reminded me of my youth, when every day was an adventure.  It reminded me of laughter in rain, my gorgeous bride walking the isle towards her awaiting bridegroom.  It reminded me of my newborn sons’ cry and the fresh smile of a little girl always meant for me!  It stirred something in me.  It stirred that sense so vital to knowing the depth of His grace.  It brought an ember of thankfulness!

“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.  For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”   2 Corinthians 9:11-12

The doorway to knowing God is absolute.  There is no substitute and no way around it.  Without a heart of gratitude, we can never know much less experience God.  A thankful heart is a heart full.  A person of gratitude is a person who has the very touch of God on them.

Here are the four marks or attributes of those who’ve discovered the journey of thanksgiving:

• A grateful heart is a generous heart

When you understand the nature of grace given to you, you tend to measure out the same grace on others.  You tend to be generous with your money, your time, your praises, your prayers.  You desire to give and not always take!

• A grateful heart is a forgiving heart

Wounds not cared for become bitterness which then breeds cynicism and sarcasm. Cynicism and sarcasm are markers of a heart grown cold or a grudge held far too long.  A heart thankful will be a heart that embraces it’s own failures and tends to forgive the same in others.  Thankfulness is the antidote to bitterness and fosters deep compassion and charity.

• A grateful heart is a humble heart

It has been said: “in the south our greatest sense of pride is found in our deep humility”.  We often misread true humility.  We often misread true pride.  Gratitude will unmask our deepest intentions and help us see with clarity.  A heart that seeks God cannot entertain both pride and thanksgiving.

• A grateful heart is a worshiping heart

A few years ago I was given a small new testament Bible by Lisa’s grandfather.  As a marine, he carried it in his pocket during the battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific during World War 2.  I was overcome with emotion.  I knew the depths of this gift and the meaning behind it.  The scriptures abound with the pathway to entering God’s presence: through the gates of thanksgiving.  Gratitude reminds of what we’ve been given and the depth of meaning behind it.  Only then can we truly worship!

 

That video of a man set free is our story!  The kiss of sun on our face, the joy & laughter of a house full or the book of memories of days gone by are a sign of God’s incredible gifts.  When we really stop and think about it, ponder His hand in our lives; it doesn’t take long to see we are nothing but ragamuffins and orphans afforded something that was never ours.  How could we possibly complain about another thing…ever!

Be grateful!  Seize this day before it’s gone.  Make the call, hug the neck, forgive and release the hurt.  Choose to be like the man in the video; set free and overcome with thanksgiving.  Then head into Thanksgiving Day and beyond with a heart warmed by the very touch of God.

Routine often dulls us to the majestic and beautiful.  That which we see and enjoy on a daily basis succumbs to the certainty that it/he/she will always be there.  We often take for granted those who are closest to us until it’s too late.

This summer, while at the beach, I played in the sun until I got burned.  And then I sat in the shade complaining about the heat and sunburn and wishing I had a little respite from the singe of the sun’s rays.

But the past February, I longed for just a flicker of warmth and the feel of the sun on my face and it’s steady warmth to sooth my pale soul.  I was homesick for the very thing in the summer which I wished would wane.

Every day we’ve had on this earth, the sun has risen and set in it’s path.  We set our clocks by it’s course and we live out our schedules completely tethered to the sun’s timetable.  We just take it for granted.

It is God, who at the beginning of the age of this earth created the sun and set her course:

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.  Genesis 1:14-19

Yet today she will go dark.  That which we have grown to rely upon and take for granted will be momentarily snuffed out.

This time, we’re expecting it.  We have our certified viewing glasses.  NASA has given us the forecast schedule and it’s a big party.

Next time, it will be unexpected.  That which we have taken for granted will be darkened as a sign in the heavens:

“The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”  Joel 2:31

“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;”  Revelation 6:12

Today, as we enjoy the total eclipse of the sun, remember to pause and give thanks for it’s light – for it is a gift from God.  When she peeks her head back out from behind the moon, pause and give thanks for His grace that gives us a second chance.

And finally – do as the scripture says:

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 133:3

Praise Him for this day, for the Word tells us His day of judgement which will darken the earth will surely come!

So let your LIGHT shine!

This year, Concord Worship is doing something we’ve never done before. We’re bringing back some old but familiar friends. Familiar to many who grew up with them and new to those who might not have grown up in the church. And of course brand new to this current generation.

In the race to be relevant and fresh in our worship, we sometimes overlook classics; if freshened and renewed, can once again bring impact to our worship and encouragement to our congregations.

And so it is with today’s sample – premiered on Easter Sunday at Concord and made available as a free download.

With a new arrangement by the Concord team, we revived an old acquaintance, dressed him up and brought him back to the table. We found it to be a powerful moment, almost like welcoming home a good friend you haven’t seen in a while.  Plus surprisingly, it had a multi-generational impact.

Here are 3 major ways we accomplished this:

1. Add a new arrangement.  We gave it a fresh treatment that feels different.  A new melodic motive in the accompaniment adds more appeal.
   

2. Don’t complicate the vocals.  We didn’t add layers of complicated parts.  We also didn’t mess with the original melody.

3. Add a new chorus on the end.  This takes it to a whole other level and creates the final punch it needed.

Take a listen above and see what you think. Then go to this link and following the instructions for a free download: www.fbconcord.org/music

Recently, while trying to be a good husband, I’ve watched (endured) an HGTV show with Lisa called Fixer Upper.  Lisa loves the show and really wanted to share it with me.  Although I’m in amazement of how they do what they do, for the most part, I end up drooling through half the show and eventually falling unconscious until I get an elbow in the ribs.

The stars of the show take a run down dilapidated house and restore it.  They basically take a piece of junk and make it new.  It’s amazing.  The end result seems almost impossible.  How in the world could you begin with something in such bad condition and end up with a masterpiece.

When we, as a TV audience, are given a glimpse of the house in the “before” condition, there is no way most of us could visualize a pathway where this out of date, run down, aged, tired, used house becomes a work of art.

But it does!

And you know why?  Because someone with the power to transform sees potential.  When everyone else says “tear it down” these architects of renewal say “we’ll make it new”.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and gazed at a reflection that feels out of date, run down, aged and tired?  Or maybe you feel useless and valueless.  You just can’t see the potential anymore.  Regardless of your age you might just feel like the house that simply is what it is: worn, weary and spent.  Your soul is tired and your heart has lost it’s passion.

From Psalm 23:3 falls a small nugget of truth that cracks the foundation of lies with a bold and beautiful truth: “He RESTORES my soul.”

God is the architect of transformation.  He sees you as you are and offers you a full renovation.  A transformation.  A restoration!

It’s more than paint and spackling.  It’s not cosmetic but foundational.  He longs to rebuild your walls, shore up your foundation and add some new features.  He sees you as a masterpiece, even before the work has begun.  He sees the end result way before the job has broken ground.

If this is you, then you need a restoration.  It all begins with a view of what He sees.  The journey begins with a tiny glimpse of the plan from the Grand Architect.  See you as He sees you!

You are a pearl of great worth.  You are a masterpiece under construction.

Completion date sometime after your spirit escapes the bounds of this life!  Make sure you’re there for the unveiling!

It’ll be a moment you won’t want to miss!

It’s easy for us to enter the Christmas season and go on autopilot.  The holiday season is so driven by traditions (which are not a bad thing)…and typically the busy gets busier and the opportunity to worship is lost.  The focus of Emmanuel becomes us.  He is here for us…to walk with us…to give us hope.  Us, me and I.  He can quickly become our means to an end for our comfort and needs.  Don’t get me wrong, all of this is true…but we must resist the temptation to become the center of Christmas.  Emmanuel – GOD with US.  <

O Come O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel.  That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears.  Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel.  Shall come to thee O Israel

Allow me to offer a higher view.  The very nature of God is seen in this amazing transcendent act of love.  The unseen has now become visible and we can focus on what had been so hard to see and understand.  All the while knowing – we’ll never really see and understand fully while we inhabit these jars of clay.  For me, the thing that really captures the nature of Emmanuel are two magnificent moments in the scripture that absolutely blow me away…so much so it brings me to my knees every time I dare read them:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  Hebrews 1

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2

He is The Radiant Glory of God!  The Word tells us that heaven will have no light – for the light will be the Lamb of Glory!  Somehow we just dim in comparison.  This Christmas, let’s worship Him for who He is…not for what we get out of it!  Then the priorities will right themselves and you’ll find a dose of worship that really gives you hope!
Come and Worship Christ the newborn KING!

Over the past year I’ve had a growing chorus of conversations with worship pastors, senior pastors, church staff and lay leaders regarding a troubling trend in our houses of worship.  It has many leaders scratching their heads and wondering how to communicate truth which is unwanted and hard to hear.  It’s not a trend relegated to one church or gathering, but seems to be consistent – especially within the notorious Bible-Belt!  It’s born out of apathy and idolatry.  It’s fed by leaders who’ve fostered it into epidemic status by withholding God’s call to obedience before sacrifice.  Those Pastors who’ve courageously addressed it have found a kinship and brotherhood with the prophets of the Old Testament: despised outcast, the black sheep of the church.

Nevertheless, this Sunday our houses of worship will have smatterings of stoic, gloomy, detached “followers of Jesus” who with their arms crossed offer little to no sign of life.  They will sit & stand, write their checks to God, and keep their eyes focused forward.  Their Bibles with them although there is no recognition of it’s power to transform.  They’ll take inventory of things for which they disapprove bearing up arms for later discussion with those who share their misery.  For some with the spiritual gift of discernment and prophecy, it smells of death and deceit.

We’ve redefined worship and invested in a false image of church, and now worship no longer meets our desires, wishes and preferences. 

If you pass among them and are not one of them – the chill of bitterness and divisiveness is alarming.  They are quick to take a pompous stand on principle and tell the rest of the world why it’s bound for a fiery hell.  They will boycott, stomp and shout righteous indignation while devoid of any fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).  They’ve forgotten we’re all broken and destitute were it not for the grace of God.

Is it any wonder that our churches are dying while our society has rejected this definition of Christianity?  Is this really what God had in mind for the Church?

How far and how deep have we fallen from truth.  When did we ever fall for the lie that this gathering of ragamuffins and sojourners is a celebration of personal desires and wants!  When did we lose our song?  How did we lose our way?

Church leadership will debate the Sunday worship experience – attempting to balance familiar hymns against the new and innovative.  Enormous amounts of time will be spent in extra Biblical exploits with a desire to entice these people to participate.  Blogs will be written arguing the need for more familiarity while others for more innovation to ensure the future.  All the while we play to fleshly desires and feed the baby more sweetened milk…hoping to make him fat and happy.

Should we not look deeper and harder through the lens of indisputable truth?  And the hard truth is this: our hearts are cold.  The Sunday morning worship experience in our gatherings we call “church” has little do with content, style or personalities.  Sadly, the dilemma lies much further and deeper into the spiritual fiber of the western church congregation.

You cannot revive the dead when they don’t know their dead.  And you certainly can’t do it in 1 hour plus on Sunday mornings.

I’ve traveled to parts of the world where redemption can’t be bought and life in Christ is fresh and new.  I’ve stood with believers who have very little other than Jesus.  The glint in the eyes and the passion in the soul will not be quenched.  Before breaking out in song there is no debate on style – only a song.  New, familiar, old or contemporary is not the issue.  Jesus is the issue – salvation the remarkable – grace the unthinkable and worship the inevitable.

Without exception – the heart passionate to know, love and pursue Jesus WILL WORSHIP!

The weekend gathering has less to do with us and so much more to do with a remarkable community of worship based on grace.

A congregation who enters with a song invested in hours of private worship will not be silenced…not by content, style, personalities or preferences.

But let’s take it one step further:

True worship has an obvious prelude and a remarkable lingering. 

The prelude is a song within that is burrowing it’s way out.  It’s a song of joy, praise, love, and gratitude; or authentic brokenness, surrender and repentance.  The lingering is after effect – the continuation empowered by the Spirit; deeper than musical appreciation or emotional high.  It’s found in self sacrificial service surrounded by gentleness, self control, peace, patience, love, kindness and goodness.  Without these Biblical preludes & lingerings…you have a forged and artificial worship.

So – what to do?  That is the question posed so often and I believe finds it’s answer not in complexity but simplicity.  Let me suggest the following – based on God’s Word:

1. Authority – God’s Word is the first and final authority.  Don’t allow any other cultural persuasion to influence you or those you lead!  Teach it unashamedly and allow it’s power to do the work of obedience.
2. Lead – Speak truth on the authority of God’s Word with courage.  You will face adversity from the cultural pharisees within your church.  Stand strong and go in the power of His Spirit…with wisdom and correction.
3. Pray – The power of prayer is undeniable yet untapped!  His house is to be a house of prayer first and foremost.
4. Model – Be a picture of Biblical expressive worship and lead others to embrace it!
5. Repent – cultivate an atmosphere of redemption and forgiveness.  Allow grace to remind the Church she is a broken but beloved bride.
6. Prelude – teach and encourage private worship as a prelude to church gatherings.  Bring your worship with you!
7. Lingerings – confirm the authenticity of worship by testing your fruits and the fruits of those who follow you.

The symptoms are evident and the prognosis is certain death.  The superficial conversations of preference and style based on personalities are killing our churches and silencing our voice of influence.  We no longer look nor behave as God’s beloved bride.

Until we see it as God sees it and call it what it is…our churches will continue to be nothing more than grand palaces of self worship and self gratification.  And the transformational power of the gospel will lie dormant in a world that is desperate for the real deal.

The wonder of worship is found in simplicity.  The subject itself is not difficult or confusing.  The Bible is clear and the commands are apparent – from beginning to end God has defined what’s acceptable to him and life changing for us.

The problem for today’s church – we’ve lost the admiration and reverence for God’s Word; and with it…we no longer marvel in bewilderment at the thought that God would grace us with Himself.

In order to rethink worship – we must first come to terms with the fraudulent nature of the worship we practice.  I don’t intend to take us on a theological journey…which is available with just a google of the word.  But instead, let’s whet our appetite with a taste of the real.  We do know that worship is far more than a song, more than a destination or time.  Worship is more than a contribution of our favorite songs, videos, lighting, moods and feels to create an atmosphere that tends to our preferences.

Our places of worship are not “Super Targets” of the faith…built big and fascinating in order to enchant our senses, gratify our desires and convince ourselves we’ve payed our weekly homage to God.

Every week, worship pastors extend their creative reach in an attempt to find new and innovative ways to convince the church to at least think about God, much less worship Him.  These men and women strain to find just the right elements, just the right moments with just the right balance of new and old, edgy and current.  All the while knowing a segment of these congregants will find fault, will criticize and will demonstrate to a sinful world that the greatest sin is actually being committed in the Church.  This Sunday there will be many a congregation who will pass through doors under which is written – “Ichabod”…the glory has departed.

Christians don’t tell lies they just go to church and sing them. – A.W Tozer

But it doesn’t have to be so!  The journey of worship begins with understanding and releasing.  Henry Ward Beecher said it well: “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.” 

Worship in it’s purest form is an expression of love; not a brotherly love, or benevolent love…but a Godly agape love that consumes and ravages our will and our desires.

The worship God desires and commands has a starting point.  Think of it as a point of origin – a first step or prerequisite.  Without it you will never, ever arrive.  Without it you will be lost and eventually accept the counterfeit as real.

God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to him. He must disclose to us who he is before we can offer him what we are in acceptable worship. The worship of God is always a response to the Word of God. Scripture wonderfully directs and enriches our worship.  John Stott

God is found in solitude and quietness.  The wonder of God is rediscovered in stillness.  The first step of worship is found in recapturing the wonder of His Word.  If you desire to embrace truth – then try these simple steps:

1. Prioritize retreat!  Find a way to daily discover His Word and commit to it.  Develop spiritual discipline and guard it well – knowing the water of your life will become polluted without refreshing at the spring.
2. Choose obedience!  Don’t just read God’s Word but instead view it as life.  It’s not a book of rules and regulations but a novel of grace and soul with incredible power and supernatural authority.  Don’t be a hearer but a doer.
3. 24 hour rules!  I was taught I needed a daily quiet time – which is not a biblical truth.  Instead – the daily journey of worship is found in the little things and the every day moments.  We are called to be awash with God in all moments of every day in every situation.  God is not bound to a 15 minute devotional.  Redeem the throw away moments of your life.
4. Recapture Margin!  We are way too busy and have convinced ourselves it’s normal, good and the American way.  And now we’re passing it to future generations.  Get off the merry go round and cultivate tender moments of stillness and silence before the Lord by adding the value of margin.  Allow yourself some headroom and see what you discover about yourself and the ones you love.
5. Listen!  We do a whole lot of talking…don’t we?  In fact, this world never shuts up.  To fall in love with Jesus and discover a deep worship of Him – you must tune your ears to His voice.  Not only does He speak through His Word – He whispers to your soul.  A worshiper of Jesus knows His voice and follows.  Stillness will re-tune and re-acclimate you to His closeness.

Every journey has a start.  Every book a new chapter.  Every day a new dawn.  And without a deep falling in love with God you will never find the destination of worship.  Once you’re consumed with Him and passionate for nothing less – a whole new universe of wonder is revealed.

But alas, the choice is yours…and the cost is great!  Quite simple really…and yet so missed.  Place your hand on the door and push.  I bet you’ll never go back again.

As the parent of a savvy brand new teenager – I have come, quite by accident, to the knowledge that my understanding of words is lacking.  Through the force of time and culture, words that once meant one thing have now been reborn to mean another.  And you better stay with the times or you’ll be “So 2008“.

Vocabulary is a vital part of understanding.  When I use a word like awful – do I really mean wonderful, delightful and amazing?  Or by saying this dollar is a counterfeit do I really mean a perfect copy?  Or if I call someone nice, do I really mean they’re ignorant & unaware?

Culture has a way of changing meaning and time reinforces these changes by eliminating any recall of what once was.  The mistakes of past generations can be repeated so easily when we forget and lose connection with truth.  And truth is the ultimate goal.

For followers of Jesus Christ, truth and meaning are securely preserved in the Bible.  Unfortunately, time and culture have redefined our vocabulary and replaced a new meaning to words that have critical importance in our understanding of God and His purposes for us.  Without a deep understanding of these words we lose the wonder and power of influence they can have on our lives.  Allow me to show you:

• Church – modern meaning: A building where you go to attend a worship service or the group of people who regularly attend worship at the same place under the same leaders.  Biblical meaning: The one, united body of Christ-followers, called out of the world and the regional and local expressions of that one body.
• Faith – modern meaning: Agreeing intellectually that something is real or exists.  Biblical meaning: Belief that rises to the level of increasing trust in a promise or person (beliefs that you lean or put your weight down on).
• Salvation – modern meaning: Accepting Jesus into your heart to avoid hell and go to heaven after you die.  Biblical meaning: God’s rescue plan to save people and all of creation from sin and death to himself.

Adding to the list, allow me to offer one word that has been so diluted and corrupted that we have now accepted a new meaning that has destructive consequences!  That word – WORSHIP

Within the modern church, worship is now defined as songs, music, media; that moment of time before the teaching/preaching begins.  We applaud soloist and soak in our favorite songs – or we endure the forever long song service that doesn’t meet our preferences.  We’ve redesigned worship to be about us and for us.

And allow me to be very clear: we have so polluted and reduced this word and concept of worship that it has defiled our sanctuaries and corrupted our theology!

Our redefining of God’s word and meaning of worship will not be excused and has robbed us of the higher and magnificent scriptural meaning.  Worship is a great gift, created by, defined by, and empowered by God.  The wealth of this offering can transform our lives and bring God’s transcendent presence to even the smallest of moments – transforming the menial daily tasks to holy and divine.  The natural road we walk becomes hallowed ground when we understand God’s definition and purpose of worship.

Our worship: sound, lights, choirs, guitars, bands, orchestras, soloists, big, bold, quiet, moving.  Phrases such as: “loved that song”, “that was beautiful”, “that was long”, “do I have to stand(?)”, “I can’t see the screens”, “that’s too loud”, “I loved it”.

God’s worship: glory, honor, reverence, sing, shout, applaud, kneel, sacrifice, live, pray continuously, give, come, draw near.

Over the next several weeks – I hope you’ll join me as we reclaim the definition of worship.  We’ll take a look at the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the vital role of private worship.  We’ll see how worship is indeed God’s offering of power that once raised the dead and healed the sick.  So stay tuned as we journey over the next six weeks to encounter God in a new way and repeal the counterfeit worship in our lives and churches.

Suppose you were to sit back and recall your most meaningful worship experiences.  Where would it be?  With whom would it be?  How did it come and under what circumstances did it arrive.  Understand, I’m not talking about your average experience here.  I’m thinking a way out there God moment.  A Holy ambush that left you weak in the knees and stuttering for words.  Speechless.  Confounded.  Beautifully torn to pieces.

When was that for you?  How was it for you?

A holy visitation is not something we soon forget, nor is it something we want to see slip away.  Rarely does it come at predictable contrived moments and rarely does it come in groups.  When we’re awash in a God moment, it rarely precedes our emotions, but instead leaves our emotions running to catch up…like a spirit-filled tsunami.  It’s a heart racing wide eyed stoppage of the time continuum when Yahweh taps you on the shoulder.

Once the tide has subsided and you begin to collect yourself…a new supernatural peace transforms everything.  You just know everything will be OK.  True worship brings true peace.  It’s a type of peace the word “peace” doesn’t adequately define or describe.  Calm, cool and collected.  Tranquillity Base – the eagle has landed!

Jesus told us it was coming: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27)

This past week I had a chance to do something I love…go snorkeling in the Cayman Islands.  It’s a dastardly deed…that must be done.  As I was enjoying my last dive off a reef – a little school of fish called Sergeant Major were checking me out.  Beautiful and colorful reef fish, I swam on, my attention diverted to other fish and sights below.  After a period of time I began to notice one little Sergeant Major swimming with me.  And my little new found friend did so for the entire snorkel.  He never left my side.  Although I couldn’t always see him…he was there all the same.  All the way to the end.

Then BOOM…it happened.  My heart began to race and God caught me off guard.  That crazy little fish…became an instrument of God’s glory – and left me breathless, thankful and teary eyed.

And in that moment, He reminded me of something I had forgotten:

“And behold I am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age”.

The peace of God is a piece of Jesus.  Worship refines our sight and senses to the spiritual and re-tunes our heaven bound spirit.  Then, a glimpse over our shoulder leaves us astounded to see Jesus right there…to the very end.

He is always with us.  We have never been nor will we ever be…alone!

Several years ago, while on a trip out west, Lisa and I visited a church well known for their worship.  We went with anticipation of a great experience.

We were impressed by the facilities including the general look and feel of the campus.  The worship center had great lighting and impressive staging.  The overall visual experience was well done, even before the first note was played.  But none of this could distract us from the strange feel in the room.  The people were milling around, subdued and almost lethargic.  No sense of anticipation or expectation that God just might show up and bless His people.

Then…the music started.  Immediately – the place came to life with incredible expressions of praise.  The band was amazing and the atmosphere electric.  Until…they stopped.  And just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.  Snuffed out, things had returned to an empty manufactured feel.  God taught me a lesson that day I’ll never forget.

As worship leaders – we can never lead people where we ourselves do not go.  And – our private worship will be made public…never the other way around.  If our worship is motivated by the song…then it’s not the worship God seeks.  If we feel the spirit rise within us only when the band gets cranked or the lights begin to burn, then we’ve settled for fools gold and found another god for our idol worship.

While speaking to the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus says the true worshipers will worship in TRUTH & in SPIRIT.  If we are not motivated by His truth (His Word) and filled with His Spirit (Holy Spirit), then we simply don’t understand the kind of worship God seeks.  And that kind of worship is found first and foremost in a quiet and reflective time with God.  Relationships are cultivated one on one…there is no substitute. Spurgeon said this about the matter of a private worship, “Why is it that some are often in the place of worship and yet they are not holy? It is because they neglect their closets. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn but they will not go forth into the field to gather it; the fruit hangs on the tree but they will not pluck it; and the water flows at their feet but they’ll not stoop to drink it.”

As musicians, it’s easy to develop a deep love of the song.  Sometimes we say it’s the truth in the song, but mostly if we were honest, we just love music.  Music is the language we speak and the eternal language that goes to the deepest darkest crevices of our hearts.  But this great gift of song can never compare nor compete with the depths of knowing and loving the truth of God and the filling of His Spirit.  I grow weary of meetings with other worship leaders and hearing over and over about the latest greatest song when a zeal for God and testimony of His power is so evidently missing.  Our passions must be anchored in the truth of God and the power of His presence…then the songs will take on new meaning and power.  Way too often the passion for Him is missing; replaced with the business of doing worship and doing “church”.

So let’s change that.  Let’s make a choice to be committed private worshipers who become powerful public worship leaders.  Let’s speak of the wonders of God first and motivate others to grow in truth.  Let’s journey to that place of deep longing to see a move of God.  Let’s become real!

This weekend, allow a song birthed in a sacred moment with God to be the first from your lips Sunday morning.  Allow it to be born deep within you, motivated by a unquenchable fire to know and follow Jesus…no matter the cost.  Then and only then…when you step up to the mic, put on your guitar, your choir robe – you will sense the filling of His Spirit and the sweet unmistakeable presence of The One you have already come to know so well.