Revelation 7:11-12 And all the angels stood in a circle round the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their faces before the throne, and worshiped God, saying: “So let it be. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God for ever and for ever. Amen.”
Well, we are back in First Church again. It’s the Sunday evening Praise and Worship Service, and they’ve got a great line – up for tonight! Jojo Brown has recovered from that weird experience a few weeks ago and is ready to do his new hit single “Glory to the Lamb!” Trisha, Jojo’s girl friend and the lead female singer, also plans to do two numbers. And the singing group, “The Power Prophets,” has several numbers that they intend to slip in along the line. The Power Prophets have new outfits for the occasion and they are READY! And the guys running the light show have some new effects they want to try out for the congregation.
But just as the praise band is playing the introduction to Jojo’s first number, Mama Gracie steps forward. You remember Mama Gracie – she’s the sweet little old lady who stays in the prayer room during Sunday morning services. Normally Mama Gracie never says anything but keeps her eyes on God instead. Mama Gracie steps next to Jojo and reaches for the microphone; mystified, Jojo gives it to her. Then Mama Gracie begins to pray, “Father God, I thank you that you want us to praise you tonight! I thank you that you are not interested in our clothing or our makeup but you are concerned about our hearts! Lord, I ask here and now that your Holy Spirit will come upon this place and that you will cause us to worship you in spirit and in truth! Let everything that is said and done here tonight glorify you and you alone. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen!”
There is dead silence in the huge auditorium. Suddenly, Jojo can’t remember the words to the song he was about to perform. The musicians are mute! The light show technicians find their minds are going blank. The Power Prophets can’t do anything. And then in one corner of the auditorium, a little girl begins to sing, “He is Lord! He is Lord! He has risen from the dead and He is Lord…” Suddenly the auditorium is filled with the sounds of people sobbing as they join in the chorus. Wave upon wave of song overtakes the congregation and the singing goes on for hours, interspersed with prayer. The musicians never touch their instruments. The Holy Spirit has come in answer to Mama Gracie’s prayer and real worship is taking place.
So much of what we call worship and praise is nothing more than slick performances. Much of the time, we are not glorifying God but exalting ourselves and showing off. Pastors complain that when they try to reason with their musicians, the musicians become offended claiming that they must hear from God and not from their pastor. But anything that has its roots in rebellion can never be an act of praise. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
Surely heavenly worship should be a pattern for us. When the angels and the elders are worshiping God around the throne, they fall on their faces and glorify God. If this is a pattern for perfect worship, why have we turned worship in many churches into a performance? Whom are we worshiping? Worship is just as much a form of spiritual warfare as is prayer. Why, if we are warring against the powers of darkness, are we wasting time in performances that don’t make any changes spiritually?
Let us remember the song of those in heaven and sing with them, “ Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God for ever and for ever. Amen.”
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for putting up with us. Forgive us for wasting precious time that we should use for worship. Cause us to turn away from meaningless performances and to worship you in spirit and in truth. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment